The Micro Photo is Meta

Posted on August 5, 2013 by swansont

This is a high-speed photograph of a water drop refraction by Markus Reugels. Big World in a little drop

I love that the droplet makes the image look like a globe. The map in the background is inverted, because the refraction inverts the image.

IRROYGBIVUV

Posted on July 19, 2013 by swansont

Pictures of a rainbow, taken in visible, IR and UV

via fine structure

Where the Cicadas Are, 2013 Redux

Posted on June 10, 2013 by swansont

I went back to cicada-land with my slow-motion camera. I’ve still got a lot of video to edit, but here’s a decent shot at 210 fps.

I had a pretty good shot at 420 fps, but unfortunately it started out in a shaded area before going into the sunlight, and the camera does not dynamically adjust the contrast once you start shooting. So a lot of it is overexposed. Grrr.

Also got a few stills.

Give These Roses a Little Sniff

Posted on May 28, 2013 by swansont

These Self-Assembling Nanoflowers Are As Beautiful As They Are Tiny

Harvard researchers grew these lovely microscopic gardens using delicate chemical reactions.

Chinese DIY Inventions

Posted on May 10, 2013 by swansont

Chinese DIY Inventions

One visible sign of China’s recent economic growth is the rise in prominence of inventors and entrepreneurs. For years now, Chinese farmers, engineers, and businessmen have taken on ambitious do-it-yourself projects, constructing homemade submarines, helicopters, robots, safety equipment, weapons and much more. Some of the inventions are built out of passion, some with an eye toward profit, (some certainly safer than others), and a few have already led to sales for the inventors. Gathered here are recent photos of this DIY movement across China. [39 photos]

Some of these are pretty cool.