25 December 2006
24 December 2006
17 December 2006
LIquid Treatment for body Armor
makes bullets bounce off...
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/270470/liquid_armor/
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/270470/liquid_armor/
The Metal Storm Gun
Amazing gun with no moving parts. Sends a wall of bullets out.
3 bullets leave the handgun version even BEFORE recaoil starts.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/310622/fire_power/
3 bullets leave the handgun version even BEFORE recaoil starts.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/310622/fire_power/
06 December 2006
Colorgrams: 3d With your Inkjet Printer
This site shows you how to make 3D images off your inkjet printer.
The work of Willard Wigan, MicroSculptor
Above is a picture of a sculpture done on an eyelash attached to the head of a needle, done by artist Willard Wigan
24 November 2006
21 November 2006
The Real Drift-King
A Youtube video titled The Teal Drift-King. I have to say... the guy has skills!
15 November 2006
Parking Paris : Le guide pratique du stationnement à Paris
Parking Paris is a website showing the parking lots in Paris. Rather helpful for the traveller who is driving in the city. INcidentally, the idea that you can't dive in Paris is false... If you can drive in New York City you can drive in Paris.
Google Earth in 4D
» Google Earth in 4D allows a bit of time travel by superimposing historical maps onto satellite imagery, as described in this ZDNet article.
03 November 2006
The future of 3D video
An article from Endgagdet with a video on the Cheoptics360 system, which allows viewing of live video in real time in 360 degrees.
02 November 2006
Will It Blend?
Belndtec Mixers presents Will It Blend? a seriesa of DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME videos where they but everything into a blender from marbles to a rake.
01 November 2006
Better Than Blood?
OxyCyte is a liquid carrier for oxygen that may do its job better than our own blood, as the article from Poular Science shows.
27 October 2006
20 October 2006
Self Controlling Traffic Lights
An interesting paper on self controlling traffic light. A bit technical but rather interesting.
07 October 2006
Droolworthy Designer speakers
From the New Scientist Invention blog comes an intersting idea for designer speakers.
Ultimate body armour
From the New Scientist Invention blog comes an article about body armour that is capable of stopping sharp pointed rounds, including armor piercing bullets.
Invisible drone
From the New Scientist Invention blog, comes an article on invisible drones and how that invisilbility is achieved.
05 October 2006
28 September 2006
Technology and the Pursuit of Happiness
An article from DamnIntersting.com about Technology and the Pursuit of Happiness.
18 September 2006
14 September 2006
Lustron Homes
A series of articles on Lustron Homes, prefab homes meant to be the home of the future, made entirely of steel. Though only 2,500 or so of these homes were built, they have stood the test of time.
With thanks to C. Junceau for the introduction.
12 September 2006
LED Shirts
Particularly interesting for the fact that the LEDs are integrated into the fabric, and do not interfere witht he flexibility of the fabric.
With thanks to C. Junceau for the link.
With thanks to C. Junceau for the link.
11 September 2006
08 September 2006
Droolworthy GPS Device
From Sony comes a new GPS Device that tracks your the location of the pictures you took on a trip.
05 September 2006
Flight Patterns
Videos of flight patterns over the United States, based on real data, then computerized and extrapolated. Updated images based on better algorithms are also available.
Finch & Co.
The Finch's specialize in Wunderkammer (Cabinet of Curiousities) objects such as this table made from an elephant's ear:
Other items of similar nature can be found on their website, like "A mummified cat and two dogs," and a model of a three masted schooner made entirely of cloves.
Other items of similar nature can be found on their website, like "A mummified cat and two dogs," and a model of a three masted schooner made entirely of cloves.
Dionisio Minaggio's Feather Book
Dionisio Minaggio, Chief Gardener of Milan, created 157 collages of birds, hunters, tradesmen, musicians and Commedia del’Arte figures for his Feather Book. The book's pictures are composed entirely of birds' feathers in their natural, undyed colours. The Feather Book contains some of the earliest efforts to depict behaviour rather than simply showing the birds sitting in profile. The non-bird images are more elaborate.
