Tuesday, September 22, 2015

SUPERNUMERARY RAINBOW

I hope you are looking at the sky now and then because there is a lot of crazy stuff going on up there. The other day i got a picture of another rare rainbow, I got a picture the rare SUPERNUMERARY RAINBOW!!!!!!! It's best to only write it in capital letters.

From a random rainbow science website it is described as follows, and has a historic footnote:

"Occasionally, another beautiful and striking rainbow phenomenon can be observed, consisting of several faint rainbows on the inner side of the primary rainbow, and very rarely also outside the secondary rainbow. They are slightly detached and have pastel color bands that do not fit the usual pattern. They are known as supernumerary rainbows, and it is not possible to explain their existence using classical geometric optics."
"The alternating faint rainbows are caused by interference between rays of light following slightly different paths with slightly varying lengths within the raindrops. Some rays are in phase, reinforcing each other through constructive interference, creating a bright band; others are out of phase by up to half a wavelength, canceling each other out through destructive interference, and creating a gap. Given the different angles of refraction for rays of different colors, the patterns of interference are slightly different for rays of different colors, so each bright band is differentiated in color, creating a miniature rainbow. Supernumary rainbows are clearest when raindrops are small and of similar size. The very existence of supernumary rainbows was historically a first indication of the wave nature of light, and the first explanation was provided by Thomas Young in 1804."

Monday, June 8, 2015

Backward Brain Bike



This makes me REALLY MAD

Denver vs. Rome

Here's a neat overlay of European cities on top of North America and vice versa. It's interesting how many European cities are much farther north than you would expect considering how warm they are. I wonder if it has to do with ocean currents circulating around the north coast of Europe, which is much lower than North Americas north coast.

http://i.imgur.com/36tLh.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/36tLh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/36tLh.jpg

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Book Treasures

Here are some super awesome libraries you should try to see during your lifetime. Of course one on this list you have been to....
http://www.boredpanda.com/extraordinary-libraries/

Thursday, February 5, 2015

In the Sky

Hey guys i haven't put anything up here in a while but i thought you might like a post on my own blog this time. There are amazing things going on in the sky around here all the time and most of those times i don't have a camera with me or i'm stuck catching a glimpse through a window of something amazing while i'm stuck in a building.

This year a lot of unusual things were going on in the sky and I did have my camera some of those times. So on my blog this week i put up a collection of the more interesting things.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

UltraRope lift elevator cable

A whole ton of interesting stuff in this piece. Think technology meets social science.

UltraRope closeup

This stuff makes cities taller

fell in love with a girl


By acclamation one of the best videos of the first decade of this century.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

ok go

Check this out: 



Now note that it's completely analog, real stuff that happened, and FILMED IN A SINGLE TAKE.  Using a camera on a drone.  And 2300 participants.  Filmed in half speed.  Inspired by classic Busby Berkeley musicals.

Sometimes things are just awesome.

(Shown to me by PB and JC.)