Paris and New York, like many large cities, have a lot in common: transport, infrastructure, national monuments. What you cannot deny is the vibrancy and explosion of character each city has and this split-screen with timelapse is a good way to help convey this.
Vimeo link
(thanks Cora)
Friday 31 October 2014
Ghosts In The Machines: The Devices And Daring Mediums That Spoke For The Dead
The spirits came calling in 1848. Through a series of startlingly loud knocks, a murdered peddler named Charles Rosna started talking to two teenage girls in their Hydesville, New York, home. Margaret and Kate Fox, who could be the inspiration for Wednesday Addams with their dark locks and solemn expressions, would ask the spirits questions out loud, and to everyone's surprise, the spirits would answer.
The Fox sisters started the craze of Victorian Spiritualism. But listening for raps got tedious so Spiritualists started to invent ways for spirits to communicate. They developed strange devices for the dead to write their thoughts down or to just point to the letters.
(thanks Lisa)
15 Things You Probably Didn't Know About 'A Nightmare On Elm Street'
Did you know that 'A Nightmare On Elm Street' was Johnny Depp's film debut. Or that it took makeup artists three hours each day to apply and take off Robert Englund's Freddy Krueger makeup. Enrich your annual Halloween viewing of Wes Craven's 1984 horror classic with these fascinating tidbits.
26 Cool And Unique Push Pins
The push pin was invented in 1900 by Edwin Moore and quickly became a success. These pins are also called 'thumb-tacks.' But just because their job is boring, doesn't mean they need to be boring. Here are 26 cool and unique push pins.
Mononome
Mononome is an EYEoT ((Eye of Things) system that senses the interaction between yourself and all kind of things, and visualizes the emotion of things and the habits of humans.
YouTube link
YouTube link
20 Bizarre Hearses From Around The World
Mystery Of Earth's Water Origin Solved
The water that makes Earth a majestic blue marble was here from the time of our planet's birth, according to a new study of ancient meteorites by scientists of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, USA. The study found that our seas may have arrived much earlier on our planet than previously thought.
Thursday 30 October 2014
Which Halloween Candy Is Worse For You?
Not all Halloween candy is created equal. This year, before you indiscriminately devour your entire candy haul, watch this short video that compares candy nutrition facts. Your waistline will thank you.
YouTube link
YouTube link
The Evolution Of Flying Ships
The invention of hydrofoils was one of the most revolutionary developments in the history of marine engineering. Hydrofoils are vessels that use wing-like foils below the hull in order to reach greater speeds on the water. The 'wings' are submerged so that the hull can be above the water.
When Italian inventor Enrico Forlanini built a full-scale hydrofoil boat (photo above) in 1906, the technology behind traveling on the sea took a hyper-leap. Despite their promise, hydrofoils did not take a leading role in marine technology. But throughout the last century an incredibly diverse fleet of these airplane-ship hybrids were built.
(via Look At This...)
The Martian Invasion Of 1938
The War of the Worlds is an episode of the American radio drama anthology series The Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was performed as a Halloween episode of the series on October 30, 1938. Directed and narrated by actor Orson Welles, the episode was an adaptation of H.G. Wells's novel The War of the Worlds from 1898.
The first two thirds of the 62-minute broadcast were presented as a series of simulated news bulletins, which suggested to some listeners that an actual alien invasion by Martians was currently in progress. The episode became famous for causing mass panic. Here's the story about that night told by 80-year-old Joan Geraci from New Jersey.
(thanks Ron)
Piece Of Metal May Solve Mystery Of Amelia Earhart's Disappearance
Amelia Earhart was an American aviation pioneer and the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. During an attempt to make a circumnavigational flight of the globe in 1937 in a Lockheed Model 10 Electra, Earhart disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean.
Now an aircraft recovery group says it may already have a part of Amelia Earhart's plane, and it thinks it knows where to find the rest of it. The group says new testing of a piece of metal found in the vast waters of the Pacific Ocean in 1991 gives the group increasing confidence that it's a part of the Lockheed Electra.
