To spread word about NeatoShop's newest products, Neatorama in cooperation with The Presurfer is doing another give-away. Neatorama is giving away 3 products.
One 3d Steampunk Robot Magnet, available as Bludger Class, Drone Class, or FOP Class. One set of 10 My Zombie Family Car Stickers, and one Spooky Wine Bottle Stopper, available as Witch's Hat, Tombstone, or Pumpkin.
Here's what you have to do. Click on the links above and decide what you would like to have for free. Then send me an email with your choice. After that, maybe take a look around the Neatoshop. See if there's anything that you're interested in. There's tons of new stuff along with old favorites.
The rules:
Send an email with your choice to webmaster@presurfer.com.
Give-away runs from Friday September 30 until Monday evening October 3, 12 o'clock GMT.
Winners will be picked by a True Random Number Service.
Winners will be contacted by me and asked for their postal address.
Neatorama will send the prizes directly to the winners.
Friday 30 September 2011
A Phone For Lonely Cats, Dogs, And Humans
On April 7, 2011, Mark Kroll of Crystal Bay, Minnesota patented a 'Domestic Animal Telephone.'
A large number of individuals have mammalian pets in their homes. These are typically dogs or cats. When the pet owners are away at work they often would like to communicate with their pets. Similarly, the pets often would like to communicate with their owner.(via Look At This...)
The gist of this invention is a practical telephone for mammalian pets. The phone could either 'be called by a human from a remote location in such a way that the animal can answer the phone.' Alternately, 'the pet can initiate the phone call.'
Frank And Louie Is A Cat
No, that's not a typo in the headline above. Frank and Louie is a cat who was born with two faces so he has two names. The cat has earned a spot as the longest lived Janus cat in the new edition of the Guinness World Records.
Janus cats, named after the Roman god with two faces, are extremely rare and seldom live more than a few days after being born. Often they die within hours. But Frank and Louie flourished. He turned 12 years old on September 8, 2011.
YouTube link
(thanks Miss Rare)
Janus cats, named after the Roman god with two faces, are extremely rare and seldom live more than a few days after being born. Often they die within hours. But Frank and Louie flourished. He turned 12 years old on September 8, 2011.
YouTube link
(thanks Miss Rare)
Cities In The Sights Of Deadly Volcanoes
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Imagine living your life with a beautiful mountain as the backdrop to your city... a beautiful mountain that is actually a volcano that could erupt at any time, obliterating your home and causing widespread devastation. Well, hundreds of thousands of people live in exactly such a situation, in towns and cities that lie in the sights of these dangerously volatile ruptures in the Earth's surface.
Imagine living your life with a beautiful mountain as the backdrop to your city... a beautiful mountain that is actually a volcano that could erupt at any time, obliterating your home and causing widespread devastation. Well, hundreds of thousands of people live in exactly such a situation, in towns and cities that lie in the sights of these dangerously volatile ruptures in the Earth's surface.
Anatomy Of An Apple Rumor
When Apple launches a new product - like the expected iPhone 5 launch next week - it's often the last step in a long news cycle that began months, sometimes years, in advance. Where does that process begin?
Almost always, with a whisper online that's anything but innocent - a piece of hearsay or speculation that's become a new kind of currency among the tech press: an Apple rumor. That's the subject of this infographic, presented by PCMag.
Thursday 29 September 2011
How Blind People Use Paper Money
Blind film critic Tommy Edison demonstrates how a visually impaired person may organize their money... and sometimes get ripped off.
YouTube link
(thanks Ben)
YouTube link
(thanks Ben)
What Does Your Favorite Muppet Say About You?
We all have our favorite Muppet. Mine is The Great Gonzo.
But what does your favorite muppet say about you?
IT Glossary
Do you know what a repeating coil is? Or a daisy chain, a shoutdown line, a rotary hunt, or a baud rate?
The IT Glossary explains it all. It's a dictionary for technical words and computer terms.
The IT Glossary explains it all. It's a dictionary for technical words and computer terms.
Mark Malkoff's Free Cab Rides
Comedian Mark Malkoff offered New Yorkers free cab rides for an entire day. He hired a cab driver and kept the meter running for fourteen hours straight! New Yorkers could either Tweet or Facebook message him for rides which resulted in hundreds of requests.
Along the way they did fun stuff that's never been done in a cab before including filling the entire cab with popcorn and plastering Tony Danza's face all over the cab. The grand total on the 14 hour cab ride turned out to be $486.10.
YouTube link
Mark Malkoff's website.
Along the way they did fun stuff that's never been done in a cab before including filling the entire cab with popcorn and plastering Tony Danza's face all over the cab. The grand total on the 14 hour cab ride turned out to be $486.10.
YouTube link
Mark Malkoff's website.
