MetaFilter posts tagged with Water

Waves... WOW

snaparapans — Sat, 11 May 2013 14:23:01 -0800

Pierre Carreau's photographs of waves. via Laughing Squid

You made the fish disappear, you rob the bones of our ancestors

infini — Sat, 11 May 2013 05:26:55 -0800

About 200 indigenous people on the Xingu, Tapajós and Teles Pires rivers began an occupation of the largest construction site of the Belo Monte Dam, demanding the withdrawal of troops from their land and the suspension of dam construction. Powerful and searing, this statement from a people pushed to the brink by their own state, Brazil, and who have begun an indefinite protest at the main construction site of the Belo Monte Dam, which is in the Xingu and Tapajós river basins

"Ring it Out"

zarq — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:29:53 -0800

Last fall, the Canadian Space Agency asked students to design a simple science experiment that could be performed in space, using items already available aboard the International Space Station. Today, Commander Chris Hadfield conducted the winner for its designers: two tenth grade students, Kendra Lemke and Meredith Faulkner, in a live feed to their school in Fall River, Nova Scotia. And now, we finally have an answer to the age-old question, What Happens When You Wring Out A Washcloth In Space? Additional Videos Commander Hatfield is Canadian, and has been recording videos for the CSA from the ISS during the current mission, which they have been uploading to their YouTube channel. Playlist. The vids cover random trivia about living in space. There's also an inspirational message and a discussion or two of other experiments the astronauts have been conducting. Background * NBC's Cosmic Log: What happens when you wring out a washcloth in zero-G? Now we know. * Mashable: What Happens When You Wring Out a Washcloth in Space? * CSA Press Release Expedition 35: Photos * Commander Hadfield's Tumblr * NASA's Flickr Photo Set for Expedition 35. Previously on Metafilter * Gorgeous photos of earth tweeted from the International Space Station * Space jam Other Stuff * The Greatest Conversations To Ever Happen On Twitter Between Real Astronauts And The Cast of Star Trek * Reddit IAmA: I Am Astronaut Chris Hadfield, currently orbiting planet Earth.

mwoe

Rory Marinich — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 05:17:55 -0800

Cat meows underwater [SLYT; important]

Water Wars

maggieb — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:45:01 -0800

Georgia Senate passes resolution to move state line, claim Tennessee River water. A TPM reader provides interesting background.

Lake Erie is sick.

Fizz — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 10:18:48 -0800

Spring Rain, Then Foul Algae in Ailing Lake Erie: [New York Times]

"A thick and growing coat of toxic algae appears each summer, so vast that in 2011 it covered a sixth of its waters, contributing to an expanding dead zone on its bottom, reducing fish populations, fouling beaches and crippling a tourism industry that generates more than $10 billion in revenue annually."

The Thames is a Filthy Beast

Artw — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 14:17:27 -0800

Down to a Sunless Sea - a new short story by Neil Gaiman published by The Guardian as part of their series of Water stories.

Tony Stark, eat your heart out.

Morriscat — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:29:04 -0800

Defense contractor takes break from F-35 JSF, finds a way to eliminate 99% of the energy cost of desalination. Lockheed-Martin has developed a way to craft sheets of carbon a single atom thick, which can filter the salt (and just about anything else) from water with a tiny fraction of the energy required by current processes. "Lockheed officials see other applications for Perforene as well, from dialysis in healthcare to cleaning chemicals from the water used in hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," of oil and gas wells." Previously.

