October 10, 2015
What if we could play games and watch videos as if they were all around us?:
What if we could play games and watch videos as if they were all around us? That technology is actually available! We call this technology, Virtual Reality. To view Virtual reality, or VR, you have to have a special device called a headset. You put this headset on and you can see into the world of the video and/or game. When you move your head, the world in the VR headset moves as well. Currently, most VR headsets are very expensive. However, Google has created a project called Google Cardboard. With Google Cardboard, you build your own headset out of cardboard. Then, you download the Google Cardboard app and put it in the headset. You can then watch some YouTube videos and play some games in Virtual Reality.
What if we could play games and watch videos as if they were all around us?:
What if we could play games and watch videos as if they were all around us? That technology is actually available! We call this technology, Virtual Reality. To view Virtual reality, or VR, you have to have a special device called a headset. You put this headset on and you can see into the world of the video and/or game. When you move your head, the world in the VR headset moves as well. Currently, most VR headsets are very expensive. However, Google has created a project called Google Cardboard. With Google Cardboard, you build your own headset out of cardboard. Then, you download the Google Cardboard app and put it in the headset. You can then watch some YouTube videos and play some games in Virtual Reality.
September 6, 2015
What if a major hurricane were to strike the Northeast?:
What if a major hurricane were to strike the Northeast? A major hurricane is a hurricane that is Category 3 or higher. To see the impact of such a hurricane, we have to look at the wind, storm surge, and other factors of a Category 3 hurricane. The winds of a Category 3 hurricane are between 111 and 129 MPH. A Category 3 hurricane directly hit the Northeast in the year of 1938. This storm had winds of 121 MPH, with gusts up to 186 MPH. There is no preset storm surge for each category storm. In the case of the Great New England, the highest storm surge was between 18 and 25 feet. The storm ended up causing 564 deaths and over 1,700 injuries. 2,600 boats were destroyed, and 3,300 were damaged. 8,900 homes and buildings were destroyed and over 15,000 were damaged. At the time of the hurricane, New England had about 8.4 million people living there. Now, there are almost 14.7 million people living in New England. There are almost twice as many people now than there was back in 1938. However, back in 1938 there was no warning that the hurricane was coming. Nowadays, we have forecasting equipment and can warn people ahead of time. If that hurricane were to happen today, there would much less loss of life.
What if a major hurricane were to strike the Northeast?:
What if a major hurricane were to strike the Northeast? A major hurricane is a hurricane that is Category 3 or higher. To see the impact of such a hurricane, we have to look at the wind, storm surge, and other factors of a Category 3 hurricane. The winds of a Category 3 hurricane are between 111 and 129 MPH. A Category 3 hurricane directly hit the Northeast in the year of 1938. This storm had winds of 121 MPH, with gusts up to 186 MPH. There is no preset storm surge for each category storm. In the case of the Great New England, the highest storm surge was between 18 and 25 feet. The storm ended up causing 564 deaths and over 1,700 injuries. 2,600 boats were destroyed, and 3,300 were damaged. 8,900 homes and buildings were destroyed and over 15,000 were damaged. At the time of the hurricane, New England had about 8.4 million people living there. Now, there are almost 14.7 million people living in New England. There are almost twice as many people now than there was back in 1938. However, back in 1938 there was no warning that the hurricane was coming. Nowadays, we have forecasting equipment and can warn people ahead of time. If that hurricane were to happen today, there would much less loss of life.
September 6, 2015
Intro to What If?:
Welcome to What If?, a new section of Science All Around that will explore the What Ifs of science and technology. We will explore topics such as What if a major hurricane were to strike the Northeast and What if there was life on Mars. Stay tuned for articles answering What If questions about science and technology.
Intro to What If?:
Welcome to What If?, a new section of Science All Around that will explore the What Ifs of science and technology. We will explore topics such as What if a major hurricane were to strike the Northeast and What if there was life on Mars. Stay tuned for articles answering What If questions about science and technology.