The Origins Of 7 Common Superstitions
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Halloween is coming up soon and what better time to talk about superstitions than a holiday focused on spirits and symbolism. Whether you're superstitious or not, discovering the origins of these common beliefs is a fascinating look at religion and human psychology.
Halloween is coming up soon and what better time to talk about superstitions than a holiday focused on spirits and symbolism. Whether you're superstitious or not, discovering the origins of these common beliefs is a fascinating look at religion and human psychology.
Thanks For Teaching Us
Whether it was Mrs. Engles in the 2nd Grade or Prof. Reich sophomore year, amazing educators have challenged us to be better thinkers, dared us to change career paths in a single lecture, and inspired us to believe that, with a little hard work, a better future is possible.
ThanksForTeaching.Us is a 30 day campaign to recognize amazing teachers all over the world. Our schools are in a tough spot right now, and we think there's no better time to bring the spotlight back on the teachers that make our classrooms thrive.
ThanksForTeaching.Us is a 30 day campaign to recognize amazing teachers all over the world. Our schools are in a tough spot right now, and we think there's no better time to bring the spotlight back on the teachers that make our classrooms thrive.
Vintage Maps Trace The Meandering Mississippi
For anyone obsessed with beautiful maps, these colorful and informative examples tracking the many paths of the lower Mississippi are a dream come true. The monumental collection was produced in 1944 by Harold N. Fisk, who drew in a rainbow of colors the path of past and current flows as the mighty river changed course and flooded over time.
Wednesday 28 September 2011
Beards From Below
Beards From Below is a website about beards, from below.
You must grow a beard in order to have a beard from below. Begin the process by not shaving. Occasionally look up and ask your friends if you have a beard from below yet. Since friends usually lie, it's best to take a picture of your beard from below and send it to beardsfrombelow.org for confirmation.(thanks Cora)
Cat Scratch Turntable
Cats scratch furniture to mark their territory or exercise their muscles. If you don't want them to shred your favourite couch into tiny pieces, give them this Cat Scratch turntable. The decks come flat packed and fold together into a simple structure with poseable tone arm and a top which spins as your cat paws at it.
(via Laughing Squid)
Kids Create Bellagio-Style Water Show In Swimming Pool
Kids doing a choreographed routine using water guns in a neighborhood pool.
YouTube link
(via Along Came a Story...)
YouTube link
(via Along Came a Story...)
12 Of The World's Coolest Rooftop Bars
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Top-shelf cocktails, fine cuisine and unparalleled views of some of the most exciting cities in the world - what can beat that? These 13 sky bars represent the coolest, most chic rooftop recreation spots in Bangkok, London, Mexico City, Melbourne and New York. Fire pits, live music, movies and stargazing only serve to sweeten the experience.
Top-shelf cocktails, fine cuisine and unparalleled views of some of the most exciting cities in the world - what can beat that? These 13 sky bars represent the coolest, most chic rooftop recreation spots in Bangkok, London, Mexico City, Melbourne and New York. Fire pits, live music, movies and stargazing only serve to sweeten the experience.
The Toughest Little Bird You've Never Heard Of
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They're nothing to look at. They're not colorful. They seem so ordinary, in mottled brown, black and gray. But you'd be so wrong. Bar-tailed Godwits are special. They are the only birds known to fly more than 7,000 miles nonstop. That means no food breaks, no water breaks, no sleep breaks, no pausing, just pushing through cyclones, storms, headwinds, flappity flap, flap for days and nights.
In September and October the Bar-tailed Godwits leave Alaska, head straight for the ocean. Though they are land birds, and cannot fish or rest on the sea, they will cross most of the Pacific Ocean, and fly all the way to New Zealand. Many of them are young, and have never done this before. No other bird can do what they do, and they're doing it right now.
They're nothing to look at. They're not colorful. They seem so ordinary, in mottled brown, black and gray. But you'd be so wrong. Bar-tailed Godwits are special. They are the only birds known to fly more than 7,000 miles nonstop. That means no food breaks, no water breaks, no sleep breaks, no pausing, just pushing through cyclones, storms, headwinds, flappity flap, flap for days and nights.
In September and October the Bar-tailed Godwits leave Alaska, head straight for the ocean. Though they are land birds, and cannot fish or rest on the sea, they will cross most of the Pacific Ocean, and fly all the way to New Zealand. Many of them are young, and have never done this before. No other bird can do what they do, and they're doing it right now.
The Heaviest Map Ever?
The level of detail and accuracy in this tiny re-creation of Manhattan island is truly astounding. The fact that it was hand carved out of a huge block of marble makes it even more impressive, and at two and a half tons incredibly heavy too.
Put on display at the David Zwirner gallery in New York, the piece titled 'Little Manhattan' was meticulously carved by Japanese contemporay artist Yataka Sone using photographs, many helicopter rides and yes, Google Earth to reproduce the islands towering buildings, canyon like streets and famous bridges.