Perhaps switch to strong English tea

Wordshore — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 06:47:50 -0800

The BBC reports that "Beer drinkers in the US have filed a $5m (£3.3m) lawsuit accusing Anheuser-Busch of watering down its beer." The lawsuits are based on information from former employees at breweries owned by the multinational. Reuters: The plaintiffs in the lead lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco are Nina Giampaoli and John Elbert. Giampaoli for the past four years has bought a six-pack of Budweiser every week, the lawsuit said. Chicago Tribune: Ten Anheuser-Busch products were named in the lawsuits: Budweiser, Michelob, Michelob Ultra, Bud Ice, Bud Light Platinum, Hurricane High Gravity Lager, King Cobra, Busch Ice, Natural Ice and Bud Light Lime. CNN: The class-action lawsuit alleges that the maker of the "King of Beers" has the technology to precisely control the amount of alcohol in its beers but adds water so that the alcohol is well below the advertised figure of 5% by volume, the suit said. The Business Journal: In addition to $5 million in damages, the lawsuits are requesting a court order requiring Anheuser-Busch to fund a “corrective advertising campaign” to remedy its allegedly illegal conduct.

Water Conservation and Usage Systems

aniola — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 20:57:10 -0800

"We need the rain." So I was looking for information on water conservation and usage systems, and I found some useful resources. Here's a forum. Here are some xeriscaping basics (pdf) and sustainable landscape conversion (pdf) from Denver Water. See also: Hugelkultur.

It's the end of the world and they know it

zarq — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 22:40:53 -0800

The most-watched show in the history of the National Geographic Channel isn't Wild, Taboo or even the longest-running documentary series on cable tv: Explorer. It's Doomsday Preppers, a show that documents the "lives of otherwise ordinary Americans" as they prepare for the end of the world. "We struggled with this," Kathleen Cromley, a NatGeo executive producer, says after a screening of the series. "Our preppers have really strong beliefs and they are not always supported by mainstream science. As a network, we are concerned about factual accuracy."
All but one of the 20 episodes that have aired to date can be watched online. Season One (2011-2012) 1) "Pilot" 2) "Bullets, Lots of Bullets" 3) "I Hope I Am Crazy" 4) "Back to the Stone Age". Here's a BuzzFeed profile of Tim Ralston, creator of the "Crovel." (Half-shovel, half-weapon: the Crovel has made Ralston millions in sales.) 5) "It's All Gonna Hit the Fan" 6) "You Shall Not Fear" 7) "Nine Meals Away from Anarchy" 8) "Into the Spider Hole" 9) "It's Gonna Get Worse" 10) "Close the Door, Load the Shotgun" 11) "Disaster Doesn't Wait" 12) "I Suggest We Run" 13) "Extreme Prep Edition" Additional Clips: Season 1 Season 2 (2012-2013) 1) "You Can't Let Evil Win" 2) "Am I Nuts or Are You?" 3) "Bad Times All the Time" 4) "The Time of Reckoning" 5) "Taking from the Haves" 6) "You've Got Chaos" (Not yet online) 7) "Escape from New York" Additional Clips: Season 2

Where are the flying cars? I was promised flying cars. I don't see any flying cars!

zarq — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 23:26:14 -0800

Global Trends 2030 Alternate Worlds is the latest quadrennial report from The US National Intelligence Council (NIC). (Report: PDF / Talking Points: PDF.) Similar to its predecessors, '2030' attempts to predict 'alternate visions of the future.' An official blog discusses their speculations. The Atlantic Council has published a "companion publication": "Envisioning 2030: US Strategy for a Post-Western World." Among the predictions: * Global population to reach 8.3bn people * 60% of the world population living in urban environments * Resource (especially food, water, energy) demand and scarcity to increase * Poverty to decline * US energy independence * US, European and Japanese share of global income to drop from 56% today to well under half by 2030 * A decline of US influence internationally * A rise of Asian international and economic influence, especially from China. * No hegemonic power * Increase in global migration as aging populations in both rich and developing countries trigger workforce shortages * Nearly half the world population to suffer "severe water stress" * Various technological advances in medicine and human augmentation * The future of IT in 2030 For the last two days, the Atlantic Council has conducted a conference on the NIC report. The event has ended, but a small video archive of some of the speakers / presentations is available. Media Coverage (You may sense a recurring motif here....) Wired: U.S. Spies See Superhumans, Instant Cities by 2030 Network World, Privacy and Security Fanatic Blog: Intelligence report predicts IT in 2030, a world of cyborgs with Asia as top power The Escapist: US Intelligence Body Reveals Cyborg-Infested Vision of Year 2030

Let's Spruce This Place Up A Bit!

the man of twists and turns — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 07:07:00 -0800

Don Cheadle is Captain Planet: Youtube, Funny Or Die Captain Planet 2 (Funny Or Die), Captain Planet 3 Zero: It Ain't Easy Being Green Behind The Scenes: Funny Or Die, Youtube.

