Super-Kamiokande: neutrino detector

In Japan, near the village of Higashi-Mozumi, 1.8 km into a horizontal mine-shaft underneath Mt.Ikenoyama, there is the coolest looking detector I have ever seen. It looks like something straight out of science-fiction.

The purpose of the Super-Kamiokande is to detect neutrinos . These particles are of great interest to physicists, but they are so far undetectable. Well, there are high-energy neutrinos that are 'artificially' created during nuclear reactions, and these are detectable, but the ones that are of interest are those formed 1 second after the big bang - these ancient particles do not interact normally with matter, and are even thought to comprise 0.3% of dark matter.

Anyway, for more on that try this article. I mostly just wanted to post pictures of the detector, which is a body of water surrounded by photomultiplier tubes (see after the cut):

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Swedish art house campaign

It's Always Sunny is one of my favourite shows. Oh, how I laugh.
Not that any of the characters are likable, really, except for Charlie - but Charlie's likability comes from his particular brand of twisted innocence and childishness. They're all sociopaths who do terrible things to other people without a hint of regret and they never suffer any consequences for it. Sounds hilarious doesn't it?

Maybe it's a shock comedy thing, but it's also laughing at how ridiculous they are in reality, compared to how awesome they think they are in their heads. Like when Mac becomes over-weight but rationalizes it in his head as "gaining mass". Or the time Charlie believes he is an amazing lawyer (even though he can't read or write).

Anyway, season 9 starts this September, and they're been promoting it with a strange Swedish art house campaign (see after the cut):

Starstuff

Carl Sagan famously said that we are all stardust. Well, the actual quote goes like this:

“The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.”

I really like the thought; it is a fine example of how science can inspire a strong spiritual sense. We are made from the same stuff that is found all around us, even to the ends of the universe (if such a thing can be said to exist.) We differ only in how we are arranged. If there ever was a reason to believe we are one with the universe - even a part of the universe become conscious of itself, as I once heard it said - than this is a good reason. The elements that compose our bodies were first formed inside of a star, as were those that make up a rock or an apple pie!

But how does it work? How are all the elements formed and then flung into space as the building blocks of all we see?