To learn more, see Eleanor MacLean's article presented as a part of a feather Art Cymposium. An excerpt: "Feather art was first introduced to Europe by the Spanish explorers who had traveled to Brazil, Mexico and Peru. The majority of these works (with the exception of Philip II’s shield) are ecclesiastical in subject and use tiny feathers to imitate embroidery work. There is some suggestion that Minaggio drew his inspiration from the San Carlo Mitre which is now in Milan Cathedral. But Minaggio uses feathers of different sizes, cut to the appropriate shape and glued to a paper foundation. Minaggio seems to have been the only artist who created primarily secular scenes. What is certain is that no similar collection exists anywhere else and that this represents possibly the oldest preserved bird skins in existence, which makes them of importance taxonomically as well as artistically."
Dionisio Minaggio, Gardener to the Governor of Milan was the creator, and he made [this book] in the year 1618 156
03 September 2006
Little people
Pictures from an art project consisting of "little hand-painted people, left in London to fend for themselves."
How to Eat a Zebra in 40 Minutes
A series of still photos showing a brief hunt by lionesses then eating a zebra. Not particularly gory, and they are beautiful photos.
30 August 2006
Caterpillars are cool
Until you get a Bird-cherry Ermine infestation that is. The site also tells you more about the catepillars, and has links to photos of other infestations.
Space Shuttle Pics
Unfortunately I do not have a photo credit for these picutres, but they certainly are beautiful.
How to Speak 19th Century and Baltimorese
How to Speak early 19th Century. Compare and contrast with The Seigles' Dictionary of Baltimorese.
29 August 2006
Armor of God PJs
For my readers who are Christian faithful, here is the Armor of God Pajamas for children.
28 August 2006
Pictures of 9/11
From Bill Biggart, a journalist on the scene who did not survive the falling of the Twin Towers. Note the navigation links on the site to other photographers at the scene as well.
The Rising Costs of Keeping Cool
For those of us whose electric bills have soared from air conditioning in the hot summer, comes an article about what to do about it this winter: Store ice in a pit during winter to keep your house cool all next summer!
O.k., o.k. so maybe that is not so practical... BUT a new Chinese device the size of a cell phone will cut down those AC costs. Pretty ingenious.
O.k., o.k. so maybe that is not so practical... BUT a new Chinese device the size of a cell phone will cut down those AC costs. Pretty ingenious.
Penn and Teller Are Free!
A blog page that links to all 23 full episodes of Penn and Teller's Showtime series, Bullshit, free for your viewing pleasure.
Video of a Scam
This scam supposedly originated in Russia. A rather interesting use of misdirection on someone succeptible.
27 August 2006
The Ariel Atom
Top Gear's review of the Ariel Atom. 300 HP car that does better than the Ferrari Enzo - 0 to 60 in 2.9 seconds. The driver's expressions and descriptions are truly priceless. Buy one but be sure get life insurance first.
Hot Library Smut
From the nonist's blog, comes Hot Library Smut. To quote: "What I’m talking about here is the full-frontal objectification of the library itself" and not National Geographic spreads of natives... you cheeky bum-looker!
10,000 Reasons Civilization is Doomed
10,000 Reasons Civilization is Doomed is a webiste that sets out to list, exactly what it states. I don't beleive that they are in order, and currently there are only 2,381 reasons.
25 August 2006
24 August 2006
Superlative Signage
Neat Camouflage
The Marines painting this CH-53 SuperStallion must have heard a rumor that Muslim men are supposed to commit suicide if they see a woman naked...
21 August 2006
19 August 2006
Massive / Interesting LEGO Structures
First is a LEGO construct of a church that took a year and a half to build. See more pics at the website for The Abston Church of Christ.
And another massive LEGO structure, this time an aircraft carrier entirely made of Lego.
The aircraft carrier actually separates and you can see all the details inside, such as the aircraft storage hanger:
And a couple from LEGOland in California:
The LEGOLand site has many other cool pics of structures and projects, including ones of the World Trade Center's Freedom Tower (Liebskin's).
But this post wouldn't be complete without an interesting video of a much smaller construct. the LEGO marble carousel, that is set apart by its movement.
