Academic Research & Song: The Gangnam Style Effect VS The Numa Numa Effect (Updated 16th Oct 2012)

People posting videos of their reactions watching Gangnam Style MTV
Image from YouTube

When a video spreads rapidly like virus on the internet, we call them "viral videos".

When I was writing my paper YouTubating Teaching –The Techno-Behavioural Cycle & Its Influence on Education, I learnt from Dr.Wesch the power of a very heart-reaching song and that was how I began my interest in Digital Ethnography -- 

"...explores how humans use media, how media uses us, and how we can use new media to reveal our insights in new ways." -- Professor Wesch

Dr. Wesch's work is really intriguing and he got me spending hours and hours watching hundreds of videos on the internet over many weekends. The subject is addictive!

I'm not going to go too deep into the core of the subject, if you are interested, do read the links below. As for now, here's a very brief introduction.

According to Dr.Wesch, it all began with Gary Brolsma's dramatic Numa Numa, the first biggest internet viral video success.

And then it was the world dancing together with Gary,

Image from YouTube

Basically, Gary has triggered the want, the need and the emotion of celebration of humanity, that people are not framed by countries or separated by colours, distance or boundaries, that can be united as one and be free to share joy and other feelings to anyone who are willing to listen and respond, that there is no ranking, no grading in people, and anyone has the freedom to join in as long as someone wishes to.

We can call this The Numa Numa Effect.

And in September 2012, we have The Gangnam Style Effect,  

A hip, beating song with a weird MTV sung and oddly danced by a not-so-attractive South Korean singer, PSY. When I come to think of it, he and Gary Brolsma resemble each other a lot.

The effect is also pretty similar, people put their own version of dance on the internet for sharing.

Image from LA Times

The difference in terms of production style is that Gangnam Style Effect require more dancers, a lot of pre-production planning and rehearsal, a mix of camera angles and post-editing, whereas the Numa Numa Effect drew netizens to simply switch on their webcams and record their own version of dance of freedom.

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, center left, joins Korean pop star PSY as he
performs his super hit 'Gangnam Style' during a taping of 'The Ellen DeGeneres
Show' on September 18, 2012. (AP Photo).

Image and Caption from Jakata Globe

Ken Jeong in The Hangover Part I

And many might agree that South Korean rapper PSY, aka Park Jae-sang, has not only made his name on the international scale, but also helped to improve the image of South Korea(n) as a whole! Although there are South Koreans everywhere around the world, and a number of them are also well-known, such as Dr. Ken Jeong M.D. from the movie The Hangover Part I and II, people even in Asia knew little about the South Koreans other than their excellent fast-paced dances, their kimchi, their My Sassy Girl(s), their routine "I have cancer!" tragic dramas, their unbelievably skilful plastic surgery and their earth-shaking mobile electronic businesses. How do people live in South Korea? What is the geography like?

And to explore things deeper than just the music and funny dance, what is the meaning of the song? What is Gangnam really? All these are worth finding out.

My Sassy Girl
Image from lovemeet.tistory

Image from Samsung

The Jakata Globe reported Associated Press's article which includes an interview they did with PSY has the answer to our questions and I highly recommend we all read that to learn the details. But here's my summary of that article for your:

1. 1% of Seoul's population lives in Gangnam, literally means "the south of the river", and they are the very rich people -- the upper class.
2. Gangnam is where all the most luxurious, the best, the tip of the top-notch services and infrastructures are.
3. "Gangnam inspires both envy and distaste...Gangnam residents are South Korea's upper class, but South Koreans consider them self-interested, with no sense of noblesse oblige."  -- Kim Zakka, a Seoul-based pop music critic. 

In the song The Gangnam Style, PSY went against these "norms",

"I'm not handsome, I'm not tall, I'm not muscular, I'm not skinny," PSY recently said on the American "Today" TV show. "But I'm sitting here."

Girls Generation on The Late Show with David Letterman
Image from cloudfront.net

Unlike the other South Korean boys such as Super Junior and Boyfriend, or girls such as the Girls Generation who also made their names known in the States,  PSY's success resembles that of Ken Jeong's,   their images are "less-than-polished", said Jae-Ha Kim, a Chicago Tribune pop culture columnist and former music critic.

