@marinsplaylab.org
Exploring STEM and more with interactive projects, visuals, and discoveries.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarinsPlayLabOrg
Website: https://marinsplaylab.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarinsPlayLabOrg
Website: https://marinsplaylab.org
Solar System simulation showcase video, built in Unity. Uses publicly available NASA/ESA datasets. Open source project for visual education.
Disclaimer: Visualization only. Not for scientific analysis or ephemeris accuracy.
Available at marinsplaylab.org/solar-system...
Disclaimer: Visualization only. Not for scientific analysis or ephemeris accuracy.
Available at marinsplaylab.org/solar-system...
January 11, 2026 at 12:20 AM
Solar System simulation showcase video, built in Unity. Uses publicly available NASA/ESA datasets. Open source project for visual education.
Disclaimer: Visualization only. Not for scientific analysis or ephemeris accuracy.
Available at marinsplaylab.org/solar-system...
Disclaimer: Visualization only. Not for scientific analysis or ephemeris accuracy.
Available at marinsplaylab.org/solar-system...
The Coriolis effect is the apparent bending of motion over Earth because Earth rotates. It makes moving air and water turn to the right in the N Hemisphere, and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. It is close to zero at the equator, and it matters most for large scale winds and ocean currents.
January 8, 2026 at 5:39 PM
The Coriolis effect is the apparent bending of motion over Earth because Earth rotates. It makes moving air and water turn to the right in the N Hemisphere, and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. It is close to zero at the equator, and it matters most for large scale winds and ocean currents.
A phylogenetic tree of life is a family tree for living things. Each branch point is a shared ancestor, the tips are the living groups today.
Scientists build these trees from DNA and from body traits. Different data can give slightly different trees.
Scientists build these trees from DNA and from body traits. Different data can give slightly different trees.
January 4, 2026 at 12:55 PM
A phylogenetic tree of life is a family tree for living things. Each branch point is a shared ancestor, the tips are the living groups today.
Scientists build these trees from DNA and from body traits. Different data can give slightly different trees.
Scientists build these trees from DNA and from body traits. Different data can give slightly different trees.
Earth and Mars line up in time: life on Earth began very early, over 3.5 billion years ago. Mars also had liquid water and a thicker air around then. If Mars ever had life, it likely fit that same era, before Mars turned cold and dry. Scientists search ancient lake and river rocks for clues.
January 4, 2026 at 12:47 PM
Earth and Mars line up in time: life on Earth began very early, over 3.5 billion years ago. Mars also had liquid water and a thicker air around then. If Mars ever had life, it likely fit that same era, before Mars turned cold and dry. Scientists search ancient lake and river rocks for clues.
The Great Attractor is a heavy region near the Norma galaxy cluster, about 220 million light years away. It is many galaxies, not one object. Nearby galaxies drift toward it even as space expands. It is hard to see behind Milky Way dust, so infrared and radio help map it.
January 3, 2026 at 11:24 AM
The Great Attractor is a heavy region near the Norma galaxy cluster, about 220 million light years away. It is many galaxies, not one object. Nearby galaxies drift toward it even as space expands. It is hard to see behind Milky Way dust, so infrared and radio help map it.
The Wallace Line is an invisible line across islands in Indonesia. Alfred Russel Wallace noticed a sharp change in animals across the region in the 1800s.
It marks the boundary between animal life linked with Asia and animal life linked with Australia.
It marks the boundary between animal life linked with Asia and animal life linked with Australia.
January 2, 2026 at 3:22 PM
The Wallace Line is an invisible line across islands in Indonesia. Alfred Russel Wallace noticed a sharp change in animals across the region in the 1800s.
It marks the boundary between animal life linked with Asia and animal life linked with Australia.
It marks the boundary between animal life linked with Asia and animal life linked with Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef is built by animals. Corals may look like plants or rocks, but they’re marine animals. Hard corals build limestone skeletons that pile up into the reef. Algae living inside many corals give colour and energy. The reef then becomes a home for fish and many other animals.
January 1, 2026 at 4:56 PM
The Great Barrier Reef is built by animals. Corals may look like plants or rocks, but they’re marine animals. Hard corals build limestone skeletons that pile up into the reef. Algae living inside many corals give colour and energy. The reef then becomes a home for fish and many other animals.
