I just started Robert Charles Wilson's Vortex, having recently finished the first two in the series, Spin and Axis. About 2/3 of the way through Spin, I still wasn't sure I liked it. By the end, I was hooked. Wilson presents some substantial new SF ideas (new to me anyway), but he seems to focus a lot more on individual characters' reactions to technology rather than technology itself or it's more universal effects. But there's enough scientific detail to keep this nerd interested anyway. A lot of it comes in short bursts towards the end of the novels with a lot of allusion and hints along the way.

yah reasonabley safe as they are in a group and the shore is close with the water easily accable by the onlookers , everyone also seemed to be dressed prity well.

I think with water sports being isolated is probably the biggest risk as you can drown in really mundane ways probably the case that most people drown at places that appear fairly safe but they happend to be alone or get stuck in a vortex not knowing or unable to get out.

I almost drowned in a canoe as a kid when it got stuck sideways underwater against an entry to a narrow part of the streem , reasonably calm water but I was pined into the canoe against some rocks with the water pushing down on me luckily I worked my way lose but could have easily have panicked or knocked head and gotten stuck ( if people were near they would have simply dislodged the canoe or pulled me out with no real danger but the fact I was 7-10 min away from people made it far more dangerous)

Tags for this video have been changed from 'Ice, Underwater Vortex, Brine, Arctic, Antarctic' to 'Ice, Underwater Vortex, Brine, Arctic, Antarctic, David Attnborough' - edited by alien_concept

From Dangerous Minds:

This [clip, called "one minute and 23 seconds of some kind of weird bliss"] makes me ecstatic - the music, the sword moves and all the odd little details within the frame. I love the old lady sitting placidly like a Buddha, the plump little dog who couldn’t care less, the giant boom box, the way the boy casually hands off his beer to Buddha granny and gracefully slips into the girl’s vortex immediately getting into the groove, the thrift store art hanging on the door, the mop, bucket etc. It’s extraordinarily ordinary like some kind of super-realist painting set in motion. I don’t know, it’s just fucking inspired.The Tao flows through suburbia on Jian swords of bliss. Who are these people and how do I become one with them? I did not want this to end.

Tags for this video have been changed from 'doctor, who, time, tunnel, tardis' to 'doctor who, time tunnel, tardis, time vortex' - edited by xxovercastxx

My understanding is that the effect has to do with long chain molecules being pulled taut around the spindle. Imagine doing something similar with a tangle of yarn, with one end of the yarn stuck to the spindle. At first, the yarn will make a coil around the spindle, but as the circumference of the coil is increased because of the yarn already coiled, the yarn will start to build up layers of coils vertically around the spindle. If instead you had lots of tiny pieces of yarn, it isn't hard to imagine that the effect wouldn't happen. In fact, you'd probably get something more like a vortex (with little bits of yarn being flung every which way creating a depression).

So it can't just be sticky, because then there will be nothing pulled taut. For example, honey apparently does not work well. Instead I think it needs to be somewhat sticky, as well as composed of long chain molecules that will be pulled tight by the rotation.

I played a lot of baseball in college and would frequently hit balls like this through miniature wormholes. It's in the wrist really. Also I recognize the echo off the interdimensional vortex collapse. (Pause it right before he catches and listen.)

Multi-vortex... So intense!

It's probably just an inlet for a hydroelectric plant or something of the sort. It's like nature finds the path of least resistance and starts a vortex or something.

I was going to type out a large comment on the physics of how an underwater vortex starts but got lazy. So....

It Looks sooo cool!!!

>> ^honkeytonk73:

Burn the oil. Vapors go in the air. Clouds gather. It rains. Oil falls.

Small kitchen fire gets a little out of control. BOOM!... FIRE, freaking, CANE!!
...okay maybe not but it can't be good

>> ^LarsaruS:

This makes me all warm inside...
Where can I buy a flame thrower?



just go pick up a super soaker and construct one for an additional five dollars.

So what you're saying is people on the gulf should start praying for a drought during hurricane season? God forbid anything should be on fire and it starts raining. I said it before, I'll say it again: oily hurricane + downed power line = FIRECANE!!

Reminds me of the Powers of Ten video. Also, of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Total Perspective Vortex.