Park Ji Sung at Man Utd., another South Korean legend
Image from manutdwallpaper

I think the best of the Jakata Globe article goes to this paragraph,

Instead of cavorting in nightclubs, he parties with retirees on a disco-lighted tour bus. Instead of working out in a high-end health club, he lounges in a sauna with two tattooed gangsters. One swaggering rap session is delivered while he sits on a toilet. As he struts along with two beautiful models, they're pelted in the face with massive amounts of wind-blown trash and sticky confetti.

The song explores South Koreans' "love-hate relationship with Gangnam," said Baak Eun-seok, a pop music critic... PSY isn't, he said: good-looking because of plastic surgery, stylish because they can splurge on luxury goods, slim thanks to yoga and personal trainers.


In other words, being "strangely" different are the keys to his success, Ken Jeong's success, My Sassy Girl's success, and Samsung's Galaxy Note's success (i.e. smartphone with large screen with a pen).

These successes are worth every dime, but we must face the fact that deep inside people's heart, they demand these "oddity", these unexpectedness and differences. Making a difference in life does not only make one feels good or become successful, but it is also one of the fundamental survival requirements in the human evolution (Kremer & Schermbrucker, 2006).

(Updated 16th Oct 2012)
《HongKong Style ! 》SFJ 720P HD

Wanna see Hong Kong director Wilson Chin and other Hong Kong stars with their version of Gangnam Style? Check this out!

Vocabulary:

Digital Ethnography -- (n)[U] explores how humans use media, how media uses us, and how we can use new media to reveal our insights in new ways
intriguing -- (adj) very interesting because of being unusual or mysterious
addictive -- (adj)  describes an activity or food that you cannot stop doing or eating once you have started
rehearsal -- (n) [C or U] a time when all the people involved in a play, dance, etc. practise in order to prepare for a performance
netizen -- (n)[C]informal a person who uses the Internet
sassy -- (adj) mainly US informal rude and showing no respect
noblesse oblige --  (n) [U] formal the idea that someone with power and influence should use their social position to help other people
norm -- [C usually plural] an accepted standard or a way of behaving or doing things that most people agree with
less than... -- describes behaviour which does not have a stated characteristic that is good or attractive
cavort -- (vb)[I] to jump or move around in a playful way, sometimes noisily, and often in a sexual way
strut -- (vb)[I] to walk in a proud way trying to look important
swagger -- (vb)[I] to walk, especially with a swinging movement, in a way that shows that you are very confident and think that you are important, or to act in that way
confetti -- (n)[U] small pieces of coloured paper which you throw at a celebration, especially over two people who have just been married
love-hate relationship -- (n) [C] a relationship in which you have feelings of love and hate for someone or something
splurge -- (vb)  [I or T] informal to spend a lot of money on buying goods, especially expensive goods; splash out
worth every dime -- worth every dollar; worthy
oddity -- (n) [C] someone or something that is strange and unusual


Resources:

Academic Research (Literature Review): YouTubating Teaching –The Techno-Behavioural Cycle & Its Influence on Education @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2011/11/academic-research-literature-review.html

Digital Ethnography @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/mwesch?feature=CAwQwRs%3D

Digital Ethnography - @ Kansas State University
http://mediatedcultures.net/

Numa Numa @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmtzQCSh6xk

싸이 오빤강남스타일 (남자반응) @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp4D0oHEnjc

PSY - GANGNAM STYLE (강남스타일) M/V
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0

What 'Gangnam Style' Means to South Koreans @ Jakata Globe
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/people/what-gangnam-style-means-to-south-koreans/545294

'Gangnam Style' singer Psy, flash mob expected at The Grove today @ Los Angeles Times
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/09/gangnam-style-psy-flash-mob.html

Song & Medical: Stayin' Alive -- Bee Gees & CPR @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2012/05/song-medical-stayin-alive-bee-gees-cpr.html

People: "Mr Chow, Leslie Chow!" -- Ken Jeong @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2011/06/people-mr-chow-leslie-chow-ken-jeong_24.html

The psychology of difference @ Kremer & Schermbrucker (2006)
http://www.juliushonnor.com/catalyst/Default.aspx.LocID-0hgnew0hw.RefLocID-0hg01b00100600g001.Lang-EN.htm

《HongKong Style ! 》SFJ 720P HD @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFJWiwTaisA

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/intriguing?q=intriguing+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/addictive?q=addictive
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/rehearsal?q=rehearsal+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/netizen?q=netizen+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sassy?q=sassy
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/noblesse-oblige?q=noblesse+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/norm?q=norm
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/less_1#less_1__3
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/cavort?q=cavort
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/strut_1?q=strut+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/swagger_1?q=swagger+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/confetti?q=confetti+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/relationship_2?q=love-hate+relationship+#relationship_2__3
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/splurge?q=splurge
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/oddity?q=oddity

Opinion & Technology: Apple's iPhone 5 Fun, Prank & The Halo Effect

 Looking to buy iPhone 5? Here you go.

