The optical illusion you see below was created by professor Kohske Takahashi. The lines appear to be sharp zigzags, but in reality they’re curving sine waves. Their shading and contrast are what makes your brain think otherwise. Behold: You can read more about how the illusion work over at i-Perception.
One element is the backbone of all forms of life we’ve ever discovered on Earth: carbon. Number six on the periodic table is, to the best of our knowledge, impossible to live without. In this episode of Reactions, discover what makes carbon so exceptional, its nearly infinite capabilities, and potential intergalactic implications. [Reactions]
Imagine a cup of tea that doesn’t obey the laws of physics, it pours out of the bottom of your cup while crawling up the sides to the top, and you’ll have a pretty good picture of the ultracold phenomena of superfluids. [SciShow]
In this video from Engineer Guy, host Bill Hammack describes how the minimization of surface area and inertia compete to form droplets. He then shows how engineers use this knowledge to create precisely-sized droplets in a commercial inkjet printer — the type used to print expiration dates on food packages. [engineerguy]
Watch as Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques takes a minute to show us how honey reacts to microgravity in space. Fascinating! [Canadian Space Agency]
Scientists have had a variety of hypotheses about how chemical stress can affect DNA to cause aging, but a new study has just shown the process in action. [SciShow]
Expired medicine might seem like a weird concept because a lot of it doesn’t get moldy or slimy like old food. Is it really a big concern? Find out in this episode of SciShow. [SciShow]
Are black holes indestructible? Explore the theory of Hawking radiation, a process that could lead a black hole to gradually lose mass and evaporate. [TED Ed]
Depression is a common disorder, and though it might seem like we’ve got it figured out, what it is and how to treat it is actually way more complicated than we think. Learn more about depression in this video from SciShow Psych. [SciShow Psych]
Would all our technology really be wiped out? Find out in this episode of Life Noggin! [Life Noggin]