Warp Drives and Fire Tornadoes: your daily dose of awesome
September 20, 2012
What could possibly be more awesome than a TORNADO MADE OF FIRE?!? Not much. This is a spectacular natural phenomenon that occurs in wildfires. It’s the same atmospheric process that causes dust devils- the difference here is that the strong updraft is from the heat of the fire, so it’s much more intense than a normal dust devil. The hot air rises rapidly and the surrounding winds happen to be flowing into the updraft at just the right angles so that the rising column of air gets a twist. From there the law of conservation of angular momentum takes over and the vortex becomes self-sustaining. This one was captured recently in Australia.
Also from the department of TOTALLY AWESOME: Warp Drives (like the ones they used in Star Trek) may actually be much closer to reality than ever thought. NASA physicist Dr. Harold White has recently done some tweaking of the theoretical design of the famous Alcubierre Warp Drive, originally proposed in 1994 by physicist Miguel Alcubierre. The original design, while theoretically possible, was completely impractical because it required more energy than a human mind can comprehend. But with Dr. White’s tweaks, the amount of energy required to run this thing suddenly became more plausible. Essentially the ship would be able to travel much faster than light, without actually traveling faster than light. It does this by literally compressing a region of space-time ahead of it and expanding a region behind it. The ship itself is in a bubble in which it never breaks the speed of light relative to the space-time it’s in. Think of it like surfing a wave of space-time. Granted, the amount of energy require to run the Warp Drive is still roughly equivalent to 1.5 million Hiroshima bombs, but with a little antimatter (about 500 kilograms) that number is not out of reach. The problem is that the idea hasn’t been tested in real life. So Dr. White and his team are currently attempting to actually warp space-time on a microscopic scale in their lab. Take a moment to digest that. Right now, we are attempting to warp space-time in a lab. It doesn’t get much more awesome than that. For more info on how the drive actually works check out this article on Extreme Tech or this article on Discovery News.
New Breakbot video/”By Your Side” album out now!
September 19, 2012
That’s the awesome new video for first single from Breakbot’s new album “By Your Side,” which is out now via iTunes and Beatport. I’ve made it quite clear before how much I love Breakbot, but let me say it again: I FUCKING LOVE BREAKBOT. Everything the dude touches turns to pure chill-funk gold. Has anyone used chill-funk before? Surely someone has… but I’ve never seen it, so for now I’m gonna claim it. This video is 
just about everything you’d expect from Breakbot- a hot girl in a vintage car, driving on a breezy road, etc… but toward the end it gets a little odd. In a good way. Just watch it, and make sure it’s on HD. As I said, the album is out now on iTunes and Beatport. Ed Banger is notoriously finicky about the timing of their releases on various platforms, so who knows when/if it’ll show up on Spotify.
A Few Good Shows: 9/14/12
September 14, 2012
It’s a rock explosion, get it?
This weekend, specifically tonight, is a Nashville rock show explosion. Shit’s officially gettin’ crazy. But this is a good problem to have. I’d much rather be stressed about which awesome band or show to see, than be sad and depressed that no good tours are coming through town. Here are some shows that I’d see… now if I could only clone myself and see them all….
FRIDAY:
Built To Spill, Helvetia, Sister Crayon @ Exit/In. 9pm $20 (SOLD OUT)
Metric, w/ Half Moon Run @ The Ryman. 7:30pm $30
Makeup & Vanity Set, Sugar Sk*-*lls, Robocotopus, and Afrosaxon @ Richland Ballrom. (4208 Murphy Rd.) $3
Little Bandit EP release w/ Derek Hoke and Birdcloud @ The 5 Spot. 9pm $5 21+
The Biddies, Phil Hummer & The White Falcons, The Maloneys @ Zombie Shop. 8pm $???
