Boing Boing tv: Floating in Zero Gravity is Fun, Earthlings!

In today's episode of Boing Boing tv, we float around in zero gravity. With me on this Zero-G weightless flight are Intel Chairman Craig Barrett; my friend Sean Bonner from metblogs; and a bunch of science teachers from grade schools and high schools throughout the United States who were on board to conduct microgravity experiments for the kids back home. As you watch, keep an eye out for the floating lego robot, a flying pig, and the barfing guy who is totally barfing for reals -- the rest of us did not, btw, I don't get sick in space.

What you see in this episode is what it feels like, guys, and it feels awesome.

---

Link to Boing Boing tv blog post with downloadable version of this video, and instructions on how to subscribe to the daily BBtv video podcast.

---

(Special thanks to Peter Diamandis, and George and Loretta Whitesides)

• [David Carroll]

  So: Apparently pigs can fly! Speaking of upchucking, I have coffee all over my monitor. Normally that would ruin my day but it was worth it. Thank you!!!

  P.S. Any video can be improved by adding a little Tomoyasu Hotei! Well done.

  P.S.S. Xeni: Next chance you get ask Buzz where he gets his flight suits tailored. Your’s needs it real bad!

  • [Xeni Jardin]

    @David Carroll, heh, I had to borrow one from the Zero G guys, and it was way too big. I looked like I was pregnant with a sack of potatoes. Prada next time, I promise.

• [waugsqueke]

  Awesome ride. Looks like you had a blast.

  I want to compliment you happy mutants on the production quality of these bbtv spots. They are really fantastically done. There has been constant improvement since you first introduced them, and now they are really excellent. Great editing, awesome music. Really top notch. Just wanted to say that.

• [michael thorne]

  I would love to that and I think that it’s great that a bunch of science teachers got the experience

  BUT

  What is the carbon foot print cost for that?

• [Takuan]

  I could finance my own trip by starting a Miles High club for the wealthy…..

• [MadOverlord]

  My entire family did the flight in August, and did some experiments (Diet coke and mentos in ZeroG — recorded in high-speed video — and a hard drive gyroscope). The ZeroG folks are incredibly science-friendly, and we’re already working on improved experiments for next time.

  If you’re into science at all, this is an absolute must-do experience. Don’t be afraid of it – the strange thing is, when you are in free fall, you don’t feel like you are falling! This was the most surprising thing to me.

  I’ve blogged about the experience and the experiments here: http://rjwoodhead.blogspot.com/

  PS: Xeni, if you think you had a bad hair day, let me tell you, there was a teenager on our flight who had long, curly red hair. She became a total puffball.

• [Jupiter12]

  Wow! I am officially green with envy. That looks like it must have been more fun than imaginable. I wonder how it felt to be in a plane that was put to such extremes though. Whenever I go through heavy turbulence I catch myself thinking, “I hope the wings don’t crack.”

• [David Carroll]

  MadOverLord #22:

  I look forward to your next flight with the Mark II Menticulation apparatus. I just love the “high falutin sciencey talk” you employ on your blog.

  I hope your kids know how lucky they are! All my dad wanted to teach me was Latin and geopolitics. Of course now I’m glad he did, but not so much when I was ten!

• [RumorsofmyDemise]

  This just confirms my suspicions that Xeni’s hair defies the laws of gravity.

  That looked like a hell of a lot of fun.

• [dacker]

  With both Craig Barrett and a bunch of science teachers on board, was this a press junket to promote Intel’s Science Talent Search?

• [MrsBug]

  :commence jealous seething:

  seethe, seethe.

• [Marley9]

  Looks like a blast. Took to long to post, but there was so much other good content on BBTV.

  btw, I don’t get sick in space.

  You left the atmosphere?

• [Xeni Jardin]

  @Dacker, uh, no, it was not.

  @Waugsqueke, thank you very very much — your words make the whole BB/BBtv team feel very proud. Really thank you.

• [Xeni Jardin]

  @RumorsofmyDemise, oh man, zero g is hell on a girl’s ‘do. It also makes the veins in your head pop out. But it’s a blast. I am embarrassed a little by the way i look in this video, but who cares! floating in zero gravity is awesome.

  @marley9, no, Dr. Buzz Aldrin taught us some helpful tricks on how to avoid motion sickness in microgravity flights. :)

• [Wigwam Jones]

  Planes of this type were once known as the “Vomit Comet” for the reason specified in the name.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vomit_Comet

• [mmbb]

  Just a reminder that you can enter to win one of five zero-g flights or a sub-orbital flight from Norton/Symantec:

  http://nortontoday.symantec.com/features/detours/blastoff/index.php

  (I think it’s cool, but please delete if this violates your spam/advertising policy.)

• [Anonymous]

  is this Xeni’s second time on the vomit comet? Or does she go more often. ZZTops Billy Gibbons went along for the ride last time I saw her float.

• [Mojave]

  No fair!!! How come Xeni get’s to do all this kewl sh*t? What’s next…fly with the blue angels, trip to ISS, bit part in Rocco Siffreddi’s next flick?

• [MarkM]

  That’s a $5000.00 ride.
  Probably more, now that the US economy
  cratered today.

• [CountSmackula]

  I took a ZeroG flight back in January (won it in a Hexus/Intel contest). It was the best experience ever! I’d go again in a heartbeat.

• [Marley9]

  Xeni, can you share those tricks? That would be interesting reading.

  • [Xeni Jardin]

    @Marley9 the short version is: during the heavy-gravity periods when the plane is ascending and getting ready to “drop” (the drop is where you get microgravity condition), you have to try and avoid eye and head movement, stay still, keep your spine straight. Lying down is best, that’s why you see people lying down super super still a lot in this episode. Either that or sitting like Buddha (Dr. Aldrin does this, a noble pose which befits such a legend).

    The idea is to try not to add more stress and input for your inner ear. That’s what makes you hurl, the confusing data input. The barfies happen in the heavy G pullup periods, not because of the weightless periods. So you can totally party out when you’re floating, but be still when it’s heavy.

    Also altoids and gum and ginger or ginger candy are all helpful. There are drugs used by astronauts in training, also, like scopolamine and dexedrine, which is basically like legal speedballs. But that’s a bit much for this kind of fun recreational flight. I try to avoid psychoactive drugs unless absolutely critical for some medical emergency or something, so I just sucked on Altoids and kept my head still and followed the space-yoga advice.

    The Zero G company has actually kind of tailored the duration of the flights, the parabolas, and the intensity of the experience based on what they’ve learned is general human tolerance. So it’s not as hardcore as the NASA KC135 flights, and people really aren’t pushed to the barfing point. Maybe one or two people get sick on a flight, but with some basic tips, and with the way Zero G does their thing now, it’s a totally pleasurable experience. I can’t recommend it enough.

• [mokey]

  this is the perfect opportunity for me to spend on my one gazillion spacebucks.

  seriously, this looks soooooooo fun. i’m jealous!