Bendistrawhttp://www.bendistraw.com/blog/en-US2010-03-11T19:33:28ZSquarespace Site Server v5.9.2 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Train your brain for freehttp://www.bendistraw.com/blog/2010/3/8/train-your-brain-for-free.htmlAaron2010-03-09T02:27:04ZEducation InternetThere are many sources of education online and here are some of the essentials you may be interested in. Many sites offer degrees but charge. Some are free but either they don't offer an engaging platform or they have outdated info. Check these out:

Academic Earth offers free video courses from leading universities in multiple subjects. There aren't many offerings in all subjects but its true, there are lots of videos and they are from top-notch schools.

 iTunes U is a massive collection of video and audio courses on the iTunes store. The process is similar to buying movies, TV shows or music from iTunes. Its super easy to navigate the store and download courses.

How Stuff Works is a great site thats been around for a long time. They offer helpful animations and articles about how things work. Everything from ballpoint pens to torque converters. Its a great way to teach people how to drive stick even.

Busuu.com is my favorite way to learn a language. Its a fun and easy process similar to Rosetta Stone but free! You can chat with native speakers and track your progress. Its a webapp so you can login from anywhere.

Hope you enjoy these sites. Post any I missed in the comments.

]]>How small are we?http://www.bendistraw.com/blog/2010/2/26/how-small-are-we.htmlAaron2010-02-27T04:05:00ZScienceThis pictures show the largest known star relative to some other large stars. How big is it and how big is the earth in relation to it? If the answer doesn't make you feel small and insignificant then either you're not paying attention or your not paying attention. Full image after the jump...]]>PG Pornhttp://www.bendistraw.com/blog/2010/2/26/pg-porn.htmlAaron2010-02-27T02:01:29ZVideo

(YouTube Video)

"For people who like everything about porn except the sex." 

]]>NASA channels Fritz the cat in latest project vid (nsfw)http://www.bendistraw.com/blog/2010/2/25/nasa-channels-fritz-the-cat-in-latest-project-vid-nsfw.htmlMack2010-02-26T03:34:54ZMusic Video

Boing Boing Video presents "O PATO," featuring Kool Kojak and DJ Babão, from the NASA music project (North America South America). Directed by Didiu Rio Branco and Robson Minghini, this NSFW, raunchy romp features animated versions of NASA project founders Sam and Ze getting funky with their fine feathered homies in São Paulo, Brazil. Bonus: a moonwalking Michael Jackson cockroach. My, the bugs really are bigger in South America...

(NSFW! Adults, watch this video: YouTube, Dotsub, or Download MP4) 

You can buy the project album here: N.A.S.A. - The Spirit of Apollo.

   CREDITS:

Directors: Didiu Rio Branco and Robson Minghini
Written and drawings: Didiu Rio Branco
Animators 2D: Didiu Rio Branco and Débora Slikta
Animators 3D: Robson Minghini
Photos for Backgrounds: Robson Minghini, Genivaldo Carvalho e Didiu
Assistant: André "Tazman" Moreira
Editor: Didiu Rio Branco
Graffiti: Rui Amaral (ArtBR), Onio and Didiu
Producer: Susan Applegate
Production Company: SqueakEClean Productions



]]>The dizzying science of figure skating.http://www.bendistraw.com/blog/2010/2/20/the-dizzying-science-of-figure-skating.htmlAaron2010-02-20T14:19:46ZScience VideoArtist rendering

The 2010 Olympics are in full swing... or perhaps, full spin. While watching the  figure skating competition a few years back I started to question the physics of the sport and how they do some of what they do. You may notice that as a skater is spinning their speed increases as they bring their arms or legs closer to the center of their body. This works if you have a swivel chair as well. Try spinning and move your arms out and in. Post a link to a video of you doing this and you might win a special prize!

Anyway. Part of Newton's second law provides for the law of conservation of angular momentum. Its unclear how many winter olympics he watched but this law affects more than sequined athletes. Everything from the movement of atoms to planets are affected. Basically what happens is that force is being applied to the center of a body at a constant rate and as external torque is decreased, the velocity increases. So if you need to spin faster bring your mass closer to your axis.

This is important for finding planets (or at least satellites). Say you find two large bodies in space and can determine their rotational velocity. If both are the same size, the one with a satellite will rotate slower. Thats a very basic assessment so don't hope to find a new planet anytime soon.

NBC produced a short video on the topic. Its not well written but may be fun for kids. Wikipedia for the rest of us.

]]>The price is very righthttp://www.bendistraw.com/blog/2010/2/14/the-price-is-very-right.htmlAaron2010-02-14T15:42:27ZVideo

(YouTube Video)

We had to make up for the last post.

]]>Public rejectionhttp://www.bendistraw.com/blog/2010/2/14/public-rejection.htmlAaron2010-02-14T15:36:22ZVideo

 

(Break.com video)

Maybe she just doesn't like basketball?

]]>The "My Way Killings"http://www.bendistraw.com/blog/2010/2/7/the-my-way-killings.htmlAaron2010-02-07T13:49:01ZMusic SociologyKaraoke bars in the Philippines have been removing the classic Frank Sinatra anthem "My Way" from their play-books in the past few years in hopes of alleviating a threat to their patrons. More than half a dozen karaoke singers have been killed in the past 10 years while singing the song. Urban Legends and fear have resulted in self-inflicted censorship. The question must be asked (as the NY Times points out) are the killings a byproduct of the country's culture of violence or is there something inherently evil and sinister in the song?

Karaoke-related killings are not limited to the Philippines.

]]>Aluminum: A clock you'll never have to sethttp://www.bendistraw.com/blog/2010/2/6/aluminum-a-clock-youll-never-have-to-set.htmlAaron2010-02-06T20:55:30ZScienceThis is the most precise clock ever produced. Yes, that is a clock. You may have heard of the atomic clock (not to be confused with the Doomsday Clock) produced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) which keeps time to a single mercury ion. This one uses an aluminum ion and will not lose or gain a second in 3.7 billion years.

Currently, seconds are still measured on cesium which is only accurate to about

]]>Going deep: blue whales change their tunehttp://www.bendistraw.com/blog/2010/2/2/going-deep-blue-whales-change-their-tune.htmlAaron2010-02-02T16:08:42ZMusic Science

Blue whales are the largest animals on the planet. They are mammals so they're not to be confused with the largest fish (whale shark). Anyway, scientists have confirmed that their songs have gotten deeper. Their voices have dropped by more than half an octave since the 1960. 

No one knows why. But one conjecture is that more baritone whales indicate healthier populations: The whales may be less shrill because they're less scarce and don't have to pipe up to be heard by neighbors.

I respectfully disagree with this reasoning. While there are more

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