#sciencenature

[baguspratamma]

K.O

[physics-for-fishes]

How Rainbows Form pt. 2

To add to a previous post, this one explains how rainbows appear to us as half-circles!

Ok, so other than the dispersion of light in raindrops, another factor in the occurrence of rainbows is seeing them. We do not see every individual rainbow formed from each droplet because we’re too far away to see them. Instead, we see different individual colors from different raindrops based on their height and angle from us. 

A raindrop at a 42-degree angle from us relative to the sun would reflect red light to us and end up looking red. The other raindrops below it would look orange, yellow, green, blue, and indigo in the angles between 40 and 42 degrees. Violet would be below the other colors at a 40-degree angle from us and the sun.

This would also explain why we see rainbows as an arc or half-circle. According to Wikipedia, “A circle is a shape consisting of all points in a plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the center”.

The sun shines light on many points at once from its direction. For an observer to be able to see colors from a rainbow, the dispersed light reflected from the sun would have to reach them from an angle. This means that all the other raindrops reflecting colors to the observer would also have to reach their eyes at 40-42 degree angles, which also leads to all the points (in this case, raindrops showing color) being at similar distances away from the observer.

 To make this easier to understand, I tried to use a triangle ruler where the lines (base and hypotenuse) represented the path of the light from the sun to the observer’s eyes; the point of the triangle touching the ground would represent the observer.

 If the triangle was tilted so that the point on the bottom stayed in its place, it would go in the direction of an arc. If all the points on this arc were mapped out, it would form a half-circle or at least part of one. 

It would form a full circle if no ground or horizon were blocking the triangle ruler. This is the same for rainbows. Rainbows are full circles, but the lower half is usually blocked by the ground or horizon. This is also the reason why people on airplanes or in the sky can sometimes see rainbows as circles because the horizon does not block them.

Rainbows are also similar to mirages since they’re a result of the behavior of light, so unfortunately you can’t ride them or find any gold at the end. Additionally, the rainbow will move with you because only certain raindrops can form the rainbow you see depending on your position and location; Buttttt! this also means that everyone sees a different rainbow, which makes each rainbow as unique as the observers who look at one :) even though it may not look that way at first glance

I’m gonna stop writing about rainbows now but I hope this and the other post were good explanations for the formation of rainbows! 

[curiouslycaffeinatedcephalopod]

entry 03

do not be afraid to use technology if using paper based methods of note taking, planning and scheduling and journaling.

when i first started my research project i was afraid of using only applications and software such as Notion, drives for storage, Microsoft Word AI grammar assistance etc. I was afraid because i was told (and anxious about it myself) that i could lose my data and information if i didn't have a backup on paper.

this resulted in me not quite meeting my weekly deadlines with tasks and goals because i was spending time "backing up" all my data, planning, schedules, meeting notes, everything.

Whilst i definitely agree with others that you should have a back up, a lot of these applications and software are so well developed and have really well functioning servers, there is such a minimal chance of just losing everything. it would be more logical to make back ups on other storage platforms/drives than keeping everything in paper AS WELL. this is so time consuming and sends you in a panic every time you need to upload data, write notes, prepare documents, edit documents, review data and leaves you with notes you made hastily (and anxiously) which often times never even helped me as the notes were illegible because i was in such a rush.

of course, a paper based method for laboratory notes is a good idea as devices are not recommended in the labs if you're working with biological matter/chemical substances - pencil down your notes and then you can go home if you have the time and the need to write it onto a notion page or type up a document so that you can review the protocol and how you performed during and the outcomes, any changes you may need to make etc.

you can use notion for your research scheduling and planning and just keep a very simple bullet journal/notebook for day to day notations and planning. i had been told to make sure i have a paper based record of everything i wrote on my notion but i think you can keep an abbreviated version and rather keep a copy pasted document of this and/or screenshots and store that across multiple drives (or one if you're not an anxious academic like me, haha).

