APOD: Happy People Dancing on Planet Earth (2012 Jul 10)

[APOD Robot]

Happy People Dancing on Planet Earth

Explanation: What are these humans doing? Dancing. Many humans on Earth exhibit periods of happiness, and one method of displaying happiness is dancing. Happiness and dancing transcend political boundaries and occur in practically every human society. Above, Matt Harding traveled through many nations on Earth, planned on dancing, and filmed the result. The above video, the latest in a series of similar videos, is perhaps a dramatic example that humans from all over planet Earth feel a common bond as part of a single species. Happiness is frequently contagious -- few people are able to watch the above video without smiling.

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[treeguy]

Y'all never fail to surprise and delight - especially tonight with the dancing! OK by me to stray from telescopic views now and then.

[sigman]

I fail to see what dancing has to do with APOD, unless it's just another socialist angle

[emike12]

And still the absolute best web site ever.

[Flase]

I don't like complaining but I really don't see any connection with astronomy. At all.

I would also suggest that most dances have more to do with social conformity and genuine feelings are irrelevant. What if you are at a dance and the magical feelings just aren't there? You just pretend or you are a party pooper.

And why does the music have to be crap? You could have some culture from other places instead of programmed drumbeats and people who look exactly like fat Americans shaking their love handles and wearing American clothes.

[Beyond]

YEE HAA!

[abhagwat]

But what has it got to do with APOD?

[neptunium]

You know, aliens or other humanoids may have feelings like us. You never know...

And why does the music have to be crap? You could have some culture from other places instead of programmed drumbeats and people who look exactly like fat Americans shaking their love handles and wearing American clothes.

I have to agree with you there, it's terrible to me.

[owlice]

I loved the first Matt Dancing video when it appeared as an APOD (both times), and I love this at least as much!! Thank you!!

(I'll point out that "Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer" doesn't preclude something like this video being perfectly in tune with APOD.)

If you're missing pictures of moons, stars, galaxies, other planets, eclipses, etc., please take a look at some of the recent submissions to APOD, and if you'd like the latest news on missions and other astronomy-related events, please visit the Communications Center. You can even search for your favorite APOD (and discuss it), or simply browse APODs by date.

(Me? I'm going to watch Matt dance again!)

[bystander]

I loved the first Matt Dancing video when it appeared as an APOD (both times), and I love this at least as much!! Thank you!!

I always knew there was something not quite right about you!

[owlice]

I always knew there was something not quite right about you!

Watch it, buster, or I'll turn you into a rabbit!

[Guest]

I don't like complaining but I really don't see any connection with astronomy. At all.

I would also suggest that most dances have more to do with social conformity and genuine feelings are irrelevant. What if you are at a dance and the magical feelings just aren't there? You just pretend or you are a party pooper.

And why does the music have to be crap? You could have some culture from other places instead of programmed drumbeats and people who look exactly like fat Americans shaking their love handles and wearing American clothes.

All I can say is I'd rather be at a dance party hosted by APOD, than by Flase! Indeed, let this be a party-pooper free-zone...

[maicokid]

There are many ways to view humanity including this outstanding video and astronomy. For me both of these elicit thoughtful emotion. There is so much more to astronomy than numbers too. An occasional change like this never hurts. Flace I'm sorry you got a glass of water half empty when you ordered orange juice.

[KenBollox]

Oh Please...!
I've been looking forward to my daily dose of astronomy, and saving the images, since 1998. I've never commented before. This movie, delightful though it is, is not appropriate for APOD. Want a link to me singing on Youtube? It's just as fitting. Please don't do it again.

Ken Bollox.
Trinidad

[bystander]

Subject: Happy People Dancing On Planet Earth (APOD 22 Jul 2008)

I posted that video to APOD. About once a month or so, APOD posts an image that is not strictly related to the classical definition of astronomy or space science. Reasons for this are several, including broadening APOD's reader base. APODs like these, in my opinion, interest people in space, science, and astronomy who might not normally have or follow such interests. In my view, the web appears to stratify people by interests, and many times people in one interest group will not wander into other interest areas. Eclectic APODs like this are therefore an attempt to reach across disciplines.

