These things are why NASA needs more money

Veretas · May 2009

Druhim wrote: »

Koshian wrote: »

it's pretty funny how people here can be so in love with and unenthused by science at the same time

like, science is awesome so long as it provides fuel for my fevered nerd imaginings

exactly, real science is so much fucking cooler

for instance, I find it fucking fascinating that while we have trichromatic vision, the pigment that allows us to see different colors (rhodopsin) is produced in three variants in humans (some women have an allele that actually produces a 4th version of rhodopsin that responds to different wavelengths and thus may have more sensitive color vision though this is unconfirmed).

we refer to the three different forms of rhodopsin in humans by the wavelengths they're most sensitive to: blue, green, and red respectively
however, there's a catch

ignore the dashed line, the colored lines represent how sensitive each "type" of rhodopsin is to different wavelengths of light, but you'll notice that green and so-called "red" rhodopsin are actually sensitive to very similar wavelengths
turns out that red rhodopsin actually isn't that sensitive to red wavelengths after all! so the image processing that takes place in the retina (behind the cones and where the signals from the cones go first) can be tricked into determining that red is present when it isn't because we actually aren't that sensitive to red light
that is fucking fascinating

but most of you fags would rather imagine space squids based on some space anomaly

So does this mean if there is a light that emits a certain wavelength, it will look red to me when it actually isn't?

Volucrisus Aedrius · May 2009

Now Dru, I am all for crazy whacko imagination science, I mean, fuck me if watching old Science Fiction films isn't some fun shit.

But that real science is also equally fascinating, but in a different way, you dig?

Honestly, for a little mind fuck here, its fun to imagine that through real science we will one day be able to understand and catalog how the brain imagines the approximation of science necessary to appear real in the realm of fiction.

Fictionally speaking, of course.

Wheels within wheels ect ect.

Grey Ghost · May 2009

Volyu now you're just putting words together in random combinations and trying to sound smart

we need to focus on the far more important fact that I can't see colors properly

redhead · May 2009

is there a specific post that led you to believe most people in this thread are faggots who only love to imagine space squids, druhim? it looks like you basically started saying that after someone claimed that being around for the end of the universe could be interesting, but that doesn't really make much sense

Koshian · May 2009

that is neat as hell, dru

the liberties your brain will take with processing raw information into something managable are amazing

Kazhiim · May 2009

druhim, what if we don't subscribe to the Heat Death theory of the end of the universe

there are plenty of theories that involve the universe ending to much fanfare

Grey Ghost · May 2009

From a distance, green can look like red to me, or red like green, or both will merge into brown

even up close, green may look like grey, and grey like green

and everything, regardless of color, is just a little less bright

a little less vibrant

a little more drab

and I hate it, guys, I hate it so much

redhead · May 2009

how do you even know what red really is, maaaaan

The Far Side · May 2009

white people will be direclty involved with the death of the universe, mark my words

Druhim · May 2009

Veretas wrote: »

Druhim wrote: »

Koshian wrote: »

it's pretty funny how people here can be so in love with and unenthused by science at the same time

like, science is awesome so long as it provides fuel for my fevered nerd imaginings

exactly, real science is so much fucking cooler

for instance, I find it fucking fascinating that while we have trichromatic vision, the pigment that allows us to see different colors (rhodopsin) is produced in three variants in humans (some women have an allele that actually produces a 4th version of rhodopsin that responds to different wavelengths and thus may have more sensitive color vision though this is unconfirmed).

we refer to the three different forms of rhodopsin in humans by the wavelengths they're most sensitive to: blue, green, and red respectively
however, there's a catch

ignore the dashed line, the colored lines represent how sensitive each "type" of rhodopsin is to different wavelengths of light, but you'll notice that green and so-called "red" rhodopsin are actually sensitive to very similar wavelengths
turns out that red rhodopsin actually isn't that sensitive to red wavelengths after all! so the image processing that takes place in the retina (behind the cones and where the signals from the cones go first) can be tricked into determining that red is present when it isn't because we actually aren't that sensitive to red light
that is fucking fascinating

but most of you fags would rather imagine space squids based on some space anomaly

So does this mean if there is a light that emits a certain wavelength, it will look red to me when it actually isn't?

the "red" cones that contain "red" rhodopsin can really only get as close to yellowish orange light, beyond that they're really not sensitive enough
so keeping in mind that "red" cones are actually triggered in the yellow wavelengths, the retinal cells basically assume light is red when the "red" cones respond to the yellow wavelength and the blue cones aren't getting any blue light
so yes, our eyes can be tricked into seeing red when it's not actually present

Grey Ghost · May 2009

I feel like I am missing out on so much of the world

I once saw a couple photos that had been color-corrected to appear "normal" to people like me and it was fucking beautiful

you don't know how sad it makes me that I can't see that every day

Kazhiim · May 2009

maybe if you were a green ghost, that wouldn't be a problem

L|ama · May 2009

redhead wrote: »

how do you even know what red really is, maaaaan

what if we see colours different to everybody else, like what we call green is what they call red but you can never tell if you see the same thing or not duuuuude

Spoiler:

Volucrisus Aedrius · May 2009

Kazhiim wrote: »

maybe if you were a green ghost, that wouldn't be a problem

This deserves recognition. I am sorry GG but I laughed pretty heartily at this.

Dublo7 · May 2009

Space is amazing. If I had a lot of money and I didn't have to rely on a degree for a career, I'd study Astronomy just for pure pleasure.

Dublo7 · May 2009

Druhim wrote: »

man, fuck you

the reality is much more interesting than some stupid fantasizing about Cthulhu lurking at the bottom of the ocean or technologically advance aliens waiting to invade our universe through a black hole or whatever nonsense you guys dream up when you read between the lines on these articles

OH NO TEH SCIENTISTS DON'T KNOW IT COULD BE SPACE SQUID

yeah, they were confused by quasars when they first picked up radio signals from them but instead of aliens there was a perfectly rational, and much more interesting and illuminating explanation in the form of quasars

sometimes you infuriate me, Dru, but sometimes I want to give you a high five and then give you a great big hug. I currently feel like doing the latter.

The truth is always more incredible and more fulfilling than idealistic fantasy. I can't tell you how many times I've gasped or simply started laughing out of sheer amazement because of something I've read in a text book or a journal article. I truly pity people that are wilfully ignorant throughout their life and appear to have the same ideas and concepts of the universe that they had when they were a child.

DrIanMalcolm · May 2009

I don't think people were being ignorant in this thread. Everything just stemmed from some guys saying that it'd be interesting to see the end of the universe and Druhim telling them that they're wrong.

Darmak · May 2009

Man, that dark flow thing is pretty cool. I've said it before but space and astronomy are fucking amazing and terrifying at the same time. I love reading about shit like this but every time I do I try and imagine the entire universe and it makes me dizzy thinking of how huge and empty it really is and how tiny we are compared to our planet which is tiny compared to our sun which is tiny compared to other suns which are tiny compared to galaxies and did you know there's supposedly been a galaxy discovered that's so large that it shouldn't exist by our current understanding of physics? That's what I read at any rate, I really don't know but holy fuck that's cool.

Penguin Incarnate · May 2009

Look I'm not ignorant or nothing, but I say we burn down the ocean. Too much terrifying shit in there to allow it to exist. Just pave over the fucker.

L|ama · May 2009

Dublo7 wrote: »

Druhim wrote: »

man, fuck you

the reality is much more interesting than some stupid fantasizing about Cthulhu lurking at the bottom of the ocean or technologically advance aliens waiting to invade our universe through a black hole or whatever nonsense you guys dream up when you read between the lines on these articles

OH NO TEH SCIENTISTS DON'T KNOW IT COULD BE SPACE SQUID

yeah, they were confused by quasars when they first picked up radio signals from them but instead of aliens there was a perfectly rational, and much more interesting and illuminating explanation in the form of quasars

sometimes you infuriate me, Dru, but sometimes I want to give you a high five and then give you a great big hug. I currently feel like doing the latter.

The truth is always more incredible and more fulfilling than idealistic fantasy. I can't tell you how many times I've gasped or simply started laughing out of sheer amazement because of something I've read in a text book or a journal article. I truly pity people that are wilfully ignorant throughout their life and appear to have the same ideas and concepts of the universe that they had when they were a child.

