MetaFilter posts tagged with experiment and science

The Science of Cosby

Powerful Religious Baby — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:18:11 -0800

The Great Cosby Experiment 09. "As of the last actual count we have 185 Cosbies!"

Quick! Alert Ed and Lorraine Warren!

Pope Guilty — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:36:44 -0800

The objective of the experiment was to determine whether infrasonic frequencies and magnetic field fluctuations similar to those found in supposedly "haunted" spaces can elicit physiological or psychological effects similar to those experienced in "hauntings".

The history of the experimentalization of life.

tellurian — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:52:23 -0800

The Virtual Laboratory - A collection of essays, biographies, instruments and trade catalogues (e.g. experiment kit) from between 1830 and 1930. I must warn you that some of the films are a bit disturbing. Check out the eerie sounding vowel experiments in the audio section too.

What if...

divabat — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:03:15 -0800

The Signtific Lab invites people to develop cutting-edge ideas through experiments of imagination and discussion. Experiment One: what would happen if outer space becomes as accessible as the Web today?

By Jove!

Blazecock Pileon — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:00:46 -0800

Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) is the first video journal for biological research accepted in PubMed, featuring hundreds of peer-reviewed video-protocols demonstrating experimental techniques in the fields of neuroscience, cellular biology, developmental biology, immunology, bioengineering, microbiology and plant biology, free of charge.

"You named your collaboration QAP? Really?"

fatllama — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:29:37 -0800

The DiVincenzo Code [youtube trailer, geekery]. Faced with a strict demand from a funding agency to allocate research funds towards the dissemination of research ideas to the public, an experimental physics group at the University of Oxford produced a feature-length (55 min) action thriller about murder, ancient prophecy, tea breaks, and quantum computation. [Trailer linked above. Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6] Named after the most basic requirements for a functional quantum computer, the DiVincenzo criteria [pdf], the student-directed effort is a superposition of The Da Vinci Code, The Matrix, and a live-action PhD Comics. Perhaps best viewed with either popcorn or your lab-mate's stash ofThorlabs Lab Snacks.

"Demonstrations” by Caleb Charland

Surfin' Bird — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 16:43:15 -0800

Caleb Charland's photographs artistically demonstrate the laws of physics. In "Solid, Liquid, Gas," for example, three similar glass-tumbler shapes are positioned on a film of water. One glass is filled with a separation of water, oil and alcohol. Another, overturned, contains an extinguished candle which, having burned up the oxygen inside the vessel, created a vacuum that sucked the water inside. The third vessel and the other pictures are just cool.

Like nailing Jello to the wall.

limon — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:28:53 -0800

"Nailing down Senator Obama's various tax proposals is like nailing Jello to the wall." Well, how hard is it, really? Initial attempts are not too promising. Some creative engineering fares better, but not a whole lot. Of course, Jesus can help. Oh well -- at least you can set it on fire. Previously.

Infusions of Grandeur

Blazecock Pileon — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 17:17:39 -0800

Cantaloupe, garlic, ginger, habenero, kiwi, nutmeg, pineapple, spearmint, watermelon and many other vodka infusion experiments by the crack alconomics team of Waylan and Brendan.

PV=nRT: It's not just a good idea....

zarq — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 09:20:30 -0800

200 liters of condensed liquid nitrogen (LN₂) were delivered to Berkeley’s Condensed Matter Lab this past Monday. Sent to retrieve the 400lb dewar from the loading dock but faced with a non-working elevator, an enterprising young lab student decided to carry it down the stairs. Gravity is a harsh mistress.

If things had turned out differently, they could have been scraping his remains off the walls with a spatula. At Texas A&M in January a lab was badly damaged when someone ignored the Ideal Gas Law, removed the pressure valve and rupture disk off an old (LN₂) tank and filled the remaining holes with metal plugs. "How to Tell a True Lab Story" talks about a similar incident. LN₂ is good for more than just blowing up a school (or, um a watermelon), though: Spanish Chef Ferran Adrià uses it to create dishes at his restaurant. Previously on MeFI: How to make LN₂ ice cream (careful!) and unwise science experiments.

Chemistry, not Frampton, Comes Alive!

nathan_teske — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 20:17:35 -0800

Chemistry Comes Alive has sample videos of chemistry experiments, some violent and some not.

Hold still. This won't hurt a bit.

troutfishing — Sun, 29 Jun 2003 16:23:16 -0800

The shrunken head page describes how real ones are made and has instructions so you can make your own fake shrunken head! From Wonderfull and Wierd Science, which has links to other gems such as Kitchen Science Experiments ( make your own Tesla Coil! ), and to the creepy Nocturnal Assault Research Center.

Tornado in a Can

troutfishing — Fri, 13 Dec 2002 07:50:39 -0800

"Tornado in a Can" "To test their theory, the Vortex folks have thrown in rocks, diapers, tomatoes, sweet potato rejects from the farm down the road, 400 pounds of Oreo cookies, frozen pizza dough, even a dead bird.....The jellyfish, however, are a first." picture of "Tornado-in-a-Can" that sure is a big can. don't try this at home, folks