Solar Impulse hits the US

I've always thought that it is a shame that we waste our precious fossil fuels on driving because we have other methods of moving around here on the ground, like electric cars.  We should save our fossil fuels for really important things like flying.  After all, we really don't have any other practical way to move around in the skies.  The Solar Impulse is a project to change that...to show that solar powered flight is possible.

For some time we've been watching the progress of the Solar Impulse, a Swiss-based, solar powered airplane.  This incredible device has a 208' wingspan, is 72' in length and cruises through the air at 43 mph just on solar power alone.  They've already got a long list of accomplishments like an intercontinental flight from Switzerland to Morocco and staying aloft over a continuous 26 hour period.  (just think about that one for a moment... a solar powered plane that can fly through the night!)  Their ultimate goal is to fly around the world in 20 days by 2015.

The exciting news is that the Solar Impulse is currently in the United States for the first time.  It is at Moffett Airfield/NASA AIMES here in the SF Bay area right now.  Soon it will be taking off on a cross country mission with stopovers in Phoenix, Dallas, Atlanta or St. Louis on its way to Washington D.C. and New York City. The exact dates and locations are dependent on local weather conditions.

I've been tracking the progress of this project for several years and I find it very inspirational.  The meer idea that we can conquer flight with just solar power is fantastic.  I think it can spur further light weight solar panels and batteries that will ultimately be useful in electric cars and other areas.  I wish them good luck on their mission and I will definitely plan to see them before they leave the area.  I really hope that, like the space shuttle, they fly over our house while they wander around the bay.  I'll have my camera at the ready just in case.

Follow the Solar Impulse on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram and/or YouTube.

Is it magic or is it math? I dunno.

This one is a bit of a head scratcher. Watch this video.  You can stop it wherever you like and count the squares however you like.  Still, if you are like me, in the end you will find yourself being confused.  How does it work?

I think it is a version of Curry's Paradox.  In this case they have cleverly put it together in a way that divides up the squares in a way that allows them to change size without changing the number of squares.  If you look closely, you'll see that part way through there is a video edit and the squares don't quite fit together as they did in the beginning.  In fact some of them aren't squares at all.  The fact that the illusion relies on some video editing is a  little disappointing, but still, it's well done... I must say.  Take a look at the videos below to see what is going on.

Bill Nye wonders where we come from

In this little interview, Bill Nye tells us why it is so important that we are curious and how wondering where we came from helps make us who we are.  I especially like the implication that curiosity (like prune fingers) may be an evolutionary advantage.  As always, Bill Nye rocks.

Ever wonder why your fingers wrinkle when they get wet? Wonder no more.

I think this is one of those nagging questions that has plagued mankind for eons.  Why do your fingers turn to prunes if you sit in a bathtub for too long?  It turns out that the answer is because it's good for you... well, in an evolutionary sense.  The process is a very deliberate step that your body goes through to make you better adapted to wet situations.  It's just one more reason to be impressed with what evolution has provided to us.  Enjoy the video.

Nice time lapse of comet Panstarrs over Boulder

When I moved away from Boulder, Colorado some years ago, I learned about Chief Niwot's curse (he was a native American leader in the Boulder area back in the day).  As told to me, it was that anyone who left Boulder would always want to return.  Actually, it is a little more complex than that.  He said that Boulder is so beautiful that people will always want to live there and in doing so, they will ultimately be the undoing of that very beauty.  It's more of a paradox really.  I can say that I really enjoyed living in Boulder and certainly miss its beauty from time to time.  

The video above captures a little bit of the landscape and the signature flatirons, but it also captures the comet Panstarrs quite spectacularly.  I hope somewhere Chief Niwot has as nice a view.
Well captured Patrick Cullis.  Watch and enjoy.

An exploding Prince Rupert Drop is pretty awesome... who knew?

Smarter Every Day has given us plenty of cool and entertaining video lessons in physics and stuff.  I think my favorite was the one about poop splashes.  This is another great example of something that I've certainly never seen before.  A Prince Rupert Drop is what is formed when you drop some molten glass into cold water.  Because of the way that it cools (from the outside in) it creates a structure that is under significant stress.  Destin from Smarter Every Day shows what happens when you upset that stressed structure.  Of course he does it with a totally awesome super slow motion camera which makes me totally jealous.  Pretty cool stuff.

via Smarter Every Day

A mysterious mouse door appears in Golden Gate Park

Richmondsfblog is reporting that someone has mysteriously crafted a rather lovely mouse door and placed it on a tree in Golden Gate park.  If a mouse did it, it either has some amazing skills, or at least money and taste.  The workmanship looks quite impressive, and it is custom fit to the hole in the tree.  Maybe it was a hobbit, although it must be a very small one.  Of course, it could be a portal to another dimension... one that is much much smaller.  At the moment, no one seems to know who made it or how it got there.  Ooh, I love a mystery!

As you know, we here at Digital Diner encourage and support anonymous public art.  Go make some of your own!

via Richmondsfblog
Thanks Inna!

Ivory soap may be the new Mentos and Coke

Did you know that Ivory soap floats when it is put in water?  Apparently that is because it is filled with little air bubbles.  I suppose in a sense this may appear to imply that you are getting less for your money, but in fact you are getting so much more.  You are getting a vehicle for science experimentation and artistic creative expression.  Watch the video and learn.

SparkFun National Education Tour

Our friends at SparkFun (a great place to get Maker supplies of all sorts) bought an RV and are traveling around the country spreading the Maker excitement to schools and kids in all parts of the country.  The basic idea is to get more hands-on, discovery based learning back into the classroom.  It's easy to get the kids excited, the harder part is changing schools.  However, this sentiment of change seems to be growing in the mainstream world, for example this article from CNN steps through the argument nicely in the article here.  I was recently tapped to help raise money for this type of work for my high school back in Ohio (see my ugly mug about 1:15 into the video).  Even the President mentioned elements of this idea in his State of the Union address.  Clearly there is growing interest in incorporating some of the great features of the Maker movement in our education system, and I'm all for it.  SparkFun has embraced this idea and it taking steps to help promote it in their national tour.  I say to Nate and all the folks at SparkFun, keep up the good work!

Read more about the SparkFun Nation Tour here.

New America's Cup boats literally fly through the water

The new big America's Cup boats fly through the water.  As they get up to speed, they lift themselves up until they are zipping through the water balanced on a submerged wing.  The speeds are pretty ridiculous compared to the sailing that I'm used to.
A few months ago we got to see the smaller America's Cup boats racing and it was great (you may even remember the dramatic shots we got of the Oracle boat flipping).  I can't wait to see these new bigger boats this summer.