The discovery of the particle that is most likely the Higgs Boson was met with wild-eyed excitement almost everywhere except CERN, writes physicist Glenn Starkman at Scientific American Blogs. That's because it means the theoretical Standard Model of Physics is probably on the right track. Which means there aren't any crazy inaccuracies leading to awesome mysteries that must be solved. Which means experimental particle physics haz a sad — and more than a little depressive ennui. (Via Alexis Madrigal at The Atlantic)
Why scientists fear the Higgs Boson
Hypnotic timelapse of things drying out
Christian Stangl (previously here) turned a common process into a gorgeous abstract short film using macro footage of things as they dry out. Life needs water. But this fluid tends to evaporate over time into a gaseous state. Drying out is a chemical process that takes hours, days or even weeks. Without enough water the… READ THE REST
Moths have evolved stealth acoustic cloaking to evade bat sonar
Researchers closely studied the wings of two moth species from China and Africa, and found that their tiny scales form a "metamaterial" that absorbs bat sonar — thus becoming an acoustic cloaking device. Pretty darn cool. The paper is paywalled here, but Nature has a good lay-persons' writeup … The researchers measured the acoustic reflections… READ THE REST
Just look at these bananas turned into explosive radioactive potassium
Cody from Cody's Lab bought 10 kilograms of bananas at the store, then proceeded to extract 9 grams of potassium from them. He could have gotten about twice that, but his condensation device had a design issue that caused the condensate to solidify and clog the tube. Great fun to see him toss it in… READ THE REST
This 22-course mega-collection can get you on track to become a certified project manager
The median average salary for an American project manager is currently over $115,000 a year. As you'd expect from an employee earning a paycheck that size, companies don't hand those titles out to just anyone. To assume a proper project management position with a respected company, that person has to have an assortment of certifications,… READ THE REST
Hudly has created an invisible wireless charger – but it's not as crazy as it sounds
Qi wireless charging has only been around for about a decade. While it only took a few years for Android phone manufacturers like Nokia and LG to jump on the wireless charging bandwagon, it was as recently as 2017 when Apple finally joined the party with the iPhone. Taking that short history into account, it's… READ THE REST
The Sinji Ergonomic Mouse could be the answer to all your hand, wrist, and forearm pains
When construction workers, landscapers, or warehouse workers complain of aches and pains incurred on the job, we acknowledge the rigors of back-breaking physical labor. But when keyboard warriors who spend all day in front of a screen gripe about shoulder, arm, or wrist discomfort, it's easy to laugh it off as less than critical. Life-threatening?… READ THE REST