Planet X, often called Planet Nine, is a possible hidden object far beyond Neptune. It was suggested because a few very distant icy bodies have odd, similar orbits. Some scientists think a planet could shape them, one wild but scientific idea: it could be a primordial black hole, dark but heavy.
December 31, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Planet X, often called Planet Nine, is a possible hidden object far beyond Neptune. It was suggested because a few very distant icy bodies have odd, similar orbits. Some scientists think a planet could shape them, one wild but scientific idea: it could be a primordial black hole, dark but heavy.
Tardigrades (water bears) survive drying by curling into a “tun.” In this paused state (cryptobiosis) body activity gets very low. When water returns, they wake up. Being dry also helps with cold, short heat, and radiation. In space tests, some survived vacuum, but strong UV light reduced survival.
December 30, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Tardigrades (water bears) survive drying by curling into a “tun.” In this paused state (cryptobiosis) body activity gets very low. When water returns, they wake up. Being dry also helps with cold, short heat, and radiation. In space tests, some survived vacuum, but strong UV light reduced survival.
Solar System simulation pre-release showcase (approximately 100:1 scale ratio with 10,000x timescale). #opensource #solarsystem #simulation #science
December 28, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Solar System simulation pre-release showcase (approximately 100:1 scale ratio with 10,000x timescale). #opensource #solarsystem #simulation #science
Mitochondria were likely once free living bacteria that moved into a larger cell and stayed. They still keep their own DNA, they have two membranes, and they copy themselves. That long partnership is a big reason complex life can run on lots of energy, successful example of evolution by cooperation.
December 28, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Mitochondria were likely once free living bacteria that moved into a larger cell and stayed. They still keep their own DNA, they have two membranes, and they copy themselves. That long partnership is a big reason complex life can run on lots of energy, successful example of evolution by cooperation.
Vinča culture (Late Neolithic, central Balkans), named for Vinča Belo Brdo near Belgrade. c. 5300-4500 BC: dense rows of wattle-and-daub houses, farming, pottery, weaving, fishing/hunting. Long links (Carpathian obsidian, spondylus shells). 1k+ figurines. “Vinča symbols” debated as photo writing.
December 27, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Vinča culture (Late Neolithic, central Balkans), named for Vinča Belo Brdo near Belgrade. c. 5300-4500 BC: dense rows of wattle-and-daub houses, farming, pottery, weaving, fishing/hunting. Long links (Carpathian obsidian, spondylus shells). 1k+ figurines. “Vinča symbols” debated as photo writing.
Current state of solar system simulation that we are working on, it is fully open source and soon launching on our website!
Everyone will be able to use it for free and learn interesting things about solar system.
Everyone will be able to use it for free and learn interesting things about solar system.
December 26, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Current state of solar system simulation that we are working on, it is fully open source and soon launching on our website!
Everyone will be able to use it for free and learn interesting things about solar system.
Everyone will be able to use it for free and learn interesting things about solar system.
Some animals are built for long lives.
Record ages:
Ocean quahog clam 507y
Greenland shark 392y
Bowhead whale 211y
Rougheye rockfish 205y
Galapagos tortoise 177y
Bonus: "immortal jellyfish" can reset to polyp, but can still die.
Records can shift with new data.
Record ages:
Ocean quahog clam 507y
Greenland shark 392y
Bowhead whale 211y
Rougheye rockfish 205y
Galapagos tortoise 177y
Bonus: "immortal jellyfish" can reset to polyp, but can still die.
Records can shift with new data.
December 25, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Some animals are built for long lives.
Record ages:
Ocean quahog clam 507y
Greenland shark 392y
Bowhead whale 211y
Rougheye rockfish 205y
Galapagos tortoise 177y
Bonus: "immortal jellyfish" can reset to polyp, but can still die.
Records can shift with new data.
Record ages:
Ocean quahog clam 507y
Greenland shark 392y
Bowhead whale 211y
Rougheye rockfish 205y
Galapagos tortoise 177y
Bonus: "immortal jellyfish" can reset to polyp, but can still die.
Records can shift with new data.
When the Sun rises and sets, it rises roughly east and sets roughly west. Face the equator at noon and the left/right flips: North hemisphere sunrise is left and sunset right - South hemisphere sunrise is right and sunset left. Between the tropics, the noon Sun can switch sides during the year.
