SciShow

theolduvaigorge: My Primate Family Tree, Edinburgh Zoo Images...

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:01:12 -0600

My Primate Family Tree, Edinburgh Zoo

Images and text by artist Russell Dempster

“I was approached a while back by Edinburgh Zoo to design ‘My Primate Family Tree’ for the Living Links department of the zoo. It was to be an educational mural to show a few representatives from the hundreds of living primates, and tell us how closely related we are to each with the bonus of being able to take part in the picture and then completing the link. It fills an outside space of 2.3m x 3m. Every monkey and ape was drawn individually and all pieced together at the final artwork stage and then printed onto 3 panels.

The base of the tree represents the evolutionary origin of primates about 65 million years ago. The Capuchin and Squirrel monkeys on the bottom left represent the primates of the ‘New World’ (The Americas) that split from other evolving primates about 35 million years ago. Next, the Gelada Baboon, Japanese Macaque and Diana Monkey on the top left represent the ‘Old World’ monkeys of Africa and Asia that split from the apes shown on the right about 25 million years ago. Our closest relative is the Chimpanzee, then it’s the Gorilla and then the Orang-utan. These great apes and ourselves are a family that share a common ancestor about 14 million years ago.”

For more information about the divergence of humans and apes see:

Langergraber, K.E. et al. 2012. “Generation times in wild chimpanzees and gorillas suggest earlier divergence times in great ape and human evolution,” PNAS 109(39):15716–15721

Pontzer, H. 2012. ”Overview of Hominin Evolution,” Nature Education Knowledge 3(10):8 (open access)

How To: Make Antivenom Bitten by a venomous snake? There’s...

Sun, 19 May 2013 16:01:47 -0600

How To: Make Antivenom

Bitten by a venomous snake? There’s hope! French scientist Albert Calmette developed the first snake antivenom in the late 1890s, and did such a good job that we use his technique to this day. Antivenom works by stimulating the production of antibodies which can smother venom’s toxic effects, preventing spread and rendering them harmless. But how do you make it? Well, stay tuned to this episode of SciShow to find out.

Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids? Check out our awesome products over at DFTBA Records: http://dftba.com/artist/52/SciShow
—-
References for this episode can be found in the Google document here: http://dft.ba/-5FF8

abluegirl: The Strange Beauty of Diatoms and Phytoplankton -...

Sun, 19 May 2013 08:00:45 -0600

abluegirl:

The Strange Beauty of Diatoms and Phytoplankton - Full Gallery

amnhnyc: Found in Central and South America, dart-poison frogs...

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:01:39 -0600

amnhnyc:

Found in Central and South America, dart-poison frogs like this blue dart-poison frog, Dendrobates tinctorius, are mostly diurnal—that is, active during the day. Found in forests of Venezuela and Suriname, these cobalt beauties are tiny—less than 2 inches in length.

They are also poisonous—oozing toxins out of skin glands. By eating invertebrates like mites, spiders, beetles, and ants, dart-poison frogs in the wild obtain certain alkaloids which they transform into those toxins.

Meanwhile, in Frogs: A Chorus of Colors, the dart-poison frogs are fed a different, non-toxin-creating diet, one of fruit-flies, bean beetles, and crickets.

scientificillustration: paleoillustration: Felids size chart...

Sat, 18 May 2013 08:00:54 -0600

Panthera leo atrox

Smilodon populator

Panthera tigris acutidens

Panthera leo spelaea

Panthera tigris altaica (Siberian tiger)

scientificillustration:

paleoillustration:

Felids size chart by Vitor Silva

Scale chart showing some of the largest cats in history. From highest to lowest:Panthera leo atrox, Smilodon populator, Panthera tigris acutidens, Panthera leo spelaea, Panthera tigris altaica (the modern Siberian tiger)

Coriolis Effect: IDTIMWYTIM Does your toilet water drain...

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:01:25 -0600

Coriolis Effect: IDTIMWYTIM

Does your toilet water drain differently than in the other hemisphere? Is it because of the Coriolis effect? Hank has some things to clarify about these questions, and more in this edition of I Don’t Think It Means What You Think It Means.

ikenbot: The Violent Violet Sun “After dodging clouds and...

