Burj Dubai Base Jump

Two basejumpers just set the world record for BASE jumping from the world's tallest building the Burj Khalifa (formerly called the Burj Dubai), from a height of 828 m.

Check out the video below:


Two questions:
1. Why didn't this video take the 13 seconds you calculated take an object to fall to the ground?
2. What was the average velocity of the skydiver? How does this compare to the velocity an object falling only under the influence of gravity would have when it hit the ground?

LHC rap

One of the coolest rap songs ever, the LHC rap, also does a great job of explaining the Large Hadron Collider. Check it, yo.

How do you make dry ice?

A number of you have asked questions about how to make dry ice. Ask the internet, and it delivers:

Working in the car = Bad idea

The NYT is doing a whole series on distracted driving. This time, it's talking about people who try to get office work done in the car.

Also, props to Noah, who found a link to the Distracted Driving Summit, which is taking place now.

Get 3 months in jail for texting while driving in Utah

Here's a great story from NPR that describes the efforts states are taking to stop texting while driving.

Utah Tackles Texting And Driving Problem Head-On

Interesting article on Truckers Texting

The NYT has a fascinating piece on big rig truckers insisting that they be exempt from any legislation on texting while driving.

Links you need for the texting project

We're going to be working on the texting project in the next few days, and you will need to use these links for your work.

• Online reaction time test: use this to measure your reaction time. (you must also measure your reaction time using the ruler test). You should post your data to the google spreadsheet so that everyone in our class can see it.
  
• NYT Distracted Driving Simulator: This is a great simulation that will tell you how your reaction time is affected by texting while driving. Please enter your data into the spreadsheet.
  
• Stopping distance: Here's a table of stopping distances that might help you to get a sesne of how far a car can travel during your reaction time.
  
• Stopping distance spreadsheet: this is a useful spreadsheet for determining your stopping distance based on a number of factors.
  
• Find your legislator. Useful for writing your letter.
  
  

Space Probes and Messages to Other Civilizations

In class yesterday, we talked about Pioneer 10, a space probe launched in 1977 to explore Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, and that has now left our solar system. We also discussed that Pioneer 10 contained a plaque featuring a series of pictures designed to communicate a message from humankind in case the probe should be encountered by extraterrestrial civilizations. You can click on the image below to get a larger image.

In class, I said that Pioneer 10 was the furthest man-made object from the earth. This is untrue. That record is now head by the Voyager 1, a space probe launched a few years later. Voyager was able to pass Pioneer 10 thanks to a number of gravity assisted speed boost from passing close to the outer planets.

In addition, Voyager contained the golden record I mentioned in class that contains a message for any extraterrestrial civilization it might encounter.

You can listen to a wonderful story about the creation of this record told by Ann Druyen, widow of the great scientist Carl Sagan, whose idea it was to make the record in the first place. This story is part of the incredible Raidolab podcast, simply one of the very best shows you can listen to on your ipod.



Voyager 1 also plays a central role in the original Star Trek movie, which is a pretty funny look back to a young William Shatner 1970s imagining of the future.

So what would YOU put on a record to extraterresterials? Here's a podcast with answers from comedian Margaret Cho, composer Phillip Glass, Chef Alice Waters, and authors Michael Cunningham and Neil Gaiman.