Image from Android Headlines

Wait! There's an Android bee there! Why? Because this is actually the Goo-Phone from China. By now, Goo-Phone should be suing Apple for infringement of copyright in terms of the design of the phone. Yes, Goo-Phone sues Apple, not the other way round! That's because the copyright policy in China is that whichever device is released first get the copyright. Since Goo-Phone released their phone a week before Apple's iPhone 5, Goo-Phone gets the copyright.

Thinking that is a joke? Now, here are the jokes!

Image from elysplanet

Image from plurk.com

Image from elysplanet

Image from xcitefun.net

From the secondary creativity we are seeing here, it is not difficult to see what people are upset about -- that iPhone is no longer a symbol of world-class creativity. That throne has long gone to Samsung. Is that because Samsung hired all the ex-Apple employees to their company? Or is it because the South Koreans are getting much much smarter than we thought?

It is funny, but don't blame them for being silly, they are just experiencing the Halo Effect.

According to Wikipedia,

The halo effect or halo error is a cognitive bias in which our judgments of a person’s character can be influenced by our overall impression of him or her.

In short,

"I'll buy almost anything if it's shiny and made by Apple." -- Alex Zalban, Apple User

Image from cpcache

Under the influence of a phenomenal figure such as Steve Jobs, Apple has successfully created a Halo Effect in many users' mind, adding to the fact that these interviewees trust the reporter that what they were given was really an iPhone 5, since they knew the iPhone 5 must be better than the earlier versions, their minds naturally reflect what they believe in.

That doesn't mean everyone will fall for this trick. Imagine if they were actually given the Goo-Phone instead, I don't think they will be tricked because the logo is obviously different, but if we change that logo and use an iOS theme on top of the Android system, which I also use on my Samsung to trick my friends, then I won't be so sure if they will notice the difference.

Do read up Halo Effect in the Resources session below if you are interested.

More Effects will be discussed later this week.


Vocabulary:

secondary creativity -- (n) results from the use of higher thought processes; it is Apollonian. It takes over the creative process from primary creativity and adds to it analysis, discipline and hard work.
Halo Effect -- (n) The halo effect or halo error is a cognitive bias in which our judgments of a person’s character can be influenced by our overall impression of him or her.
cognitive -- (adj) [before noun] specialized connected with thinking or conscious mental processes
bias -- (n) [C usually singular U] often supporting or opposing a particular person or thing in an unfair way by allowing personal opinions to influence your judgment


Resources:

Chinese Company Threatens to Sue Apple Over Design of iPhone 5 @ Android Headlines
http://www.androidpit.com/chinese-kockoff-iphone-five

Chinese Company Threatens to Sue Apple Over Design of iPhone 5 @ AndroidPIT
http://www.androidpit.com/chinese-kockoff-iphone-five

The iPhone 5 (Spoof): A Taller Change Than Expected @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNBP18nrRdw

Apple iPhone 5 Prank @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF636S21kww

Comparative Theories of Creativity @ vantagequest.
http://www.vantagequest.org/trees/comparative.htm#.UFqbhbIgdhY

Halo Effect @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_effect

Opinion: Apple's New Product -- MacBook Wheel!!! @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2012/07/opinion-apples-new-product-macbook-wheel.html

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/cognitive?q=cognitive%5C
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/bias_1?q=bias+

Science & Environment: How Bad Is The Melting?

Who did this to the skinny polar bear?
Image from ginisnaturenews

Today, as I was finding news to read, I found something so shocking that I immediately want to share with you all.

Do you remember the movie An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore? I recommended the movie in March 2009 and it was one horror movie indeed. If you don't remember, here's a recap.

But what you are about to see is even more scary than the Al Gore's movie that you may not want to believe it is real.


Here's the caption of the YouTube video you are about to watch:

The sea ice in the Arctic Ocean dropped below the previous all-time record set in 2007. 

This year also marks the first time that there has been less than 4 million square kilometers (1.54 million square miles) of sea ice since satellite observations began in 1979. 