December 25, 2025 at 2:01 PM
When the Sun rises and sets, it rises roughly east and sets roughly west. Face the equator at noon and the left/right flips: North hemisphere sunrise is left and sunset right - South hemisphere sunrise is right and sunset left. Between the tropics, the noon Sun can switch sides during the year.
Fun fact: Phone signals and visible light are both waves of electric and magnetic fields.
A visible light photon carries more energy than a radio or microwave photon from phones or Wi Fi.
This energy is per photon. Total exposure still depends on power and time.
A visible light photon carries more energy than a radio or microwave photon from phones or Wi Fi.
This energy is per photon. Total exposure still depends on power and time.
December 24, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Fun fact: Phone signals and visible light are both waves of electric and magnetic fields.
A visible light photon carries more energy than a radio or microwave photon from phones or Wi Fi.
This energy is per photon. Total exposure still depends on power and time.
A visible light photon carries more energy than a radio or microwave photon from phones or Wi Fi.
This energy is per photon. Total exposure still depends on power and time.
The Phoenix Cluster is enormous, about 5.8 billion light years away. Its central galaxy hosts a supermassive black hole whose jets carve X ray bubbles in the hot gas. Along the bubble edges, cool filaments survive and fuel a starburst of about 500 Suns worth of new stars each year.
December 23, 2025 at 12:42 PM
The Phoenix Cluster is enormous, about 5.8 billion light years away. Its central galaxy hosts a supermassive black hole whose jets carve X ray bubbles in the hot gas. Along the bubble edges, cool filaments survive and fuel a starburst of about 500 Suns worth of new stars each year.
Crop tops are older than you might think.
About 3400 years ago in Denmark, the Egtved Girl was buried as a teen around 16 to 18, wearing a short wool tunic and a knee length cord skirt. A large spiral bronze belt plate rested on her stomach.
About 3400 years ago in Denmark, the Egtved Girl was buried as a teen around 16 to 18, wearing a short wool tunic and a knee length cord skirt. A large spiral bronze belt plate rested on her stomach.
December 23, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Crop tops are older than you might think.
About 3400 years ago in Denmark, the Egtved Girl was buried as a teen around 16 to 18, wearing a short wool tunic and a knee length cord skirt. A large spiral bronze belt plate rested on her stomach.
About 3400 years ago in Denmark, the Egtved Girl was buried as a teen around 16 to 18, wearing a short wool tunic and a knee length cord skirt. A large spiral bronze belt plate rested on her stomach.
On the Danube in Serbia’s Iron Gates gorge, Lepenski Vir had people by about 9700 BC. Around 70 trapezoid floor houses had stone hearths. Fish heavy diets can skew radiocarbon, so the team used AMS dating. Some homes became tombs with 50 kg stones hauled 10 km and carved as human fish faces.
December 23, 2025 at 12:25 PM
On the Danube in Serbia’s Iron Gates gorge, Lepenski Vir had people by about 9700 BC. Around 70 trapezoid floor houses had stone hearths. Fish heavy diets can skew radiocarbon, so the team used AMS dating. Some homes became tombs with 50 kg stones hauled 10 km and carved as human fish faces.
Mars wasn’t always a dry red desert.
Billions of years ago, water shaped it and orbiters still see river valleys, deltas, and lakebeds, some from long lived lakes.
Today the air is too thin for surface water, what’s left is ice or mineral bound. Mars keeps the geology of a more watery past.
Billions of years ago, water shaped it and orbiters still see river valleys, deltas, and lakebeds, some from long lived lakes.
Today the air is too thin for surface water, what’s left is ice or mineral bound. Mars keeps the geology of a more watery past.
December 23, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Mars wasn’t always a dry red desert.
Billions of years ago, water shaped it and orbiters still see river valleys, deltas, and lakebeds, some from long lived lakes.
Today the air is too thin for surface water, what’s left is ice or mineral bound. Mars keeps the geology of a more watery past.
Billions of years ago, water shaped it and orbiters still see river valleys, deltas, and lakebeds, some from long lived lakes.
Today the air is too thin for surface water, what’s left is ice or mineral bound. Mars keeps the geology of a more watery past.
Split has an Egyptian sphinx sitting in a Roman palace.
Diocletian built it around 300 AD and shipped in Egyptian sphinxes.