Dead Man's Party
The League of S.T.E.A.M. travels south of the border to investigate a Dia de los Muertos fiesta of the undead. Featuring guest stars David Vega and Karina Noelle, with music by Voltaire.
YouTube link
(thanks Trip)
YouTube link
(thanks Trip)
Will Wormhole Travel Ever Be Possible?
As a curious species, humans have long dreamed of traveling to the farthest depths of space. That's the major theme of the upcoming science fiction epic Interstellar, which will take Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway to the places we hope to one day reach ourselves. Except for that tiny hiccup called deep space travel.
The universe is big. And along with its enormous size, it's also incredibly spread-out; any neighboring planets, stars, and galaxies are depressingly distant. Proxima Centauri, the closest star to Earth, is 4.22 light years away. If the fast-moving Voyager spacecraft attempted to reach Proxima Centauri, it would take the tiny probe more than 80,000 years to get there.
Big City, Big Surprise: New York City's Newest Species Is A Frog
Even in one of the most densely populated places on Earth, nature is still capable of some big surprises. Biologists have described a new species of leopard frog discovered in New York City. It remained hidden in plain sight in a city of 8.4 million people.
Researchers named the frog Rana kauffeldi, after the great herpetologist Carl Kauffeld, who in the mid-20th century speculated that an as-yet-unidentified leopard frog might reside in New York City.
Wednesday 29 October 2014
OK Go - I Won't Let You Down
American band OK Go (Damian Kulash, Tim Nordwind, Dan Konopka, Andy Ross) perform 'I Won't Let You Down' while riding the Honda UNI-CUB, a little unicycle.
YouTube link
YouTube link
Fake And Hilarious London Underground Signs
Someone has made fake and hilarious London Underground signs. They put them up and photographed them.
(via Dark Roasted Blend)
That Time It Rained Flesh In Kentucky
March 3, 1876, was a beautiful day in Bath County, Kentucky, and a local farmer's wife, Mrs. Crouch, was outside making soap. There was a light wind coming from the west, but the sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly.
Then without any prelude or warning of any kind, and exactly under these circumstances, meat came raining down all around her. Large chunks of red meat fell from the sky for a period of several minutes.
(via Miss Cellania)
How Wolves Change Rivers
When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in the United States after being absent nearly 70 years, the most remarkable 'trophic cascade' occurred. What is a trophic cascade and how exactly do wolves change rivers? George Monbiot explains in this movie remix.
YouTube link
(thanks Cora)
YouTube link
(thanks Cora)
Hill Of Crosses – Lithuania
The Hill of Crosses is located north of the small county town Šiauliai in Lithuania. The town was established in 1236 and was occupied by teutonic knights in the fourth century. The Hill of Crosses is one of the most renowned pilgrimage places in the country.
Spread on a hilltop, Christian crosses are raised to the sky, as testament to the faith and Lithuanian national identity. Nobody knows the exact number of crosses located on this hill, but in 1990, it was estimated around 55,000, while in 2006 the total amount already exceeded 100,000.
The 10 Largest Lakes In The World
The largest lakes in the world aren't only known for their enormous size. These lakes are more often visited for their rich flora and fauna, the outdoor activities and tours offered that'll guarantee you a unique experience.
Tuesday 28 October 2014
Littoral Combat Ship 7 Detroit Side Launch
The launch of a new ship is always a spectacular sight. Especially when it's done sideways. The Lockheed Martin-led industry team launched the nation's seventh Littoral Combat Ship into the Menominee River on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014.
YouTube link
YouTube link
Circling The Globe With The Mid-20th Century's Most Brilliant Matchbox Art
It only takes a few inches of paper to conjure entire worlds: A hike in the Polish countryside; a smoke-filled Japanese jazz club; or an astronaut's view of a Russian space station. Each of these scenes once adorned the sides of ordinary matchboxes, deftly illustrated with a few simple shapes and bright colors.