And another massive LEGO structure, this time an aircraft carrier entirely made of Lego.
The aircraft carrier actually separates and you can see all the details inside, such as the aircraft storage hanger:
And a couple from LEGOland in California:
The LEGOLand site has many other cool pics of structures and projects, including ones of the World Trade Center's Freedom Tower (Liebskin's).
But this post wouldn't be complete without an interesting video of a much smaller construct. the LEGO marble carousel, that is set apart by its movement.
18 August 2006
Fetus being removed from a man's stomach
Definitely not for the faint of heart / squeamish. This is a video of an Indian man having the fetus in his stomach removed. The fetus is the man's dead twin that has been with him since birth but never developed.
Ads from the Early 20th Century
Ad*Access is a collection of ads from the first half of the 20th Century, sorted into Beauty and Hygiene, Radio, Televsion, Transportation and World War II ads. Rather interesting for those interested int he history of advertising.
Grigori Perelman and the Poincare Conjecture
Wikipedia articles on the reclusive mathematician Grigori Perelman and his solution to the Poincaire Conjecture, one of the great math mysteries that mathematicians have focused on since a proven solution was found Fermat's Last Theorem by Andrew Wiles.
The Body Farm
To advance the study of forensics, Western Carolina University plans a "body farm" where decay, and the effects of dismemberment by various methods can be studied.
13 August 2006
Paper Sculptures
Two sites that deal with turning paper into three dimensional sculputres and objects. The first link is to Richard Sweeney's Flickr photoset of paper sculptures that are at once organic and intricate. Icosohedron II is pictured above. His other photosets are worth exploring as well.
http://www.oncotton.co.uk/peter/index.html. A detail of his work, Distant Wish, is below. He does other sizes as well and it is interesting to explore his site.
10 August 2006
Toughing Out a Traffic Jam at 12,000 Feet
From the New York Times, comes an article about truckers Toughing It Out in a Traffic Jam at 12,000 Feet in teh Andes, with about 5,000 trucks ahead of you waiting for the weather to clear.
Hellboy 2
For those of you who enjoyed Hellboy, like I did, here are some Hellboy 2 Plot Details from Cinematical.
West Point thesis challenges military's gay policy
An article from the Northwest Florida Daily Newsabout a West Point thesis that challenges military's gay policy and won an award.
An Earthquake So Violent It Shook Gravity
The NY Times reports that GRACE, a pair of satellites orbiting the Earth tracking and mapping Earth's gravitational pull and climate, recorded an earthqauke so violent it shook gravity just before before the great Tsunami of 2004. Apparently, earth's gravity is not an even constant over the entire globe.
09 August 2006
Pamukkale
The Wikipedia article on Pamukkale (Turkish meaning "Cotton Castles"), a mineral spa that is rather spectacular. Click on the Stromboli link on the bottom for more pictures.
08 August 2006
Floating bed
From Yahoo! News comes an article about a designer who has created a floating bed, that can also double as a dining table etc.
Thanks to C. Junceau for the lead.
Thanks to C. Junceau for the lead.
07 August 2006
Naoshima: Japan's "Art Island"
A Flickr photoset of Naoshima an island in Japan that features art and architecture.
Bump keying
A somewhat unnerving video of bump keying, a process by which it seems most cylinder locks will open with a key blank and a good jolt.
You are what you like
An interesting site that tells you a little bit about your personality based on a series of choices of photos that you are given to choose from. After doing a bunch of pictures click on the brain to see what things it will tell you!
The Best Excrement Disposal Accessories
An interesting review of Excrement Disposal Accessories (i.e. toilets) that are high tech, strange, or just, uh, interesting.
Idiot's Guide to Neural Networks
So you've watched Star Trek The Next Generation, and you love Data, the android, and have always wondered what makes his brain tick. A neural net we are told... Surely that is just fiction? Well a quick websearch tells you that neural networks are not fiction, but getting someone to tell you about them in English is really, lreally hard! Well, Richard Bowles' Idiot's Guide to Neural Networks tells you about these computer models that are based on the neurons in the human brain which scientists make behave intelligently and learn from experience. For the true geek there are computer models that you can upload to see them in action.
