The Startling Science of a Starling Murmuration
Starling flocks, it turns out, are best described with equations of “critical transitions”— systems that are poised to tip, to be almost instantly and completely transformed, like metals becoming magnetized or liquid turning to gas. Each starling in a flock is connected to every other. When a flock turns in unison, it’s a phase transition.
An absolutely stunning video. It’s brought me to tears before. The science behind the murmurations is fantastic.
Nature is so full of beautiful mysteries.
Snowflakes by Alexey Kljatov. Source: Flickr
(via Photographer Tapes a $50 Lens To His P&S Camera To Take Stunning Macro Snowflake Photos | DeMilked)
ZeroN - Levitated Interaction Element of Awesomeness
When I was younger, I used to push two magnets together until I found that point where a bubble of repulsion formed between them. With the weak magnets I had access to, I could always overpower the repulsive force and push them together, but I was amazed that there was some unseen magic acting upon two physical objects.
Like all of us, I later learned it was the forces of magnetism at work. The ZeroN project from Jinha Lee at MIT takes that to a whole new level.
By using computer-controlled magnetic field manipulations, a metal sphere is suspended in mid-air. Even more, it can be made to follow complex paths, “remembering” and repeating actions. If that somehow isn’t enough, just wait until he lights it up like an orbiting planet, and demonstrates Kepler’s Laws! Dude blew my mind!
It’s an experiment in challenging how we perceive natural patterns of motion, and whether computers, when combined with materials, can alter the way we interact with the world around us. Most of all, it’s AWESOME.
Source: http://www.leejinha.com/zeron
un:
(via beesandbombs)
How fast are you moving when you’re sitting still?
About 800km a sec.
Written & Animated by:
Yathish Dhavala
Woosh. Feel it?
Two streams of water colliding. Even the simplest things can be incredible. - Imgur
Brain Drip