Witness the Birth of a Snowflake (Video)

Snowflakes

As an Iowa native, I understand all too well what a pain snow can be.  However, I've always found snowflakes to be fascinating.  They're beautiful and come in an endless variety of shapes.

This first video shows a scientist in his quest to study snowflakes.



The second video has some amazing close-up photos.

Powers of Ten

I love videos like this that attempt to show the scale of the universe we live in.  This first one was made in the late 70's, and I remember watching it on Public Television when I was a kid.  Watching it again brought back memories.

This next one is much newer, and it's narrated by Morgan Freeman.  Gotta love that!

Perseid Meteor Shower

The Perseid Meteor Shower will dazzle us this weekend.  Here's a video that explains what you can expect to see this year.

I don't know about you, but I love a good meteor shower.  Enjoy!

Science Quotes

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We can all use some inspiration now and then.  Scientists often look to nature to draw inspiration. This is something I share with scientists.  I also, as a science fiction writer, look to science itself for narrative ideas.

Here are some quotes about science to help fire up the imagination.  Some people don't like the use of quotes, but I do, and this is my blog.  So here they are!

All quotes used here come from Brainy Quote.

"Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination."
-John Dewey


"From now on we live in a world where man has walked on the Moon. It's not a miracle; we just decided to go."
-Tom Hanks


"If an elderly but distinguished scientist says that something is possible, he is almost certainly right; but if he says that it is impossible, he is very probably wrong."
-Arthur C. Clarke


"Inanimate objects can be classified scientifically into three major categories; those that don't work, those that break down and those that get lost."
-Russell Baker


"It will free man from the remaining chains, the chains of gravity which still tie him to this planet."
-Wernher von Braun


"Men love to wonder, and that is the seed of science."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson


"Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge."
-Carl Sagan

The Birds and the Bees Aren't So Simple

I love science, and though I tend to focus more on astronomy and physics, I also love biology.  The science of how life works is very interesting.

Watching this video reminded me of the diversity of life right here on our own planet.  Just imagine how complicated xenobiology could be!

The Power of Nature

All I can say is that the power of nature is humbling.  It's also beautiful, provided, of course, that you aren't stuck in the path of destruction.

Here's a link to a video talking about the intriguing phenomenon known as "upward lightning."

And here's a video showing a wide range of weather events. Enjoy them from the comfort of your home, because if you're there in person, your experience will be anything but comfortable.