03 August 2006
The Megapixel Myth
An article by Ken Rockwell called "The Megapixel Myth" which talks about why sometimes more megapixels isn't necessarily better in digital cameras depending on your use and printing ability.
Rainbow Gallery
This is the Rainbow Image Gallery from a site called Atmospheric Optics which is interesting because it talks about all kinds of different atmospheric effects, from sundogs, to moonbows to rays and shadows. It is also takes the time to describe the actual atmospheric phonomenon and what causes it.
The gallery also has a great picture of nacreous or "mother of pearl" clouds in Antartica, which has been in the news as of late for their surreal look.
The gallery also has a great picture of nacreous or "mother of pearl" clouds in Antartica, which has been in the news as of late for their surreal look.
02 August 2006
Free movies and films online
These are older movies and films available online legally as they have fallen out of copyright.
The Alliance to Rescue Civilization
A somewhat operatic name, but one that seems to have some legs. The Alliance to Rescue Civilization's purpose is to ensure human survival should the earth be destroyed and was just featured in a NY Times article.
Iron Man Beware! Exoskeletons, Future Soldiers and Liquid Armor
A news article from NY1 about a powered exoskeleton developed in Japan which allows the user to lift 10 times his original ability. Be sure to click on the link to the video.
On a similar note, check out the Wikipedia article on powered exoskeletons / armor, and an article from The Engineer on future soldier soldier programs across the globe, including the US Army's Integrate Future Force Warrior project.
Speaking of armor, from BusinessWeek, comes an article about liquid armor. Early next year Armor Holdings Inc. aims to start selling "liquid armor" -- garments constructed from layers of tough fibers and fluid polymers.
Abstracted: Today's body armor is composed of 20 to 30 layers of synthetic fibers and is bulky and can't stop high-velocity bullets, or all bomb fragments. Armor Holdings' product is a liquid that stiffens instantly into a shield when hit hard by an object and reverts to its liquid state just as fast when the energy from the projectile dissipates. Armor Holdings' new vests, in which the substance would be sandwiched between layers of ballistic fibers, would be lighter than current versions, which weigh four pounds or more. Liquid armor seems tailor-made for combat personnel or police, but it can also protect from stabbings, something even a top-of-the-line bulletproof vest can't do.
On a similar note, check out the Wikipedia article on powered exoskeletons / armor, and an article from The Engineer on future soldier soldier programs across the globe, including the US Army's Integrate Future Force Warrior project.
Speaking of armor, from BusinessWeek, comes an article about liquid armor. Early next year Armor Holdings Inc. aims to start selling "liquid armor" -- garments constructed from layers of tough fibers and fluid polymers.
Abstracted: Today's body armor is composed of 20 to 30 layers of synthetic fibers and is bulky and can't stop high-velocity bullets, or all bomb fragments. Armor Holdings' product is a liquid that stiffens instantly into a shield when hit hard by an object and reverts to its liquid state just as fast when the energy from the projectile dissipates. Armor Holdings' new vests, in which the substance would be sandwiched between layers of ballistic fibers, would be lighter than current versions, which weigh four pounds or more. Liquid armor seems tailor-made for combat personnel or police, but it can also protect from stabbings, something even a top-of-the-line bulletproof vest can't do.
Global Birth and Death Rate
An interesting graphical representation of how fast the population of the world is growing by showing births and deaths.
Napoleon and the Google Microsoft war
An interesting article by an electrical engineer about how history can teach and inform about current events. Specifically, the article addresses the current war between Microsoft and Google and Napoleon's military strategies.
Ice Sculpture
This is a video of an elaborate outdoor ice sculpture nearing completion... In fact, the video shows that all the sculptor has to do to finish is to remove 4 left over ice supports and it will be done...
Coke, Soda or Pop?
I grew up calling fizzy drinks like Coca Cola "pop" and was rather interested to know that in the US some call it soda or just Coke (regardless of the actual drink). Here is a map that shows who calls it what and where in the US (click on the map for a larger, more readable version).
The original site's version of the map is interactive, showing the splits in the counties after you click on the state on the map.
