Peter Parker (a.k.a. Spider-Man) is one of my favorite action superheroes. It turns out that the “Decay Rate Algorithm” in the movie, The Amazing Spider-Man, is based on real science. Jim Kakalios, the author of The Physics of Superheroes and a physics professor at the University of Minnesota, explains the science behind the most recent Spider-Man movie in this short video:
Since 1985, LaRonde has been hosting the Montreal International Fireworks Competition, also known as L’International des Feux Loto-Québec. Tonight at 10pm is this year’s finale. Every summer over the past few years, I have made the trip to go see them at least once. My favorite spot to view the fireworks is just outside the Longueil metro station; a lesser-known, quiet spot that is right across the highway from LaRonde. I had the opportunity to see the fireworks last Friday night and, as always, I was amazed by the spectacular light show.
I recently found this short video about the chemistry involved in making fireworks that features Professor Conkling, the author of the Chemistry of Pyrotechnics: Basic Principles and Theory.
I received a box of promotional items at the library from Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Publishing and it served as a reminder to write a few words about ChemSpider.
ChemSpider is a free database that really is easy to use. You may not see yourself as a chemical searcher but I promise that you’ll find interesting facts about chemicals you use everyday. Continue reading
The new video series, Science of the Summer Olympics: Engineering In Sports, is just what I needed to assuage my anticipation for the start of the London Olympic Games (just days away!).
This partnership between the U.S. National Science Foundation and NBC brings athletes and engineers together to share their experiences and perspectives. For example, you can learn about the biomechanics of 6 ft. 5 in. sprinter, Usain Bolt, or the design of the pool at the London Aquatic Centre that promises to maximize speed and minimize waves.
During a trip to Chicago last week, I had occasion to see one of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) monuments of the millennium, the Chicago Wastewater System. By the end of the 19th century, Chicagoans had heavily polluted the Chicago River by dumping all of their garbage in the water, which flowed into Lake Michigan, the source of the city’s drinking supply. This caused deadly diseases such as cholera and typhus. To solve the problem, the flow of the Chicago River was reversed, sending it in the opposite direction from Lake Michigan.
Here’s a brief documentary on the reversal of the Chicago River:
Today was CERN‘s big announcement that results from the Large Hadron Collider proton-proton collisions point to a new particle that could be the Higgs boson.
Read their press release or watch the video “What is the Higgs boson?” from theoretical physicist, John Ellis.
I have always found the Large Hadron Rap to be educational and entertaining.
The UEFA 2012 European Championship final was decided yesterday but here is one tech item that may help to fill the void. Two young inventors found a way to turn a soccer ball into a power source as a project for an engineering class. Jessica O. Matthews and Julia Silverman founded Uncharted Play last year and have introduced the SOCCKET. It turns a soccer ball into an eco-friendly portable generator.
Here’s how it works: the SOCCKET has a mechanism inside that captures and stores the kinetic energy from playing with the ball. The mechanism turns a motor and the motor powers a battery that can support small appliances when they are plugged into the ball. For example, after being kicked around for about thirty minutes the ball can power a reading light for three hours. If you are interested in the SOCCKET, find out how you can get in the game.