"Do not all charms fly
At the mere touch of cold philosophy?
There was an awful rainbow once in heaven:
We know her woof, her texture; she is given
In the dull catalogue of common things.
Philosophy will clip an Angel's wings,
Conquer all mysteries by rule and line,
Empty the haunted air, and gnomed mine –
Unweave a rainbow"

Fuck you keats, we have lasers and other awesome shit due to this now.
I mean shit, we wouldn't have these things without that knowledge:

Dublo7 · May 2009

Penguin Incarnate wrote: »

Look I'm not ignorant or nothing, but I say we burn down the ocean. Too much terrifying shit in there to allow it to exist. Just pave over the fucker.

Let's just get a massive block of raw sodium and blow it the fuck up.

Penguin Incarnate · May 2009

Dublo7 wrote: »

Penguin Incarnate wrote: »

Look I'm not ignorant or nothing, but I say we burn down the ocean. Too much terrifying shit in there to allow it to exist. Just pave over the fucker.

Let's just get a massive block of raw sodium and blow it the fuck up.

LETS FUCKIN DO THIS THING

L|ama · May 2009

sodium disposal

Penguin Incarnate · May 2009

Awesome explosion march on!

QuestionMarkMan · May 2009

This NASA image—recently taken by Mars Rover Spirit—shows the 5.9-inch skull of a Martian, with binocular eyes 2 inches apart, 1400 cc cranial capacity, and "most likely a carnivore." At least, according to a loony.

The comment came up in a forum, and argued that the alien creature was obviously a carnivore because of his "narrow pointed small mouth." Other commenters smashed the alien-spotter: "The coronal ridge shows ample structure to support the musculature of antennae, although none are visible in this view."

Obviously—and unfortunately—it's just a rock. A rock or an alien who covered himself in beach sand and fell asleep as the Martian seas evaporated.

reported by Daily Telegraph

Dublo7 · May 2009

oh, for fuck's sake...

Tweaked_Bat_ · May 2009

DrIanMalcolm wrote: »

I don't think people were being ignorant in this thread. Everything just stemmed from some guys saying that it'd be interesting to see the end of the universe and Druhim telling them that they're wrong.

No Dru was just making assumptions that some people were ignorant idiots because said people were not being 100% serious at all times in the thread.

Dublo7 · May 2009

I wasn't really referring to anybody in this thread. I just wanted to rant a bit.

Tweaked_Bat_ · May 2009

No but I totally agree with you.

I personally am fascinated (like lots of people would be, I'd imagine) by many aspects of science, and the "reality" that they represent.

I'd have a hard time believing that any normal person would prefer the flights of fancy that science can conjure over the reality of what they bring to us, but fuck me if I can't be a little light-hearted sometimes without being told off for it.

Me Too! · May 2009

I too wish to find tihs chunk of matter where superheroes dwell

I too wish to shoot lasers out of my ass

Me Too! · May 2009

Of course if the superhero thing doesn't work a hell-dimension would be rad too

mastman · May 2009

Let us go back to discussing the awesomeness of space.

Here be the Hubble Deep Field image. Probably my most favorite youtube video of all time. Gaze at millions of galaxies from across the univrese found by Hubble as it stared into a previously thought empty part of space.

edit: ignore the numa numa guy, it's only for a few seconds to show us how tiny we are. 5:00 is where the best part is if you're bored by all the riff raff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcBV-cXVWFw

Tweaked_Bat_ · May 2009

Tweaked_Bat_ wrote: »

I'd have a hard time believing that any normal person would prefer the flights of fancy that science can conjure over the reality of what they bring to us, but fuck me if I can't be a little light-hearted sometimes without being told off for it.

Me Too! wrote: »

I too wish to find tihs chunk of matter where superheroes dwell

I too wish to shoot lasers out of my ass

Ok I'm now a believer.

Druhim · May 2009

Tweaked_Bat_ wrote: »

No but I totally agree with you.

I personally am fascinated (like lots of people would be, I'd imagine) by many aspects of science, and the "reality" that they represent.

I'd have a hard time believing that any normal person would prefer the flights of fancy that science can conjure over the reality of what they bring to us, but fuck me if I can't be a little light-hearted sometimes without being told off for it.

this claim is belied by how often you guys focus on the fantastic assumptions you leap to from a piece of science news instead of talking about why it's actually interesting
that you're joking isn't the point, the point is you guys are usually ignoring the real reason some bit of science news is interesting

Tweaked_Bat_ · May 2009

The numa numa guy threw me off for a minute there.