The original site's version of the map is interactive, showing the splits in the counties after you click on the state on the map.
Long Exposure Penlight Animations
These pictures from a Japanese blog show long exposures capturing people with penlights making freehand animations.
31 July 2006
MIT researchers watch brain in action
A newsclip from the MIT News office about their researchers being able to watch neurons interacting in the brain of a live animal in response to an expereince for the first time.
Make Your Own Coke!
Coca-Cola that is. This is an article from the Guardian which tells of the story of two people setting out to do just that, and the recipe that they end up with to do it. Neat, but in the end easier to go buy a can prolly.
The Segway Centaur
The new Centaur concept is a 4 wheeled concept vehicle from Segway. Be sure to check out the video link on the page to see it in action.
The Big Bang – 4 Common Misconceptions
This is an excellent article, The Big Bang – Common Misconceptions, from The Angry Astronomer's blog. A nice summary of the beginning of our universe.
28 July 2006
27 July 2006
materialise.MGX v 1.0
materialise.MGX v 1.0
combines art and technology by using Rapid Manufacturing to produce this series of exceptional Design goods. Our exclusive products are created through 3d printing, prototyping techniques - stereolithography and selective laser sintering - that offer almost unlimited freedom of design. Our aim is to unleash a new era of mass customised design . Our 15y experience with RP technology and software enables us to meet the customer's wildest dreams for mass-customised consumer products. With today's high-performance computed 3D softwares , systems and the increasing usage of unlimited e-communication we can undoubtedly fulfil our end user's design and manufacture requirements. .MGX operates both as a Service bureau and a Brand Collection, We provide solutions for other manufacturers, by producing individualized series of products for the design, art, fashion, interior, cosmetics and NSA architecture market.
Magics The Materialise software guides designers through their product development process. The CAD file of the design should first be transformed into a STL-file to make the use of rapid prototyping techniques accessible. Magics, our indoor developed software, turns the original file into an STL-file and offers a whole range of functions to correct any mistakes that may be created during the conversion. To assist with the preparation of files for the rapid prototyping process, Magics uses very advanced and automated functions. Magics is an indispensable software tool that helps to achieve high-quality rapid-prototyping objects.
combines art and technology by using Rapid Manufacturing to produce this series of exceptional Design goods. Our exclusive products are created through 3d printing, prototyping techniques - stereolithography and selective laser sintering - that offer almost unlimited freedom of design. Our aim is to unleash a new era of mass customised design . Our 15y experience with RP technology and software enables us to meet the customer's wildest dreams for mass-customised consumer products. With today's high-performance computed 3D softwares , systems and the increasing usage of unlimited e-communication we can undoubtedly fulfil our end user's design and manufacture requirements. .MGX operates both as a Service bureau and a Brand Collection, We provide solutions for other manufacturers, by producing individualized series of products for the design, art, fashion, interior, cosmetics and NSA architecture market.
Magics The Materialise software guides designers through their product development process. The CAD file of the design should first be transformed into a STL-file to make the use of rapid prototyping techniques accessible. Magics, our indoor developed software, turns the original file into an STL-file and offers a whole range of functions to correct any mistakes that may be created during the conversion. To assist with the preparation of files for the rapid prototyping process, Magics uses very advanced and automated functions. Magics is an indispensable software tool that helps to achieve high-quality rapid-prototyping objects.
26 July 2006
24 July 2006
Nifty display shelf
The "Illume" LED display shelf which lights up when you put something on it. There is a link to a video of it.
23 July 2006
Birds in Pictures
This is an extensive index of pictures of birds compiled by Mark Chappelle Professor & Vice Chair of Physiology, Evolutionary Biology at the University of California Riverside. Click on the name of a bird and get a large pic of it, such as this Mandarin Duck:
Tornado Illuminated by a Bolt of Lightning
This picture was taken by a Fred Smith several years ago in Melbourne Florida (vertified as real via National Weather Service Forecast Office).
Print A Plane
From NewScientistTech.com, comes an article about Lockheed Martin's Skunkworks project: a plane made from printed parts. While making an entire plane using this technology is new, the technology itself is not.
