Author: Chris Higgins

In this mini-documentary, YouTube’s 8-Bit Guy digs into the history and technical details of floppy disks and the drives that read them. If you’ve ever wondered whether 3.5-inch diskettes were really “floppy” inside, why notching holes in the edges of the diskette shells magically “unlocked” extra storage capacity, or why they made ker-chunk! sounds, this is 15 minutes of nerd heaven. Boot up:

(Public domain photo courtesy of George Chernilevsky, via Wikimedia Commons.)

On the Gemini IV mission, NASA sent out Ed White as the first American astronaut to attempt a spacewalk. After thoroughly enjoying his trip outside the capsule, White returned…but the hatch wouldn’t close properly. It was a real chore for the astronauts to wrench the hatch closed. In assessing what happened, NASA engineers wondered: Had the hatch undergone “cold welding?”

As Derek from Veritasium explains in the video below, “In space, if two metals come into contact, they can actually fuse together without the need for heat or melting of either piece.” As he promptly continues, this is not what happened to the hatch on Gemini IV. But it has happened on space missions, and it’s a real problem for metals we send into space.

Watch this video for a detailed explanation of how cold welding works, why it happens less than we might fear, and how it has actually occurred in space.

(Photo credit: NASA, via Wikimedia Commons.)

In this installment of Ingredients, chemist George Zaidan digs into a key ingredient of many citrus-scented air fresheners: Limonene. In addition to being a killer band name, Limonene is found in citrus peels, and it happens to react with ozone to create formaldehyde.

Before we go nuts on this formaldehyde thing, it’s important to be clear that the amount of formaldehyde is low, and likely not an issue unless you’re going vastly overboard with ozone generators (like some “air cleaners”) and a lot of citrus-scented products. But it’s fascinating to explore how the chemical interplay between two otherwise innocuous consumer products—citrus-scented air fresheners and ozone-producing “air cleaners”—can create a really nasty substance.

For five minutes of useful chemistry advice, tune in:

For more on the issues Zaidan mentions with ozone-producing air cleaners, check the various links in the YouTube video description. If you’re more of a direct-link person, check out this explainer from the California E.P.A. or this PDF fact sheet from the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

In 1965, Compax Corporation’s ad agency hired Jim Henson’s company to make three TV ads. Compax sold a line of pre-shrunk cotton fabric called Pak-Nit RX, designed to resist shrinking in clothes dryers and stretching outside of them.

Henson and his partner Jerry Juhl ginned up three ads, including the tale of “Shrinkel and Stretchel” (loosely based on Hansel and Gretel). In the spot, the young duo encounter a witch (Taminella Grinderfall, voiced by Juhl), who puts them in an oven. Due to their aforementioned heat-resistance, they’re unscathed. This attempted murder leads to an extended discussion of the positive properties of the brand.

So gather around, kids, and watch the eerie tale of two shrinkage-resistant Muppets!

Read more about this ad from the Jim Henson Company Archivist.

Note: There are unofficial videos online of the other two videos, Shrinkenstein and Rumple Wrinkle Shrinkel Stretchelstiltzkin (featuring Kermit!).

In The Wonderful World Of Tupperware Plastics, we learn the benefits of Tupperware, “made from polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene—relative newcomers to the wonderful world of imagination and industry.” This is precisely what that guy in The Graduate was referring to when he told Benjamin Braddock, “Just one word: PLASTICS.”

From Earl Tupper’s novel plastics to Brownie Wise’s “Tupperware Party” innovation, this is an impressive half-hour how-it’s-made. It actually goes deep into the details of how oil byproducts are turned into plastics, and how the manufacturing process works. There’s also a notable segment about how IBM punch-card computers help with inventory management “at lightning speed.” It really kicks into gear with a series of corny musical numbers celebrating Tupperware, featuring Anita Bryant and Johnny Desmond.

Enjoy:

Further reading: How a Single Mom Created a Plastic Food-Storage Empire and 15 Tupperware Facts From the Back of the Fridge.

London’s Kew Gardens are a gem. Contained within the city, the gardens first opened in 1840. They house thousands of plant specimens along with research labs.

