This week we will be highlighting key points to some of my favorite stories regarding science and technology for the month of September. These range from anywhere between new technological advances to scientific discoveries to uncommon phenomena.
Diving right into it in no particular order:
Social Media All Around You
Internet has become almost essential to a lot of people. With such a powerful tool at the fingertips (literally if you own a smartphone) of an ever-growing audience, things like Facebook are pretty much accessible wherever you go. Facebook back in March of 2014 decided they wanted to be more than just everywhere you go, but everywhere you look.
For those unfamiliar with a piece of technology called the Oculus Rift, it is a virtual reality headset. To give a very brief description of virtual reality in terms of gaming, wearing the headset would allow you to see what would typically be seen on your screen, while moving your head will allow you to look around and control your sight naturally (hence “virtual reality”). Complete with 3D sound, conceptually people have been excited about the idea of this technology for years.
Facebook bought the Oculus Rift in March 2014. In an effort to make social media a more “immersive experience,” the first steps toward designing their forward thinking platform are now evident while browsing your news feed. 3D video support, where you have control of where the camera is looking, is now live. Those already with virtual reality headsets can enjoy these videos like they were intended, but don’t fret if you lack an expensive headset, because you can also control these with a computer mouse as well.
Click here to take a look at an article on PopSci with some direct links to videos.
Back To The Future
A bit of old news, but back in August, Lexus unveiled a working Hoverboard. Before you go out and dress up like Marty McFly, we still have a long way to go before we are gliding just over the sidewalks on our way to the grocery store. Using magnetic fields trapped in superconductors, you can truly skate around above the ground, just as long as there is the pre-laid magnetic track already under you. Popular Science has links to both of Lexus’ YouTube videos discussing more in-depth the science, but this brings us one step closer to the inside-out pocket wearing future that was predicted 30 years ago.
WiFi in India.
Google is a very forward thinking company. Many innovations have been made toward bettering the world of media. Some stick around, some don’t. While making technology online, Google is out in the world bringing technology to the people.
In 400 train stations across India, Google is bringing free Wi-Fi to its 10 million daily rail passengers. Despite the other 7600 or so stations not receiving WiFi yet, “This will be the largest public WiFi project in India, and among the largest in the world, by number of potential users. It will also be fast—many times faster than what most people in India have access to today…” said Google CEO Sundar Pichai. More info can be found here, including a map showing where each rail station is.
Creatures Cleaning Creatures
It is becoming more and more common to hear of these big oil companies spilling into the oceans, polluting our beaches and making marine life a sticky coat of black. Researchers at Beifang University of Nationalities in China have taken inspiration from another piece of marine life, the also sticky mussel.
Traditional techniques of oil cleanup come in the form of Polypropylene, a synthetic chemical that will create a barrier around the oil. Natural fibers such as cotton absorb twice as much crude oil, but also absorb too much water and don’t float well. This team of researchers in China have conceptualized a recyclable, superhydrophobic (meaning it resists water), and even biodegradable cotton fiber that is three times as effective as Polypropylene. Not only could this lower the cost of cleaning oil spills, but this material can be recycled up to 80 times before losing its oil absorption capacity. Check out PopSci’s article with pictures here for more information.
Blood Moon
If you happened to take a late night stroll on Sunday the 27th, you may have noticed the moon was just a bit larger, and just a bit brighter. Perhaps you even noticed the moon started to slowly become dark, and then become ominously red right before your eyes. It’s actually not too uncommon for either of these phenomena to happen. When both of these events line up, it’s a bit more rare.
The moon does not orbit the planet in a perfect circle, there are points when the moon is further away from the planet, as well as closer. The closest point is called perigee, which results in a brighter, closer moon once a year. Lunar eclipses, when the Earth totally blocks the Sun’s light from the moon, are also not necessarily rare; they can be predicted thousands of years in advance. The last time we had a Supermoon Lunar Eclipse was back in 1982. Don’t worry though, if you missed out on this year’s, be sure to check out the next one in 2033.
Click here to check out a nice visual NASA did on their YouTube channel for a better understanding.