Tuesday 6 May 2014

Urban physics: serendipitous observation leads to research linking physics and urban planning

original post »

Franz-Josef Ulm and a colleague were taking a break from a tough problem one afternoon when they spotted an aerial photograph of a city and had an epiphany. Instantly, they made a connection between the patterns of houses and streets and the underlying molecular structure of cement. That serendipitous observation has since led to research that is tying together the seemingly disparate disciplines of physics and urban planning. “Ultimately, I believe there’s potential for this to become a new field of study,” says Ulm, the George Macomber Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and co-director with Senior Research Scientist Roland Pellenq of the International Joint Unit (UMI) between MIT and CNRS, France’s National Center for Scientific Research. “It also could lead to new tools for architects and city planners.” Urban physics, as Ulm calls the new work, views cities as analogous to complex materials. Over the last 50 years, physicists have developed ever-better statistical tools to learn more about materials at the molecular scale. And Ulm himself is a world leader in using them to understand the structure of cement, with the ultimate goal of creating better versions of the material. Ulm and colleagues are now modifying

The post Urban physics: serendipitous observation leads to research linking physics and urban planning has been published on Technology Org.

 
#materials 
See Zazzle gifts tagged with 'science'

I see no god up here poster

Here's a great poster featuring a beautiful image from deep space


tagged with: atheist, atheism, earth, astronomy, reddit, science, cosmology, nasa, yuri gagarin, see no god up here

I see no god up here

»visit the AtheistStore store for more designs and products like this
Click to customize with size, paper type etc.
via Zazzle Astronomy market place

The secret to living upside down, according to sloths

Science Focus

original post »

Sloths spend most of their time eating and hanging around in trees. Nice as that kind of lifestyle sounds, it's easy to see how it might get a little uncomfortable after a while.

With a full stomach, a sloth's abdominal organs can account for a quarter to more than a third of its total body weight. They can store about an equal amount of weight in feces and urine before relieving themselves, which they only do about once a week.

Now remember that sloths hang from the bottom of tree branches, gripping them with their arms and legs while either partially or completely upside-down. Those inverted...

More 
#science 
 » see original post http://theweek.com/article/index/260366/the-secret-to-living-upside-down-according-to-sloths
See Zazzle gifts tagged with 'science'

Ex-astronauts plan to launch an asteroid-tracking satellite

Science Focus

original post »
B612 Foundation representative Bill Anders stands in front of the famed "Earthrise" photo he took during his mission on Apollo 8 while announcing his new group's efforts to launch an asteroid-detecting satellite. He's joined by fellow B612 Foundation leaders and ex-astronauts Thomas Jones (left) and Ed Lu (right).
Museum of Flight

On Tuesday, with Earth Day as a backdrop, the B612 Foundation started its presentation about asteroid detection with enough material to fill out an apocalyptic sci-fi film. An introductory video mapped out 26 nuclear-bomb-level impacts recorded on Earth in the last 13 years, a few of which were measured as larger than the one that leveled Hiroshima. After that, a supplementary video showed thousands of dots whirling around the Solar System like fireflies, each dot representing an asteroid that has been tracked by NASA. "There are at least 100 times as many [asteroids] out there," B612 reps said.

Next to the projector's screen sat a cardboard kiosk with a grotesque image: an asteroid about to crash into a giant football stadium. Earth Day? More like Kiss-Earth-Goodbye Day!

“The current strategy to deal with asteroid impacts is blind luck,” former NASA astronaut Dr. Ed Lu said, hinting at a lack of effort from NASA and other space agencies. “But we can change that.”

Read 11 remaining paragraphs | Comments

 
#science 
 » see original post http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/science/~3/K1WgeaZMPyc/
See Zazzle gifts tagged with 'science'

VIDEO: Are electronic cigarettes safe?

Science Focus

original post »
The British Medical Association has recommended electronic cigarettes should be banned. 
#science 
 » see original post http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-27184630#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
See Zazzle gifts tagged with 'science'

Flexible all-carbon electronics integrated onto plants, insects, and more

more »

(Phys.org) —Carbon-based electronics are being widely explored due to their attractive electrical and mechanical properties, but synthesizing them in large quantities at low cost is still a challenge.



Zazzle Space market place

The Active Cigar Galaxy - Messier 82 Square Stickers

Here's a great sheet of stickers featuring a beautiful image from deep space


tagged with: stars, galaxies, outer space, envelope sealers, agmet, galaxies and stars, hubble, chandra, messier 82, cigar galaxy, active galaxies

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series

Composite of images of the active galaxy Messier 82 from the three Great Observatories: Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and Spitzer Space Telescope. X-ray data recorded by Chandra appears here in blue, infrared light recorded by Spitzer appears in red. Hubble's observation of hydrogen emission appears in orange. Hubble's bluest observation appears in yellow-green.