In 1942, cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth captured Kew in Technicolor, marking one of his earliest works—he went on to photograph 2001: A Space Odyssey, Superman, Cabaret, Zardoz, and dozens more. Keep in mind that the Blitz only ended in May, 1941, so Kew was within a war-torn country when this film was made.

Take ten minutes to relax and enjoy this vintage look at Kew’s beautiful grounds and research facilities.

World Garden (1942) from British Council Film on Vimeo.

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires most permanent signs in buildings to have tactile (raised) letters, along with Braille printing. I have run across these signs in lots of hotels and convention centers, and often wondered: How would a blind person find the signs in order to read them?

Tommy Edison, “The Blind Film Critic,” made a video illustrating how this works. As a sighted person, I found this fascinating—and my favorite bit is when Edison comes across a typo in the Braille. Oops. I was also surprised at how the signage works around elevators and floor numbers; in retrospect, I had seen those signs but never realized what they were for.

Take a moment to learn how blind folks find and use these signs:

If you liked that, you’ll love Edison’s YouTube channel. You might also be interested in these placement guidelines for ADA-compliant signs around doors!

Chemist George Zaidan asks the important question: “What the hell is in gum that makes it so magical?” Specifically, why is gum chewy to start with, and how does it remain chewy for a long time despite your saliva trying to pre-digest it?

In this video, Zaidan explores the ingredients in chewing gum, then proceeds to make his own in a little saucepan. The key to understanding chewing gum is to get inside the meta-ingredient labeled “gum base” on the package. This stuff contains a subset of up to 46 actual ingredients, and therein lies the magic.

Chew on this:

Previous coverage of the Ingredients series: What’s in Nail Polish? and What’s in Toothpaste?

National Geographic Channel has a new TV series coming in November: MARS. While I haven’t seen the show yet, a bunch of short clips talking about the science behind the drama have begun trickling out. They feature a laundry list of amazing people. You’ve got Ann Druyan, Robert Zubrin, Charlie Bolden, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Peter Diamandis, Jennifer Heldmann, Elon Musk, Jim Lovell, Andy Weir, and many more.

If you have the slightest interest in Mars stuff, check out some of these videos. I can’t wait to see more of this material next month!

1. PLANNING OUR ROUTE TO MARS

This is a two-minute intro to Mars Direct, a scenario sometimes called the “Zubrin Plan,” in which humans pre-supply Mars in a series of missions prior to sending any crew there. Mars Direct, as a strategy, underlies now-famous science fiction like The Martian.

2. BACKING UP THE BIOSPHERE

What does it mean to colonize Mars, versus just visiting? Is it worth the time and money?

3. BUILDING SHELTER

Mars has a thin atmosphere, so its surface is subject to a lot more radiation than we’re used to on Earth. What can we do to avoid irradiating ourselves when we land a crew on Mars?

4. CONTAMINATING MARS

Human arrival on Mars means human microbes contaminating the Martian landscape (making it difficult or perhaps impossible to determine whether there’s microbial life on Mars). What do scientists think about this?

5. WHY SHOULD WE GO TO MARS?

What’s the argument for going to Mars? Of course, we’re all curious what we’ll find there. But is curiosity sufficient on its own?

You know you’re in for 10 minutes of awkwardness when the robotic narrator says in sleepy monotone, “People are attracted to cartoons because they love to laugh.” Moments later, the narrator tells us that circles are the key to cartooning. It’s just circles all the way down, folks.

When I was a kid, I used a series of “How to Draw” books that promised I’d be able to draw all kinds of amazing things, typically starting with a few circles. I didn’t put in much effort (let’s be honest) and I never became an amazing artist either. In this 1956 film, we get the film version of those books, minus any verve whatsoever. There is virtually no music, and long stretches of awkward silence accompany footage of an unnamed cartoonist sketching stuff. There is also a serious obsession with “circles,” but I would argue that they mean “arcs” and “ovals” in many cases.

The most interesting (and useful) part of this video comes just after the four-minute mark, when we see how cartoonists can sketch facial expressions by examining their own faces in a mirror. By watching small movements of the eyes, eyebrows, and mouth, you can communicate a lot!

If you’re ready for a nap—ahem, I mean a vintage lesson on cartooning!— just turn this on.