Online Insights on FIVEaa Sunday July 07 2013

July 7, 2013

On FIVEaa Adelaide this month we will deal with age old physics questions one minute at a time, cook up a winter storm and learn how to share photos privately!

Minute physics

Minute Physics - Dark Sky at nightIf you ever have questions about the natural world, Minute Physics is a Facebook Page and YouTube channel you need to follow.

Henry Reich creates one minute *cough*, actually 3-4 minute, videos that cover a range of questions from a clearly-explained scientific  perspective.

To hold the attention of those of us raised in the TV age, he uses clever animations to illustrate points as he shares the best of human knowledge in plain English.

Some questions covered include:

  • Why is the sky dark at night? This question comes down to a few things. Firstly, we only have a bright sky at day time because sunlight diffuses within our atmosphere and if we had no atmosphere our sky would be dark 24/7 as it is on the Moon. Secondly, the ultimate answer lies in the universe having a starting point and elements within it being part of a system that is expanding. Finally, with stars moving away from us, their light slows down, relative to us, like a record slowing down, dipping into the infrared zone which we cannot see with the naked eye, hence, instead of the stars creating a blindingly bright sky, it appears dark to us.
  • Is it better to walk or run in the rain? For example, in the question about whether it is better to walk or run in the rain, he works through all the elements of rain hitting you from the top, from the sides, how your speed affects contact with the rain and ultimately determines that running from point A to B is going to keep you drier than walking.

Here is the piece on walking vs running in the rain.

[embedplusvideo height=”365″ width=”600″ editlink=”http://bit.ly/129N0a3″ standard=”http://www.youtube.com/v/3MqYE2UuN24?fs=1″ vars=”ytid=3MqYE2UuN24&width=600&height=365&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=0&chapters=&notes=” id=”ep2188″ /]

And speaking of walking and running, every now and then, Henry applies himself to random questions like asking whether Racewalking is a sport. His answer is, ‘probably’, even though modern technology shows us that every walker breaks the rules every time they race.

PS I just caught a reference to some new ones, Where is the true North Pole and Do fetuses poop?

Winter comfort food

Roasting Brussel SproutsWinter is here and my happiness at being banished to the BBQ every night has dived.

As a result, I have started looking for different ways to jazz up the vegetables.

Given that I have taken to roasting more pieces of meat, from pork fillets to chicken thighs, I started experimenting with vegetables.

My love for roasted vegetables has always been high but been restricted to potatoes (now mainly replaced by sweet potatoes), onions, carrots, pumpkin, etc.

The summer before last, I discovered roasting my own beetroot and last winter I added roast cauliflower to the list.

I must say, if you have never tried roast cauliflower, you are really missing out!

However, this winter, my repertoire has grown again when I decided to ask Google whether or not I could roast Brussel Sprouts.

It turns out that you can. And, just like with cauliflower, roasting brings out a delicious, nutty edge.

The steps involved, according to How to Roast Brussel Sprouts via Local Foods on about.com, are few and simple, namely:

  1. Choose the freshest sprouts
  2. Cut the ends off
  3. Remove the outer leaves
  4. Roast for about half an hour with just some oil or in a shallow bath of chicken stock
  5. Serve warm or hot

Interestingly, the writer demands that we do step 2 to each Brussel Sprout before then applying step 3. In fact, they argue that professional chefs apply the discipline of breaking jobs down into set stages, making them more efficient.

They are magnificent.

Enjoy.

Bonfyre photo sharing

Bonfyre photo sharing appWe have a family wedding coming up next weekend, so it is the perfect time to experiment with a free app that lets you create a private photo community among your friends.

I was put on to Bonfyre by Shel Holtz from the FIR Podcast who used it for one of his family weddings.

Simply put, Bonfyre is a free iPhone and Android app that lets you:

Create a free account

  • Create a number of different ‘bonfyre’ events
  • Lets you invite specific groups of people to be part of each bonfyre
  • Lets the group share and comment on photos around a bonfyre, privately
  • Allows you to share images to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, your phone, or email, if you wish

The problem this solves is that it creates a safe space for timid or private people to share an event through images and comments in a safe space. This makes it great for photographing kids’ birthdays and sporting events.

Another benefit, especially at a wedding, is that everyone in the bonfyre can see everyone else’s photos so they can get a feel for the event from angles they weren’t privy to on the night.