Thursday, December 30th, 2010
Kawah Ijen is a volcano in East Java, Indonesia and the site of a labor intensive sulfur mining operation where miners collect and carry huge loads of pure sulfur up from the crater floor along a steep, rocky path amid clouds of sulfur dioxide gas, all for the equivalent of about ten dollars a day. It is also home to the largest lake of sulfuric acid in the world. The ph of the lake water is 0.5, similar to the strength of car battery acid. Photographer Olivier Grunewald has recently made several trips into the sulfur mine in the crater, bringing with him equipment to capture surreal images lit by moonlight, torches, and the blue flames of burning molten sulfur. The miners of the 2,600 meter tall (8,660 feet) volcano trek up to the crater, then down to the shore of a 200 meter deep crater lake of sulfuric acid, where they retrieve heavy chunks of pure sulfur to carry back to a weighing station. The colors are beautiful but I’ll bet it stinks something awful.
Posted in Science & Nature | 2 Comments »
Friday, August 27th, 2010
After looking through her photo gallery, it’s hard to think of Magdalena Wasiczek (aka “nikx”) as just a photographer. She is a camera wizard! She was featured in an article on Digital Foto Video where she explains some of her techniques and experimentation. I don’t think I’ve ever seen bugs look more beautiful. Head on over to her website and see for yourself. You won’t be disappointed. I’ve put a few of my favorites on display here.
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Thursday, August 19th, 2010
I stumbled upon this fun little video at vimeo.com the other day. I’m not sure how “scientific” it is, but it is certainly entertaining.
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Monday, July 19th, 2010
Physalia is a self-sufficient floating garden concept by Vincent Callebaut Architectures which would help clean the water which may be used for drinking as it navigates the European rivers. The main idea behind its architecture is the pneumatophorous organism “Physalia physalis” found in roots of some plants growing in swamps and marshlands. This amphibious garden incorporates both nature and biotechnology in order to harvest enough energy to power itself while navigating. Its design has photovoltaic solar cells over a double pneumatic membrane and is powered by hydro turbines which produce hydroelectricity using the river current underneath. The self-sufficient floating garden has its surface made of aluminum coated steel, which is again coated with titanium dioxide to purify the water by reacting with the ultraviolet rays of the sun. The vessel absorbs the carbonaceous and chemical wastes of industries and boats while purifying the river water organically by means of the hydraulic network crossed in its double hull. It’s a beautiful thing!
Posted in Science & Nature | 1 Comment »
