In the days before the Internet and viral videos, even the coolest science was mostly confined to the realm of fusty journals. Now, you can marvel at the mysteries of levitating materials, sophisticated-but-bizarre robots and the terrifying “walk-topus” on YouTube any time of the day, even if the science remains impenetrably dense. These clips prove, once again, that science and technology is better when there’s a cool video you can send to your mom.
1. Reconstruction from Brain Activity
UC Berkeley researchers placed members of their own team in functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) machines, showed them videos and then recorded the blood flow. They then showed 18 million seconds of YouTube videos to build a database of how the brain reacts to certain images and reconstructed the images of the first video based on that database. Wow… just, wow.
2. Quantum Levitation
If a magnetic field is applied to a material in its superconducting state, the material creates an opposing magnetic field that locks it in place. Thus, this puck can be fixed in place.
3. Best Earth Time Lapse
While NASA’s space exploration mission seems to be a bit stalled right now, it’s really establishing itself as a multimedia powerhouse these days. To wit: this amazing time lapse video.
4. AlphaDog Prototype
Boston Dynamics has been giving people nightmares with this terrifying video of the AlphaDog, a prototype military robot that would assist troops by carrying gear.
5. Soft Robot Walking and Crawling
This robot out of Harvard was inspired by soft animals like squid and worms and is made of only soft materials. It can fit through tiny gaps and slither, crawl and walk.
6. QBO Robot Learns to Recognize Itself
QBO, a robot with facial recognition capabilities and stereoscopic vision, looks into a mirror and recognizes itself. Maybe not the same thing as being “self aware” but neat nonetheless.
7. Chatbots Argue
Weird, weird, weird.
8. Octopus Walks on Land
Octopi who live in intertidal zones — areas that are underwater during high tide and dry during low tide — often venture onto land looking for food, according to this post in Scientific American. But we rarely see it, since most octopus species are nocturnal. This video, recorded in June at the Fitzgerald Marine Preserve in California, speaks for itself.
9. Bearded Dragon Plays Ant Crusher
File under: Animals do the darndest things.
10. Loves Oil, Hates Water
Okay, maybe not a viral sensation, but a pretty cool demonstration of science at work, filmed by Txchnologist at GE Global Research (GE is the sponsor of this magazine.) This material absorbs oil while repelling water. The applications are both obvious and manifold.