Brant Widgeon is an Astronomical Image Enhancement Engineer. Many people are surprised to hear everything that goes into making the beautiful celestial images that have brought us so much awe and wonder. One of the most technically difficult parts of Brant's job however is dealing with space cats.
YouTube link
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Should They Claim?
Nowadays it seems that whenever someone hurts themselves they say 'I'm gonna sue' or 'I think I may have got whiplash.' As a result insurance premiums go up and everyone gets screwed. Should They Claim? is a game that aims to put an end to the culture, by separating the real accidents from the fakes.
(thanks Will)
Gorillas Grin Like Us, But Mean Something Different
Psychologists from the University of Portsmouth have published a paper suggesting gorillas use human-like facial expressions to communicate moods with one another. Not only that, but two of the expressions, both of which resemble grinning, could show the origins of the human smile.
One, a 'play face,' featuring an open mouth and showing no teeth, denotes a playful mood, usually accompanied with physical contact. Another, which is open-mouthed and displaying top teeth, could be a submissive smile - as it mixes the play face and a bared-teeth expression, which indicates appeasement.
Bled Island In Slovenia
Bled is a town in Slovenia and is a popular tourist destination for its scenic beauty. The town is particularly popular for the glacial Lake Bled. In the middle of the lake is Slovenia's only natural island. The island has several buildings, the main one being the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary, built in the 15th century.
Despite being tiny in size, Bled Island has attracted humans since the prehistoric ages. Archeologists have discovered traces of prehistoric human settlements dating back to the 11th century BC. On the island 124 graves with skeletons from the 9th to the 11th century were also found.
Clever Things To Make At Home
Some industrious or crafty people choose to make gifts instead of buy them from a store. This DIY mentality is nothing new, as these plans from 'Popular Mechanics' issues of 1939 to 1954 show.
(via Everlasting Blort)
22 Incredibly Old Living Things
Rachel Sussman has been traveling the world for the past few years photographing some of the oldest living things on Earth. Here's a look at some of what she's found.
Rachel Sussman's website.
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Animated History Of Aviation
A brief history of aviation in 3D animation. While there are many contributions to aviation that could not be included, this video shows many of the substantial advancements that propelled aviation to what it has become today.
YouTube link
(thanks Cora)
YouTube link
(thanks Cora)
Coulrophobia - Are You Afraid of Clowns?
Did you find Heath Ledger as The Joker scary? Then perhaps you suffer from coulrophobia, the abnormal fear of clowns. Why do so many people find clowns scary? Only a few years ago the Bestival Festival on the Isle of Wight in the UK had to rethink its plans. Each year there is a theme and they thought they would follow up their successful cowboy theme with one based around clowns.
They had so many phone calls from adult ticket holders complaining that they would no longer be able to come because of their fear of clowns that the organizers had to rethink the theme. If you are afraid of clowns, don't read this article.
Extraordinary Inventions: Victorian-Era Prank Machines
At the beginning of the twentieth century, 40 percent of American men belonged to a fraternal lodge, and they were hazing their newbies with squirting goats, spanking machines, electric chairs and carpets, and the like. Nearly all their prank devices came via catalogs published by the makers, the DeMoulin Brothers Company, from 1896-1930.
Embodiments of fraternal mischief, the prank machines were inventions of three sons of a French immigrant carriage builder in Western Illinois. The DeMoulins were among America's high-tech geeks and makers at the peak of the 'Golden Age of Invention.'
Borgund Stave Church
The Borgund Stave Church is a church located in Borgund, Lærdal, Norway. It is classified as a triple nave stave church of the so-called Sogn-type. The church was built sometime between 1180 and 1250 CE with later additions and restorations. Its walls are formed by vertical wooden boards, or staves, hence the name.
The floor plan of this church resembles that of a central plan, double-shelled Greek cross with an apse attached to one end in place of the fourth arm. The entries to the church are in the three arms of the almost-cross. Rapid City in South Dakota, USA has an exact reproduction of the famous church.
