Chaos Theory is a very important area of mathematics which can explain a lot of what we see in the real world.  A pendulum with one mass is relatively easy to explain mathematically, and it behaves nicely. However if you put another mass in there, it behaves chaotically. Technically, this means that if you change the starting positions only slightly, the state of the system a short time later can change drastically.  The weather is chaotic- a small error in measuring it today could be the difference between rain and no rain in a weeks days time. Watch these two pendulum systems quickly diverge, though they both start off with nearly the same settings. [more] [code]

matthen:

Spaghettification is an interesting effect of gravitational fields which causes objects to be squeezed and stretched vertically.  Here a circular ring of balls is dropped in a gravitational field, above a planet pulling them down. The balls at the top feel less of a force than the ones on the bottom, because they are further away from the planet which pulls on them.  Note that this difference in forces causes the object to be stretched, or spaghettified.  This is called a tidal force. The oceans of the Earth are pulled into an ellipsoid shape by the same effect with the Moon’s pull, causing two bulges and thus the tides.  This effect would be very strong if you ever fall into a black hole; your feet would be pulled much more strongly than your head- and you’d be stretched! (The animation doesn’t show the horizontal squeezing effect of spaghettification, which would also occur) [more] [code]

contemplatingstardust:

fuckyeahnebulas:

Bubble Nebula

bohemea:

Scarlett Johansson