This animation shows the 2012 time-series of ice extent using sea ice concentration data from the DMSP SSMI/S satellite sensor. The black area represents the daily average (median) sea ice extent over the 1979-2000 time period. Layered over top of that are the daily satellite measurements from January 1 -- September 14, 2012. 

A rapid melt begins in July, whereby the 2012 ice extents fall far below the historical average. The National Snow and Ice Data Center (www.nsidc.org) will confirm the final minimum ice extent data and area once the melt stabilizes, usually in mid-September.

At 0:20 sec point as the animation moves from Jun to Jul, you can see how seriously the ice has melted in just 3 months!! Is this real or is it just a scam?

View Larger Map

BBC News Science Editor David Shukman went to Ny-Alesund research base in Svalbard, off the shore of Norway to take a closer look at the situation and posted his article on the 7 Sep 2012. And this is what he saw...

Looking at the images below going back in time and you will see how small the Arctic summer ice is this year compared to the previous years as well as the average back in 1979.

The key message in the article is as follows:

"As a scientist, I know that this is unprecedented in at least as much as 1,500 years. It is truly amazing - it is a huge dramatic change in the system," Dr Hansen said.

"This is not some short-lived phenomenon - this is an ongoing trend. You lose more and more ice and it is accelerating - you can just look at the graphs, the observations, and you can see what's happening."


After reading all these, I was overwhelmed by the vast scale of damage that an invisible gas (CO2) can do to our planet. From now on, we should all quickly and critically think about our actions and actively participate in minimising carbon emission.

If everyone plays a part, the world can really be saved.

If you must  use air-con at night, keep it at 25 degree Celsius, switch to the best power-saving air-conditioner if yours has aged.

Use less plastic products and recycle them when their mission is accomplished.

Or even, grow more plants at home if space is allowed.

Clockwise from foreground (Osmanthus, Grapefruit, Chinese bamboo, Ginger, Money tree, Longan)
Image from Locky's English Playground

Save Power, Save the World

Vocabulary:

scam -- (n)[C] informal an illegal plan for making money
unprecedented -- (adj) never having happened or existed in the past
phenomenon -- (n)(plural phenomena) something that exists and can be seen, felt, tasted, etc., especially something which is unusual or interesting
accelerate -- (vb) [I or T] to happen or make something happen sooner or faster
overwhelm  -- (vb) [T usually passive] to cause someone to feel sudden strong emotion
mission  -- (n)  something that you say when you have finished doing something that you were told to do 

Resources:

An Inconvenient Truth (4/10) Movie CLIP - Glaciers (2006) HD @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hFxG-8I0Go

Movie: An Inconvenient Truth @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2009/03/movie-inconvenient-truth.html

The Arctic's Record Breaking Ice Melt @ YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaKqhRTqSlg&feature=player_embedded

Arctic ice melting at 'amazing' speed, scientists find @ BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19508906

Arctic ice melting at 'amazing' speed, scientists find @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hqa9r8sZ6R0

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/scam?q=scam
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/unprecedented?q=unprecedented+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/phenomenon_1?q=phenomenon+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/accelerate?q=accelerating+#accelerate__3
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/overwhelm_2#overwhelm_2__3
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/mission_1?q=mission++

Science: Why Is The Sky Blue? Tyndall & Rayleigh Effect

Old Man & His Puppy
Image from Locky's English Playground

When you look up and see the blue blue sky, have you ever wondered why it is so blue? Is it because oxygen is blue in colour? Or is it a reflection of the blue ocean? Not at all. It is because of the scattering of light.

Flour suspended in water appears
to be blue because only scattered
light reaches the viewer and blue
light is scattered by the flour
particles more strongly than red.
Image and caption from Wikipedia

What physicist John Tyndall explained in 1859 is that when light passes through a clear fluid with small particles in suspension the blue wavelength of light is scattered much more readily then red.

That means, the image on the left can be seen as blue liquid while red light can pass through the glass and reach the table.

Which goes to explain the fact that since the blue wavelength of the light is shorter (450-495nm) and red wavelength of the light is longer (620-750nm), the shorter the wavelength, the easier it is to be scattered.

Image from NASA

During the time after sunrise and before sunset -- the midday, the sky appears blue because the blue part of the sunlight is scattered by the tiny molecules in our atmosphere, which means the blue light bounces around and thus our eyes interpret the sky as blue in colour.