All day I hear the noise of waters

growabrain — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:49:25 -0800

Some random, wet images: A seahorse on a diver’s watch.
A diver hitting an Olympic pool
Mass stingray migration off Baja
Two streams of water colliding
A photographer in the rain
Waiting for the bubble to burst
Close up of a wave
Bathtime at a refugee camp Kutupalong, Bangladesh
Water being released from a dam to prevent flooding in Jiyuan, China
Transparent Montana lake, (and more) A droplet in space. Ant pushing a water droplet. Water house. Monticello Dam Drain - Napa. Lake Sørvágsvatn in Faroe Islands. See-through gills. A child in Indonesia with his pet shark. Some local images: Yosemite, Pamukkale, Turkey, The Maldives, Norway, Blackwater River, Cappaquin Bridge, Ireland, Dry Tortugas National Park, Fort Jefferson. Water drops on a CD Pink lake in Senegal From Hawaii: Dragon wave near Ke'e beach, Kauai, Lined up in Pipeline. Lantern Festival, Honolulu. River surfing. Aqua climbing. Icebergs by David Burdeny Emperor penguins Fun at the fountain, by Shizuo Kambayashi. And...Ploop
(From). (Previously)

It's only 42 years away. Bring towels.

michswiss — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 03:05:15 -0800

Well now, this is an interesting discovery... Reexamination of data collect through HARPS has resulted in finding three additional planets bringing the total to six. One of which is safely within the goldilocks zone of its star.

Wigs of Water

the_very_hungry_caterpillar — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 11:53:17 -0800

Water Wigs.

In heaven there is no beer, that's why we drink it here

the man of twists and turns — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:25:41 -0800

Even in the grips of the Great Recession, one industry's profits are bubbling up, pouring forth, and experiencing growth in market share, dollars spent, and profit: craft beer! World beer prodcution is up, and the major producers are reduced to bullying, postentially short-sighted sponsorships, intimidation and exploitation of the legal system to maintain their profits. Macrobreweries have tried to release their own versions of popular styles, or take over independant breweries. (Previously: Goose Island bought by Anheuser-Busch Can Craft Beer Save America? All over the United States, local breweries are popping up. Bend, OR leads the way. Craft brewers in Oregon have broken production records, North Carolina has encouraged breweries to move there, and Texas could see a $5.6 billion economic impact if restrictive laws are changed. Part of the problem is the byzantine 'Three tier' model for distribution (previously and previouslier). Mississippi and Alabama have the most restrictive laws in the nation, but people are pushing for change (previously). You can take a beer-destination vacation, pick up some local ale when away from home, or grab a pint while at a baseball game. A beer map of the US, previously. The best beer city in the United States, previously. Excellent bars focusing on craft beer have appeared around the country, including one that works like a stock exchange. There are many different styles of beer: the historic roots of seven styles, ten healthier beers, eight India Pale Ales (IPAs) you might want to try (along with their endless sub-categorization and why it is called IPA, previously), the resurrection of lambic in America, a recommendation engine for dark beer, aged beer, and why lager is better than ale. Coming in the autumn: pumpkin beer. Previously:10 best beer names ever. How to Save A Beer Style (Hint: drink it!) Hops and water are two of the key ingredients, and it is the water that led a famous West Coast brewery to open a new location on the East Coast. Top 50 Craft Beers By Volume, previously Here's a few, in no particular order: Abita, located in beautiful Abita Springs, LA. Shiner sponsors a beer run in their hometown. Kona, like some other microbreweries, has a focus on sustainability. Anchor is known for their hand-drawn labels. Full Sail's interview with their founder shows brewing is no longer a boy's club. Redhook successfully rebrands itself. Sierra Nevada runs a beer camp for people who want to learn more. Dogfish Head's founder Sam Caglione gives a talk, is featured in The New Yorker, covered closely in 'Beer Wars' on Netflix Instant, and was previously on MetaFilter. Yuengling has become the largest US-owned brewery, and I couldn't possibly expand on this excellent post. The beginning of this trend started with Sam Adams, which is changing their look to remain competitive. Some snobs turn up their noses at Sam Adams, but they forget the small business startup help and hop sharing program that the Boston Beer Company has done to help other breweries. Still apprehensive? You may be surprised to learn that beer saved the world(video). The Case For Beer, The Benefits of Drinking Beer, a Beer Taxonomy and an answer to the ubiquitous debate over cans. In fact, canning beer is controversial, even during a significant expansion in the practice. One brewery avoids it completely, even as it becomes more accepted and easier. Cans keep out light, can be packed more closely, and chill faster. Before bottles or cans became popular, there was the growler (previously). While travelling, you might get offered a craft beer in your hotel, or carry some with you on a hike. Be sure to secure your beer against unwanted visitors. And you'll need to know how to say cheers in 50 languages. Of course, appreciation of good beer and developments in brewing are not limited to the US. Europeans, particularly the British, are brewing up their own new beers. France's beer has been neglected (though hopefully not for long). Even in traditionally-minded Germany and Belgium, changes are brewing. There is lots and lots of information on the internet, for anyone who wants to learn more. Cheers!

