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Dust storm approaching Stratford, Texas (1935) Photo: NOAA George E. Marsh Album
Dust may be an annoying facts of life to you and me, but it is endlessly fascinating to scientists. Indeed, dust actually play a big role in the planet’s ecology:
Dust can have a variety of impacts including fertilizing the ocean with iron, added Natalie Mahowald of Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
"These particles can be carried for thousands of miles in the atmosphere, and during that time can interact with chemistry, clouds and radiation to modify climate," she said in prepared remarks.
Dust can be both good and bad, concluded Muhs, threatening health yet fertilizing land and ocean. It also affects the Earth’s radiation, which is currently undergoing a warming due to human-induced gases being added to the atmosphere.
Over dark surfaces that absorb heat from the sun dust can have a cooling effect by reflecting light, but it can also warm other areas.
One of the more daunting challenges of sending missions to Mars is the problem of dust. Due to the atmosphere and lack of displacing elements, the dust can be a menace to all forms of human operation. With challenges come great solutions, though; scientists are zeroing in on controlling the particles with acoustic levitation, as shown here:
Blasting a high-pitched noise from a tweeter into a pipe that focuses the sound waves can create enough pressure to lift troublesome alien dust from equipment, suits or vehicles, according to a study published January in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.
Wired has the story.
Photo: Ujin Lee
“Dust” is a work in progress by Ujin Lee, with collaboration by Tom Edwards, where the subject matter takes on a life of its own. More Dust and other neat projects at the link. Previously: Paul Hazelton’s Dust Art.
Link.
British artist Paul Hazelton makes sculptures from household dust. Pictured above is one example entitled “Moth-er”, measuring about 4 by 5 centimeters. Hazelton writes:
As I work the dirt towards the immaculate and the immaculate towards the dirt, creation moves towards non-existence. It is here, where material almost becomes immaterial, that the immaculate and degenerate become one and the same. For in time, the dust settles and cleanliness gives way to degeneration – The muddle of youth slowly turns to the mud of old age and the soul returns to the soil.
For Picasso, who in later life suffered a morbid fear of degeneration and death, Art was to wash away from the soul, the dust of everyday life. Perhaps I have a morbid fascination, but I seem unable to separate the innocence of youth with the corruption that comes with age. The result is something quite fragile that dissolves from life.
Link via Geekologie | Photo: Saatchi Gallery
Some people eat at their computers. Some smoke while computing. And some don’t change the filter on their heating and air system as often as they should. Many of us never open up our computers to see what’s inside, but that’s the first thing your computer repair expert will do. If your PC is anything like these computers, the next thing he/she will do is take a picture. The Register has six pages of these dirty, filthy pictures. Link -via Digg