One palace sphinx is linked to Pharaoh Amenhotep III, carved ~1400 BC, his cartouches still name him.
Diocletian built it around 300 AD and shipped in Egyptian sphinxes.
One palace sphinx is linked to Pharaoh Amenhotep III, carved ~1400 BC, his cartouches still name him.
December 23, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Split has an Egyptian sphinx sitting in a Roman palace.
Diocletian built it around 300 AD and shipped in Egyptian sphinxes.
One palace sphinx is linked to Pharaoh Amenhotep III, carved ~1400 BC, his cartouches still name him.
Diocletian built it around 300 AD and shipped in Egyptian sphinxes.
One palace sphinx is linked to Pharaoh Amenhotep III, carved ~1400 BC, his cartouches still name him.
Termites have soldiers. Matabele ants raid them.
Injured raiders get carried home, nestmates clean the wound.
If it’s infected, they apply antimicrobial from a special gland and experiments saw ~90% fewer deaths.
Teamwork plus chemistry keeps the colony alive.
Injured raiders get carried home, nestmates clean the wound.
If it’s infected, they apply antimicrobial from a special gland and experiments saw ~90% fewer deaths.
Teamwork plus chemistry keeps the colony alive.
December 23, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Termites have soldiers. Matabele ants raid them.
Injured raiders get carried home, nestmates clean the wound.
If it’s infected, they apply antimicrobial from a special gland and experiments saw ~90% fewer deaths.
Teamwork plus chemistry keeps the colony alive.
Injured raiders get carried home, nestmates clean the wound.
If it’s infected, they apply antimicrobial from a special gland and experiments saw ~90% fewer deaths.
Teamwork plus chemistry keeps the colony alive.
Before O2 built up in the air, Earth was already oxygen rich that was locked in rocks and water (O is ~46% of the crust). Early life was anaerobic until photosynthesis. Oxygen first got eaten by ocean iron; only ~2.4–2.1 Ga (GOE) did it accumulate. Liquid water likely existed ~4.3 Ga (zircons).
December 23, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Before O2 built up in the air, Earth was already oxygen rich that was locked in rocks and water (O is ~46% of the crust). Early life was anaerobic until photosynthesis. Oxygen first got eaten by ocean iron; only ~2.4–2.1 Ga (GOE) did it accumulate. Liquid water likely existed ~4.3 Ga (zircons).
Only one company builds EUV scanners: ASML.
EUV is chipmaking’s near-X-ray printer: a CO₂ laser hits tin droplets ~50,000×/sec to make 13.5 nm light, steered by mirrors in high vacuum.
High-NA EUV (NA 0.55) prints ~8 nm details.
One tool: ~100,000 parts; 250+ crates, 43 containers, >150 tons.
EUV is chipmaking’s near-X-ray printer: a CO₂ laser hits tin droplets ~50,000×/sec to make 13.5 nm light, steered by mirrors in high vacuum.
High-NA EUV (NA 0.55) prints ~8 nm details.
One tool: ~100,000 parts; 250+ crates, 43 containers, >150 tons.
December 23, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Only one company builds EUV scanners: ASML.
EUV is chipmaking’s near-X-ray printer: a CO₂ laser hits tin droplets ~50,000×/sec to make 13.5 nm light, steered by mirrors in high vacuum.
High-NA EUV (NA 0.55) prints ~8 nm details.
One tool: ~100,000 parts; 250+ crates, 43 containers, >150 tons.
EUV is chipmaking’s near-X-ray printer: a CO₂ laser hits tin droplets ~50,000×/sec to make 13.5 nm light, steered by mirrors in high vacuum.
High-NA EUV (NA 0.55) prints ~8 nm details.
One tool: ~100,000 parts; 250+ crates, 43 containers, >150 tons.
NASA’s Perseverance uncovered one of Mars most intriguing potential biosignatures: “leopard spot” reaction fronts + organics in a Jezero riverbed rock nicknamed Cheyava Falls. On Earth, similar redox chemistry can involve microbes but geology can mimic it.
December 23, 2025 at 12:09 PM
NASA’s Perseverance uncovered one of Mars most intriguing potential biosignatures: “leopard spot” reaction fronts + organics in a Jezero riverbed rock nicknamed Cheyava Falls. On Earth, similar redox chemistry can involve microbes but geology can mimic it.