periodicvideos-ABC-News

Once again I thought I'd use this blog to answer a question/comment made repeatedly on YouTube.

I can't possibly reply to all of the comments - so here's my blanket response!

This issue relates to uploading videos a couple of days before special occasions.

The catalyst this time is a series of four videos I made about Pi.

They were made to coincide with the so-called Pi Day - or 3/14 in American parlance.

Rather than uploading the videos on March 14, I uploaded them on March 12.

I do similar things with videos relating to special events, like Easter, Christmas, Halloween, etc.

There are a few reasons for this...

THE FIRST AND MAIN REASON

It gives me a chance to promote the video in the hope it spreads virally.

When March 14 arrives, I want the video to have been seen by as many as people as possible. To be fresh in minds so it might be shared with friends.



Starting this promotional campaign on the day itself would be last-minute stupidity.

It would be like stocking Easter Eggs in the shops only on Easter Sunday... Or advertising the latest must-have gifts only on Christmas Day itself, after everyone has bought their presents!

A SECOND REASON

I always hope the people at YouTube might promote themed videos at Christmas, Easter, etc... If I'm lucky enough included, it's a chance to reach new viewers.

There's no guarantee the faceless and all-powerful YouTube people will include me... But surely they decide what to include a day or two beforehand?

It just seems to make sense to have a product "out there on the shelves" a day or two earlier.

I can't imagine company as big as Google (owners on YouTube)  decides to create a special feature of themed videos on a whim and then looks at what has been uploaded in the last 20 minutes!?

Update: YouTube did feature two of the Pi videos... This feature appeared before I would even have woken up on 14 March!!! See pic below...


AND ANOTHER REASON

I live in the UK - pretty much the middle of the world in terms of "the day".

It would be very hard to find a time to upload the video (thereby giving it the appropriate "date stamp") which would please people in Australia, the UK and the US... So why not go early?

AND A FINAL REASON

What if something goes wrong? What if my internet connection dies on the big day? What if I find last-minute errors in the videos which require re-editing?



Or worse yet, if I upload the video and only then find a problem requiring its removal and re-uploading!? Perhaps an error only a viewer will discover with fresh eyes?

Too late if I find out on the big day itself!!!?

Video editing and processing is time consuming... Last-minute fixes are rarely quick and easy.

Great spot by an eagle-eyed viewer.

I uploaded two videos today - one each for Numberphile and Deep Sky Videos.

The Numberphile video was about the number 42 and its duration was 8'42"

I did that on purpose.



However a few hours later I uploaded a video about the Messier Object M66.

Its duration was 6'06"

I'd love to claim it... but that was not intentional...

Since Numberphile was launched, we've been asked when we'll cover 42.

The number was immortalised by Douglas Adams in The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

So we've posted the video in the build-up to what would have been Adams' 60th birthday (he sadly died in 2001 at the age of 49).

For fun I offered to upload the video a day earlier than planned if our Facebook followers gave us 42 "thumbs up" likie thingies.

This happened within minutes, reassuring me it was a video that people were keen to see.

It is posted below.



PS: Note the video's duration... proof that I'm the biggest nerd of all!

He's is a big chemistry fan and - we're pleased to hear - recently discovered The Periodic Table of Videos.


Josh's mother, Kerry, got in touch this week, saying: "My son... has been fascinated by the Periodic Table since he was 4 years old! He has been asked to give several presentations at his school and is very well read on the subject.

"We just found out about your site and Joshua is really excited to have his picture shown, please please please include it on your website!"

Kerry also mentioned that Josh's friends call him "Professor Carbon".

I had to ask for the reason behind that, and it was explained.

"He likes to be called Professor Carbon because he dressed up as a scientist for Halloween a couple of years ago. Would you like to see pictures?"

Umm, yes please (see below)!

Kerry further explained: "Joshua is a very clever little boy, not sure if you have heard of it, but he is a 'young scholar' with The Davidson Institute, which is an organization for profoundly gifted children.

"We have a chemisty mentor for him, who has put us in contact with a Professor at UC Davis.

"We have actually been invited on Friday to take a tour of their Lab, which Joshua is very excited about!"


Kerry also said Josh was excited about the upcoming Pi Day on 14 March.

I suggest Professor Carbon keeps a close eye on my Numberphile channel...  A Pi extravaganza is planned!

Professor Brian Cox - who seems to front much of the BBC's science content these days - gave a TV lecture just before Christmas which caused some ripples in the science world.

In a nutshell, he gave a simplified explanation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle for a layman audience.

Some people latched onto it and drew some pretty wild "pseudoscience" conclusions. That can't be helped...

Perhaps more interestingly, some respected physicists took issue with the explanation and a little skirmish ensued between the scientists.

In this Sixty Symbols video, we discuss the whole thing:



And here's some Test Tube bonus footage from the interviews above:

A brief departure from my usual talk of science and videos and stuff like that.

Today my good mate "Hoffers" opened a pizza bar in our home town Adelaide.

It's not just any pizza place - it's a Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar.

Hoffers has put his career as an airline pilot on hold to pursue his foodie passions!

I did my part this morning (at 5.30am UK time) by waking early and ordering the very first pizza... a BBQ chicken with feta cheese (below).


It was picked up and eaten and by mate Tim (also below)!


Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, I followed the process minute-by-minute with text messages and photos.

Here's Hoffers spiking the historic order (below again).


If you're from Adelaide, please visit Hoffers' Crust store and support a good man following his dreams.

235 Henley Beach Road, Torrensville, 5031
Order Online: http://crust.com.au/
PHONE: 08 8234 7077
torrensville@crust.com.au
Deliver areas: Henley Beach, Henley Beach South, Fulham Gardens, Fulham, West Beach, Kidman Park, Flinders Park, Allenby Gardens, West Hindmarsh, Hindmarsh, Welland, Torrensville, Thebarton, Mile End, Lockleys, Underdale, Brooklyn Park, Cowandilla, Hilton

And follow the store on Facebook for news and offers.

Hoffers is the big tall guy behind the counter. Mention periodicvideos or sixtysymbols and he might throw in a few extra anchovies?!

Recently Numberphile featured "the next big thing" in maths - the Happification Tree and Melancoil.

They are the disturbing brainchild of one of semi-regular contributors, Matt Parker.

Here's the video:



Well this week we were chuffed to receive this new interpretation of Matt's hurried artwork.


Thanks to viewer Josh Cryer who took the trouble to make it. Click here for a hi-res version on Flickr.