SATURDAY:
Beach House and Dustin Wong @ Marathon Music Works. 8pm $22
Conestyle album release show w/ Yautja and No Christmas @ The End. 9pm $5
Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes, Lulu Mae, and Neulore @ Exit/In. 9pm $5
SUNDAY:
Turbo Fruits Big Shred/Album Release/party @ the Groove Records. 2pm/FREE. Their label Serpents & Snakes are throwing a big ass pig roast and party to celebrate the release of their album Butter. The band will play as well. More info on facebook.
Of course there’s the Americana Music Festival, which has been happening since Wednesday. My taste for what’s generally referred to as Americana is somewhat limited, so I’ve stopped short of posting all the various lineups and showcases here. Their website has the full listing and info on wristbands, etc… so please check it out if you’re interested in any of their offerings!
Have a great weekend!
Science roundup: Higgs boson passes peer review/Antimatter propulsion looks feasible
September 12, 2012
Click to enlarge. Trust me- you want to do this!
Before the newsy stuff I had to give you that eye-gasm of a photo of our nearest star a.k.a. the Sun, blowing off millions of tons of hot gas into space a couple weeks ago. This image combines two spectrums of light that we can’t see with our eyes, both of which are in the ultraviolet range and show the magnetic activity better. Both were taken with NASA’s Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO). We should be glad this enormous eruption wasn’t aimed directly at Earth, else we could have had serious satellite and power disruptions.
Now for the headlines:
- The teams of physicists at the Large Hadron Collider have officially published their findings on the Higgs boson in a legit, peer-reviewed journal- Physics Letters B. This is the same journal in which Peter Higgs first published his revolutionary paper that began the hunt for the boson to begin with. Once a discovery passes this level of scrutiny, it’s DONE. That means we did it! Scientists have been a little hesitant to actually call this discovered particle the Higgs boson, however, since all the properties and attributes of the particle are yet to be nailed down. Over the next few years we’ll start to get a better picture of just what this particle looks and feels like, so to speak, and I’m sure there will be many more questions raised than answered. (Via NewScientist)
- Star Trek is starting to look a bit more like reality than science fiction thanks to new research being done into anitmatter and fusion propulsion. That’s right- antimatter, as in the stuff they used to run the Enterprise‘s Warp Drive. NASA teamed up with consulting firm the Tauri Group for a presentation that included a prediction that human technology will have advanced to the point that antimatter and fusion propulsion will be possible for spaceships by around 2060. The technology will not, however be capable of faster-than-light travel. According to the 2010 report the presentation was based upon, it would take about 4 months to get a ship to Jupiter with this technology. That’s significantly faster than current technology, but still a very VERY far cry from Warp speed. (Via Space.com)
A Few Good Shows: 9/7/12
September 7, 2012
The rock just won’t stop. Here are my picks for shows to see this weekend in Nashville. As usual there’s no shortage!
FRIDAY:
Turbo Fruits Butter album release w/ Ranch Ghost, King Karl, and Fox Fun @ Exit/In. 9pm $8 adv/$10 DOS.
Flesh Vehicle (reunion show) and Young Wires @ The End. 9pm $5
SATURDAY:
Magnolia Sons, Lonely H, Kate Tucker, and Quiet Company @ The 5 Spot. 9pm 21+ $5
12th South Concert Series presented by Grimey’s ft. Luella and the Sun, Wild Cub, and Snakeyez @ Sevier Park. FREE, ALL AGES
FEASTival 2012 @ East Park ft. Buffalo Clover, Lonely H, Lowry Sisters, Dirt Heavy, Tessla Rosa, and DJ Chozen. FREE, ALL AGES
That’s it. Have a great weekend!