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:01:06 -0600

ikenbot:

The Violent Violet Sun

“After dodging clouds and hailstorms all week I was able to record my first solar image at the CaK wavelength… 393.37nm in the violet end of the spectrum. I see almost no detail visually due to my eye’s poor sensitivity at this wavelength. But the camera sees good!” — Alan Friedman

quantumaniac: Amazing Everyday Objects Seen by a Scanning...

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:01:44 -0600

quantumaniac:

Amazing Everyday Objects Seen by a Scanning Electron Microscope

These amazing images are from the book Microcosmos by Brandon Brill, in which a scanning electron microscope takes images of common everyday objects. Above, from left to right, we see:

An ant holding a microchip.

Eyelash hairs growing from skin.

The surface of a strawberry.

Velcro.

Household dust, including: cat fur, twisted synthetic and woolen fibers, serrated insect scales, a pollen grain, plant and insect remains.

A razor blade.

Rusty metal nail.

Mushroom spores.

!!!!

dat ant!

The Most Venomous Animals in the World There are a lot of ways...

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:00:45 -0600

The Most Venomous Animals in the World

There are a lot of ways to kill and be killed in the animal kingdom, but only a lucky few use the powers of venom. Not all are closely related, so how did they acquire the same defenses, where did venom come from, and how does it work? And what animals can kill you the most quickly? Find the answers to these questions, and more, in today’s episode of SciShow.

Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids? Check out our awesome products over at DFTBA Records: http://dftba.com/artist/52/SciShow
—

References for this episode can be found in the Google document here: http://dft.ba/-5GmD

Thanks again to Dr. Bryan Fry at the University of Queensland.

jtotheizzoe: You guys like Saturn, right? Here’s a whole...

Wed, 15 May 2013 16:01:34 -0600

jtotheizzoe:

You guys like Saturn, right? Here’s a whole gallery of Saturn GIFs, from rings to moons, captured by the Cassini spacecraft. They’re part modern art and part science.

Next to the Voyager twins, I think Cassini might be the best satellite NASA ever launched. Certainly takes the best pictures. Tumblr’s own staceythinx has an iPad app called Cassini HD that features even more photos, plus color, plus science.

(GIFs by framesandflames)

Magical Medicinal Maggots Although it may sound crazy, many...

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:00:55 -0600

Magical Medicinal Maggots

Although it may sound crazy, many doctors use maggots today to clean wounds of dead and infected tissue. This process, called debridement, is important for preventing the spread of infection in a world of increasing antibiotic resistance. Hank has more details on the marvelous maggot in today’s episode of SciShow.

sagansense: World’s Largest Infrared Space Telescope Shuts Down...

Tue, 14 May 2013 16:01:26 -0600

sagansense:

World’s Largest Infrared Space Telescope Shuts Down Forever

After nearly four years mapping the “hidden universe,” the largest infrared telescope ever launched into space has reached the end of its life, European Space Agency officials say.

The $1.4 billion Herschel Space Observatory has exhausted the vital supply of liquid helium coolant that allowed it make the most sensitive and detailed observations of the cosmos in infrared light, ESA officials announced Monday (April 29).

The infrared space telescope’s official end was recorded by a ground station in Australia, which recorded an increase in temperature for all of the spacecraft’s instruments during the telescope’s daily communications session. It began its mission in May 2009. [Amazing Photos from the Herschel Space Telescope]

“Herschel has offered us a new view of the hitherto hidden universe, pointing us to a previously unseen process of star birth and galaxy formation, and allowing us to trace water through the universe from molecular clouds to newborn stars and their planet-forming discs and belts of comets,” ESA’s Herschel project scientist Göran Pilbratt said in a statement.

Named for famed 18th century astronomer William Herschel, the space telescope was the most powerful infrared observatory ever launched to space until it stopped functioning this week. It has a main mirror 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) across nearly 1.5 times larger than Hubble Space Telescope, and was designed to chart the universe in the far-infrared to sub-millimeter wavelengths of light.

“Herschel gave us the opportunity to peer into the dark and cold regions of the universe that are invisible to other telescopes,”> said John Grunsfeld, NASA’s associate administrator for science missions. The U.S. space agency was a partner with ESA in the Herschel mission.