Jane McDevitt discovered the beauty of vintage matchboxes via eBay, where her obsession with beautiful typography and well-designed ephemera led her to the paper labels. McDevitt's collection now runs in the thousands.
(thanks Hunter)
The Incredible Glasswing Butterfly
Greta oto may sound like the name of a silent movie star from Eastern Europe but it is in fact the scientific name for one of the most exquisite species of butterfly on the planet.
This butterfly's claim to fame is that its wings are almost completely transparent. You can see just about right through them. Take a close look at the incredible Glasswing, an enchanting species that confounds science.
Scientists Introduce Bizarre Dinosaur
A half-century ago, researchers found two arms in the Mongolian desert that clearly belonged to a big dinosaur - they were eight feet long and ended in nasty claws. But that was it, and so they named the mysterious creature Deinocheirus mirificus, which roughly translates into 'unusual horrible hand.'
Fifty years later, researchers have pieced together the rest, thanks mostly to the discovery of two almost complete skeletons. Deinocheirus was indeed big, on par with T-Rex. But also factor in the neck of an ostrich, the bill of a duck, and something akin to the hump of a camel.
The Ancient Salt Ponds Of Maras, Peru
Before the rise of the Inca Empire, those with an eye to make money but no aversion to hard work, made their way to Maras. There, a subterranean stream surfaced and its waters were rich with salt.
Deep underground there is a vast deposit of salt, perhaps the remnant of some prehistoric ocean. Hundreds of miles from the sea, this led to a small but important local industry supplying indigenous communities with salt. The salt ponds which were created to evaporate the water, leaving the salt behind, still exist and are worked to this day in the same way.
Monday 27 October 2014
Wildebeest Migration Time-Lapse
Time-lapse footage by wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas of the 'Great Migration,' showing thousands of Wildebeest crossing the Mara River in Northern Serengeti, Tanzania.
YouTube link
(thanks Cora)
YouTube link
(thanks Cora)
The GBBO Simulator
The Great British Bake Off is an award-winning British television baking competition first shown on 17 August 2010. The judges are cookery writer Mary Berry and professional baker Paul Hollywood. The competition selects from amongst its contestants the best amateur baker.
Now you too can enter the Great British Bake Off with this simulator. Enter your name, pick an avatar and start baking.
Now you too can enter the Great British Bake Off with this simulator. Enter your name, pick an avatar and start baking.
The Hellbender: Giant Salamander Of The United States
When you think about where giant salamanders come from, most people would normally associate them with China and Japan. Yet while it is true that almost all members of the giant salamander family, the Cryptobranchidae, originate in Asia there is one species which calls the eastern United States its home.
It is Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, known otherwise and popularly as the hellbender.
Loriga - Serra da Estrela
Video about Loriga, a civil parish nestled in the Serra da Estrela mountain range, in the south-central part of the municipality of Seia, in central Portugal. The music is Ghost by The Presets.
YouTube link
(thanks João)
YouTube link
(thanks João)
What Does A Comet Smell Like?
Mix the aroma of rotten eggs with a whiff of horse stables, throw in a hint of ammonia and formaldehyde, and you've got eau de Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
Scientists at the University of Bern in Switzerland discovered the comet's pungent scent by analyzing a mixture of molecules detected in the comet's coma, the cloud of particles and gases around the space rock's nucleus.
Pibot, A Robotic Pilot To Fly Planes That Were Designed To Be Operated By Humans
In South Korea, researchers are developing a robotic pilot that could one day replace humans in the cockpit. Unlike drones and autopilot programs configured for specific aircraft, the humanoid design of 'Pibot' robots would allow them to fly any type of plane. The project is based at South Korea's Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
(thanks Cora)
Sunday 26 October 2014
The Harvest
Video by Michael Paul Cunningham about the harvest at an almond farm in Hughson, California.