I was lucky enough to see a demonstration of this kind of tech way back in 2000 at the Specialty Equipment Manufacturer Association's (SEMA) show in Las Vegas with a company called Zcorp who had a printer there. They were there printing out parts using one of these printers, which is essentially an inkjet printer that instead of dispensing ink, dispenses a layer of material onto a platform that then lowers microscopically to allow the next layer to be built up until eventually you would get something like:
(A model of a Ford engine block with colored material used to illustrate stress or heat points)
At the time these models would then be made permanent with a resin bath. I am assuming that the Skunk Work one is using more advanced technology.
I was lucky enough to see a demonstration of this kind of tech way back in 2000 at the Specialty Equipment Manufacturer Association's (SEMA) show in Las Vegas with a company called Zcorp who had a printer there. They were there printing out parts using one of these printers, which is essentially an inkjet printer that instead of dispensing ink, dispenses a layer of material onto a platform that then lowers microscopically to allow the next layer to be built up until eventually you would get something like:
(A model of a Ford engine block with colored material used to illustrate stress or heat points)
At the time these models would then be made permanent with a resin bath. I am assuming that the Skunk Work one is using more advanced technology.
Meet Anna Konda
An article about Anna Konda, the robotic firefighter, a romobot that is powered by water from a firehose that imitates a snake, but has enough power to knock down walls to get into where it is needed, yet small and versatile enough to get to trapped miners to feed oxygen, etc.
12 July 2006
Neat Picture Composite
A neat interactive picture that is a composite of other pictures that themselves are composite of other pictures, in and endless loop. Rather neat!
10 July 2006
Robotany
If it looks like a tree, it must be a robot: Robotany is a collaborative whose focus is to combine nature and robotics. Breeze, the first installation of Robotany, is an ambient robot inhabiting the body of a japanese maple that can visually sense and react through 360 degrees, allowing her to reach out to you and others whenever you are near. This is not a dancing bush, the motion is subtle and artistic, and at the same time, surreal.
27 June 2006
The 10 Weirdest Things Ever Sold On eBay
The 10 Weirdest Things Ever Sold On eBay according to Rob Lee from Collage.
Kathleen Connally's Photos
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A beautiful selection of favorite photographs from Kathleen Connally's photoblog of her walks through Durham Township, PA.
Scientists respond to Gore's "Inconvenient Truth"
Turns out that the hundreds of scientists respond to Al Gore's warnings of climate catastrophe in the movie An Inconvenient Truth aren't supportive of his views at all.
Richard Attenborough video of an amazing mimicking bird
This is a video of Richard Attenborough showing the audience an amazing bird that mimics all sorts of bird calls as well as sounds from the human world: car alarms, jack hammers, etc.
The insidious life cycle of Ribeiroia
DamnInteresting.com's article Products of Pollution? focuses on Ribeiroia, a fascinating parasite that changes hosts many times over, and more interestingly causes deformities in its hosts to guarantee its survival.
The Confederados
From DamnInteresting.com comes an interesting article for our history buffs about The Confederados, a colony started by expatriate Confederates who left America for Brazil after the civil war.
23 June 2006
Maillardet's Automaton
Maillardet's Automaton is an 18th Century automaton that is located in Philadelphia's Franklin Institute. Looking like a person, the automaton will draw four complex drawings and write two poems.
Black Sun
From Earth Science's Picture of the Day comes a series of pictures of the Black Sun phenomenon. "During spring in Denmark, at approximately one half an hour before sunset, flocks of more than a million European starlings (sturnus vulgaris) gather from all corners to join in...incredible formations...This phenomenon is called Black Sun" and the flocks can be so dens that the sun is completely eclipsed.
Skidmore Owings and Merrill's Innovative Skyscrapers
This article from the Architectural Record shows that SOM still is making innovations in skyscraper architecture, despite the horribly bland Freedom Tower offering that they have given the World Trade Center. Unfortunately, these innovations are all outside of the USA.
