I think this might just be the most surreal yet beautiful image I have ever seen. Almost doesn’t look real. There is some information on what we’re looking at below, click the thumbnail for a larger version, and to download the biggest version click here.

What dark forms lurk in the mists of the Carina Nebula? These ominous figures are actually molecular clouds, knots of molecular gas and dust so thick they have become opaque.

In comparison, however, these clouds are typically much less dense than Earth’s atmosphere. Pictured above is part of the most detailed image of the Carina Nebula ever taken, a part where dark molecular clouds are particularly prominent.

The entire Carina Nebula spans over 300 light years and lies about 7,500 light-years away in the constellation of Carina. NGC 3372, known as the Great Nebula in Carina, is home to massive stars and changing nebula. Eta Carinae, the most energetic star in the nebula, was one of the brightest stars in the sky in the 1830s, but then faded dramatically.

Source

There is no hiding that I am a mac fangirl. ^_- Anyone who has ever used a mac at any point in their life will notice the obvious benefits of a Mac computer, and the Mac vs PC videos only highlight the most obvious reasons.

I recently tried to explain to my 9 year old sister why I had a Mac and so I used the Apple vids to explain. The concept is so simple, even a child can understand. I heart Apple.

To see all the vids click here

I *love* this music video by Weezer for their new single “Pork and Beans” it is literally like a Youtube time capsule. They have basically used remade clips from some of the most well known Youtube viral videos of all time, using the original actors/stars featured in the videos.

I was going to post where the different referenced pieces came from originally but, luckily for me, someone has done it already. So here is the link look forward to some delicious internet nuggets!

(Also I just have to add, that it pains me when I have to embed the Youtube player, because I think its incredibly ugly.)

Opal Fruits are back but apparently only for a limited time only. It’s actually been 10 years since they were swapped out for “Starbursts” and they are being brought back momentarily and unlike their predecessors they have ditched the additives!

After a 10-year absence from the UK market, we have decided to bring back Opal Fruits as a limited-edition offer. For those who remember the sweets in their original guise it will be an opportunity to evoke that sense of nostalgia.

Source

This is a stop action photo of a device at Sandia Labs releasing its capacitors’ charge. It is about the size of a basketball court.

The Z machine is the largest X-ray generator in the world and is designed to test materials in conditions of extreme temperature and pressure. Operated by Sandia National Laboratories, it gathers data to aid in computer modeling of nuclear weapons. The Z machine is located at Sandia’s main site in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

During the 100 ns discharge, the power output is 2.9*10^14 W, equal to 80 times the power output of all the power plants on earth.

At the end of 2005, the Z machine produced plasmas with announced temperatures in excess of 2 billion kelvins (2 GK, 2×109 K) or 3.6 billion °F, even reaching a peak at 3.7 billion K or 6.6 billion °F.[4][5][6] It was achieved in part by replacing the tungsten wires by thicker steel wires.

But can it tie my shoelaces? That’s the real question.
Source

Here is an amazing video by Matt Harding. There is lots of information about how this video came to be on his website but here is the summary…

A few months into his trip, a travel buddy gave Matt an idea. They were standing around taking pictures in Hanoi, and his friend said “Hey, why don’t you stand over there and do that dance. I’ll record it.” He was referring to a particular dance Matt does. It’s actually the only dance Matt does. He does it badly. Anyway, this turned out to be a very good idea.

A couple years later, someone found the video online and passed it to someone else, who passed it to someone else, and so on. Now Matt is quasi-famous as “That guy who dances on the internet.”

It’s prety clear that this is an astounding video. The places he has been and the distance he has travelled is vast!

I think my favourite place is probably Chuuk, Micronesia, under the sea infront of that sunken ship propeller (…oh, which I am now being told that it is infact a “A propeller of the Heian Maru; a 510 foot Japanese submarine tender ship that was sunk by US bombers during World War II.”) or Kjeragbolton, Norway when he is stood on a rock wedged between a ravine, which according to his website is above a mile drop!!

After 9,000 years of silence, Chile’s Chaitén volcano (pictured on May 3) is erupting with lava, ash and lightning!! Something so completely rare but has luckily been caught on camera.

Since the volcano awoke on May 2, it has continued erupting intermittently, blanketing the area in ash and forcing more than 4,000 people to flee. The mingling of lightning and ash seen above may be a “dirty thunderstorm.”

The little-understood storms may be sparked when rock fragments, ash, and ice particles in the plume collide to produce static charges—just as ice particles collide to create charge in regular thunderstorms.

Source

Today was such a sunny day and there is nothing better than a beautiful sunny day to put you in a good mood, but it also made me think… although geographically by this time of year the weather is supposed to be nice and hot, it is actually *alot* hotter than previous years.

In 2003 the UK experienced a record breaking heatwave. August 10th 2003 was the hottest day since records began!! (See BBC News link)

And yet some people still deny that global warming is an issue…

Something that was drawn to my attention (via Digg) and definitely made me think long and hard about my effect on the climate change was this statistic.

Every time you search Google you could power an 11-watt light bulb for an hour… Think that’s bad? Wait until you put that into perspective including sites like YouTube and every other bandwidth hog on the web… Source

This gets to me in particular because obviously as I work on the computer pretty much every day of the week I will do my fair share of bandwidth hogging. So this story is pretty much aimed right at me. I definitely feel like global warming is everyones problem, and I really take a dislike to when people take a “that doesn’t apply to me” ignorant kind of stance on something so important.

You will notice that the image for this post is a really great diagram of how everyone can make a little change and make a massive difference. Do your bit!

The Brazillian organization Instituto Akatu recently took part in a campaign of food waste awareness aimed at shoppers. Utilizing handouts, the campaign reminded supermarket customers not to purchase more than they need, as 1/3 of what they buy ends up in the garbage. Artist Mihail Aleksandrov designed the handouts.

Click on the image for a larger version, but beware of the detail!!

Source

I *loved* the original happiness factory Cola advert so much that, when it first came out, I felt like it was my duty to show everyone the advert via Youtube spam.

Since launching in 2006, the original “Happiness Factory” has gone on to become the highest rated global spot The Coca-Cola Company has ever tested. The ad has won several awards including a “Silver Lion” at the 2007 Cannes advertising awards, the “Grand Prix Gold Prize” at the 2006 Epica Awards and most recently a nomination for a primetime commercial “Emmy” in the United States.

And now there is “The Happiness Factory The Movie”!!

This three minute video shows what happened when the unthinkable occurred, The Happiness Factory ran out of Cola. Was that a gasp I heard escape from your mouth?? I thought so. Watch the video to find out what happened next…here

Hula Hoop facts… (just because!)

Mr Miles Willard should be your hero. For it is he, who used his loaf to turn plain old potatoes into tasty round hoops of fun. Salute him.

It is officially impossible to eat a packet of Hula Hoops without putting at least one Hoop on your finger.

Despite being over 30 years old. Hula Hoops have not got a receding hair-line or a fascination for gardening.

2 in every 5 houses in Britain buys Hula Hoops. The others are thought to be empty.
The biggest buyers of Hula Hoops are mums. Some of them are up to five feet tall.

Source