Vimeo link
(thanks Cora)
Vimeo link
(thanks Cora)
Famous Internet Firsts And Where We Are Now
Relative to the wheel, the Internet is still a pretty new invention. Email, Twitter, and websites are all things we take for granted because they are part of our lives on a daily basis. There was a time, however, when they weren't. It wasn’t long ago that the first email was sent, the first domain was purchased, and all of the other Internet firsts were taking place.
This infographic provides a fascinating look at some of the most famous first occurrences on the Internet and where we are today.
Esoteric Door Knockers And Door Handles
Some of these architectural and historic artefacts can be truly elaborate works of art, some possess hidden (arcane, esoteric) meaning, which often has to do with spiritual passages, or opening of magical doorways in the otherwise un-yeilding and uncaring world.
Il Capo
Italian filmmaker Yuri Ancarani captures the otherworldly landscape of a marble quarry in the Apuan Alps, Northwest Italy, as Il Capo (the Chief) guides his men through the extraction process.
Vimeo link
(thanks Cora)
Vimeo link
(thanks Cora)
Lake Prespa's Forgotten Hotel Evropa
Today, Lake Prespa in Macedonia is a place of almost perplexing tranquility. The lake sees nothing of the tourism that reaches the shores of nearby Lake Ohrid. But it hasn't always been so neglected. The abandoned Hotel Evropa, on the western shore, is proof that Prespa was once a major tourist destination.
Hotel Evropa has been completely abandoned. A modern ruin, its rooms have been pillaged, its windows shattered, its treasures robbed.
(thanks Juergen)
5 Tech Myths You Hear All The Time
Humans are great at creating myths. From Marduk and Zeus to unicorns and mermaids, there's no end to what we can imagine. That's true even with technology. There's old tech advice that no one questions, half-remembered instructions you just keep doing, misunderstood terms and more that you believe to be true.
Here are 5 Tech Myths You Hear All The Time.
Saturday 25 October 2014
Alan Eustice Record-Breaking StratEx Jump
In the early hours of October 24, 2014, Alan Eustice, the 57-year-old Vice President of Google Search, made a record-breaking skydive from 135,890 feet, falling faster than the speed of sound and breaking the world altitude record set just two years ago by Felix Baumgartner.
At dawn he was lifted from an abandoned runway at Roswell airport by a balloon filled with 35,000 cubic feet of helium. For a little over two hours, the balloon ascended to an altitude of more than 25 miles. Mr. Eustace dangled underneath in a specially designed spacesuit with an elaborate life-support system. He returned to earth just 15 minutes after starting his fall.
(via The New York Times)
Vimeo link
At dawn he was lifted from an abandoned runway at Roswell airport by a balloon filled with 35,000 cubic feet of helium. For a little over two hours, the balloon ascended to an altitude of more than 25 miles. Mr. Eustace dangled underneath in a specially designed spacesuit with an elaborate life-support system. He returned to earth just 15 minutes after starting his fall.
(via The New York Times)
Vimeo link
Living Rock - Massive Monuments Carved In Situ
Extreme Parking Stunt
The all-new, agile 2015 Audi Q3 attempts an extreme parking stunt in a crowded parking garage.
YouTube link
(thanks Jaime)
YouTube link
(thanks Jaime)
Longest Suspension Bridges Around The World
Bridges play an important role for humanity. Their presence can reduce the time spent on the road and overcoming obstacles. A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck (the load-bearing portion) is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders.
The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 19th century. Bridges without vertical suspenders have a long history in many mountainous parts of the world. Here are some of the longest suspension bridges in the world.
The Dog Whisperer
Most recently, the value of military dogs in war has become widely recognized (once again), due in part to the events of May 2011, when the media exploded with reports that a dog team had been assigned to the mission that took down Osama bin Laden.
In the early 20th century, Lt. Col. Edwin Hautenville Richardson was Britain's foremost authority on dog training. Not only would he prove to be an unabashed promoter of progressive attitudes toward dogs, but nearly 100 years later, Richardson's compassionate treatment of his dogs are the models for dog handling today.