"The world turns softly / Not to spill its lakes and rivers. / The water is held in its arms / And the sky is held in the water."

Rory Marinich — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 15:03:06 -0800

Three Nightsongs is a lovely choral work by Joshua Shank that puts three writings by the child-poet Hilda Conkling to music: Evening, Moon Song, and Water.

From 100 to 0

Kiwi — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 09:19:21 -0800

The Royal Society of Chemistry is offering £1000 to the person or team producing the best and most creative explanation of the phenomenon, known today as The Mpemba Effect More on Mpemba, paper in full here.
(Previously)

Is It Moist On Mars?

The Whelk — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 14:54:46 -0800

New report suggests Mars may be full of liquid water - Smithsonianmag.com

The Dry Earth

cashman — Sun, 13 May 2012 14:11:14 -0800

The Earth has less water than you might think. [via]

Ice

jjray — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 16:39:03 -0800

Ice

Floating Water

filthy light thief — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:01:17 -0800

Making water appear to levitate usually requires a strobe light to trick the eye. If you don't have a fancy system to control water flow, you can run water through a tube taped to a speaker playing very low frequency sound, and again use a strobe light to make the water appear to defy gravity. Or you can ditch the strobe, and sync the sound waves to the frame rate of a video camera to make water drops appear to hover.

To Wear Charity

TangerineGurl — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:54:46 -0800

Scott Harrison, the founder of charitywater.org, was in many ways "uniquely qualified" [his words] to set a life goal for global clean water with 100% of the donations to this charity transparently and deliberately accounted for via GPS photos and the random live stream of a well-digging! Interview [Warning: Kevin Rose inside] At age 28, after a successful four-year-stint as a Club Promoter in NYC, Scott Harrison looked around and noticed, "There is not a redemptive thing in my life." In this interview via foundation.kr an interesting discussion project by Kevin Rose that utilizes his conversational access to persons of interest changing the world Scott charmingly shares with us his story and how he fought to start a successful charity.

Collossal Space Bear Squeezing Earth's Juice

XQUZYPHYR — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:49:01 -0800

A group of students made a series of over-the-top ads for Vytautas, a Lithuanian brand of mineral water. Here, finally, is an English version, so you know what you've been missing. What you have been missing includes space bears.