On November 1st, President Obama met with the final space shuttle crew. And got himself a slick new jacket. Where can we get one of those? Do we have to run for office? We'd rather not do that but man that is a great jacket. Check out more at <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/iotd.html">NASA</a>.
On November 1st, President Obama met with the final space shuttle crew. And got himself a slick new jacket. Where can we get one of those? Do we have to run for office? We'd rather not do that but man that is a great jacket. Check out more at NASA.
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This week’s roundup of amazing science and tech images includes a dapper Astronaut Obama, the best Halloween costume to ever use multiple iPads, Google’s nausea-inducing Easter egg, and (not to be immodest, but) a few of the most amazing stories from our own Data Week. Enjoy!

Click to explore the most amazing science and tech images of the week.

This week, we discovered one of Google's best and most playful Easter eggs: if you enter "do a barrel roll" into a Google search bar, your browser will, well, do a barrel roll. <a href="https://www.google.com/search?sclient=psy-ab&amp;hl=en&amp;source=hp&amp;q=do+a+barrel+roll&amp;btnG=Search">Try it!</a>

Do a Barrel Roll

This week, we discovered one of Google’s best and most playful Easter eggs: if you enter “do a barrel roll” into a Google search bar, your browser will, well, do a barrel roll. Try it!
At Harvard, they've got a world-class treasure trove of astronomical data, enough to make any skywatcher jealous. The only problem: they're in the form of half a million glass slides. Read more <a href="https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-10/recording-century-night-skies-through-scanner-darkly/">in our feature</a>.

A Scanner Darkly

At Harvard, they’ve got a world-class treasure trove of astronomical data, enough to make any skywatcher jealous. The only problem: they’re in the form of half a million glass slides. Read more in our feature.
This week, the Perth Mint in Australia showed off the world's biggest (and, predictably, the world's most valuable) gold coin. It's more than 30 inches in diameter and weighs over a ton. And it's worth around $50 million. Read more at <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-27/one-tonne-coin/3604466">ABC</a>.

Big Money

This week, the Perth Mint in Australia showed off the world’s biggest (and, predictably, the world’s most valuable) gold coin. It’s more than 30 inches in diameter and weighs over a ton. And it’s worth around $50 million. Read more at ABC.
Just like on <em>The Simpsons</em>, a three-eyed fish was caught in a reservoir which "receives water" from a nuclear power plant. This one, a wolf fish from Argentina, won't be eaten, but submitted for testing. Read more at <a href="http://news.discovery.com/earth/simpsons-blinky-three-eyed-fish-caught-near-nuke-plant-111031.html">Discovery</a>, especially if you're in the mood for a fishin'/fission joke.

Simpsons Fish

Just like on The Simpsons, a three-eyed fish was caught in a reservoir which “receives water” from a nuclear power plant. This one, a wolf fish from Argentina, won’t be eaten, but submitted for testing. Read more at Discovery, especially if you’re in the mood for a fishin’/fission joke.
The Missouri Botanical Garden is home to millions of samples of pressed plants--these moveable stacks are filled with them--and now they're working to bring the entire database online, creating an amazing digital archive of botany. Read more in <a href="https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-10/pressed-plants-are-data-too/">our feature</a>.

Pressed Plant Library

The Missouri Botanical Garden is home to millions of samples of pressed plants–these moveable stacks are filled with them–and now they’re working to bring the entire database online, creating an amazing digital archive of botany. Read more in our feature.
In Mexico City, by far the biggest city in North America, there's absolutely no more room to build, especially if your plan is for a giant 70-story building. So BNKR Arquitectura, a Mexican architectural firm, decided to think outside the box. Sorry, below the box. This concept proposes the plaza be built directly below the Zocalo, or city square. It's essentially an inverted skyscraper, hence the moniker "Earthscraper." Read more over at <a href="http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/global-observer/in-mexico-city-an-underground-solution-for-sprawl/302">SmartPlanet</a>.

Build Down, Not Out

In Mexico City, by far the biggest city in North America, there’s absolutely no more room to build, especially if your plan is for a giant 70-story building. So BNKR Arquitectura, a Mexican architectural firm, decided to think outside the box. Sorry, below the box. This concept proposes the plaza be built directly below the Zocalo, or city square. It’s essentially an inverted skyscraper, hence the moniker “Earthscraper.” Read more over at SmartPlanet.
Forgive us if we toot our own horn a little, but seriously, you guys, we are really proud of this one. The Archive Explorer gives a visual look at the frequency of any term or phrase throughout Popular Science's entire 139-year history. Want to see when the word "robot" came into being? How about our entire coverage of flying cars? Check it out here.

The PopSci Archive Explorer

Forgive us if we toot our own horn a little, but seriously, you guys, we are really proud of this one. The Archive Explorer gives a visual look at the frequency of any term or phrase throughout Popular Science’s entire 139-year history. Want to see when the word “robot” came into being? How about our entire coverage of flying cars? Check it out here.
On November 1st, President Obama met with the final space shuttle crew. And got himself a slick new jacket. Where can we get one of those? Do we have to run for office? We'd rather not do that but man that is a great jacket. Check out more at <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/iotd.html">NASA</a>.

Astronaut Obama

On November 1st, President Obama met with the final space shuttle crew. And got himself a slick new jacket. Where can we get one of those? Do we have to run for office? We’d rather not do that but man that is a great jacket. Check out more at NASA.
Says our own Clay Dillow: "The German Aerospace Center (which goes by its German acronym DLR), [built] a "space tunnel": an 8,344 cubic foot vacuum chamber capable of space-like temperatures hovering just above absolute zero." Read more in <a href="https://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-11/germany-builds-space-tunnel-testing-ion-engines-future/">this article</a>.

Space Tunnel

Says our own Clay Dillow: “The German Aerospace Center (which goes by its German acronym DLR), [built] a “space tunnel”: an 8,344 cubic foot vacuum chamber capable of space-like temperatures hovering just above absolute zero.” Read more in this article.
Flickr user <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/clickflashwhirr/">clickflashwhirr</a> has been taking self-portraits every day for 500 days. But that big picture isn't one of them. Instead, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rapatski/5742643409">Tiemen Rapati</a> averaged the RGB values for each individual picture and created a composite. It looks like a real photo, but it's not. [via <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5855562/this-womans-fake-face-is-made-from-500-faces">Gizmodo</a>]

This Is Not a Real Face

Flickr user clickflashwhirr has been taking self-portraits every day for 500 days. But that big picture isn’t one of them. Instead, Tiemen Rapati averaged the RGB values for each individual picture and created a composite. It looks like a real photo, but it’s not. [via Gizmodo]
NASA engineer Mark Rober created just about the best Halloween costume we saw this year. Using two iPads and some clever Facetime chats, he managed to create a fake hole in his torso--complete with fake blood. Read more, and see video of the costume in motion, <a href="https://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2011-10/video-how-turn-two-ipads-gory-gaping-hole-your-torso/">here</a>.

The Best Halloween Costume

NASA engineer Mark Rober created just about the best Halloween costume we saw this year. Using two iPads and some clever Facetime chats, he managed to create a fake hole in his torso–complete with fake blood. Read more, and see video of the costume in motion, here.
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