Friday 24 October 2014
IKEA Halloween
Late night shopping may never be the same again after you watch IKEA's homage to Stanley Kubrick's horror classic, The Shining.
YouTube link
(thanks Cora)
YouTube link
(thanks Cora)
The Most Affordable Zip Codes In America
It doesn't matter if you're wealthy or just making minimum wage; affordable living is key when picking a new place to call home. You'll need a place where you can have a steady job, where your monthly costs aren't insanely high, and where the rent doesn't eat up the majority of your paycheck. So, where are these fabulous places exactly?
The Movoto Real Estate Blog published a map showing the most affordable zip codes to live in America.
(thanks Bryan)
10 Murderers Who Changed How We Investigate Murder
Ever since we realized that catching a malefactor wasn't as simple as throwing them in the water to see if they floated, we had to turn to science. And over the years, there have been some homicide cases that really changed things. Here are ten people whose killings paved the way to a new era in crime-solving.
What The Color Of Your Logo Says About Your Brand
Few design projects seem to require as much deep thinking as a corporate logo. One of the most basic decisions for any logo, though, is color. And if you think color choice isn't really that important, well - someday you're going to be beaten up by a psychologist.
This infographic explains a bit more about logos and their color - as well as the cost, value and evolution over time of some well-known corporate marks.
New Tarantula Named After John Lennon
Imagine a world where a spider is named after John Lennon - because now there is. A new species of tarantula called Bumba lennoni that lives in the Amazonian state of Pará, Brazil, is named after John Lennon.
The tarantula is not particularly large - its body is about 1.3 inches (34 millimeters) wide. Study leader Fernando Pérez-Miles, an entomologist at Uruguay's University of the Republic, said he has been waiting for a while to dedicate a species to Lennon because he's a fan of the Beatles.
Thursday 23 October 2014
Tale Of Momentum And Inertia
A creature made of rock accidentally sends a boulder towards a small village. He tries his best to stop it from destroying the village but things don't exactly go that way.
Vimeo link
Vimeo link
Woodkopf - The Wacky Czech Sport You've Probably Never Of
Woodkopf is a crazy new sport invented in the Czech Republic. The popular sport involves a pair of opponents wearing two-meter wooden boards on their heads and trying to knock the other's board down without dropping their own.
The wacky sport can be traced back to July of 1992, when it was practiced during a cultural festival of art school graduates in Prague. Woodkopf (which literally translates to 'wooden head') is popular partly due to the fact that the game is simple, inexpensive and requires no complex equipment, but also because it never fails to supply a good dose of humor.
Your Life On Earth
Our planet has been around for 4.5 billion years. Find out how, since the date of your birth, your life has progressed; including how many times your heart has beaten, how far you have travelled through space, the amount the sea has risen, to the number of earthquakes and volcanoes that have erupted.
I found out that my heart has beaten 2 billion times in my lifetime. That, in my life, there have been 307 major eruptions, and there have been 143 solar eclipses. That I am as old as the town of Victoria in Romania. That oil will be run out when I'm 118 years old, coal when I'm 120, and gas when I'm 178. How has it changed in your lifetime?
Alphonse Bertillon And The Identity Of Criminals
Alphonse Bertillon was a French forensic documentarian who developed or improved upon several methods of identifying criminals and solving crimes.
Some of those methods, such as the mug shot, are still in use today, while others, particularly anthropometry, were abandoned over time in favor of more accurate methods. Bertillon is considered by many to be the first forensic expert.
The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made
As the official airline of Middle-earth, Air New Zealand has gone all out to celebrate the third and final film in The Hobbit Trilogy - The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Starring Elijah Wood and Sir Peter Jackson; here's The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made.
YouTube link
YouTube link
The Stone Dolls Of Kuklica
The stone town is an area consisting of over 120 naturally formed stone pillars, located in the village of Kuklica, near Kratovo in Macedonia. Legend tells of a man who could not decide which of two women he should marry. So, the man planned to marry each woman on the same day at different times.