R.I.P. Brad Baker, a.k.a. the sound guy at The End
September 6, 2012
Some very sad news came across my twitter feed yesterday. Brad Baker, the main sound guy at our beloved little rock club The End, passed away in his extended stay hotel room in the Super 8 on Spence Lane on Friday, August 31st. According to the Scene, he had been suffering from sleep apnea, which I know can cause a host of issues including heart and lung problems. He had also been suffering from other health problems the past few years from what I could tell. I, just like most musicians that have played The End, was initially confused and a little freaked out by his barky, fast way of talking, but I quickly realized that he really knew his shit and was actually a pretty nice guy. The sound quality of shows at The End both for the audience and for the band onstage was always great when he was working. He had a weird sense of humor and if you played there often, you eventually learned to “speak Brad” and not have to say “huh?” when he spoke to you. He also had a signature trick where right before the band onstage started, he would fade up the house music to blaring for just a split second and then cut it off. It took me a while realize why he did it, but it really did the band a favor. It grabbed the attention of the crowd, stopping their conversations and giving the band a chance to start their set with the crowd’s full attention.
My friend Jesse Baker, who also worked as a sound guy at The End, posted this video of Brad fronting a cover band in 1991. I really wish I’d seen this before his passing. No one really knows the details of his past but the Scene reported that he had stints as a touring crew member for REO Speedwagon and Chicago, as well as plenty of other concert production endeavors. But apparently he was also one incredibly badass singer in Hotel Bill & The Incidentals:
Brad was quite a character and in his passing we’ve lost a very special part of the Nashville rock community. Rest in peace Brad, we will miss you dearly.
Rocketfest: I met Phil Plait!
September 5, 2012
SO MUCH NERD HAPPENING RIGHT HERE
This past Monday (Labor Day) I had the pleasure of meeting someone you’ve seen me reference approximately 8,956 times on this blog- the one and only Dr. Phil Plait, a.k.a. the Bad Astronomer. As I mentioned last week, the U. S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL held a fundraising event called Rocketfest for the Space Camp Foundation, an organization that creates scholarships for kids to go to Space Camp. If you don’t know what Space Camp is, then you need help. Above is photographic proof of the insane amount of nerdery that occurred. Just look at our shirts!
As a music snob of sorts, I had a hard time with the musical performances, though Molly Lewis’ anti-folk leanings reminded me of Jeffrey Lewis at times. That’s definitely a good thing. Phil Plait gave a short presentation on the Mars rover Curiosity, and while it was all stuff I’ve already seen and/or know about the mission, his passionate and charismatic delivery was the star of the show for me. He’s one of the best ambassadors of science to the general public I’ve ever seen, right up there with Adam Savage, and I sincerely hope he continues to become more of a public figure.
The whole point of the event was to raise money for Space Camp scholarships, so if you care about the future of human race, make a donation now. I say that because our future depends on the kids of today becoming more interested in STEM and thus becoming the scientists and engineers that will continue to innovate and improve our technology. Programs like Space Camp are what inspire kids to enter those fields. I wasn’t lucky enough to get to go when I was a kid, but I sure as hell want my kids to go someday. I will probably be able to afford the tuition, but some families aren’t as fortunate, and those kids deserve the chance to go just as much as the fortunate ones.
I now step down from my soapbox. 🙂
A Few Good Shows: 8/31/12
August 31, 2012
This Labor Day weekend isn’t quite as insane as last weekend, but there are plenty of good shows to see. Here are my recommendations.
FRIDAY:
Screen Door Records presents Echo Group, The Joy of Painting, Self Help, The Dead Towns, Secret Shopper, and Norene @ The End. 9pm $5
Nikki Lane, Justin & The Cosmics, Hughbob & The Hustle @ The Basement. 9pm $7
Indie.Dance.Party.Nashville. Vol. 1 ft. DJ sets from Wild Cub, Lacey, Five Knives, Snap Acklen, Ugly Kids Club, Meth Dad, and more @ 12th & Porter. 9pm $6
SATURDAY:
Lightning 100/Miller Made Music presents Heypenny, Among Savages, Tyler James & The Cards @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $FREE
High Class Hillbilly presents Nikki Lane, Johnny Fritz (formerly Corndawg), Hugh Bob & The Hustle, and Promised Land @ 1505 Lischey Ave. DAY SHOW- Doors 3, show 4:30pm $6 BYOB.
