American Shokunin

Shokunin is a Japanese word used to describe an individual that aspires to become a master in their particular craft or art form. Ryan Neil falls firmly into this description, as he has been practicing the art of Bonsai for nearly two decades.

In this short film, we get a glimpse at the broader thinking behind a professional American Bonsai practitioner, as well as some of the inherent challenges and aspirations that come along with the pursuit for bonsai mastery in America.



Vimeo link

(thanks Cora)

Leonard Nimoy, Spock of 'Star Trek,' Dies At 83

image credit YouTube

Leonard Nimoy, the sonorous, gaunt-faced actor who won a worshipful global following as Mr. Spock, the resolutely logical human-alien first officer of the Starship Enterprise in the television and movie juggernaut 'Star Trek,' died yesterday morning at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles. He was 83.

His artistic pursuits - poetry, photography and music in addition to acting - ranged far beyond the United Federation of Planets, but it was as Mr. Spock that Leonard Nimoy became a folk hero.

The 15 Most Amazing Landscapes And Rock Formations

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Shaped and sculpted over millions of years, these stunning landscapes and rock formations hold invaluable clues to Earth's past and future.

Global Rainfall And Snowfall Map

NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement mission has produced its first global map of rainfall and snowfall. The map covers more of the globe than any previous precipitation data set and allows scientists to see how rain and snow storms move around nearly the entire planet.



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The Grapes Of Wrath: 10 Surprising Facts About John Steinbeck's Novel

image credit: Keir Hardie

John Steinbeck (1902-1968) was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1962. His 1939 book The Grapes of Wrath, published 75 years ago on April 14, has sold more than 14 million copies in the past 75 years. Here are 10 things about The Grapes of Wrath that may surprise you.

Researchers Find New Reason To Drink Coffee: It May Reduce Risk Of MS

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Drink up, coffee lovers: Neurologists say a healthy appetite for coffee may reduce your risk of developing multiple sclerosis. We're not talking a cup or two of joe in the morning. Even a triple espresso might not be enough to register a difference.

In a new study, researchers found that people who downed at least four cups of coffee per day were one-third less likely to develop multiple sclerosis than their counterparts who drank no coffee at all.

Uptown Funk 'Oldtown Cover' Ft. Alex Boye & The Dancing Grannies

All the grandmas and grandpas in this video did their own stunts. They range in age from 65 to 92. Between them, they have raised 500 children, 1,200 grandchildren, and 250 great grandchildren.



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Whichever Is Less

(via Bad Newspaper)

10 Exceptionally Clever Female Con Artists

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You've heard of 'con men' - short for confidence men - but what about the con women of the world? Some deceitful dames used their wits and well-laced lies to achieve great wealth, fame, and even the advantages of the aristocracy.

First Images Of The World's Largest Airplane

image credit YouTube

The first glimpse of Paul Allen's crazy space venture: The largest airplane in history, a 385-foot (117-meter) wingspan beast designed to carry and launch a giant rocket to space, with a combined weigh of 1,200,000 pounds (540,000 kg).

Tower Bridge, The Dubstep Movement

Opened on the 30th June 1894, Tower Bridge in London is a combination of a bascule and suspension bridge. It's recently undergone a makeover with the addition of glass floor sections in the East and West walkways.



Vimeo link

(thanks Cora)

What To Know Before You Go

An infographic from the Australia based flight comparison website CheapFlights.com.au. It's all about strange laws from around the world. Learn all about crazy laws in places like Singapore, Thailand, Russia and Fiji to name a few.

26 Real Places That Look Like They've Been Taken Out Of Fairy Tales

image credit: Leon Yaakov

If you love fairy tales and have a serious case of wanderlust, this bucket list was made for you.

Kali Of The Dance

Sébastien Hamel filmed his daughter Kali who loves to jump around in her Jolly Jumper.



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(thanks Cora)

10 Awesome Acts Of Archery Across The Ages

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Here's a list of some of the most awesome (verifiable) acts of arrow-based badassery from history.

9 Historical Murder Mysteries Solved More Than A Century Later

While many historical whodunnits were solved not long after the supposed crime was committed, sometimes it's up to modern science and history to determine how and why a person died. Here are cases where murders were revealed or refuted decades or even centuries after the fact.

Sun Cats

Time-lapse of cats looking for a glimpse of the sun.



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Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle Conservation

Get a rare inside look at Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle, a beloved feature at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago since 1949. Following the completion of its nine-month conservation project, you can watch as the Fairy Castle gets reassembled in under three minutes.



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(thanks Cora)

Scientists Reveal The Real Reason You Have Eyelashes

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The mysterious function of eyelashes has been revealed at last - thanks to science. After measuring the dimensions of nearly two dozen mammal eyes and performing a series of wind tunnel experiments, researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology determined that most mammal eyelashes are one-third the length of their eyes - just the right length to minimize the flow of air over the eyeball.