Flying People In New York City
Three human shaped RC planes were flown around New York City to create the illusion of people flying. It's a marketing stunt to promote the February 3 release of the movie Chronicle.
YouTube link
(thanks Miss Rare)
YouTube link
(thanks Miss Rare)
6 Injuries For The Modern Era
Ever heard of a text neck, a Blackberry thumb, a Wii wrist, or a iPad shoulder? Our shiny new gadgets are proving once again that human beings are really easily breakable.
Formula 1: A Look Back Through The Premier Class Of Racing
The popularity of Formula One racing has grown to a point where it's now attracting a global television audience in excess of 520 million. The race meetings are attended by thousands of people who are all keen and willing to show their support for their favorite driver or team and pay a great deal of money for the privilege.
The amazing cars that you see today can reach flat out speeds of close to 220 mph (360kmh). Running a team for a year, taking in all of the races on all of the continents visited, can cost hundreds of millions of dollars. It hasn't always been this way, however, as in the early years of the 20th century when this type of racing began, there were no set classes and not a massive amount of in-depth rules. A look back through the premier class of racing.
(via Dark Roasted Blend)
Igloo Village
At the Igloo Village in Zermatt, Switzerland, guests can sleep at an altitude of 2,727 meters (8.946 ft) at the Gornergrat, right next to Switzerland's most famous mountain, the mighty Matterhorn. The Igloo village typically opens up in December with accommodations for up to 40 overnight guests. The coolest feature is surely the two outdoor jacuzzis set directly in the snow covered landscape.
(thanks Cora)
Monday, 30 January 2012
Rémi Gaillard - Radar
Rémi Gaillard is a French humorist who runs pranks on the public. This time he dressed up like a radar station to track vehicles speeds. And not just cars but also planes, trains, and even a tractor. All goes well, until the cops show up.
YouTube link
(thanks Cora)
YouTube link
(thanks Cora)
T-Rex Trying...
Tyrannosaurus rex was a very large ferocious carnivorous dinosaur of the Upper Cretaceous period. The animal had a very large head, its weight was more than six tons and it could have been more than 40 ft long. Unfortunately, it had very small forelimbs. Meaning that it failed at the most basic tasks. Like playing the guitar.
T-Rex Trying... is a tumblr blog showing the unfortunate trials of the Tyrant Lizard King.
YouTube - One Hour Per Second
A visualization from YouTube, demonstrating the sheer volume of video that's uploaded to the site every second/minute/hour/etc. Click on the little video guy to get started.
(thanks Cora)
What's Your Animal Name?
We all have an inner animal. Find out what your animal name is.
Mine is Fantasia, the Beautiful Dodo Bird.
Lego Man In Space
Two teens from Toronto, Canada, successfully launched a Lego figure into near space. Mathew Ho and Asad Muhammad, 17-year-old classmates at Agincourt Collegiate Institute, took four months and $400 to carry a Lego figurine and four cameras 78,000 feet above the earth on a homemade weather balloon.
YouTube link
YouTube link
The Most Terrible Polar Exploration Ever
Even today, with advanced foods, and radios, and insulated clothing, a journey on foot across Antarctica is one of the harshest tests a human being can be asked to endure. A hundred years ago, it was worse. Australian explorer Douglas Mawson's journey has gone down in the annals of polar exploration as probably the most terrible ever undertaken in Antarctica.
Above is the last photo of Mawson's party, taken when they left the Australasian Antarctic base camp on November 10, 1912. By January 10, 1913, two of the three men would be dead, and expedition leader Douglas Mawson would find himself exhausted, ill and still more than 160 miles from the nearest human being.
16 Weird Facts From Around The Globe
Do you know what the only royal palace used by a monarch in the U.S. is? Do you know there are European territories on the African continent? Or that the Canary Islands were named after dogs?
16 Weird Facts From Around The Globe.
(thanks Bosko)
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