Tuesday 27 September 2011
Fun With Sphero
Sphero is the world's first robotic ball controlled from your smartphone. Weave in and around obstacles or feet, or just try to outrun the family pet. Sphero will be available for sale in retail and online stores in late 2011 at an estimated retail price of $129.99.
Vimeo link
(thanks Cora)
Vimeo link
(thanks Cora)
Dead Sea Scrolls Online
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Two thousand years after they were written and decades after they were found in desert caves, some of the world-famous Dead Sea Scrolls went online for the first time in a project launched by Israel's national museum and web giant Google. Images of several Dead Sea Scrolls are now available allowing users to examine and explore these ancient manuscripts at a level of detail never before possible.
The high resolution photographs, taken by Ardon Bar-Hama, are up to 1,200 megapixels, almost 200 times more than the average consumer camera, so viewers can see even the most minute details in the parchment.
Two thousand years after they were written and decades after they were found in desert caves, some of the world-famous Dead Sea Scrolls went online for the first time in a project launched by Israel's national museum and web giant Google. Images of several Dead Sea Scrolls are now available allowing users to examine and explore these ancient manuscripts at a level of detail never before possible.
The high resolution photographs, taken by Ardon Bar-Hama, are up to 1,200 megapixels, almost 200 times more than the average consumer camera, so viewers can see even the most minute details in the parchment.
Does It Really Take More Muscles To Frown Than To Smile?
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It's a common phrase used in an attempt to change the mood of a potentially unhappy person or to invoke optimism. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But is the saying true?
Does it really take more muscles to frown than to smile?
It's a common phrase used in an attempt to change the mood of a potentially unhappy person or to invoke optimism. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But is the saying true?
Does it really take more muscles to frown than to smile?
Google Celebrates 13th Birthday
What better way for Google to mark its 13th birthday than with one of its own Google Doodles? Google began in January 1996 as a research project by Larry Page and Sergey Brin when they were both PhD students at Stanford University in California. Page and Brin originally nicknamed their new search engine 'BackRub.'
Coffee Drinking Linked To Less Depression In Women
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For many women, the mood-elevating effects of a cup of coffee may be more than fleeting. A new study shows that women who regularly drink coffee - the fully caffeinated kind - have a 20 percent lower risk of depression than nondrinkers. Decaf, soft drinks, chocolate, tea and other sources of caffeine did not offer the same protection against depression, possibly because of their lower levels of caffeine.
Dr. Albert Ascherio, an author of the study and professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, said it was too early to recommend that women load up on extra lattes. More research is needed, he said, and 'a very high level of caffeine can increase anxiety' and insomnia, potentially reversing any mood-lifting effects.
For many women, the mood-elevating effects of a cup of coffee may be more than fleeting. A new study shows that women who regularly drink coffee - the fully caffeinated kind - have a 20 percent lower risk of depression than nondrinkers. Decaf, soft drinks, chocolate, tea and other sources of caffeine did not offer the same protection against depression, possibly because of their lower levels of caffeine.
Dr. Albert Ascherio, an author of the study and professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, said it was too early to recommend that women load up on extra lattes. More research is needed, he said, and 'a very high level of caffeine can increase anxiety' and insomnia, potentially reversing any mood-lifting effects.
Great Egret Rising
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With its all white plumage that can often reach a meter in height, the Great Egret is a sight to behold as it soars up in to the sky. Considered safe, only a century ago the species was highly threatened. Discover how and why the species was able to make a dramatic come back.
With its all white plumage that can often reach a meter in height, the Great Egret is a sight to behold as it soars up in to the sky. Considered safe, only a century ago the species was highly threatened. Discover how and why the species was able to make a dramatic come back.
Ghost Cars Of The World
Some cars are in such a bad shape they shouldn't be allowed on the road. The sheer logistics required to make these cars marginally road-worthy boggle the mind. Driving them is similar to boarding an abandoned roller-coaster, as you never know if there is a terrible crash just waiting to happen at the next turn.
Monday 26 September 2011
Smell Of Books
Smell Of Books is an aerosol e-book enhancer.
Does your Kindle leave you feeling like there's something missing from your reading experience? Have you been avoiding e-books because they just don't smell right? Book lovers everywhere have resisted digital books because they still don't compare to the experience of reading a good old fashioned paper book.
But all of that is changing thanks to Smell of Books, a revolutionary new aerosol e-book enhancer. Now you can finally enjoy reading e-books without giving up the smell you love so much. Smell of Books is available in five designer aromas: New Book smell, Classic Musty smell, Scent of Sensibility, Eau You Have Cats, and Crunchy Bacon Scent.
Alpine Lakes Wilderness
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The Alpine Lakes wilderness consists of 390,000 acres of rugged wilderness spanning the Cascade Range of Washington state and parts of Wenatchee National Forest and Snoqualmie National Forest. There are over 700 mountain lakes and over 300 miles of Forest Service class one and two streams.
The terrain includes craggy peaks and ridges, deep glacial valleys, granite walls and forests that are picture perfect and ready to enchant visitors - especially in autumn.
Here are 38 photos of Alpine Lakes wilderness for adventurers to enjoy.
The Alpine Lakes wilderness consists of 390,000 acres of rugged wilderness spanning the Cascade Range of Washington state and parts of Wenatchee National Forest and Snoqualmie National Forest. There are over 700 mountain lakes and over 300 miles of Forest Service class one and two streams.
The terrain includes craggy peaks and ridges, deep glacial valleys, granite walls and forests that are picture perfect and ready to enchant visitors - especially in autumn.
Here are 38 photos of Alpine Lakes wilderness for adventurers to enjoy.
Bistro
Bistro is a darkly comical film by Sean Gray. Starring BAFTA-winning actor Peter Capaldi, Alex Macqueen and Neil Edmond. A hungry restaurant diner gets a lot less than he bargained for.
Vimeo link
(via Everlasting Blort)
Vimeo link
(via Everlasting Blort)
Top 10 Misused English Words
The most misused word on the Internet is 'ultimate.' Type 'ultimate' into Google and thousands of hits come up, pretty much all of them using it as 'the best.' But from Latin, it means the last in a list of items. Many people who've had to proof read documents start to develop a kind of compulsive 'tutting' at misused words. Here's a top ten of words that are misused by either professional writers or public speakers who, let's be honest, should really know better.
Top 10 Misused English Words.
(via Look At This...)
Top 10 Misused English Words.
(via Look At This...)
Japanese Restaurant Serves World's Largest Sushi Portions
A restaurant in Japan's Aichi Prefecture has become famous for serving arguably the world's largest sushi dishes, up to 20 cm in diameter and nearly 6-kg-heavy. The Umewaka Restaurant in Anjo City, Japan is unlike any other sushi restaurant in the world.
Here the world-renown Japanese delicacy doesn't come in bite-size servings. At Umewaka, everything from the futomaki roll to the nigri zushi comes in super-sized servings no one man could hope to finish in one sitting.
25 Abandoned Yugoslavia Monuments That Look like They're From The Future
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These structures were commissioned by former Yugoslavian president Josip Broz Tito in the 1960s and 70s to commemorate sites where WWII battles took place, or where concentration camps stood. They were designed by different sculptors and architects, conveying powerful visual impact to show the confidence and strength of the Socialist Republic.
In the 1980s, these monuments attracted millions of visitors per year, especially young pioneers for their 'patriotic education.' After the Republic dissolved in the early 1990s, they were completely abandoned, and their symbolic meanings were forever lost.
These structures were commissioned by former Yugoslavian president Josip Broz Tito in the 1960s and 70s to commemorate sites where WWII battles took place, or where concentration camps stood. They were designed by different sculptors and architects, conveying powerful visual impact to show the confidence and strength of the Socialist Republic.
In the 1980s, these monuments attracted millions of visitors per year, especially young pioneers for their 'patriotic education.' After the Republic dissolved in the early 1990s, they were completely abandoned, and their symbolic meanings were forever lost.
Sunday 25 September 2011
What We See Inside Our Brains
Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and computational models, UC Berkeley researchers have succeeded in decoding and reconstructing people’s dynamic visual experience. The left clip is a segment of the movie that the subject viewed while in the magnet. The right clip shows the reconstruction of this movie from brain activity measured using fMRI.
YouTube link
YouTube link
The Ruins Of Bannerman's Island
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Abandoned, neglected and decaying, at first sight you may think that Bannerman's Castle is located in Europe, perhaps a Scottish remnant from the days of the lairds or a site in Ireland forsaken by retreating British aristocrats.
Yet Bannerman's Castle, sitting blithely upon Pollepel Island is only 50 miles north of New York City, lying on the Hudson River. Its history is a long and strange catalogue of disaster.
(thanks Robert-John)
Abandoned, neglected and decaying, at first sight you may think that Bannerman's Castle is located in Europe, perhaps a Scottish remnant from the days of the lairds or a site in Ireland forsaken by retreating British aristocrats.
Yet Bannerman's Castle, sitting blithely upon Pollepel Island is only 50 miles north of New York City, lying on the Hudson River. Its history is a long and strange catalogue of disaster.
(thanks Robert-John)
Dodgeball - Red Vs Blue
Dodgeball is a game in which players try to hit other players on the opposing team with balls while avoiding being hit themselves. This was the biggest gathering ever recorded for a game of dodgeball. According to the offical numbers, there were 3,975 people and a total of 750 balls.
YouTube link
YouTube link
Singing Google Doodle Puppets
Yesterday Google celebrated Jim Henson's birthday with a doodle featuring six original Muppet characters. YouTube user 'TekkenRulezz' edited six different Google Doodle videos together to create a chorus of one of The Proclaimers' biggest hits, 'I'm Gonna Be.'
YouTube link
YouTube link
NASA Sounds
NASA has released a collection of historical sounds as ringtones (both MP3 and the iPhone’s M4R format). You can hear the roar of a space shuttle launch or Neil Armstrong's 'One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind' every time you get a phone call. Or, you can hear the memorable words 'Houston, we've had a problem,' every time you make an error on your computer.
(via mental_floss)
(via mental_floss)
Scopitone: '60s Music Videos You've Never Seen
image credit
A Scopitone is a type of jukebox featuring a 16 mm film component. Before MTV mid-1960s American hepcats gathered around 500-pound, 7-foot-high contraptions to watch 16-millimeter Technicolor films of B-list pop stars gyrating to their latest hits.
The contraption in question was usually a Scopitone, one of several audio-visual jukeboxes found primarily in bars. Their reign, if you can even call it that, was brief, and by the end of the decade, the novelty of these then-high-tech devices had faded entirely.
(thanks Ben)
A Scopitone is a type of jukebox featuring a 16 mm film component. Before MTV mid-1960s American hepcats gathered around 500-pound, 7-foot-high contraptions to watch 16-millimeter Technicolor films of B-list pop stars gyrating to their latest hits.
The contraption in question was usually a Scopitone, one of several audio-visual jukeboxes found primarily in bars. Their reign, if you can even call it that, was brief, and by the end of the decade, the novelty of these then-high-tech devices had faded entirely.
(thanks Ben)
Saturday 24 September 2011
The Presurfer Is 11 Years Old Today
The Presurfer is 11 years old today. And you, dear readers, made the past 11 years a delight. Thank you so much!
Don't forget to visit one of my favorite blogs. Without the people behind Everlasting Blort, Kevin and Julie, there would be no Presurfer today. As a coincidence, Everlasting Blort started on the same day as I did and they're also celebrating their 11 year anniversary.
Google Celebrates Jim Henson's Birthday
Today Muppets creator Jim Henson would have been 75. And in his honor Google has rolled out its doodle. The Jim Henson doodle features six original Muppet characters whose shapes suggest the Google logo. But as you mouse over them, you'll find that they respond just as if you were a puppeteer.
The official Jim Henson Company site.
Celebrities As Russian Generals
George Dawe was an English portrait artist who painted 329 portraits of Russian generals active during Napoleon's invasion of Russia for the Military Gallery of the Winter Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russia. Tumblr blog 'replaceface' uses digital copies of these paintings and replaced the generals' faces with those of celebrities.
(via Damn Cool Pictures)
Tom Selleck's Moustache
Everyone knows that the greatest and most iconic contribution to cinema is Tom Selleck's moustache. So great is it that there isn't a single film that would not be improved by the inclusion of Tom Selleck's moustache.
YouTube link
YouTube link
The Last Words Of 25 Famous Dead Writers
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When you've dedicated your life to words, it's important to go out eloquently.
The last words of 25 famous dead writers.
When you've dedicated your life to words, it's important to go out eloquently.
The last words of 25 famous dead writers.
Most Poisonous Frogs on Earth
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The most poisonous frogs in the world are also the most beautiful frogs in the world. These frogs use their poison solely for self-defense, not to kill prey, and what a good defense against predators it is. Many of them are poison dart frogs known for their use in making arrow poisons. Beautiful but deadly - it's definitely a case of look but don't touch with these suckers!
The most poisonous frogs in the world are also the most beautiful frogs in the world. These frogs use their poison solely for self-defense, not to kill prey, and what a good defense against predators it is. Many of them are poison dart frogs known for their use in making arrow poisons. Beautiful but deadly - it's definitely a case of look but don't touch with these suckers!
Friday 23 September 2011
Thousands Of Strange 'Nazca Lines' Discovered In The Middle East
Peru's Nazca Lines, the mysterious geoglyphs etched into the desert centuries ago by indigenous groups, are world famous - and now thousands of similar patterns have been found in the Middle East. Satellite and aerial photography has revealed mysterious stone 'wheels' that are more numerous and older than the Nazca Lines in countries such as Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
The structures are thought to date back 2,000 years, but why they were built is baffling archaeologists and historians. The local Bedouin, a nomadic people found in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Libya, Egypt and Israel, call them the 'works of the old men.'
(via Look At This...)
Can Neutrinos Travel Faster Than Light?
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The speed of light is the Universe's ultimate speed limit, and much of modern physics - as laid out in part by Albert Einstein in his special theory of relativity - depends on the idea that nothing can exceed it. But puzzling results from Cern, home of the Large Hadron Collider, have confounded physicists - because it appears subatomic particles have exceeded the speed of light.
Neutrinos sent through the ground from Cern toward the Gran Sasso laboratory seemed to show up a tiny fraction of a second early. The result - which threatens to upend a century of physics - will be put online for scrutiny by other scientists. In the meantime, the group says it is being very cautious about its claims.
The speed of light is the Universe's ultimate speed limit, and much of modern physics - as laid out in part by Albert Einstein in his special theory of relativity - depends on the idea that nothing can exceed it. But puzzling results from Cern, home of the Large Hadron Collider, have confounded physicists - because it appears subatomic particles have exceeded the speed of light.
Neutrinos sent through the ground from Cern toward the Gran Sasso laboratory seemed to show up a tiny fraction of a second early. The result - which threatens to upend a century of physics - will be put online for scrutiny by other scientists. In the meantime, the group says it is being very cautious about its claims.
Words That Are Difficult To Translate Into English
Mamihlapinatapai is Yagan, an indigenous language of Tierra del Fuego, an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The word is difficult to translate into English. Its meaning is 'a wordless, yet meaningful look shared by two people with each wishing that the other will initiate something that they both desire but which neither one wants to start.'
Another word is kyoikumama. It's Japanese and means 'a mother who relentlessly pushes her children toward academic achievement.' Here are some words that are almost impossible to translate into English.
(via Reality Carnival)
Another word is kyoikumama. It's Japanese and means 'a mother who relentlessly pushes her children toward academic achievement.' Here are some words that are almost impossible to translate into English.
(via Reality Carnival)
Yoga Outreach - Zombies
We always assumed that the reason zombies were so stiff was because of some mutated virus that's coursing through their systems. This clip sets us straight on what their real problem is.
Vimeo link
(thanks Craig)
Vimeo link
(thanks Craig)
The Purpose Of Bird-Egg Coloration
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Want to see an enduring source of scientific dispute and perplexity? Go to your refrigerator, open a carton of eggs, and look at their speckles. Bird-egg coloration has been studied for more than a century. In a review in the Journal of Avian Biology, biologists Golo Maurer and Phillip Cassey present no fewer than seven possible explanations for eggshell color. Each focuses on how colors might shape an embryo's fate by modulating sunlight hitting its shell.
Their ideas stand in contrast with most earlier explanations, the fates of which were shaped by a late-19th century debate between biologist Alfred Russel Wallace and little-known naturalist Alexander M'Aldowie. According to M’Aldowie, eggshell pigment shielded embryos from harmful radiation. According to Wallace, they provided camouflage from predators.
Want to see an enduring source of scientific dispute and perplexity? Go to your refrigerator, open a carton of eggs, and look at their speckles. Bird-egg coloration has been studied for more than a century. In a review in the Journal of Avian Biology, biologists Golo Maurer and Phillip Cassey present no fewer than seven possible explanations for eggshell color. Each focuses on how colors might shape an embryo's fate by modulating sunlight hitting its shell.
Their ideas stand in contrast with most earlier explanations, the fates of which were shaped by a late-19th century debate between biologist Alfred Russel Wallace and little-known naturalist Alexander M'Aldowie. According to M’Aldowie, eggshell pigment shielded embryos from harmful radiation. According to Wallace, they provided camouflage from predators.
Adult Adoption
Adoption is just for babies and little kids, right? Wrong! Adoption is the same legal process whether the individual is a child or an adult. Adult adoption is key to the success of Japanese family firms.
What happens when the heir to a family business isn't up to the job? Not great things, apparently. But the Japanese have a solution: adult adoption. Rather than hand the firm to a less-than-worthy blood heir, Japanese families often adopt an adult to take over.
(via J-Walk Blog)
What happens when the heir to a family business isn't up to the job? Not great things, apparently. But the Japanese have a solution: adult adoption. Rather than hand the firm to a less-than-worthy blood heir, Japanese families often adopt an adult to take over.
(via J-Walk Blog)
Man Wins Dumpling Eating Contest, Then Dies
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A Ukraine dumpling-eating contest - in the town of Tokmak - to find the person who could eat 10 of the dough balls most quickly went horribly wrong when the 77-year-old champion keeled over and died. The winner, Ivan Mendel, had just won his prize, a one-litre jar of sour cream, when he began to feel ill.
Dumplings, known in Ukraine as vareniki, are a staple of the regional diet; they are usually stuffed with mushrooms, potatoes or cherries. Organisers of the contest said the dumplings they used - filled with potatoes - had been frozen and packaged and bought from a local supermarket.
A Ukraine dumpling-eating contest - in the town of Tokmak - to find the person who could eat 10 of the dough balls most quickly went horribly wrong when the 77-year-old champion keeled over and died. The winner, Ivan Mendel, had just won his prize, a one-litre jar of sour cream, when he began to feel ill.
Dumplings, known in Ukraine as vareniki, are a staple of the regional diet; they are usually stuffed with mushrooms, potatoes or cherries. Organisers of the contest said the dumplings they used - filled with potatoes - had been frozen and packaged and bought from a local supermarket.
Thursday 22 September 2011
Tata Nano Goes 'Bling'
Strange. The world's cheapest car manufacturer reveals what probably is one of the most expensive cars in the world. The Tata Nano is an inexpensive, rear-engined, four-passenger city car built by the Indian company Tata Motors and is aimed primarily at the Indian domestic market. It was launched as the world's cheapest car with a price of $2,100.
Now a model of the Tata Nano has been encrusted in 22 carat gold and silver, and inlaid with 10,000 semi-precious stones and gems, and is now worth $4.4 million.
YouTube link
Now a model of the Tata Nano has been encrusted in 22 carat gold and silver, and inlaid with 10,000 semi-precious stones and gems, and is now worth $4.4 million.
YouTube link
The Wow! Gorillas Exhibition
image credit
An army of 60 life-sized gorilla models have gone on display outside City Hall on the south bank of the Thames in London to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Bristal zoo and to raise awareness of how the animals' habitats are being threatened. The Wow! Gorillas exhibition features gorilla models individually decorated by UK artists.
An army of 60 life-sized gorilla models have gone on display outside City Hall on the south bank of the Thames in London to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Bristal zoo and to raise awareness of how the animals' habitats are being threatened. The Wow! Gorillas exhibition features gorilla models individually decorated by UK artists.
How Do You Spell Gaddafi?
Each time Libya appears in the news, scores of newspaper editors go bananas. Once possessed of faculties that could detect a breaking story as readily as a dangling participle, these poor souls are now reduced to a jabbering stupor, as though they had gazed into the tentacled maw of Cthulhu himself.
Blame it on the name of Colonel Gaddafi. Wait, no, that's Kaddafi. Or maybe it's Qadhafi. Tell you what, we'll just call him by his first name, which is, er... what is it?
Hairdressers Tools From 1928
Pictures of hairdresser's tools from 1928. Pore openers, hair straighteners, hair curlers, heat setting heat setters, and the like.
(via Everlasting Blort)
Personal Transport Pods At Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport in London, UK, has begun to transport passengers in computer controlled, driverless, car-sized personal laser-guided travel pods. The system reduces the time it takes business passengers to move from the terminal to the car park by 60%.
YouTube link
(thanks Cora)
YouTube link
(thanks Cora)
The Past And The Future Of Famous Logos
Stock Logos reviews the history of the logos of Apple, IBM, Xerox, Microsoft, LG, Volkswagen, Starbucks, Google, GAP, Nokia, Firefox, and Motorola, and imagines how they will look like in the future.
The True Story Of Captain Kidd
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William Kidd (c. 1645-1701) was a Scottish sailor remembered for his trial and execution for piracy after returning from a voyage to the Indian Ocean. Some modern historians deem his piratical reputation unjust, as there is evidence that Kidd acted only as a privateer.
Kidd's fame springs largely from the sensational circumstances of his questioning before the English Parliament and the ensuing trial. His actual depredations on the high seas, whether piratical or not, were both less destructive and less lucrative than those of many other contemporary pirates and privateers.
(via Environmental Graffiti)
William Kidd (c. 1645-1701) was a Scottish sailor remembered for his trial and execution for piracy after returning from a voyage to the Indian Ocean. Some modern historians deem his piratical reputation unjust, as there is evidence that Kidd acted only as a privateer.
Kidd's fame springs largely from the sensational circumstances of his questioning before the English Parliament and the ensuing trial. His actual depredations on the high seas, whether piratical or not, were both less destructive and less lucrative than those of many other contemporary pirates and privateers.
(via Environmental Graffiti)
Sakhalin, 1894 - 1905
The Sakhalin Island near the Far Eastern coast of Russia was inhabited until the 19th century only by its ancient natives: the Nivkhs in the north and the Ainu to the south. Most Ainu relocated to Hokkaido when the Japanese were displaced from the island in 1949. Sakhalin was claimed by both Russia and Japan in the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, which led to bitter disputes between the two countries over control of the island.
Here are 120 photos from the first 'Russian' period of the island, from between 1894 and 1905. Nothing more is known about these photos: neither their maker, nor their purpose or place of custody.
(via ackackack)
Wednesday 21 September 2011
How Many Continents Are There?
A continent is a large continuous mass of land like Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia. Europe and Asia are sometimes considered a single continent, Eurasia.
In the United Kingdom the Continent (capital C) still invariably means 'the mainland of Europe' as distinct from the British Isles. So, what are continents and how many are there? It's not as easy as you might think.