After Crawl Ft. music from The Maloneys, VITEK, Marc Scibilia, The Future, Eric Phillipi, and The Dandy Lions. “Heat Wave” art installation ft. Emily Clayton, Nina Mayer, Greg Pond, Angela Burks and Mandy Rogers-Horton. Free Jackalope beer, not free Pizza Buds, Honeybean mobile boutique and Tricycle Sweets Co. @ Brick Factory. 9pm. Phew, that’s a lot of shit going on!
SUNDAY:
NOT MUCH.
MONDAY:
Seth Graves presents 8 One-Offs-Off 8th, ft. 8 bands that formed specifically for this show as a one-off. @ Mercy Lounge, 9pm, FREE. Full details on facebook.
That’s all I got. Have a great 3 day weekend!
Artist interpretation of Kepler 47c. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle
It’s been a while since we had any juicy exoplanet news. That changed yesterday as a new breakthrough was announced in exoplanet science. For the first time astronomers have confirmed multiple planets orbiting a binary star. The star is about 5,000 light years away and what really makes this discovery interesting is that one of the two planets orbits in the habitable zone, where liquid water could exist on its surface. The catch is- the planet is a gas giant, similar to Jupiter and Saturn, but more the size of Uranus. However, planets like that almost always have many moons, some of which could have an atmosphere and even support life, just like the Forest Moon of Endor, home of the Ewoks in Star Wars. Pretty exciting stuff! Read more about it at NewScientist.
In other news, if you’re anywhere in the southeast and looking for some nerdy fun this Labor Day, look no further than Rocket Fest at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. This event just popped onto my radar today via Bad Astronomy, and low & behold Dr. Plait himself will be one of the guest speakers! It should be no secret that I’m a big fan of him and and his blog. This is a fundraiser open to anyone, any age, and the proceeds go to the scholarship fund for Space Camp, and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Foundation. Honestly what excites me the most about it (besides seeing Phil Plait speak) is the fact that you can get a signed print of that AWESOME poster for a mere $20 donation. I’m not sure yet if I’ll be there, but I had to mention it because it’s all sorts of awesome!
Scientists create the iSquid/more eye candy from Mars
August 29, 2012
From the department of Holy Fucking Shit Nature Is Awesome: Scientists have hooked up squid skin to an iPod and made its pigment cells dance in time to Cypress Hill. They took the electronic waveform of the music and turned it into tiny electric impulses that caused the pigment cells, called chromatophores, to react in time with the music. The result is utterly fascinating:
(Via Kottke.org)
The MSL team at NASA has been as busy as ever testing, calibrating, and tweaking Curiosity’s cameras and instruments. A lot of great things have been accomplished over the last week or so, but two things are most interesting to me. The first recorded song ever to be beamed back from another planet was a song specially composed and recorded by will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. The song was called “Reach for the Stars.” While I’m not really a Black Eyed Peas fan, I’m really happy that such a big-name pop culture figure is trying to get kids more involved and interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). The other bit of news from Curiosity that really impressed me is this new image from the rover’s 100mm MASTCAM:
Click to enlarge. Seriously, you want to see this full size! Credit: NASA/JPL
This photo, to me, is much more interesting to look at than the other, wider images taken thus far. The reason is that it’s using a 100mm telephoto lens, which makes the scale and depth of the scene more prominent. Also, the photo was taken near sunrise or sunset when the angle of sunlight was low, which makes the jagged rock formations on Mt. Sharp more prominent and dramatic. Notice how there are many flat layers of rock exposed on the side of the mountain? They look just like the layers of bedrock along the sides of canyons and mountains here on Earth! The layers you see on Earth were formed by water, when sediments collected on the floor of oceans and lakes and eventually hardened into rock over millions of years. Therefore, scientists are pretty sure the rock layers seen in this photo on Mars were formed the same way, at the bottom of bodies of water on the surface millions of years ago. The big question we still have to answer is, what caused the water to disappear? Also, was there any life in or around that water millions of years ago? I can’t think of anything more exciting than answering those questions about Mars’ past.
steve cross loves music and science 