MetaFilter posts tagged with sand

The Kopp-Etchells Effect

krautland — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:42:22 -0800

Stunning pictures by Michael Yon show what happens when helicopters land in dust storms: The Kopp-Etchells Effect is thought to be the result of static electricity created by friction as materials of dissimilar material strike against each other, in this case titanium/nickel blades moving through the air and dust, but a precise definition is as of now not known. Von reports most pilots were unable to provide him with a satisfying explanation for why this occurred but within the comments at the end of the article some speculate this could be related to Triboelectric effect or the nature of the sand crystals in the dust.

Time-lapse Mandala

not_on_display — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:09:38 -0800

Time-lapse video, shot from overhead, of Tibetan monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery creating a sand mandala over 5 days: Eight frames per second (1:30); Thirty frames per second (0:23). [via MeFi's Own™ carter]

Storytelling in sand.

dmd — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:02:23 -0800

Drawing and storytelling in sand.

Glass beads cluster as they flow

homunculus — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:04:34 -0800

Liquid Sand: High-speed camera catches liquidlike behavior in a stream of granular material.

Sand sculpture

Joe in Australia — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:23:45 -0800

Here are some galleries of amazing sand sculptures. They don't have to be monochrome. Here are some tips on making your own.

I never hear the rattling of dice that it does not sound to me like the funeral bell of the whole family.

le morte de bea arthur — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:16:13 -0800

Zilch is a nice little (flash) dice game. Via JIG.

I think there is something missing here.

ooklala — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:43:42 -0800

An entire beach in Jamaica has been stolen. Although much of the sand has been found, it is estimated that it will take up to 100 years for the beach to be rebuilt. People now think that there is a coverup operation. In Jamaica, sand theft is not uncommon as sand is an ingredient for concrete (which is used for building homes), but theft on such a large scale has never before happened (unless you count the time when an artificial beach in Hungary was stolen)

I am a stranger in your land, a wandering man, call me Sand.

homunculus — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:06:25 -0800

This is Sand "is a website for play. It changes the pixels on the screen into digital sand that can be used as building material for cosmic landscapes, Clemens-style sand paintings, mandalas and so on." [Via The Presurfer]

Awesome Animation

FeldBum — Tue, 20 May 2008 04:09:14 -0800

Amazing Animations: Morphing, Graffiti, Mixed-Media, Sand (also from Ilana Yahav and Ferenc Cakó), Paint-on-film, Paint-on-glass, Pinscreen & The Greatest Stop-Motion Movie of All-Time. (Some reposting, but it's worth watching again. trust me.)

Mixing Oil, Water, and Little Falling People

blahblahblah — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 11:38:26 -0800

The Falling Sand Game is an engrossing but hard-to-describe online toy/game that lets you create environments using falling streams of sand, water, oil, and salt by adding fire, plants, clay, and other substances. Inspired by The Falling Sand Game are a number of variations, such as PyroSand, featuring many kinds of explosives, and Hell of Sand, with little people who you can torture. One of the most interesting versions is The Powder Game, which lets you paint with superballs, adjust air pressure, and build very satisfying volcanoes and gardens. For even more, WxSand [downloadable .exe] is a Windows version with lots more options and many interesting mods. [Games are Java applets and are incredibly addictive, especially The Powder Game]

Melts into the sea...eventually

Burhanistan — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:27:47 -0800

Jim Denevan makes freehand drawings in sand.

Go fly a kite

Gamblor — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 11:37:42 -0800

Rake Art. Patterns raked in the sand, then photographed from far above with a kite. (More info on the artist's blog)

Belt Sander Racing

tellurian — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 19:27:26 -0800

The New England Belt Sander Racing Association has just held their 2006 Winter Nationals. The results aren't up yet but you can watch a movie of the 2003 championship. [via]

Sand, Hell and Kittens

empath — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 06:18:00 -0800

War of The Hell. World of Sand. Hell of Sand. Cat Sledging. Java Friday. [via]

Jesus Is Just Alright With Me

fandango_matt — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 18:29:03 -0800

A man walked with Jesus on a beach. "This beach is your life," said Jesus. And looking back, the man could see two sets of footprints, side by side. "You see, I have always walked beside you."

Sand Art for a new century?

amberglow — Tue, 19 Apr 2005 06:11:15 -0800

Electronic Sand Painting (Artiste sur sable très doué) -- embedded video, from France, and Korean TV

Like sand in the hourglass, so are the days of our lives

DeepFriedTwinkies — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 20:09:49 -0800

A mandala is a symbol of the universe. It is a diagram whose colors, lines, and forms all have meaning. In the Buddhist religion, mandalas are used in sacred ceremonies and meditation, to help people on their journey toward spiritual enlightenment. Mandalas have been made since ancient times. They can be painted on cloth or carved or created from sand.
If you don't like those, you can just make pretty sand pictures on your monitor.

Crop circles, minus the crops.

monju_bosatsu — Sun, 20 Mar 2005 11:20:33 -0800

Sand circles. A group called Phidelity has been making sand art on the beaches of California with some string, a couple of rakes, and a trowel. Check out photos, and a time lapse video [.mov] of the team at work. Just make sure you check the tides before you start working. [via]

Dust to dust...

BoringPostcards — Sat, 19 Mar 2005 20:38:32 -0800

A Japanese artist retells the creation myth with sand trickling through his hands. Amazing. (wmv, 19MB)

Elements as Art

geekyguy — Sun, 06 Mar 2005 17:50:57 -0800

Ned Kahn does really great things with fire, fog, sand, water and wind. Sadly, some don't last. Heard on WNYC's Studio 360

When dunes collide

homunculus — Thu, 25 Dec 2003 15:41:57 -0800

The mating habits of barchan sand dunes.

SiCAF sand cartoon

Witty — Tue, 04 Nov 2003 11:45:45 -0800

A neato sand "cartoon" (.wmv). It's a video clip from the 2003 SiCAF. The file is a bit large, but hang in there.

Digital sand

Wet Spot — Sat, 25 Oct 2003 11:53:33 -0800

Sand. (Java applet)

Beaches, sandpits, castles...

darsh — Wed, 26 Feb 2003 15:36:09 -0800

What do you think of when you consider... sand Some beautiful pictures of sand under a microscope, as well as description of what sand is...

Spoon — Fri, 04 Oct 2002 05:34:06 -0800

Sand Art