The Biosphere and the Exponential Function

On this Video Saturday I want to share with you two things I came across that both seem somewhat relevant. Well, maybe at first glance the video about Biosphere 2 doesn’t seem that important, but it’s probably easier (and shorter) to watch than the second set of videos.

Biosphere 2 was basically a closed off ecological system built for research purposes. Biosphere 1, in case you’re wondering, is our own biosphere of the Earth. So they sent in eight people to live in Biosphere 2 for two years, which I find to be a very interesting experiment. I’d say one of the most important things learned from it was that (and why) their oxygen kept disappearing, which sound like valuable information in case another biosphere should be built one day, say, on another planet. However, before (or after) watching the video, you might want to read about the criticism of the project.

So here’s a video of the slightly annoying Jane Poynter talking at TED about her time in Biosphere 2:

The second and more interesting video (if you have the time to really listen) is modestly called The Most IMPORTANT Video You’ll Ever See on YouTube, and it’s a lecture given by Dr. Albert A. Bartlett on Arithmetic, Population, and Energy. It’s long, but enlightening and I personally didn’t think it was boring at all. One of the important statements he makes there is this:

The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function.

Dr. Albert Bartlett

Dr. Albert Bartlett on Arithmetic, Population, and Energy [Part 1 of 8]
[Part 2 of 8]
[Part 3 of 8]
[Part 4 of 8]
[Part 5 of 8]
[Part 6 of 8]
[Part 7 of 8]
[Part 8 of 8]

That’s it for today. Enjoy.

Video Saturday #34: Survival Tips

Inspired by an article on Huffington Post, I figured today I’d bring you some survival videos. You never know when they might come in handy.

What to do if you drive your car into a lake:

(Alternative Link)

How to Survive in the Desert : Basic Survival Kit in the Desert
(Alternative link)

How to Survive in the Desert : How to Make Shelter in the Desert
(Alternative link)

You can also check out more videos about how to survive in the desert, like say, if you are planning a trip to Australia, maybe.

How to survive on a desert island:
Part 1 (boring)
Part 2:


(Part 3 | Part 4 | Alternative link)

How to build an igloo (with great snow and a saw/knife):

(Alternative link)

Of course, I hope none of you will ever find themselves in a situation where they might have to use this knowledge, but it’s good to have heard it, just in case.

Video Saturday #33: Cats!

Yes, the rumors are true, Video Saturday is back! Today with cats and kittens, for no specific reason.

You may remember back on Video Saturday #27 – Viral Videos, I linked to a video of Simon’s cat. Here’s another one of Simon’s Cat videos:

(Alternative link)

Now here is Simon’s Cat in REAL LIFE. (Real life, you know… where the pizza guy comes from.)

(Alternative link)

And another one.

(Alternative link)

Here’s a very short video of a very sleepy kitten:
(Alternative link)

(Alternative Link)

Enjoy.

Video Saturday #32: Luck and Parking

There are a lot of really bad videos on YouTube, videos of people getting hurt, making a fool of themselves pranks, etc. etc. That’s why I like the following video.It’s a good videos of people actually being LUCKY.

Here’s another very very lucky man:

This next video is cool, because that’s EXACTLY how I park a car.

Video Saturday #31: Uwe Boll Interview

I know it’s not technically Saturday, but who cares. Today, finally, after three months or so, Paco put the Uwe Boll interview on his website at Vicisitud y sordidez. I had the great privilege of attending this interview. The idea came from Dando, cinephile and co-worker of mine. He simply asked Uwe Boll if he could interview him, and Uwe said, “sure.”

So before I knew it, five of us were on our way to Uwe Boll’s house and despite everything bad that is said about his movies (some of which is even true), he is one sweet fella. He was entirely hospitable, very chatty and quite entertaining. Not much of the footage I shot was used in the video Paco eventually assembled for his blog, but I think they made it quite entertaining and it is a well-cut little thing.

Anyway, here it is. Enjoy and comment.

You can also download the video in better quality as an MP4 here:
>> Uwe Boll Interview – July 2008 (.mp4, 37MB) <<

Video Saturday #30 – Random Stuff

Today I want to bring you just some random stuff that doesn’t really fit any particular topic. You might find it amusing anyway. So without further ado, I bring you:

Will It Blend? – Glowsticks: This guy with his fancy BlendTec
blender blends all sorts of things to show what power
his blender has. This one is actually quite pretty.

Drawning With Water: Making The Art For Alan’s War

And in case you have a lot of time, you can watch Louis Theroux documentary on the Phelps family, the Most Hated Family In America.
The Most Hated Family In America – Part 1
The Most Hated Family In America – Part 2
The Most Hated Family In America – Part 3
The Most Hated Family In America – Part 4
The Most Hated Family In America – Part 5
The Most Hated Family In America – Part 6
The Most Hated Family In America – Part 7
The Most Hated Family In America – Part 8

And now for something funny again:

Enjoy, and comment.

Video Saturday #29 – Foreign Languages

It has been a while since the last Video Saturday. What can I say? I’m busy and.. lazy. Yes, I admit it. Anyway, to make up for it, I figured I’d show you some videos about celebrities speaking in foreign languages. Why? No reason. Just for the fun of it. You’ll probably enjoy it more if you speak the languages, too. :)

This is Lucy Lawless (dressed up as Xena) speaking German.
She says it used to be her favorite subject at school. :)

Jodie Foster speaking French.

Sara Ramirez of “Grey’s Anatomy” fame (she plays Callie).
She’s originally from Mazatlan, Sinaloa.

This doesn’t really count since Arnold Schwarzenegger
is Austrian, so speaking German isn’t really him
speaking in a foreign language.
But it’s funny, so there. :)

Sandra Bullock’s mother was German,
so she knows German, too. This is a speech
from a show where she received the Bambi award.

That’s it for now. If you know more videos, feel free to write a comment. :)

Video Saturday #27 – Animation

Today’s Video Saturday is about animation. Computer animation that is, in the style of Pixar.

This one is about a kiwi:

The Pixar tennis commercial:

The Dancing Hippo and Dog:

And the Pixar video “Lifted”:

Enjoy!

Video Saturday #26 – Viral Goodness

On today’s Video Saturday I bring you some random popular YouTube videos for your enjoyment.

Let’s start with a reason why you shouldn’t get a cat.

The amazingly creative Daft Hands.
Wait for it, the beginning is a bit boring, but it gets better:

If you liked this, check also the Kanye Hands,
which are a visually altered tribute. :)

Of course, the following video clip is not
representative for all of the US…

And last but not least, a sneezing panda:

Enjoy!

Video Saturday #25 – Hacking Democracy

Hacking Democracy – Part 2/9
Hacking Democracy – Part 3/9
Hacking Democracy – Part 4/9
Hacking Democracy – Part 5/9
Hacking Democracy – Part 6/9
Hacking Democracy – Part 7/9
Hacking Democracy – Part 8/9
Hacking Democracy – Part 9/9
Wikipedia entry to Hacking Democracy

It’s a disturbing fact that the voting machines in the USA are not only easily “hackable”, but that they in fact have been tampered with in the past. This documentary shows how, what, where and why and whether or not anyone even cares. I don’t get it. Where is the public outcry? Why is everyone simply accepting that elections have been rigged, that more likely than not there is a president in the US who was never really elected? Why did or does everyone just say “that sucks” and goes back about their daily life?

I believe that TV is the opium of the people.