if anyone tells you how you should do something so intricately personal to each student/researcher because they do not like the interface you use (yes, i was told i should not use the one thing that has worked for me because it was too difficult for the other party to understand or review), it is obviously nice and kind to try and provide things a format they understand, but do not stop doing the thing you enjoy and that actually helps you reach your goals.

context for number 3:

i found notion through various content creators in the research realm, with mixed recommendations ranging from yes it works well to no not for me. i struggle with planning and procrastinating and academic challenges so i decided to give it a go. honestly, the fact that it was aesthetically customisable was a big plus. that is just simply something that makes me want to work. the next thing was its cross compatibility with other apps and software i used, primarily google. it helped me keep track of upcoming meetings, events and urgent tasks and provided a way for me to visually see my progress. but someone i was wokring with, whose opinion mattered very much to me, had mentioned that they were not a fan and that they did not have the time to use the interface, even though the interface was not our primary mode of communication regarding my research project, it was simply a way for them to see how i was spending my time or planning to as a student of theirs. needless to say, i gave up because their way took way too much time already. it is not a problem or a topic that requires someone to blame, i just was in the midst of an already overwhelming time in my project and had to just do what i needed to survive (lol).

anyways, the lesson i learnt was, after falling a couple months behind because of poor planning and compatibility with how i was going about my most important component of my research was that you really need to prioritise the thing that works for you. whether that is paper based or digital.

but you cannot spend every moment fearing that notion will drop off the face of the earth with all your notes and plans along with it. i wasted so much time stressing and creating paper and digital back ups of EVERYTHING. i have now had to spend essentially a month organising things across multiple emails and drives just to get a start on my next big project. the most important lesson will definitely be that you need to train and teach yourself to know what are things that require a back...

you do not need 17 backups, paper and digital of plans passed and plans to come, you will quickly be reminded or be able to recall most such things as they will stress you out and haunt you so much anyways.

however you certainly do need a sufficient back up of data that belongs to the university as part of your project, or any personal methods of tracking such things.

anyways, sorry for the long rambles i post, i am using tumblr as a way to have a blog until i can actually get a website and publish better and more concise posts. i hope you still enjoy reading or at least find some solace or advice in between it all!

[local-cryptic-cottage-kid]

look, im never gonna admit to being good at science, I just like plants and shit. but every time I am in a lab and the head scientists or whatever is explaining something, the amount of pure joy I get from staring them dead in the eye and asking "can I eat it?" and watching them struggle and come to terms with the fact that they might have to physically restrain me from eating god knows what in that lab is immeasurable.

[spacebetweenthespaces]

Fossil of ‘earliest animal predator’ is named after David Attenborough

Sea creature, thought to have used tentacles to capture food, is named Auroralumina attenboroughii

A hundred years from now, Sir David Attenborough’s body may have turned to dust, but a fossilised sea creature, thought to represent Earth’s earliest animal predator, will continue to bear his name.

Discovered in Charnwood Forest, Leicestershire, where Attenborough hunted for fossils as a child, the creature predates what was previously thought to be the oldest predator by 20m years.

Palaeontologists have named it Auroralumina attenboroughii, in honour of the TV presenter. The first part of its name is Latin for dawn lantern, in recognition of its great age and resemblance to a burning torch, and the creature is thought to have used a set of densely packed tentacles to capture food in Earth’s early oceans.

[informatology]

IT IS SCIENTIFICALLY POSSIBLE TO DIE FROM DRINKING TOO MUCH WATER

IT'S IMPORTANT TO STAY HYDRATED TO KEEP OUR BODIES FUNCTIONING WELL. HOWEVER, TOO MUCH WATER CAN ALSO BE FATAL. WHEN A DEHYDRATED PERSON DRINKS TOO MUCH WATER WITHOUT THE ACCOMPANYING ELECTROLYTES, THEY CAN DIE FROM WATER INTOXICATION AND HYPONATREMIA.

[aci25]

These solar panels are designed to absorb energy like a sunflower 🌻

Smartflower is a smart solar panel that follows the sun. It produces 40% more energy than regular solar panels and generates 4,000 kWh per year, comparable to an average household's daily use.

[academugs]