Additionally, in my view, APOD is also about planet Earth, exploration, and making connections between science and things not classically related to science. In this case, this APOD focussed on humans specifically, who have never been highlighted on APOD before. This also gives APOD a "human" link usable inside of future APODs.

- RJN

[Flase]

You people aren't shills sponsored by Tom Cruise's cult by any chance?

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

[owlice]

Thanks for that, bystander.

Flase, no, of course not, and really... this is the best use of your time? Complaining (again!) about APOD?? (For someone who "hates to complain," you seem to do a lot of it.) I provided a lot of links above; please feel free to explore them.

[Ann]

Since this video was made an APOD, It's interesting to imagine that the video had been viewed by aliens. What would they have made of it? Would they have thought that the life forms doing movements in time to pulsations of waves from a limited part of the electromagnetic spectrum showed happiness?

Maybe they would, or maybe they would just conclude that these life forms were obviously social and liked to do (or were, perhaps, in some cases pressured to do) things in groups.

Ann

[Flase]

I don't like complaining but I also don't like crap being forced down my throat. I didn't really need to complain about the Valentine's Day observance, but if this really were an intelligent study of dancing across the world, you would have a variety of cultures. You would have actual Flamenco in Seville and drummers in Africa etc.

Knowing how hard it is for talented musicians and presumably dancers to pay the bills (e.g. payola), the real party poopers are the ones who form barriers to the human right of music.

If you do care about happiness, you'll see that it takes more than this fat man roping people into being part of his grab for fame. I would also say that it would involve allowing everybody their own individuality and emotions and if they have genuine creativity and even genius, it would be allowed to grow. We have a long way to go.

[owlice]

Flase, who is forcing you to look at APOD? Just walk away from the computer and go read a book or something. It really is that easy.

[Boomer12k]

Evidently there was a sale on Tennis Balls...

:---[===] *

[bystander]

I don't like complaining

Then quit complaining.

but I also don't like crap being forced down my throat.

Nobody is forcing anything on anyone. If you don't like the video, don't watch it. If you don't like the music, turn it off.

I didn't really need to complain about the Valentine's Day observance,

You don't really need to complain about anything, but you do seem to do a lot of it.

but if this really were an intelligent study of dancing across the world, you would have a variety of cultures. You would have actual Flamenco in Seville and drummers in Africa etc.

Who said this was an intelligent study of anything?

Knowing how hard it is for talented musicians and presumably dancers to pay the bills (e.g. payola), the real party poopers are the ones who form barriers to the human right of music.

If you do care about happiness, you'll see that it takes more than this fat man roping people into being part of his grab for fame. I would also say that it would involve allowing everybody their own individuality and emotions and if they have genuine creativity and even genius, it would be allowed to grow. We have a long way to go.

I don't like this video and I didn't like the first one. I think it's a serious waste of resources and I wish Matt would go back to where he came from and quit producing these stupid videos. But that's just my opinion and obviously there are many who don't agree. I don't, however, feel that anything is being forced on me, or that Matt is preventing musicians and dancers from being gainfully employed or that he is preventing anyone from being an individual. Nobody was forced to do this video and it certainly isn't preventing anyone from being happy, except maybe you.

[BikerMike]

Was there supposed to be a commercial pop up ad for Qatar Airways in the video? The really annoying thing is that it blocked out the text of where Matt was dancing.

[Mactavish]

RJN does not need to justify his actions to anyone. Over the past 17 years he has posted well over 6,000 images and 99%+ have dealt with some specific aspect of astronomy . . . and that even includes most of the April Fool’s spoofs. If anyone needs a real reason to complain, I could provide a list as long as your arm of really important and worthwhile subjects. Otherwise, for the complainers, consider what you are paying for the convenience of an APOD on your computer every day. That would be nothing, and that’s exactly what you have to complain about.

[doppelkeks]

Haha! Astronomy in its broad sense. (Liked it...)