Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

Food

Video: The History of The Universe, Explained With Food

foodfilm.jpg
Photo courtesy of Encyclopedia Pictura
()

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

Let's get real: physics class was a bitch. But maybe if the professor demonstrated string theory by using spaghetti noodles we'd have had a better time with it. That's what the creators of "The Powers of Ten" are doing, at least.

The three guy team behind the film, better known as Encyclopedia Pictura, have cobbled together a stop motion animation film that demonstrates the history of the universe both beautifully and creatively, and (gasp!) it actually keeps us engaged.

From atomic particles made of brussel sprouts, to human lungs represented in beet leafs, to a multi-layered red onion universe, the film cleverly takes the viewer from the miniscule to the massive. It's done in a way that's slightly more playful than the dramatic Chayka Sofia stop motion food films, which we also love.

Says Fast Company:

Support for LAist comes from
What makes Micro-Macro so great as a piece of pop-science communication is its willingness to go outside the obvious in its design. The "food as everything" metaphor could get predictable fast, but pairing each visualization with a soundtrack of bizarre-but-somehow-appropriate sound effects (like dolphin squeaks for quarks, which is a stroke of genius) keeps things lively. Another highlight: illustrating "organs" (the scale between "cells" and "bodies") with two undulating beet leaves, which look exactly like wheezing lungs. It’s beautiful, clever, anatomically correct, and kind of gross at the same time. In a word: engaging--which is the highest praise a science video can aim for.

Have a look.

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist