Artificial People

Ordinarily, when someone describes another person as 'artificial,' they're referring to a real person who only seems fake. But occasionally the expression applies to a fake 'person' who seems real, like Apple's Siri. Did you think she was the first artificial person? Think again.

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer's Real Father

You've heard the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer but have you heard the story of his real father? Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer's father is not who you think it is. Come watch the drama unfold as Rudolph's family must deal with this estranged father as he comes back into their lives.



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Radio Around The World

Radio Garden is a browsable map of streamable radio stations around the world. You can listen to live radio all over the world by navigating an interactive globe.

15 Creepiest Vintage Toys That Would Haunt Any Children's Dreams

Here are 15 toys that would pretty much scare the crap out of most adults and possibly give you nightmares for a while.

Route 66 - Seligman

Seligman is a small cluster of houses that continues to live thanks to the Route 66 myth. The town has been reborn thanks to the Disney movie Cars. Along the road you can see the main characters of the animated film, which are the main attractions.



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(thanks Cora)

14 Incredible Holiday Light Displays

Once upon a time, you could hang up a string of lights and call your house decorated for the merriest season. But these days, LEDs, computerized Christmas lights, and projection lights have added new dimensions to decorating - and people are creating bigger and better light shows with each passing holiday season.

What Types Of Gifts Do People Value The Most?

Think about your most memorable Christmas gift. Does it put a smile or a frown on your face? As the holidays near and we get ready to purchase (and receive) gifts, Gifts.com wanted to find out what makes a good or bad gift, and how much thought people actually put into gift giving.

To find out, they surveyed 2000 people ages 18-65 and asked them the worst types of gifts they've ever received, what makes them dislike a gift and what makes them like a gift.

(thanks Alex)

Karim Sulayman - I Trust You

Karim Sulayman is a an Arab-American tenor from Chicago. Karim was at Central Park West in New York City on November 19, 2016. And did this.



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(via Everlasting Blort)

The 10 Worst Christmas Songs

Christmas songs are the best. Unless they're the worst. And to be honest, there's plenty of bullshit out there that wants to be great but simply gets stuck in the chimney like a piece of fruitcake in your throat.

But let's explore the crap that Christmas has produced, anyway. Because it's always fun to hear the worst of our culture, so we know what to avoid for all future Christmas holidays.

Leaded Gas Was A Known Poison The Day It Was Invented

image credit: Don O'Brien

For most of the mid-twentieth century, lead gasoline was considered normal. It wasn't: lead is a poison, and burning it had dire consequences. But how did it get into gasoline in the first place?

Christmas Tree Hauling

Christmas tree hauling by helicopter.



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(thanks Cora)

Ways Animals Cope With Cold

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Our winter survival skills often involve staying indoors with plenty of blankets, cocoa, and mindless TV at the ready. But wild animals don't have that luxury - they have to tough it out in the cold.

Some species pile on the layers, like the Arctic musk ox, whose soft undercoat insulates them from -50 degree Fahrenheit temperatures. Polar bears have an extra layer of fat to keep toasty. Others grow thicker fur in the fall, like white-tailed deer, and some even grow lighter coats to blend into the snow.

The Most Astonishing Pegaso

image credit Car Style Critic

Not many Pegaso automobiles were ever built during the period 1951-57 when the brand was active. Cars were a minor activity of what was essentially a Barcelona based truck manufacturer.

But from 1951 to 1958, they also produced a sports car named the Pegaso Z-102 in both coupé and spider form. The car had a design that was astonishing when it first appeared more than 60 years ago.

Bronze Casting Using The Lost-Wax Technique

The film shows the bronze casting process in an artistic yet simple method, a combination of stop motion and 2D animation.

The preparation process included a research as well as a visit in a bronze casting workshop. The head used in the film was a plaster replica of the original Hadrian's bronze statue found in Tel-Shalem, Israel.



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Photos Of Evolutionary Wonders

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When Charles Darwin examined an orchid from Madagascar with a nearly foot-long nectary, he was certain that a corresponding moth, one with an exceptionally long proboscis must exist. More than two decades after Darwin died, a moth matching this specification was identified.

This moth is one of the fascinating examples of the extraordinary ways in which plants and animals have adapted elegant solutions for survival, collected in photographer Robert Clark's new work, 'Evolution.'

The Creative And Forgotten Fire Escape Designs Of The 1800s

There were many kinds of fire escape contraptions in the 1800s and early 1900s. New household technologies such as oil and gas lamps and kitchen ranges had become commonplace, and also a common cause of fires. Consequentially, inventors came up with creative mechanisms to help escape from a burning building.

While most patents were portable variations on ropes, chutes, and ladders-on-wheels, parachute helmets and winged apparatuses leaned more towards the bizarre and ridiculous.

(via Neatorama)

China From Above

China is a vast country with a seemingly endless variety of landscapes. From the modern skylines of Shanghai and Hong Kong to the ancient city walls of Xi'an, the former capital of the 'Middle Kingdom'. Imposing rice terraces contrast with stark desert scenery, massive coal factories rub shoulders with newly built cities.



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(thanks Cora)

13 Habits Science Shows Will Help You Fall Asleep Faster And Sleep Better

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Sleep is hard, especially in a world where people spend their time busy and stressed. But not sleeping, in addition to making you less efficient and more stressed, is terrible for your health.

Fatigue leads to short and long term problems with mental and physical health. Here's what the best research out there has to say about what you can do to help yourself fall asleep.

First Dinosaur Tail Found Preserved In Amber

The tail of a 99-million-year-old dinosaur, including bones, soft tissue, and even feathers, has been found preserved in amber.

While individual dinosaur-era feathers have been found in amber, and evidence for feathered dinosaurs is captured in fossil impressions, this is the first time that scientists are able to clearly associate well-preserved feathers with a dinosaur, and in turn gain a better understanding of the evolution and structure of dinosaur feathers.

Pigeon Story: How The Rock Dove Became The Sky Rat

Street pigeons are derived from domestic pigeons that have returned to the wild. The domestic pigeon was originally bred from the wild rock dove, which naturally inhabits sea-cliffs and mountains.

Rock, domestic, and feral pigeons are all the same species and will readily interbreed. Feral pigeons find the ledges of buildings to be a substitute for sea cliffs, have become adapted to urban life, and are abundant in towns and cities throughout much of the world.



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Spell Your Name In Gum

Spell your name. In gum.

The Place Furthest From Land Is Known As Point Nemo

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Where do you go to get away from it all? When the stress of everyday life pushes you to search for the most remote point on Earth, you might be surprised to learn there are actually a few to choose from.

But if you have decent sea legs, nothing beats the furthest point from land, also known as the 'oceanic pole of inaccessibility.' It has been nicknamed Point Nemo. The The name means 'no-one' in Latin, which is fitting for a place so rarely visited by people.

Very - Get More Out Of Giving

An animated commercial for Christmas by the Milford Creative Studio in Stockholm.



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(thanks Cora)

Reverse Robbery

(via Bad Newspaper)

10 Majorly Useful Things You Can Do With Tea Bags

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Smelly fridge? Greasy pans? Puffy eyes? There's a tea bag for that. The natural properties in tea leaves mean tea bags are as amazing outside of your mug as they are inside of it. Don't toss out your used - or unused - tea bags; put them to work instead.

Unchained Melody Pan Flute And Guitar Version By Inka Gold

This video will give you chills. Brothers Oscar Andres Morales Vega and Pablo Santiago Morales Vega make up Inka Gold. Listen to their version of 'Unchained Melody.'



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(via Nag on the Lake)

Dive In Bali

Diving experience in the wonderful underwater world of Bali.



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(thanks Cora)

10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About The Winter Solstice

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The winter solstice is an astronomical phenomenon marking the shortest day and the longest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere this is the December solstice and in the Southern Hemisphere this is the June solstice.

Amid the whirl of the holiday season, many are vaguely aware of the approach of the winter solstice, but how much do you really know about it? Whether you're a fan of winter or just wish it would go away, here are 10 things to note - or even celebrate - about the solstice.

The Real Story Behind The Myth Of Area 51

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What exactly goes on inside of Area 51 has led to decades of wild speculation. There are, of course, the alien conspiracies that galactic visitors are tucked away somewhere inside. Well, there are no aliens at America's most famous top-secret military base, but what is there is just as interesting.

What The Fahrenheit?

When winter looms, we start to pay more attention to the thermometer. The Fahrenheit thermometers in the U.S. are altogether confusing for folks in most of the rest of the world.



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(via Neatorama)

10 People Who Held Bizarre Positions In Royal Courts

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Often, people think of royal courts as being refined and dignified, but some of the members of such courts have been coarse, vulgar, and rude. Others have had to perform unpleasant, even disgusting, roles. Some have even had to sacrifice themselves or parts of themselves.

Here are 10 people who held bizarre positions in royal courts.

The Popular Victorian Clubs That Yearned To Fill Europe With Hippos

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The Acclimatization Society was one of dozens of perfectly legal groups dedicated to spreading species around the world. For a few decades at the end of the 19th century, 'acclimatization,' or intercontinental species-swapping, was all the rage throughout Europe and its colonies. Although it was eventually replaced by sounder ecological strategies, its strange legacy remains.

English For Beginners

Sometimes there are no words to express what's most important. The only thing you have to do, is learn those words.



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The Evolution Of Disney Animation (1937-2016)

The evolution of Disney animation since 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' (1937) to 'Zootopia' (2016).



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(thanks Cora)

We Couldn't Live Without 'Zero' - But We Once Had To

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Nothing lies at the heart of science, engineering and mathematics. Nothing as in zero, of course. This cheeky yet powerful number has caused more controversy and provided more delight than any other digit.

For one thing, it allows us to forecast the future. But to comprehend why and to understand zero's power, you first have to understand its birth and its battles, because zero's path to greatness was a rocky one.

Elusive Snow Leopard Of The Himalayas

There are thought to be as few as 3500 snow leopards left in the wild. Using state of the art motion detecting remove cameras the Planet Earth II team were able to gain access into this elusive big cats world.



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(thanks Cora)

15 Insane Homes From Around The World

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A colection of photographs of some of the most insane looking homes from around the World. Some of the homes are in strange places, some of them are shaped like various things and they are all bizarre for one reason or another. An article by Estate Agent Jobs.

The Remarkable Story Of St Kilda’s Residents

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The remote archipelago of St Kilda, off the west coast of the Scottish mainland, is truly an isolated place. It is the most remote part of the British Isles. The wind is so strong here that trees refuse to grow.

In this hostile climate, a small community had clung to their most basic existence, surviving largely by eating sea birds and their eggs. This extraordinary group of men, women and children lived in a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. After thousands of years of isolation, the entire population of the island evacuated to the mainland to escape the failing harvests, the lack of communication and the lack of medical care.

Two Dachshunds Playing Golf

Crusoe the Dachshund and his little brother Oakley go golfing at the Gatineau Golf Club. Crusoe scored a 72, while it seems like his brother probably fudged his score.



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Two Chefs?

(via Bad Newspaper)

10 Mind-Blowing Theories About The Universe

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The universe is a vast and mysterious place. For centuries, people have looked out into space and tried to explain why we're here and where we came from. While it may take even more centuries before any of those questions are answered, it doesn't mean scientists don't have any theories.

Notice that these are just theories, so at times, some theories may not align with each other, or even contradict each other.

Ascension

A CGI Animated short film. In beginning of the 20th century, two climbers carry a statue of the Virgin to the top of a mountain.



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(thanks Cora)

Is It Going To Rain?

You walk out the door but you're not sure whether you are going to need your umbrella.
Visit 'Is It Going To Rain?' to find out. Type in your location and you'll now.

10 DIY Cleaning Hacks For Your Bathroom

Is your bathroom looking a little worse for wear? Are you haunted by the costs of industrial cleaners and their impact on your nails? Because Soakology has put together 10 DIY bathroom cleaning hacks to help you spruce up your bathroom with quick and easy solutions that'll leave your bathroom gleaming.

(thanks Helen)

Coming Home For Christmas

Throughout their 70 years, Heathrow Airport have specialised in reconnecting people with their loved ones, especially at this time of year, because coming home for Christmas is the best gift of all. Among the millions of seasonal passengers, there are some extra-special arrivals that have made it home in time for the big day.



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(thanks Cora)

Dutch Treats: The Many Coffee Candies Of The Netherlands

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Observers of exports in European carbohydrate exotica will have noticed that the stroopwafel is now a specialty food staple. From Starbucks counters to Delta tray tables, from a cafe in Portland to a bakery in Brooklyn, that griddled disc of flour and syrup the Dutch have fashioned is within the masses' reach.

Not that the stroopwafel has jumped the shark. It remains an ideal match for coffee, as Sprudge reported years ago. But if you're looking to expand your repertoire, you should take note of these four quintessential Dutch delights, all of which are coffee-flavored.

Microwave Memories

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Do you remember when microwave ovens became standard fixtures in American homes of the 1970s? If you do, you may also recall how cookbooks of the era were filled with recipes for dishes that really had no business being cooked in a microwave oven. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear.

The Lighthouse

A lighthouse keeper's surprising discovery pulls him out of his monotonous, daily routine and takes him onto a journey into uncharted territory. Made up of over 14,000 photographs, The Lighthouse is a black and white stop motion short crafted by filmmaker Simon Scheiber over the course of 7 years.



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(thanks Cora)

Family Photos From Around the World - Past And Present

During the holiday season, it's only natural to fall back into the comfortable traditions your family has been doing for decades. To celebrate families, tinyprints asked photographers around the world to recreate some of their favorite family photos and to reflect on what it meant to them.

There are photos of parents from when they were just dating or baby nephews who tower over their parents. Click and drag the slider on each photo to see the past and present photo.

(thanks Sarah)

10 Of The Biggest Natural Disasters In Earth's History

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The Butterfly Effect principle simply states that, given enough time, whatever event, no matter how small, can and will have tremendous reverberations into the future. And when talking about past disasters we always have to keep in mind that, even though devastating, they are part of what brought us here in the first place.

We may try to speculate on how things would have turned out if any particular disaster from our past didn't happen, but the variables are so small and infinitely numerous, that we may never know the right answer. Take a look at 10 natural disasters from our past, and maybe later imagine how the world would have looked like without them.

The Girl And The Cloud

Last Christmas, Anna's Dad gave her the perfect surprise - her very own snow cloud. Anna and her little cloud went everywhere together. However, she soon learned that sometimes, the perfect surprise isn't the one you get... it's the one you give.



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(thanks Cora)

10 Weird Fortune-Telling Methods From History

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Humans have always sought to unlock the mysteries of the future. Since the dawn of time, we have looked for signs and symbols in the world around us that might tell us our fortunes or help us avoid trouble. Here are 10 of the strangest items used for fortune-telling throughout history.

Why Do Men's Bikes Have A Horizontal Crossbar And Women's Usually Don't?

It would seem that having a slanted crossbar like on women's bikes would make much more sense for men's bikes, decreasing the chance of racking the guy if he slips off the pedals or the like. However, there is actually a really good reason to have a horizontal crossbar on a bike.



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Joshs' Story

Have you ever wondered if you could end up homeless? Josh hit rock bottom losing his family and career and this is the story of the struggle to regain his life. This movie is presented by SGCH, a not-for-profit organisation that offers housing and opportunities to people like Josh.



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(thanks Stefan)

How Tyres Work

Cars rely on four small contact patches on their tyres to provide traction through turns, accelerating and braking. People push their cars to the limit, driving in extreme conditions and the tyres need to be able to grip through whatever is thrown at them.

The inportance of having the right type of tyre for your usage is paramount to getting the most out of your vehicle.

Home Cleaning Hacks

A handy infographic, designed by Master Cleaners offering ten awesome cleaning hacks to help you clean your home faster. Learn about how to easily clean your chopping boards, how to clean your kitchen sponges, how to dust easily and quickly and more by viewing this infographic.

I Fell In Love With A Painting

It's difficult to make a move when you are a still life painting.



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(thanks Cora)

Why We Have Gingerbread Houses

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Gingerbread houses are a deep-rooted part of our holiday tradition. They make an appearance everywhere in December, from your household all the way to The White House. And we have the Germans to thanks for it, but more specifically the Brothers Grimm.

What Happened In My Birth Year?

Do you know what happened in the year you were born? Just type in the year you were born and 'What Happened In My Birth Year?' offers a look into the past and the history surrounding you.

Precipitation

In this video, six chemical reactions are shown at a microscopic level, producing gooey, vividly colored globs of precipitation that are unique and strangely captivating.



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When The Cat Is Not Away

A house becomes the theater of a game between a cat and a mysterious character.



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(thanks Cora)

10 Things You Didn't Know About Lying

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A lie is a statement that the stating party believes to be false and that is made with the intention to deceive. You're surrounded by lies, but most of what you think you know about them is probably - you guessed it - a lie.

Crossing A River In Somaliland

Heavy rain washed out the road between Berbera and Hargeisa.



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(thanks Cora)

The 'Ancient Lights' Windows Of England

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In many old brick buildings around London, you'll find signs saying 'Ancient Lights' marked beneath individual windows. The phenomenon is not unique to London. 'Ancient Lights' signs can be found in Dorset, in Kent and in many places across England. What are they?

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(via Bad Menu)

The 11,000 Domino Colosseum

A massive 11,000 domino stones colosseum took 4 days to build, but less than 10 seconds to topple.



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Unsellable 196-Foot Picnic Basket Marked Down To $5 Million

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According to some, the future of architecture is wood, but in Newark, Ohio, the future has already arrived - in the form of big, dumb picnic basket that's also an office building no one will buy.

First put on the market 18 months ago for $7.5 million, the former headquarters of struggling basketmaker Longaberger is now available for a mere $5 million, Despite the steal of a price, the iconic building seems unsellable.

Black Panther Women: The Unsung Activists Who Fed And Fought For Their Community

Much of the reverence - and controversy - around the Black Panther Party centers on its early male leaders, Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale, and Eldridge Cleaver when the Party launched in Oakland, California, in 1966. But behind the scenes, thousands of Black Panther volunteers ran social programs that fed poor children breakfast, gave away bags of groceries to hungry families, transported sick and disabled people, provided free health care, offered legal aid and drug counseling, and more.

The hard work of women was the lifeblood of these so-called survival programs. One woman doing such work was Judy Juanita - a playwright, novelist and poet. Collectors Weekly spoke with Juanita about the hard volunteer work that went into making a newspaper and the social programs.

(thanks Lisa)

13 Dogs And 1 Cat Eating With Human Hands

Freshpet Holiday Feast - 13 dogs and 1 cat eating with human hands.



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11 Real-World Forests That Look Like They're Straight Out Of A Fairytale

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Forests are the lungs of our world, absorbing carbon and keeping our climates stable, and the protectors of some of our most precious resources. They safeguard habitats and wildlife that allow life to move onward and even make us healthier, too; trees clean our air, lower our stress, and can actually make us happier just by being nearby.

But some forests, you might argue, are just a bit more spectacular than others.
Here are 11 otherworldly forests to remind you just how incredible life on Earth really is.

Special Appearance

(via Bad Newspaper)

X-Story

On a search for treasure, a bionic anti-hero meets his match in the form of a robotic watchdog designed solely for destruction. However, he quickly discovers that the treasure isn't money, it's control over this robotic super-weapon, and with that control comes infinite power.



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(thanks Cora)

The Lure Of Laudanum, The Victorians' Favorite Drug

image credit: Mike Mozart

Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge's most famous poem, 'Kubla Khan,' was written after an intense laudanum-induced dream; Lord Byron's daughter, the celebrated mathematician Ada Lovelace, claimed laudanum calmed her overactive mind.

Laudanum is a tincture of opium containing approximately 10% powdered opium by weight (the equivalent of 1% morphine). The fact that many writers and artists of the Victorian period used laudanum is clear - but what was it about laudanum that ensnared so many creative people?

The Ultimate Guide To Shutter Speed In Photography

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Today's cameras are equipped with a mind-boggling amount of features to allow you full creative control over your photography. It all seems overwhelming to a new photographer, the reality is there are three main features you need to be concerned with: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.

Mastering these three features is the first step to creating technically correct photographs. The first of the bunch - shutter speed - is probably the one you're most familiar with. But do you know the ins and outs of shutter speed and how to utilize it to its full potential?

Christmas In The 1920s

This rare vintage footage shows what Christmas looked like in the 1920s.



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(via vintage everyday)

Top 10 Mystifying Mountains

Used loosely, mountain may refer to any large pile, and a few of the mountains aren't exactly natural elevations of their planet's surface. However, they are massive, and they're either astonishing or mysterious. Here are ten mystifying mountains.

Giant Manta Rays Are More Badass Than We Realized

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New research by Queensland University shows that giant manta rays, known only to consume plankton near the ocean surface, are far more predatory than we thought, swimming to extreme depths to catch their prey.

Virgin America Safety Video Parody

Virgin America Safety Video - The honest version.



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(thanks Cora)

The 11 Most Important Cats Of Science

image credit: evan p. cordes

Have cats played a role in science? Yes, the have.
Here are the 11 most important cats of science.

10 Battles Won In Odd Ways And Against All Odds

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In war, when the chips are down and the odds are against a military unit, it can be time to defy common sense and get creative. Of course real life has been full of many instances of small, overpowered armies trying unusual tactics and getting destroyed.

Which just makes it all the more amazing when some comparatively small or ill-equipped band of soldiers wins the day against what seems like an overwhelming force.