YouTube link
In the United Kingdom the Continent (capital C) still invariably means 'the mainland of Europe' as distinct from the British Isles. So, what are continents and how many are there? It's not as easy as you might think.
YouTube link
The All Ireland Scarecrow Championship
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The All Ireland Scarecrow Championship is part of Durrow's annual 'Howya' Festival, Ireland's Festival of Friendships.
The All Ireland Scarecrow Championship is part of Durrow's annual 'Howya' Festival, Ireland's Festival of Friendships.
Interview With Psychedelic Poster Pioneer Wes Wilson
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Wes Wilson is an American artist and one of the leading designers of psychedelic posters. He invented a style that is now synonymous with the peace movement, psychedelic era and the 1960s. In particular, he is known for inventing and popularizing a 'psychedelic' font around 1966 that made the letters look like they were moving or melting.
Collectors Weekly had an interview with rock poster artist Wes Wilson.
Wes Wilson is an American artist and one of the leading designers of psychedelic posters. He invented a style that is now synonymous with the peace movement, psychedelic era and the 1960s. In particular, he is known for inventing and popularizing a 'psychedelic' font around 1966 that made the letters look like they were moving or melting.
Collectors Weekly had an interview with rock poster artist Wes Wilson.
Zeus And The High Voltage tC
Advertisement for the Scion tC High Voltage Series 7.0. Scion is division of Toyota. Zeus unleashes his power on the Scion tC. He's only made 2200 of them because he has other things to do.
YouTube link
(thanks Annette)
YouTube link
(thanks Annette)
Pakistani Truck Art
Pakistani truck drivers have a long tradition of painting their vehicles. It started out as a way for truck drivers to take reminders of home with them on long journeys, and over the years drivers have used everything from wood, metal, jangling chains, shiny objects and even 3D creations to decorate their trucks.
A Planet With Two Suns
Kepler 16b is a planet with two suns. The planet was recently discovered by the space-based Kepler satellite. Although multiple star systems are quite common, this is the first known to have a planet.
Because our Earth is in the orbital plane of both stars and the planet, each body is seen to eclipse the others at different times, producing noticeable drop offs in the amount of light seen. The frequent eclipses have given Kepler 16b the most accurate mass and radius determination for a planet outside our Solar System.
Glass Igloos With Magnificent Northern Lights Views
The Igloo Village in Kakslauttanen, Finland is like the Rolls-Royce of ice hotels. Each igloo is equipped with glass that allows you to gaze at the northern lights and millions of stars, all while relaxing comfortably in your warm room.
Built from special thermal glass, the view stays clear even when the temperature outside drops. Every igloo is equipped with a toilet and luxury beds and, every evening, a hot sauna and a refreshing ice hole await you.
(via Neatorama)
Tuesday 20 September 2011
How To Make American Cheese
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What exactly is American cheese? The American cheese that you find on supermarket shelves isn't cheese made in the traditional way. Instead, it's either a blend of cheese and additives, or it's a highly processed mixture of ingredients such as water, milk, milkfat, milk protein, whey, food coloring, flavorings, and emulsifiers.
By making your own American cheese, not only will you know exactly what went into it, but also you can add in flavorings such as black pepper, roasted red peppers... you name it. Here's how to make American cheese.
What exactly is American cheese? The American cheese that you find on supermarket shelves isn't cheese made in the traditional way. Instead, it's either a blend of cheese and additives, or it's a highly processed mixture of ingredients such as water, milk, milkfat, milk protein, whey, food coloring, flavorings, and emulsifiers.
By making your own American cheese, not only will you know exactly what went into it, but also you can add in flavorings such as black pepper, roasted red peppers... you name it. Here's how to make American cheese.
The Forest Boy
You've probably heard the story of an English–speaking boy who emerged after five years living in a German forest. Police believe the story is credible although highly unusual. They are now trying to retrace the steps of the boy in an attempt to find his father's body.
They are also investigating reports that the teenager may have criss-crossed Europe during the five years he says he spent living rough in forests with his father.
The boy, who is estimated to be 17, says his name is Ray but has little other idea who he is. He arrived in Berlin on September 5, carrying only a rucksack, tent and sleeping bag. He claimed his father Ryan had taken him into the woods south of the German capital five years ago after his mother Doreen died in a car crash, and they had lived there ever since.
They are also investigating reports that the teenager may have criss-crossed Europe during the five years he says he spent living rough in forests with his father.
The boy, who is estimated to be 17, says his name is Ray but has little other idea who he is. He arrived in Berlin on September 5, carrying only a rucksack, tent and sleeping bag. He claimed his father Ryan had taken him into the woods south of the German capital five years ago after his mother Doreen died in a car crash, and they had lived there ever since.
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