Tiny molecules in our atmosphere include gases such as nitrogen (78%), and oxygen (21%), argon and water (in the form of vapor, droplets and ice crystals), and many small solid particles, like dust, soot and ashes, pollen, and salt from the oceans.

Image from NASA

When the sun sets, the sun is lowered to a level that red and yellow lights can now reach directly into our eyes, thus the sun appears as red, orange or yellow to us. (Bear in mind that at the same time, other people from another part of the world might be enjoying their lunch, they are also looking at the same sun, but they will see the sky as blue.)

Typhoon Signal 1 Sunset
Image from Locky's English Playground

Visible Spectrum
Image from Wikipedia

Then again, why doesn't the sky appear as other colours, say violet, because violet (380-450nm) is within the visible spectrum and is even shorter than blue(450-495nm)?

Response curves for the three types of cone in the human eye
Caption and image from University of California, Riverside

Well, it is true that there should be red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet as well, because our eyes are designed to in a way that we can only see electromagnetic waves typically from wavelength of 390nm (nanometre) to 750nm, which is called the visible spectrum of human. However, the retina cone cells (photoreceptor cells) in our eyes are particularly sensitive to, or peak at, three wavelengths of light, for indigo and violet wavelengths, the cones are stimulated and interpret it as blue sky plus slight red tinge, thus we normally don't see indigo and violet sky in the midday.

Tyndall & Rayleigh Scattering : Glass appear as blue while red-orange-yellow
light passes through

Image from Wikipedia

In 1871, British physicist Lord Rayleigh went on to explain similar scattering of light with the addition of his very own formulas, allowing us to calculate the intensity of the scattered light, and the theory is known as Rayleigh Scattering. If you are interested in the details, do read the links provided.

If not, you may still want to have a good time with your kids trying out the flour suspension experiment above. It can make a little fun family activity.

Next time when you look at the sky, you can appreciate the science in it.

Vocabulary:
scattering -- (n)   [C usually singular] a small number or amount of things in a particular area 
bear (in mind) -- (vb) [T] to have or continue to have something
electromagnetic wave -- (n) [C] Electromagnetic radiation (EM radiation or EMR) is a form of energy emitted and absorbed by charged particles, which exhibits wave-like behavior as it travels through space. EMR has both electric and magnetic field components, which stand in a fixed ratio of intensity to each other, and which oscillate in phase perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the direction of energy and wave propagation. In vacuum, electromagnetic radiation propagates at a characteristic speed, the speed of light.
visible spectrum -- (n) the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to (can be detected by) the human eye. Electromagnetic radiation in this range of wavelengths is called visible light or simply light.
retina -- (n) a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical events that ultimately trigger nerve impulses. These are sent to various visual centres of the brain through the fibres of the optic nerve.
cone cell -- (n)[C] photoreceptor cells in the retina of the eye that are responsible for color vision; they function best in relatively bright light, as opposed to rod cells that work better in dim light.
tinge -- (n) [C] a very slight amount of a colour or of a feeling

Resources:
Tyndall Effect @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyndall_effect

Why is the sky Blue? @ Department of Mathematics, University of California, Riverside
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/General/BlueSky/blue_sky.html

Blue Sky - Why is the Sky Blue? @ science made simple
http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/sky_blue.html

Why is the sky blue? @ NASA's The Space Place
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/blue-sky/

"Blue Skies: The Size’s the Limit " @ HowStuffWorks
http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/atmospheric/sky1.htm

Visible Spectrum @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visible_spectrum

Rayleigh Scattering @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayleigh_scattering

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/scattering?q=scattering+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/bear_2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_wave
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visible_spectrum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retina
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cone_cell
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/tinge_1?q=tinge

Technology & Opinions: Zedomax on iPhone 5

Since I haven't got my hands on the iPhone 5 yet, and I suppose you haven't too, so I suppose I really shouldn't barely compare the specs of the iPhone 5 with the Android phones, but XDA Developers senior member Zedomax here has a cool video with some sharp witty points which I must agree!

When the iPhone 5 is out, I will compare it with Galaxy S3 and hopefully Note II in the English Playground.

For now, I'm busy preparing a number of new topics and none has been completed yet, until that's done, here's my last entry for the week.

Enjoy your holidays!

PS: He is being sarcastic in the entire video.