Tweaked_Bat_ · May 2009

Druhim wrote: »

Tweaked_Bat_ wrote: »

No but I totally agree with you.

I personally am fascinated (like lots of people would be, I'd imagine) by many aspects of science, and the "reality" that they represent.

I'd have a hard time believing that any normal person would prefer the flights of fancy that science can conjure over the reality of what they bring to us, but fuck me if I can't be a little light-hearted sometimes without being told off for it.

this claim is belied by how often you guys focus on the fantastic assumptions you leap to from a piece of science news instead of talking about why it's actually interesting
that you're joking isn't the point, the point is you guys are usually ignoring the real reason some bit of science news is interesting

Well I'm guessing you're referring to the collective of SE in general when you say "you guys", because I don't know how you inferred I was leaping to a fantastic assumption after speculating it would be interesting to witness the end of the Universe.

I see your point, but I don't really think I'm being ignorant of the significance of any piece of scientific news that has been posted here.

Like when I asked what was on the bottom of the ocean? I was genuinely pretty curious as to what shit looks like down there, and how it does what it does in its environment.

Tweaked_Bat_ · May 2009

Anyway this is pretty pointless.

I know I posted this in another thread, but here is some science that I find fucking fascinating:
http://www.smh.com.au/world/science/scientists-witness-spaces-oldest-event-20090429-amhi.html

The fact that we can look and see something that occurred 13 billion years ago is pretty humbling.

Druhim · May 2009

Tweaked_Bat_ wrote: »

Druhim wrote: »

Tweaked_Bat_ wrote: »

No but I totally agree with you.

I personally am fascinated (like lots of people would be, I'd imagine) by many aspects of science, and the "reality" that they represent.

I'd have a hard time believing that any normal person would prefer the flights of fancy that science can conjure over the reality of what they bring to us, but fuck me if I can't be a little light-hearted sometimes without being told off for it.

this claim is belied by how often you guys focus on the fantastic assumptions you leap to from a piece of science news instead of talking about why it's actually interesting
that you're joking isn't the point, the point is you guys are usually ignoring the real reason some bit of science news is interesting

Well I'm guessing you're referring to the collective of SE in general when you say "you guys", because I don't know how you inferred I was leaping to a fantastic assumption after speculating it would be interesting to witness the end of the Universe.

I see your point, but I don't really think I'm being ignorant of the significance of any piece of scientific news that has been posted here.

Like when I asked what was on the bottom of the ocean? I was genuinely pretty curious as to what shit looks like down there, and how it does what it does in its environment.

I even acknowledged that you guys are joking in the post you just quoted, but my point is that it illustrates that many of you see some interesting news about a new finding and you just kind of get glassy eyed for a moment and go, "ok whatever, that's cool because NOW I CAN BE SPIDERMAN"

and your response here only reinforces what I'm saying
we've been exploring the deepest areas of the oceans for decades now
we discovered deep sea hydrothermal vents and the rich communities of life living off the sulfur compounds escaping from these vents and there has been no shortage of news over the last 20 years or so about these findings
interesting, genuinely fascinating news about how diverse life is and how narrow our view of a web of life based on energy from the sun was
it literally opened our eyes over the last couple of decades to the reality that life is much more adaptable and persistent than we had previously imagined, and led us to look from there to even stranger places for life like thousands of feet down in the crust of the earth

this was important, profound, and fascinating news and there has been no shortage of coverage of this for the last couple of decades
and you're apparently clueless that we even knew this

so yeah, pardon me but I do often think most of our society doesn't really get it

Tweaked_Bat_ · May 2009

No I'm not clueless that we know about all of this. Of course I'm aware that we've spent several years now exploring and discovering stuff down there that has changed our view of life on this planet.

But I haven't exactly been following this in-depth, which leads me to ask about it when I do think about it. It seems like you're confusing my genuine curiosity with ignorance or something, I don't know.

NotASenator · May 2009

I tried to explain to Leanna why even if time travel was possible, it would be almost impossiby complex to travel to the exact same place sometime in the past.

I think I broke her brain a little bit.

Penny Arcade

These things are why NASA needs more money

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