The Herschel space observatory is responsible for some amazing images of far-off cosmic wonders, such as its dazzling views of the Eagle Nebula and Andromeda Galaxy. Its helium-cooled instruments allowed astronomers to study far away starburst galaxies and star formation closer to home in the Milky Way. The coolant kept Herschel’s instruments chilled to a temperature of minus 455 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 271 degrees Celsius), but that supply was expected to evaporate over time.

“It feels like losing a member of the family,” Herschel mission officials wrote in Twitter post at the mission’s end. “Almost 4 incredibly intense years in space.”

The Herschel observatory collected more than 35,000 scientific observations and 25,000 hours of data. According to ESA officials, that plethora of data will be Herschel’s main contribution to the world of science.

“The archive will become the legacy of the mission,” ESA officials explained in a statement. “It is expected to provide even more discoveries than have been made during the lifetime of the Herschel mission.”

NASA scientists said the Herschel mission’s effect on astronomy will far outlast the four-year mission itself.

“Herschel has improved our understanding of how new stars and planets form, but has also raised many new questions,” said Paul Goldsmith, NASA Herschel project scientist at JPL, said in a statement. “Astronomers will be following up on Herschel’s discoveries with ground-based and future space-based observatories for years to come.”

The space telescope has also paved the way for future missions focused on observing the universe in infrared wavelengths, ESA officials added.

“The mission resulted in a number of technological advancements applicable to future space missions and potential spin-off technologies,” ESA officials said. “The mission saw the development of advanced cryogenic systems, the construction of the largest telescope mirror ever flown in space, and the utilization of the most sensitive direct detectors for light in the far-infrared to millimeter range.”

Stay Curious, Watch: The Herschel Story (via space.com)

image 1: This artist’s illustration shows the European Space Agency’s infrared Herschel Space Obsevatory set against a background image of the Vela C star-forming region. The space telescope launche din 2009 and ended its mission in 2013. credit: ESA/PACS & SPIRE Consortia, T. Hill, F. Motte, Laboratoire AIM Paris-Saclay, CEA/IRFU – CNRS/INSU – Uni. Paris Diderot, HOBYS Key Programme Consortium

image 2: Each of the thousands of dots in this image is an entire galaxy containing billions of stars, revealed in a region of space called the Lockman hole, which allows a clear line of sight out into the distant universe, as seen by the Herschel Space Observatory. See more amazing images obtained by Herschel since its launch in May, 2009

image 3: ESA Herschel space observatory image of Andromeda (M31) using both PACS and SPIRE instruments to observe at infrared wavelengths of 70 mm (blue), 100 mm (green) and 160 mm and 250 mm combined (red). Image released Jan. 28, 2013. credit: ESA/Herschel/PACS & SPIRE Consortium, O. Krause, HSC, H. Linz

CICADAS ARE COMING! Cicadas have developed an amazing strategy...

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:01:25 -0600

CICADAS ARE COMING!

Cicadas have developed an amazing strategy for growth, survival, reproduction, and overcoming predation by…doing nothing. They do nothing for years (except sip at the juice excreted from root structures) before emerging in huge, simultaneous swarms.

The swarm is so huge that predators can’t consume even a fraction of it, but so rare that predator populations can’t sustain themselves between emergence events. Clever little things!

crookedindifference: NASA Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of...

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:01:53 -0600

crookedindifference:

NASA Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of Skylab

NASA will commemorate the 40th anniversary of America’s first space station Monday, May 13, with a televised roundtable discussion featuring Skylab astronauts, a current astronaut and agency managers planning future space missions.

The discussion, open to NASA employees and the public, will begin at 2:30 p.m. EDT in the James Webb Auditorium of NASA Headquarters at 300 E St. SW in Washington. The event will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

NASA launched Skylab on May 14, 1973. It was the nation’s first foray into significant scientific research in microgravity. The three Skylab crews proved humans could live and work effectively for long durations in space. The knowledge gathered during Skylab helped inform development and construction of the International Space Station, just as the research and technology demonstrations being conducted aboard the ISS will help shape a new set of missions that will take Americans farther into the solar system.

The bottom image is the original Skylab concept

This sketch of Skylab was drawn by George E. Mueller, NASA associate administrator for Manned Space Flight. This concept drawing was created at a meeting at the Marshall Space Flight Center on Aug. 19, 1966. The image details the station’s major elements. In 1970, the station became known as Skylab. Three crewed Skylab missions (Skylab 2 in May 1973; Skylab 3 in July 1973; and Skylab 4 in November 1973) were flown, on which experiments were conducted in space science, Earth resources, life sciences, space technology and student projects.

