Inspirational!

Women at work on a C-47 Douglas cargo transport, Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, California, 1943.

via reddit

winter sunrise reflections

by Denny Bitte

Lava flows like these Hawaii’an ones are endlessly mesmerizing. This type of flow is gravity-driven; rather than being pushed by explosive pressure, the lava flows under its own weight and that of the lava upstream. In fact, fluid dynamicists refer to this kind of flow as a gravity current, a term also applied to avalanches, turbidity currents, and cold drafts that sneak under your door in the wintertime. How quickly these viscous flows spread depends on factors like the density and viscosity of the lava and on the volume of lava being released at the vent. As the lava cools, its viscosity increases rapidly, and an outer crust can solidify while molten lava continues to flow beneath. Be sure to check out the full video below for even more gorgeous views of lava.  (Image/video credit: J. Tarsen, source; via J. Hertzberg)

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Never be afraid to fail.

Watch all of ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s" Charlie Day’s inspiring commencement speech here.

Howl’s Moving Castle, 2004

Irving Langmuir, who won the 1932 Nobel Prize for ‘Surface Chemistry’, demonstrates how dipping an oil-covered finger into water creates a film of oil, pushing floating particles of powder to the edge.

The same phenomenon can be used to power a paper boat with a little ‘fuel’ applied to the back: as the film expands over the water, the boat is is propelled forward:

With experiments like this he revealed that these films are just one molecule thick - a remarkable finding in relation to the size of molecules.

In the full archive film, Langmiur goes on to demonstrate proteins spreading in the same way, revealing the importance of molecular layering for structure.

First, he drops protein solution onto the surface, and it spreads out in a clear circle, with a jagged edge: 

Add a little more oil on top, and a star shape appears: 

By breaking it up further, he makes chunks of the film which behave like icebergs on water:

You can watch the full demonstrations, along with hours more classic science footage, in our archive.