The earth as a kamifusen balloon. Remarkably, 7.6 billion people, and counting, hold the planet's fate in their hands.
Kamifusen paper balloons are described here.
Pine cones are "hygromorphs," i.e. they change shape with humidity. This trait is believed to improve seed dispersal when the cone closes in wet conditions, which might reduce the range over which the wind-born seeds travel. Here is is a collection of short time-lapse videos of White Pine cones opening and closing in various humidities.
Ballochory is the botanical term for when a plant flings its seeds to aid dispersal. Have a bit of fun learning about the phenomenon, and how the witch hazel tree spirals its seeds like a football to gain some extra range.
A 3 minute video making the best of the 2024 total eclipse under cloudy conditions in the drumlin territory of upstate New York. With music.
Having trouble? Try this direct link to the YouTube video.
A video describing experiments that identify the source of annoying droop in a couple of tripod ball-heads for still photography.