Read more about Skylab at NASA History in:
SKYLAB, Our First Space Station
Living and Working in Space: A History of SKYLAB

6 Surprising Blood-Drinking Animals Hank introduces us to 6...

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:00:45 -0600

6 Surprising Blood-Drinking Animals

Hank introduces us to 6 blood-drinking (or otherwise consuming) animals that you may not be aware of. Don’t freak out…

Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids? Check out our awesome products over at DFTBA Records: http://dftba.com/artist/52/SciShow

jtotheizzoe: The Evolution of Tyrannosaurus rex The terrible...

Sun, 12 May 2013 16:01:31 -0600

jtotheizzoe:

The Evolution of Tyrannosaurus rex

The terrible lizards of your childhood have changed quite a bit, despite having been dead for millions of years. Perhaps nowhere is that more evident than in ol’ Sharptooth: T. rex

Many folks without strong paleontology backgrounds (which, let’s face it, includes most people … including me) don’t appreciate how little we really know for sure about these prehistoric forms. We go to a museum, we see a fossil reconstruction of an immense dinosaur, and we assume that’s how it came out of the ground. That’s not the case.

While the Field Museum’s famous T. rex ”Sue” was 80% complete upon excavation, the first specimen ever constructed was done so with just a suitcase’s worth of bones. See the shaded regions in the upper left drawing? That’s the 108-year-old first reconstruction of T. rex done by W.D. Matthew. And it’s very wrong.

Even into the 1940’s, when Rudolph Zallinger painted The Age of Reptiles mural (top right) for Yale’s Peabody Museum, T. rex was still a clumsy, chubby, upright tail-dragger that looked more like a drunk Godzilla than king of the dinosaurs. By the 1970’s it was clear to scientists that T. rex could not have have held its body that way, and instead moved holding its head and tail nearly parallel to the ground.

But the tail-dragger myth persisted, and in 1988’s The Land Before Time (which, let’s face it, is where most of us first formed our images of dinosaurs) Sharptooth was frustratingly upright (see middle left). Combine that with the ridiculously impossible, ninja-like aerial assault on Littlefoot’s mom, and we have a real dino science stinker on our hands. Stan Winston’s Jurassic Park finally got the head-down pose right (middle right). Yet children and college students still overwhelmingly draw T. rex as upright.

Modern paleoartists (like Raul Martin, lower left) get it consistently right, but the public doesn’t. It shows you just how important it is to deliver good science to kids, because even today I can feel the upright pose of my T. rex dinobot calling me back to wrongville.

And as we continue to learn more about Tyrannosaur relatives and the feathery frills they sported, we are beginning to see many artists add them to the great hunter (lower right, by pheaston). Plumage rarely shows up in fossils, and scientists and artists have to be careful not to make errors of incompleteness like we saw 108 years ago. But considering how good Velociraptor looks with that fancy outfit on, I think we’ll see more and more feathery fury on T. rex in the future.

At least none of YOU will ever draw it incorrectly again, right? :)

For more cool dino illustration, check out Fuck Yeah Dino Art.

wnycradiolab: atlasobscura: Delivering a dinosaur to the...

Sun, 12 May 2013 08:00:58 -0600

wnycradiolab:

atlasobscura:

Delivering a dinosaur to the Boston Museum of Science - Arthur Pollock - 1984

It kills me that I didn’t get to witness this.

wadeangeliart: Kiwi Bird Poster, Scientific Illustration, 2013,...

Sat, 11 May 2013 16:01:39 -0600

wadeangeliart:

Kiwi Bird Poster, Scientific Illustration, 2013, watercolor and digital

scientificillustration: Modiolus (Nahant, Mass., 1864) (6...

Sat, 11 May 2013 08:00:55 -0600

scientificillustration:

Modiolus (Nahant, Mass., 1864) (6 drawings) by The Ernst Mayr Library on Flickr.

atlasobscura: Dallol - Ethiopia The Hottest place on...

Fri, 10 May 2013 16:01:23 -0600

atlasobscura:

Dallol - Ethiopia

The Hottest place on Earth!

Read more on Atlas Obscura

SciShow clearly needs to do a Weird Places episode on this.