Under Our Skin.

Physicist Andreas Wahl uses Extreme Experiments to Prove Physical Concepts.

In this edition, Wahl is attempting to show that “It’s harder to create movement in water than in air, because water molecules are closer together than air molecules”. 

To prove this he puts himself in front of a gun submerged under water, which shows the strange reaction of the bullet in a denser medium.

(Andreas Wahl)

“Adding colour to water… in zero g” [x]

This is a homopolar motor.

It’s really easy to experiment with at home. It is driven by the Lorentz force - the force which is exerted by a magnetic field on a moving electric charge. When a battery is placed on top of a magnet, and a wire then connects the top of the battery back down to the magnet, the circuit is complete.

Students in our Summer Schools were making these the other day. This one won the ‘most creative design’ competition <3

Lightning being frozen in what’s known as a Lichtenberg figure

(Source)

You probably think this is a no brainer.

DUH people will swim faster in water, because syrup is thick. But the real answer is SUPER SURPRISING. 

Science put things to the test to this “simple” question. 

Sixteen volunteers took turns swimming in water and then a syrupy mixture.

Their times were thoroughly compared and, there was no difference between the speeds in the water versus the syrup. How can that be?

The explanation seems to lie in the fact that, while syrup does provide more resistance for the swimmers to overcome, it also helps them generate more forward momentum by pushing against the thicker liquid. 

SOURCE

Five Things to Know About NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins

Among the newest crew on the International Space Station is U.S. astronaut Kate Rubins, who will assume the role of Flight Engineer for Expeditions 48 and 49. Here are five things you should know about her:

1. She was chosen from a pool of over 3,500 applicants to receive a spot on our 2009 astronaut training class.

After being selected, Rubins spent years training at Johnson Space Center to become an astronaut. She learned how to use the complex station systems, perform spacewalks, exercise in space and more. Some training even utilized virtual reality.

2. She has a degree in cancer biology.

After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology from the University of California, San Diego in 1999, Rubins went on to receive a doctorate in Cancer Biology from Stanford University Medical School Biochemistry Department and Microbiology and Immunology Department in 2005. In other words, she’s extremely smart.

3. Her research has benefited humanity.

Rubins helped to create therapies for Ebola and Lassa viruses by conducting research collaboratively with the U.S. Army. She also aided development of the first smallpox infection model with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NBD. It will be exciting to see the research come out of a mission with a world-class scientist using a world-class, out-of-this-world laboratory!

4. She is scheduled to be the first person to sequence DNA in space.

During her time at the space station, Rubins will participate in several science experiments. Along with physical science, Earth and space science and technology development work, she will conduct biological and human research investigations. Research into sequencing the first genome in microgravity and how the human body’s bone mass and cardiovascular systems are changed by living in space are just two examples of the many experiments in which Rubins may take part.

5. In her spare time, she enjoys scuba diving and triathlons…among other things.

Rubins was on the Stanford Triathlon team, and also races sprint and Olympic distance. She is involved with health care/medical supply delivery to Africa and started a non-profit organization to bring supplies to Congo. Her recent pursuits involve flying airplanes and jumping out of them – not simultaneously. 

Rubins is scheduled to arrive at the International Space Station at 12:12 a.m. Saturday, July 9. After her launch on Wednesday, July 6, the three crew members traveled 2 days before docking to the space station’s Rassvet module. 

Watch live coverage of docking and their welcoming starting at 11:30 p.m. EDT Friday, July 8 on NASA Television.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

Celebrating Women in Science With @rachelignotofsky

For more tributes to female scientists, follow @rachelignotofsky on Instagram.

Growing up, Rachel Ignotofsky (@rachelignotofsky) knew she was going to become either a scientist or an illustrator. The Missouri resident chose art, but now she’s combining her two passions with a series of drawings celebrating groundbreaking and often unheralded women in science.

“I wanted to do my part and celebrate these women and their accomplishments and hopefully get a younger audience familiar with them,” Rachel says. “I think that a good way to fight gender bias is to show young girls and boys strong female role models.”

So far, she’s done seven drawings out of a planned 50, highlighting women such as 19th century paleontologist Mary Anning and pioneering computer scientist Grace Hopper.

“A lot of these women are not very well known, even though their accomplishments have changed our world forever,” she says. “I want my illustrations to help spark an interest in learning more about these women. I want young girls and boys to see that no matter who they are, despite their gender, they can accomplish anything.”

How to tie dye milk–well, theoretically. It didn’t work quite as well as planned. You need to use high fat milk (2% or whole) to get the right effect. A drop of dish soap will cause the fat and water in the milk to mix, altering the surface tension and causing the dye to move. Learn how to do it (correctly) here.

Materials: 1. 3 white carnations 2. Scissors 3. Food coloring 4. 3 small cups 5. Water

Steps: 1. First, get the 3 small cups and add ¾ of the cup with water. 2. Next, in each cup at 8 drops of food coloring of your choice. (Make sure to pour different colors for in each cup to create more multi colorful flowers) 3. Then, snip the last centimeter of the carnations’ stem and place each flower in the colored water. 4. Finally, wait for 2-4 days to see the results.

Lesson: Transpiration is when plants draw water up through its stem, and , thus, the water evaporates from the leaves’ stomata. As the water evaporates, it creates pressure that brings more water into the plant. Since the water had color, it made the flowers become that color.