This reduction of airflow is important because less moving air across the eye keeps evaporation at bay and stops irritating dust from getting deposited on the eye surface, the scientists report in a study published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.

The Vivid Ponds And Pools Of Huanglong Valley In China

image credit: sung ming whang

Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area is a UNESCO-certified World Heritage Site surrounded by snow-capped peaks and contains a series of travertine lakes, waterfalls, forests, and mountain scenery. It is located in the north-west of Sichuan Province in China.

Huanglong is the home of the valley popular for its colorful ponds that scattered around the area, strewn with gold-colored limestone creating a shimmering golden water. Take a look at the amazing emerald-to-turquoise ponds of Huanglong.

The Restoration Of Number 40

A video looking at the restoration of the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad's 87-year-old steam locomotive, Number 40. A Baldwin 2-8-0 Consolidation locomotive, it was built in Philadelphia in 1925 and pulls passengers on a sightseeing route through bucolic Bucks County, PA.



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(thanks Cora)

15 Things You Didn't Know About The German Shepherd Dog

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The German Shepherd Dog is one of the few breeds whose official name includes the word dog. Why? So people knew when you were talking about a German shepherd human, who tends the livestock, or the dog helping him.

Here are fifteen facts you may not know about the amazing German Shepherd Dog.

How Did Long-Necked Dinosaurs Drink Without Getting Dizzy?

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Many of us have gotten dizzy when we stand up too fast - and we don't even have to go that far. Imagine if you had to lower and raise your head several stories every time you wanted a drink of water.

So, how did large, long-necked sauropod dinosaurs, such as Brachiosaurus or Apatosaurus, drink water without losing consciousness when bending over?

Meanwhile

This is a short timelapse film by Sandro Bocci. Meanwhile shows the world of marine animals like corals and starfish at a high magnification and during a long time span.



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How Long Can We Stay Awake?

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When it comes to time-consuming activities, there's one that sits head and shoulders above them all. Live to 78, and you may have spent around 25 years asleep. In an effort to claw back some of that time it's reasonable to ask: how long can we stay awake - and what are the consequences of going without sleep?

45 Most Random, Amazing And Bizarre Facts About Horses

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Article by Double D Trailers. Horses have been called the noblest of creatures, and it's easy to see why. Depending on which scientific accounts you believe, they've been man's original best friend since anywhere from 4000 to 2000 B.C. They've taken us wherever we've asked them to including the fields of battle.

Here are the 45 Most Random, Amazing and Bizarre Facts about Horses.

(thanks Casey)

Why People Stutter And How To Treat It

About one percent of the world's population stutters, a speech disorder that affects four times as many men as women. Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, have published two studies: one that identifies brain structures linked to stuttering and another that examines a new way to treat the condition.

According to Janis Ingham, a professor emerita of speech and hearing sciences and coauthor of both papers, the two studies taken together demonstrate two critical points: a neuroanatomic abnormality exists in the brains of people who stutter, yet they can learn to speak fluently in spite of it.

Honda - Keep Up

'Keep up' introduces Honda's new range of products. But can you keep up with this advertisement?



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Motorized Toilet Featuring A Snow Plow, Toilet Paper Dispenser, And Magazine Rack

image credit YouTube

Loo-cy is a motorized toilet created by David Goldberg of Union Hardware that features an attached snow plow for clearing the sidewalks of Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

The drivable bathroom, which includes toilet paper rolls and a magazine rack, was created for promotion at public events like parades and air shows. Union Hardware recently decided to outfit it for this particularly snowy winter.

19 Insane Things That Were Actually Acceptable In The 1960s

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Because if ironing your hair with an actual iron hasn't killed you yet, nothing can.
19 Insane things that were actually acceptable in the 1960s.

(via Neatorama)

The Mohawks Who Built Manhattan

image credit YouTube

Mohawks have been building skyscrapers for six generations. The first workers came from the Kahn­awake Reservation near Montreal, where in 1886 the Canadian Pacific Railroad sought to construct a cantilever bridge across the St. Lawrence River, landing on reservation property.

In exchange for use of the Mohawks' land, the railroad and its contractor, the Dominion Bridge Co., agreed to employ tribesmen during construction. For generations, Mohawk Indians have left their reservations in or near Canada to raise skyscrapers in the heart of New York City.

(thanks Michael)

Human Powered Pile Driver

To provide foundation support for buildings or other structures you need a mechanical device like a pile driver. But what if you don't have one? You use the power of humans.