Archimedes and Infinity
From the Stanford Report article over 4 years ago, that a palimpsest that has the only known copy of Archimedes The Method of Mechanical Theorems shows that the great thinker already had a firm concept of infinity and that modern calculus is a rehash.
Magnetic Fields for Microchips
The University of Bath is starting research to replace wiring on computer chips with microwave energy created by magnetic fields. If successful the research could increase computing power over 500 times.
See a need fill a need... The Commute Helper
An edited article from Personal Finance Advice:
A man helps people have a smooth and quick commute by standing at the freeway entrance and held up a sign that said, "Traffic is bad. Spend 2 hours or pay me $10 and get there in 20 minutes" then sitting in their cars so that they can use the carpool lane. When he gets dropped off, he walked to the other side, holds up his sign and gets paid to go back the other way. On a typical day he makes 2 to 3 round trips during the morning commute rush hour and 3 - 5 round trips during the evening rush hour. If there is an accident and traffic is really slow, his price doubles. He clears $100 - $300 a day sitting in a car so others can get to work and home faster.
A man helps people have a smooth and quick commute by standing at the freeway entrance and held up a sign that said, "Traffic is bad. Spend 2 hours or pay me $10 and get there in 20 minutes" then sitting in their cars so that they can use the carpool lane. When he gets dropped off, he walked to the other side, holds up his sign and gets paid to go back the other way. On a typical day he makes 2 to 3 round trips during the morning commute rush hour and 3 - 5 round trips during the evening rush hour. If there is an accident and traffic is really slow, his price doubles. He clears $100 - $300 a day sitting in a car so others can get to work and home faster.
Message in a Bottle Found 10 Years Later
From WLTX News19: A Wisconsin man has received an unexpected message from a deceased friend -- in a bottle floating in a lake.
Steve Lieder was chatting with friends near White Lake when he looked down and saw a bottle. They broke it open and found a note. Lieder was amazed to find it was written eleven years ago by one of his closest friends, who died last year.
Joshua Baker was ten years old when he wrote the message for a school project, stuck it in a bottle and tossed it in the lake.
The note reads: 'My name is Josh Baker. I am 10. If you find this, put it on the news. The date is 4/16/95.'
Baker died last year in a traffic accident in California. His mother says he had recently returned home after serving in the Marines in the Middle East. She plans to display the note in her home."
Steve Lieder was chatting with friends near White Lake when he looked down and saw a bottle. They broke it open and found a note. Lieder was amazed to find it was written eleven years ago by one of his closest friends, who died last year.
Joshua Baker was ten years old when he wrote the message for a school project, stuck it in a bottle and tossed it in the lake.
The note reads: 'My name is Josh Baker. I am 10. If you find this, put it on the news. The date is 4/16/95.'
Baker died last year in a traffic accident in California. His mother says he had recently returned home after serving in the Marines in the Middle East. She plans to display the note in her home."
Fossils
An article from the Great Falls tribune article about a Brachylophosaurus fossil called Leonardo that is so perfectly preserved that they not only can see its skin, soft cartilage beak, but also its internal organs and the contents of its last meal. Scientists are using new technology that allows them to examine this fossil, discovered five years ago, in superb detail without taking it from the surrounding rock.
On a related note, an article from NewScientist.com reveales the oldest spider web found encased in amber.
On a related note, an article from NewScientist.com reveales the oldest spider web found encased in amber.
The AIBO is dead, long live the AIBO!
An article from Engadget about Sony teaching AIBO, its robotic dog, new tricks at its labs in France. Certainly has a bit of an I Robot tenor to the whole thing, but it is still fascinating that independent units can be taught to learn and teach each other.
A related article, from The Engineer Online, speaks of the technology behind what made the Sony experiments possible -- allowing robots to "evolve their own language, bypassing the limits of imposing human rule-based communication."
An edited excerpt from the article: "The most important aspect is how it learns to communicate and interact. The AIBO dogs start from scratch to develop the language structures and common agreements on words to describe objects. The researchers achieved this through instilling their robots with a sense of ‘curiosity.’