Resources:

iPhone 5 is Magical and Revolutionary! @ YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8loc5wyek5Q

Science, Vocabulary & Song: Once In A Blue Moon

In this Aug. 31, 2012, photo, a small plane passes in front of a "blue moon" 

over the Westchester County airport in Armonk, N.Y. Blue moons are

commonly defined as the presence of a full moon for a second time within a 

single month. This one took place on the day Neil Armstrong, the first man

 to walk on the moon, was laid to rest.

Image and caption from mlive

"One small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." -- Neil Armstrong

Cambridge Dictionary defines  "once in a blue moon" means "not very often", Oxford Dictionary says "very rarely", Hiscock (1999) collected many definitions and sums up the meaning as "incredibly rare", but what is a "blue moon"? Is a blue moon really blue?

The blue moon is not actually blue in colour.

According to Wikipedia's detailed calculated example,

One lunation (an average lunar cycle) is 29.53 days. There are 365.26 days in a solar year. Therefore, about 12.37 lunations (365.26 days divided by 29.53 days) occur in a solar year. In the widely used Gregorian calendar, there are 12 months (the word month is derived from moon) in a year. Each calendar year contains roughly 11 days more than the number of days in 12 lunar cycles. The extra days accumulate, so every two or three years (7 times in the 19-year Metonic cycle), there is an extra full moon. The extra moon necessarily falls in one of the four seasons, giving that season four full moons instead of the usual three, and, hence, a blue moon.

So, a blue moon is the appearance of the third full moon in a season that has four full moons, instead of the usual three. In folklore, it has a different definition. Instead, it is the second full moon in a calendar month.

But can a blue moon be blue?

Blue coloured blue moon, taken using a camera filter
Image from NASA

The answer is YES!!!

NASA Science News has an article talking about the appearance of an actual blue moon in Indonesia back in 1883, when volcano Krakatoa's erupted and shot ashes into the atmosphere,

Some of the ash-clouds were filled with particles about 1 micron (one millionth of a meter) wide--the right size to strongly scatter red light, while allowing other colors to pass. White moonbeams shining through the clouds emerged blue, and sometimes green.

Flour suspended in water appears to be blue
because only scattered light reaches the
viewer and blue light is scattered by the flour
particles more strongly than red.
Image and caption from Wikipedia

I'm suspecting this is the same concept as why the sky is blue -- the Tyndall Effect, and I will talk about that in a future post. For now, I just want to dedicate a song to Mr. Neil Armstrong, the first man on moon.

Neil Armstrong -- First Man on the Moon
Image from littlegreenfootballs

R.I.P. Mr. Neil Armstrong. I will wink at the moon whenever I think about you.

Once In A Blue Moon by Mabel Mercer, from the House M.D. original soundtrack.

Lyrics:

Image from tunewiki

"It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small." -- Neil Armstrong

Vocabulary:
once in a blue moon -- not very often
folklore -- (n)[U] the traditional stories and culture of a group of people
erupt -- (vb)[I] When a volcano erupts, it explodes and flames and rocks come out of it
micron  -- (n)[C] one millionth of a meter


Resources:

Hiscock, P. (1999) Folklore of the "Blue Moon"
http://www.ips-planetarium.org/?page=a_hiscock1999


Clayton Hardiman urges us all to wink at the moon @ MLive.com
http://www.mlive.com/opinion/muskegon/index.ssf/2012/09/clayton_hardiman_urges_us_all.html

Clayton Hardiman: #Wink at the Moon. ICY Neil Armstrong @ MLive.com
http://www.mlive.com/opinion/muskegon/index.ssf/2012/09/clayton_hardiman_46.html

Blue moon @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_moon

Blue Moon @ NASA Science
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2004/07jul_bluemoon/

House M.D. - Once In A Blue Moon by Mabel Mercer @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIH0bPelZtU

Once in a blue moon - Mabel Mercer @ Tunewiki
http://www.tunewiki.com/lyrics/mabel-mercer/once-in-a-blue-moon

Apnea @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apnea

Study Shows Half of All Women Found to Have Mild-to-Severe Sleep Apnea @ksee24 news
http://www.ksee24.com/news/local/Study-Shows-Half-of-All-Women-Found-to-Have-Mild-to-Severe-Sleep-Apnea-169108686.html

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/once-in-a-blue-moon?q=once+in+a+blue+moon#once-in-a-blue-moon__1
http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/blue?q=once+in+a+blue+moon#blue__31
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/folklore?q=folklore+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/erupt_1?q=erupt+