YouTube link

(thanks Cora)

Wifi-Enabled Sheep To Help Connect Rural Wales

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An ambitious project to turn farm fields into digital smart zones has been launched in rural Wales. The aim is to connect everything from sheep to riverbanks to allow the countryside of Conwy to enjoy the digital revolution.

Sheep will be equipped with electronic collars to monitor their movements and understand their habits. These, in theory, could also be used to create as many wi-fi access points as the animals wearing them.

How The Philadelphia Experiment Worked

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In the summer of 1943, at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, a newly commissioned destroyer called the USS Eldridge was being equipped with several large generators. Rumor was that the generators were designed to power a new kind of magnetic field that would make the warship invisible to enemy radar.

With the full crew on board, it was time to test the system. What happened next would baffle scientists and fuel decades of wild speculation. Witnesses describe an eerie green-blue glow surrounding the hull of the ship.

Then, instantaneously and inexplicably, the Eldridge disappeared. Not just invisible to radar, but gone - vanished into thin air! So goes the story of the Philadelphia Experiment. But what exactly did happen?

(via Miss Cellania)

Wearable Tomato Dispenser For Marathon Runners

Japanese food manufacturer Kagome has invented a wearable tomato dispenser for runners at the 2015 Tokyo marathon. The device allows runners to consume up to seven tomatoes on the go, all at the click of a button.



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The Bizarre Rock Formations Of Yehliu Geopark In Taiwan

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Yehliu Geopark in Taiwan is the place where naturally-formed rocks show off their odd shapes that may help them pass as otherworldly creations. If you're in Taipei, Taiwan, it's a great time-killer to travel to the northern coast and observe this amazing natural wonder.

7 Incredible Narco Tanks Built By Mexican Cartels

image credit YouTube

As violence in Mexico raged with intense competition between rival drug cartels and the Mexican government, the cartels came up with a radical solution for improving their capabilities in the street. Through ingenious engineering, and by taking a page out of 'Mad Max,' cartels created so-called narco tanks.

What Do Animals See In The Mirror?

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What do animals see when they look into a mirror? It takes a good deal of sophisticated integration of information about yourself and your own movements and what you're seeing in front of you in that glass. That's why it takes human babies 18 to 24 months to catch on to what they're seeing in the mirror.

Amazingly, some animals have also cracked the code: Dolphins, elephants, magpies, and some great apes know they're looking at themselves in the mirror.

3 Year Old White Belt Karateka Reciting The Student Creed

Adorable 3-year-old girl recites the Premier Martial Arts Leeds Student Creed.



YouTube link

(via Twisted Sifter)

A Hundred Thousand People Died So You Could Enjoy Amsterdam

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Ever wanted to go to Amsterdam? Maybe sit at a cafe or tour the Red Light District? It took two horrific floods, which re-sculpted the coast of Europe, to make Amsterdam into a city worth visiting. Two storms, spaced seventy-five years apart, forever changed the fate of the Netherlands.

Penguins Are Losing Their Sense Of Taste

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Although penguins might be dressed for a classy dinner date, the dapper birds probably wouldn't enjoy the cuisine. A recent study led by Jianzhi George Zhang at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor found that penguins have lost three of their five different tastes.

While they can still distinguish between salty and sour foods, their tastes of sweet, bitter, and umami have disappeared due to a gene that makes a protein called Trpm5.

The Biggest Carriers And Trucks In The World

Video about huge large multiwheel trucks.



YouTube link

(thanks Cora)

The Wonderful World Of Early Computing

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The history of computing spans thousands of years - from the primitive notched bones found in Africa, to the invention of the abacus in 2400 BC, to Charles Babbage's Difference Engine in 1883, to the rise of the popularity of Personal Computers in the 1970s.

For the most part, this timeline is marked by devices that bear little or no resemblance to present-day machines both in form and capabilities. Let's go back - way back - and take a look at the wonderful world of early computing.

How The World Of Photography Was Changing Back In 1887

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Back in 1887, a photography instructor named Edward Estabrooke published a book titled 'Photography in the Studio and in the Field.' It was a practical manual designed as a companion alike to the professional and the amateur photographer.

Filled with detailed information on how to practice photography with the equipment and technologies of the time, the book also contains interesting passages that describe how the world of photography was changing.

The Amazing iPad Magician

Simon Pierro is a German magician better known as The iPad Magician. He appeared on The Ellen Show with his magic iPad and wowed Ellen's audience.



YouTube link

(thanks Chava)

47 Alternatives To Wikipedia

Wikipedia is perhaps the most popular reference site online, with millions of high quality articles available on virtually any topic. However, there are limits to what Wikipedia can offer.

Here are 47 Wikipedia alternatives you can use to find information, research a paper, get quick answers, and much more.

