Huge If True Podcast

See ferrofluid falling on a magnet filmed at 1000fps. How does the science of falling ferrofluid droplets mimic speghettification while falling into a black hole?

In the press conference heard round the world, they showed the tell-tale waveforms indicating that huge event in which two black holes merged 1.3 billion lightyears away, had created waves that passed by the LIGO detectors and were finally heard. Einstein predicted the existence of these waves in his 1915 theory of general relativity. But it took a long time for us to come up with the technology to detect them. For one, we had to invent lasers! This video discusses why this discovery is important, what it means for astronomy, and what’s next. If you can’t tell, I’m very excited.

How can light be used to cool atoms and molecules ? Lasers are known to burn things, fix eyes, and dance on powerpoint presentations. But they can also be used to cool objects to some of the coldest temperatures in the universe.

Rogue waves - enormous, spontaneous surface waves in the open ocean - were once the tall tales of sailors. They are waves that reach 2-3x taller than the largest average waves in the area, reaching heights of 75 – 100ft. With the help of a ESA satellite survey, the scientific community now accepts they happen frequently. What causes rogue waves?

Craziest eclipses in the solar system. .....

new show SoundField as they experiment with giant $100,000 speakers and aim them at your body parts looking for resonance, at oobleck, at googly eyes, and at candles to explore the physics of sound.

3D movies and TV are is increasing in popularity, but is any of it truly 3D? How true is the 3D in movie theaters? How do glassess-less 3D TVs work? Try catching a ball with one eye closed. If you find it easy, try having the ball thrown a couple of feet in front of you, or from further away. It becomes increasingly difficult when the throw is off.

The New Horizons probe reached its closest approach to Pluto on July 14, 2015 at 7:49 EST. We have received more and more detailed images and data about the dwarf planet and its largest moon, Charon. Very exciting times!

A wheel that spins forever; a bird that never quenches its thirst; a clock that never stops ticking, an endless source of free energy. These are but the dreams of inventors striving to make perpetual motion machines, machines that can work forever without any energy input. Are these machines possible without violating the laws of physics? No.

The TRAPPIST-1 exoplanet system has seven earth-like planets and is only 39 lightyears away! I am joined by Professor Adam Burgasser and Dr. Katherine Deck, both astrophysicists on the Nature paper to discuss the discovery of this planetary system.