Cool Stuff Sunday 9 - Special Edition

My good luck with Irish weather is unbelievable. Most days have been sunny and fairly warm. The Irish flock to bask in the warm rays as though they believe it will be the only sunny day the whole summer. By mid-afternoon, most will be bright red with the rare Irish sunburn. Not wanting to miss out on any of the great weather I tagged along with some Aussies planning on wandering about the botanic gardens.  

Cool Stuff Sunday 8

Really cool week, so some really Cool Stuff to share with everyone! I've got another wide range of articles and videos for everyone. One article was actually sent to me by a friend who knew I loved these types of reads and shared them with everyone. Thanks! Everyone is encouraged to send submissions for Cool Stuff Sundays!! Doesn't even have to be something you think would specifically interest me, if you think it's Cool Stuff, then it is!

Unknown mathematician (Yitang Zhang) published paper that takes us
leaps forwards in understanding twin prime conjectures. 
(Thanks, Mike for sharing this one!)

I'm also very VERY excited to share with everyone a recent publication from an
 Ecology friend of mine, Colin  Kremer. We studied together in 2007 at
Kellogg Biological Station, where he has since continued as a PhD student.
His paper: Coexistence in a variable environment: Eco-evolutionary perspectives.

Usually I have Stuff that primarily relates to STEM fields of interest, however this Cool Stuff is a
 book recently published by an old college friend. I remember being in awe of his poetry at slams
 and can attest to his talent and voice. 

Filmmaker, Samuel Orr, has been working on a one hour documentary on Cicadas 

since 2007, and now has a Kickstarter to help with funding. I really hope you 

check out this moving video and consider donating to his cause!

Credit: ACS Nano
RNA laced bandages could treat wounds on the genetic level. What?!

Question of the Day:

What topics interest you? What would you post in your own CSS section?

Cool Stuff Sunday 7

Everyone's favorite Sunday smashup of cool and informative news and videos around the web is finally back for week 7! I tried to cover all pertinent topics: space, science, mathematics, travel, as well as a very inspirational video from a fab Woman in Science, Mayim Bialik.

I haven't forgotten about the HI-SEAS mission. It's well underway!

Col. Christ Hadfield is currently back on Earth following Command of Expedition 35 aboard the International Space Station. This was his last video before departing. Space. Baller.

Say what you will about Big Bang Theory as a show, this woman is inspirational and hilarious.

A 2010 study published online suggests that gentle electric shocks to the brain can improve mathematic skills.

I recently came across a new (old) concept that I must try while traveling around Europe. Sharing home-cooked meals should appeal to everyone!

I originally heard Abraham Verghese talking about this TED talk on NPR. Immediately looked up the full talk when I got home. So interesting and, if you'll excuse the obvious wording, touching.

Question of the Day:
What dish would you cook for others if you were hosting a home-cooked meal?

Edit: May 20, 2013 - It was pointed out to me that the article about electric shocks to the brain was published in 2010. Not quite recent, but still fascinating!

Cool Stuff Sunday 6

This past week has provided a plethora of Cool Stuff to share! I've enjoyed shifting through stories and videos to select my favorites. Thanks to everyone who shared a link to something extra Cool with me this week!

Be sure to keep you eyes on the night sky again this week/weekend. The Lyrid Meteor Shower should peak April 22.


We've seen that the planets have inspired lots of things: research, space travel, videos, etc; here is a movement from an orchestral suite written in the early 1900s that is intended to convey astrological ideas and emotions associated with the planets on the psyche.

Another great study involving the usefulness of kelp. This time to detect radiation!

Solar Panal Satellite would Beam Power to Earth 

In the very first CSS, I had a story about a twister on Mars. Now
 another has been spotted that puts the previous 800 meter tall dust devil to shame. The new sighting was over 20 KM HIGH!

Interesting approach to understanding mass extinctions.

Amazing discovery finds world's first photosynthetic vertebrate!

An update on Nat Geo's DEEPSEA CHALLENGE expedition. 

Question of The Day:

What was your favorite Cool Stuff from this week?

Feel free to share any other amazing articles/videos/photographs/etc that you have enjoyed this week!

Cool Stuff Sunday 4

What a long week/month. I'm reluctant to believe that April is already here. I was able to relax a bit yesterday and celebrate the Bluegrass Brawl basketball game with friends. I'm not much of a sports fan, but I am a fan of my home state and wanted to share some of the Kentucky enthusiasm. Even though I didn't post a Stuff Your Face Saturday, I did spend the morning creating an array of homemade snacks! I even brewed my own sweet tea! I'm not sure how long tea bags last, but this could be a real sweet treat on Mars!

After you check out all of the Cool Stuff for today, check out the newly added 'About Me' section. I also figured out how to add slideshows of the two Hubble's Hidden Treasures Flickr accounts to the blog sidebar. Employed some good ol' fashioned stubbornness and trial & error with that accomplishment!

Also, this week announcements will be made about who advances to the next round in the application process. 700 applicants applied to participate in the Hawaiian Mars Analog Mission and Food Study, and the review committee has spent the last month narrowing that pool to a mere 30 people! 

I'm pregnant. No, I'm dropping out of grad school. No, I'm not linking you to a story about the history of April Fools

http://hint.fm/wind/ Can't get a preview for this, but its worth checking out!

Found Apollo 11 Rockets

Pretty Underwater Volcano Eruption

A great Nat Geo clip about a dam removal. Just think about how much that area will change!

Decommissioning the Space Shuttles 

Cool Stuff Sunday 3

Happy Spring! Also, happy last week of March. It's quite possible that I'll know whether I'm moving forward in the application process by this time next week. Gotta stay focused, but I'll admit I'm getting excited!

It's been a busy week for me, but I've managed to find a few good pieces from this week. I'm very excited to hear more about the deep sea exploration by James Cameron! I had no idea he was going down alone!

2012 Vernal Equinox 

Sunday and Monday - Watch the Skies!

Cool Stuff Sunday 2

I made it to Sunday! I'll be boarding a Greyhound bus today for a 17 hour adventure to have beach-side thesis writing time with a dear friend. (Follow me on twitter for #bustweets!) I hope the things that have interested me this week will provide you with some entertainment while being informative. Be sure to check out the article about the world's hottest pepper grown here at NMSU!


http://news.discovery.com/space/mars-life-120315.html

Dragon Spaceship, first commercial spaceship to travel to ISS

Armored Fish Downs Flying Reptile - Fossil

World's New Hottest Pepper - NMSU Research

Cool Stuff Sunday

I'd like to end this first, exciting week of blogging by thanking everyone that has helped spread the news of my new endeavor. I am grateful to have so much support and enthusiasm from friends and family. To thank you all (and because Sunday posts should be fun and light) I will be compiling cool videos, articles, pictures, etc from the week covering multiple disciplines every Sunday for your viewing enjoyment.

Today's post was a bit retroactively achieved, but I've already got next week's started, so whenever I find something that makes my day, I'll save it so I can make yours too.


Fellow Hi-SEAS applicant, Ryan Kobrick's interview discussing Yuri's Night. 









http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120305.html

I don't know how I feel about attempting to bring plantlife to inhospitable locations, such as Qatar, but I can't help but be impressed by the innovation of this project inspired by a camel's nostril! It doesn't hurt that they are exploring algae cultivation either.

Twisted Twister on Mars

Iridescent Dinosaur Feathers!