All items with this image
All items in the Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series

Image code: agmet

Image credit: Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory, Spitzer Space Telescope

»visit the HightonRidley store for more designs and products like this
Click to customize.
via Zazzle Astronomy market place

Orange Sun Sparking

more »



Zazzle Space Gifts for young and old

Little Ghost Nebula (NGC 6369) Room Graphic

Here's a great wall decal featuring a beautiful image from deep space


tagged with: le0068, nasa, etoiles, les etoiles, astronomy, science, nebula, hubble, space, scientific, outer space, deep space, nebulae, hst, hubble telescope, sky, little ghost, ghost, hubble space telescope, planetary, teal, turquoise, blue, orange, black, pretty, haunting, strange, unusual, celestial

"NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has recently obtained images of the planetary nebula NGC 6369. This object is known to amateur astronomers as the "Little Ghost Nebula," because it appears as a small, ghostly cloud surrounding the faint, dying central star. NGC 6369 lies in the direction of the constellation Ophiuchus, at a distance estimated to be between about 2,000 and 5,000 light-years from Earth."

(qtd. from Hubblesite.org NewsCenter release STScI-2002-25)

Credit: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

»visit the les_etoiles store for more designs and products like this
Click to customize.
via Zazzle Astronomy market place

Astronomers harness the galaxy's biggest telescope to make most precise measurement of spinning star

more »

(Phys.org) —An international team of astronomers has made a measurement of a distant neutron star that is one million times more precise than the previous world's best.



Zazzle Space market place

Eye Galaxy Wall Decals

Here's a great wall decal featuring a beautiful image from deep space


tagged with: nebula, space, astronomy, galaxy, galaxies, creation, god, glory, bleu, orange, black, earth, yellow, wall, decals, posters, square

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

»visit the KINGDOMAGE store for more designs and products like this
Click to customize.
via Zazzle Astronomy market place

Pandora's Cluster Detail iPad Air Cover

Here's a great iPad case from Zazzle featuring a Hubble-related design. Maybe you'd like to see your name on it? Click to personalize and see what it's like!


tagged with: abell 2744, pandora's cluster, blue, pink, purple, magenta, galaxy, galaxies, pretty, colorful, beautiful, awesome, abell2744

A colorful space image galaxy cluster Abell 2744, otherwise known as Pandora's Cluster. Source of image is NASA/Hubble programs.

»visit the annaleeblysse store for more designs and products like this
The Zazzle Promise: We promise 100% satisfaction. If you don't absolutely love it, we'll take it back!

Planck takes magnetic fingerprint of our Galaxy

more »



Our Galaxy’s magnetic field is revealed in a new image from ESA’s Planck satellite. This image was compiled from the first all-sky observations of ‘polarised’ light emitted by interstellar dust in the Milky Way.




via ESA Space Science

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Planck/Planck_takes_magnetic_fingerprint_of_our_Galaxy

Creation of the Universe Print

Here's a great poster featuring a beautiful image from deep space


tagged with: big bang, space, astronomy, creation, universe, wmap, nasa, galaxy, atheist, theory

Creation of the Universe

»visit the AwesomePosters store for more designs and products like this
Click to customize with size, paper type etc.
via Zazzle Astronomy market place

New mathematical framework to characterize shape of graphene

more »

Scientists studying graphene’s properties are using a new mathematical framework to make extremely accurate characterizations of the two-dimensional material’s shape. Graphene, discovered in 2004, is a one-atom-thick sheet of graphite.

via Science Daily

The Active Cigar Galaxy - Messier 82 Sticker

Here's a great sheet of stickers featuring a beautiful image from deep space


tagged with: stars, galaxies, outer space, agmet, galaxies and stars, hubble, chandra, messier 82, cigar galaxy, active galaxies, peel off

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series

Composite of images of the active galaxy Messier 82 from the three Great Observatories: Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and Spitzer Space Telescope. X-ray data recorded by Chandra appears here in blue, infrared light recorded by Spitzer appears in red. Hubble's observation of hydrogen emission appears in orange. Hubble's bluest observation appears in yellow-green.

All items with this image
All items in the Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series

Image code: agmet

Image credit: Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory, Spitzer Space Telescope

»visit the HightonRidley store for more designs and products like this
Click to customize.
via Zazzle Astronomy market place

Carina's 'Mystic Mountain' Room Graphic

Here's a great wall decal featuring a beautiful image from deep space


tagged with: le0083, nasa, etoiles, les etoiles, astronomy, science, nebula, space, hubble, scientific, outer space, deep space, nebulae, emission, hst, hubble telescope, sky, star, stars, carina, hubble space telescope, eta carinae, milky way, blue, orange, red, brown, yellow, beautiful, pretty, inspiring, wild, majestic, celestial

"This brand new Hubble photo is of a small portion of one of the largest seen star-birth regions in the galaxy, the Carina Nebula. Towers of cool hydrogen laced with dust rise from the wall of the nebula. The scene is reminiscent of Hubble's classic "Pillars of Creation" photo from 1995, but is even more striking in appearance. The image captures the top of a three-light-year-tall pillar of gas and dust that is being eaten away by the brilliant light from nearby bright stars. The pillar is also being pushed apart from within, as infant stars buried inside it fire off jets of gas that can be seen streaming from towering peaks like arrows sailing through the air."

(qtd. from HubbleSite.org NewsCenter release STScI-2010-13)

Credit: NASA, ESA, and M. Livio and the Hubble 20th Anniversary Team (STScI)

»visit the les_etoiles store for more designs and products like this
Click to customize.
via Zazzle Astronomy market place