Initially programmed to merely recognise stimuli from their sensors, the AIBOs learnt to distinguish between objects and how to interact with them over the course of several hours or days. The curiosity system, or ‘metabrain,’ continually forced the AIBOs to look for new and more challenging tasks, and to give up on activities that did not appear to lead anywhere. This in turn led them to learn how to perform more complex tasks, an indication of an open-ended learning capability much like that of human children.
Like children, the AIBOs initially started babbling aimlessly until two or more settled on a sound to describe an object or aspect of their environment, gradually building a lexicon and grammatical rules through which to communicate."
A related article, from The Engineer Online, speaks of the technology behind what made the Sony experiments possible -- allowing robots to "evolve their own language, bypassing the limits of imposing human rule-based communication."
An edited excerpt from the article: "The most important aspect is how it learns to communicate and interact. The AIBO dogs start from scratch to develop the language structures and common agreements on words to describe objects. The researchers achieved this through instilling their robots with a sense of ‘curiosity.’
Initially programmed to merely recognise stimuli from their sensors, the AIBOs learnt to distinguish between objects and how to interact with them over the course of several hours or days. The curiosity system, or ‘metabrain,’ continually forced the AIBOs to look for new and more challenging tasks, and to give up on activities that did not appear to lead anywhere. This in turn led them to learn how to perform more complex tasks, an indication of an open-ended learning capability much like that of human children.
Like children, the AIBOs initially started babbling aimlessly until two or more settled on a sound to describe an object or aspect of their environment, gradually building a lexicon and grammatical rules through which to communicate."
22 June 2006
The Deepest Hole
From DamnInteresting.com comes an article about the Kola Superdeep Borehole, a scientific project that ended 8 years ago in Russia after having drilled ever seven miles into the Earth's crust.
Your Gallery
Your Gallery is art world magnate Charles Saatchi's attempt to introduce new artists to the world. It allows any artist to upload up to 8 pics of their work onto the site to be exposed to the 1.7 million daily visitors.
Toolhaus.org
Toolhaus.org provides an interesting tool that will automatically summarize an eBay user's negatives and gather them for easy reference.
Thanks to Phil Reid for the heads up!
Thanks to Phil Reid for the heads up!
15 June 2006
Smart paper Bends with electrical current
From New Scientist Tech, an article about paper that has a thin coating of gold that will bend and flap with electricity. Seen as a way to get ligtweight cameras into the skies.
13 June 2006
Origami Tessellations
A Flickr account of Origami Tessellations, which are constructions made out of smaller origami units.
Transformer Houses
A post from BLDGBLOG on Transformer Houses in Toronto, which are, as the post notes, "architecturally-disguised electrical substations, complete with windows, blinds, and bourgeois landscaping."
12 June 2006
Diet Coke and Mentos as inspired by the Bellagio fountain
So we all know what happens when you put Mentos into Diet Coke by now -- that single shooting geyser is pretty cool, right? And most of us know or have some idea what the Bellagio Fountain in Las Vegas is like:
Sooooo... What happens when you combine the two?
Sooooo... What happens when you combine the two?
09 June 2006
Remote Control Airplane Video
A fun video from YouTube of an R/C plane demonstration in a school gym nicely synchronized to music.
Felice Varini and The Denial of Perspective
Further to the earlier post on the optical illusions webpage is this post on a modern op-artist, Felice Varini who creates seemingly flat planes in three dimensions. Varini's art essentially does the opposite of what Renaissance artists sought to achieve in understanding perspective -- the creation the illusion of three dimensions on a flat plane. As can be seen in The Denial of Perspective, when the viewer is at the right angle, her artwork coalesces into a floating flat plane.
Another example is from her website, which has her works listed in a chronological index, a work from 2000 called "Ellipse orange, évidées par 7 disques":
When seen outside of the proper point of view, you realize that there is no object that exists in that plane, only clevery painted surfaces that come together at the right point:
Her webpage also offers some interesting unrealized projects.
Another example is from her website, which has her works listed in a chronological index, a work from 2000 called "Ellipse orange, évidées par 7 disques":
When seen outside of the proper point of view, you realize that there is no object that exists in that plane, only clevery painted surfaces that come together at the right point:
Her webpage also offers some interesting unrealized projects.
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