When the first wedding was in progress, the woman to marry the man second went to see who was getting married on the same day as she. When she saw her future husband marrying another woman, she cursed all in attendance at the wedding and turned them into stone.
(thanks Juergen)
How A Single Parasite Species Can Change Every Life-Form Around It
Parasites are nature's freeloaders, living off their hosts while giving nothing in return. But scientists have come to appreciate that even the greediest parasites can indirectly benefit other species by manipulating ecosystems - providing food, assisting predators and even building habitats.
But how could organisms as small and selfish as parasites have a similarly significant impact on their surrounding environments? Frequently, they do so through the manipulation of other, larger species.
Wednesday 22 October 2014
10 Hollywood Breakthrough Roles Landed By Stars Who Could Barely Speak English
It's hardly breaking news that the right look is all-important in Hollywood. But sometimes, with enough screen intensity and charisma, foreign actors don't even need to be able to speak fluent English to land and even excel in their breakthrough American movie roles.
Incredibly, some of Tinseltown's brightest stars started out by learning their lines phonetically or, in some cases, having their dialogue re-recorded by smoother-voiced, less accent-heavy stand-ins. Here are ten big names of world cinema who charmed American audiences despite the fact that they could scarcely speak English.
The Great Diamond Hoax Of 1872
The diamond hoax of 1872 was a swindle in which a pair of prospectors sold a false American diamond deposit to prominent businessmen in San Francisco and New York. It also triggered a brief diamond prospecting craze in the western USA, in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado.
The Annual World Championship Outhouse Races in Virginia City, Nevada
The use of toilets is just simple - any description isn't even needed. But in Virginia City, Nevada, they are used in a special yet weird race.
Everyone's excited, especially the families who can't wait to gear up their toilets and see if everything's a-ok before this exciting event starts. This is the Annual World Championship Outhouse Races, in other words, this is a toilet race.
What Makes Food Taste Sweet?
Ever wonder why your favorite sweets taste, well, sweet? Whether they're made with sugar or artificial sweeteners, it all comes down to chemistry, and a very special shape known as the 'sweetness triangle.'
YouTube link
(thanks Elaine)
YouTube link
(thanks Elaine)
20 Things You Might Not Know About The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air
Did you know that Will Smith only agreed to star in the show because he was in serious debt to the IRS? Or that Geoffrey, the ever-snarky butler of the Banks household's last name was... Butler?
Here are 20 Things You Might Not Know About The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air.
The Bird Hat Craze That Sparked A Preservation Movement
At the turn of the 19th century in the U.S. and Europe, it became wildly popular for ladies to wear feathers and whole taxidermied birds on their hats. One ornithologist reported taking two walks in Manhattan in 1886 and counting 700 hats, 525 of which were topped by feathers or birds.
Ornithologists started to sit up and take notice. A campaign to end the practice began. Ironically, middle-class women were at the forefront of the bird preservation movement. They were the rank and file and, thanks in part to their work, in the U.S. the movement led to the formation of the first Audubon societies.
Tuesday 21 October 2014
Lavatory Lovestory
Film created by the Melnitsa Animation Studio from St. Petersburg, Russia. The story of a single, middle aged lady who works as a lavatory attendant.
Vimeo link
(via Kuriositas)
Vimeo link
(via Kuriositas)
59 Creative Examples Of Beautiful Country Currency
We all use currency on a daily basis. Every country has its own unique currency which reflects their culture, history and events over time. Almost all country currency are unique and different, but here are 59 of the most creative and amazingly beautiful currencies of the world that will take back you into the world of art.
What's The Diffrence Between A Hurricane, A Typhoon And A Cyclone?
It would be easy to assume that each of these devastating storms represent different types of extreme weather. In fact they are all descriptions of the same meteorological phenomenon - a rotating mass of air that centres around an area of low pressure, bringing high speed winds, heavy rain and thunder storms. So what's the difference?
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