Australia's Temple Of Weird

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The Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) is an art museum located within the Moorilla winery on the Berriedale peninsula in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

It is the largest privately funded museum in Australia. The museum presents antiquities, modern and contemporary art from the David Walsh collection. Walsh has described the museum as a 'subversive adult Disneyland.'

The Making Of The Fostex TH900 Headphone

Fostex is a Japanese audio equipment manufacturer. One of the things they make is the Fostex TH900 headphone which sells for around $1,300. That's a lot of money.

The Fostex TH900 had a neodymium magnetic circuit with a 15,000 gauss magnetic flux density for wider dynamic range. The housing is made from Japanese Cherry Birch and finished with Urushi lacquer.



YouTube link

(thanks Cora)

How Much Was That Famous Movie Date?

Infographic by Shari's Berries. Movie dates can be as extravagant as a surprise jet-setting excursion or as simple as a rendezvous in your local IKEA. Sometimes it even takes a week-long vacation to set the stage for the big moment.

Take a look at some of the most iconic date scenes in cinema to find how much the leading man and lady would've had to shell out for their romantic day.

(thanks Julissa)

$761 Jar Of Peanut Butter For Sale

The United States government has created the world's most expensive jar of peanut butter. Is it laced with pure gold? Coated in rare white truffle dust? Could it be hypo-allergenic? No, no, and no.

This $761 jar of peanut butter (officially known as Standard Reference Material No. 2387) was developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Its high price has nothing to do with the ingredients in the jar. It has to do with the labor involved: Dozens of scientists and lab technicians around the country spent time analyzing the peanut butter.

(via Neatorama)

Ro-Bow

Seth Goldstein is a mechanical engineer who has been building instruments and machines for over 50 years. He was educated at MIT and spent most of his career practicing bioengineering at the National Institutes of Health. Ro-Bow is a kinetic sculpture that plays a standard full size violin.



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More kinetic sculptures by Seth Goldstein.

Strongest Material Known To Man? A Limpet's Tooth

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Scientists at the University of Portsmouth believe they may have found the strongest natural material known to man, one that could be copied to make the cars, boats and planes of the future - the teeth of the humble limpet.

Researchers examined the mechanics of limpet teeth by pulling them apart all the way down to the level of the atom. They found that the teeth of the snail-like creatures are potentially stronger than what was previously thought to be the strongest biological material, the silk of a spider.

How To Eat Chocolate

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Good chocolate is powerful stuff - it was considered a spiritual medicine for the Maya and forbidden for children.

Today, chocolate abounds the world round, but in Switzerland, it still manifests that ancient power and is, in a way, still worshipped. There are no rules for eating chocolate. But like most things, there is a better way.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory - Year 5

February 11, 2015 marked five years in space for NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which provides incredibly detailed images of the whole sun 24 hours a day. SDO has provided an unprecedentedly clear picture of how massive explosions on the sun grow and erupt. The imagery is also captivating, allowing one to watch the constant ballet of solar material through the sun's atmosphere, the corona.



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ThermaLipo Event

Get rid of some fat. And grow some hair.

(via Bad Newspaper)

10 Surreal Natural Places You Must Visit In France

image credit: francois pouzet

Would it be shocking for you to find out that France isn't only known for its museums, castles, food, and wine? Nature has also given France unbelievable places that only you and your eyes can prove to be real - or more like surreal. Here are 10 of the most amazing natural places you'll see in France.

Fooled You! Whirling Tails Of Luna Moths Deflect Bat Attacks

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Those pretty green tails fluttering and whirling at the end of a luna moth's hind wings turn out to be pretty good defensive weapons in an acoustic war with predatory bats.

As tips of a moth's tails whirl in two circles behind the wings, they reflect the echolocation pings that a bat uses to find and nab prey out of the air. That can trick bats into attacking a more expendable body part, or missing the luna moth altogether.

Diversity Among Winners At The Oscars

A lot of noise has been made about the lack of diversity among nominees for the Oscars this year. This video shows how many black, hispanic, and Asian winners there have been throughout history, across four main categories - best actor/actress, supporting actor/actress, writing (original and adapted screenplays), and directing.



Vimeo link

(thanks Bard)

Japan - The Land Of Vending Machines

image credit: Chris Lewis

Anyone who lives in a town or city is used to the sight of the odd vending machine. As a convenience they have no equal - at least when they work or have not run out of the product they are supposed to sell.

Yet where most countries have vending machines for a limited range of goods the Japanese have taken it to extremes. Japan truly is the country of vending machines and some of the items you can get from them might surprise you.

What's the Hardest Shot in Bowling?

image credit YouTube

At a crucial moment in the classic bowling comedy Kingpin, Woody Harrelson's character, Roy Munson, stares down a 7-10 split. 'The dreaded 7-10 split,' an announcer intones. 'In bowling there are 1,022 spare leads. And this, the 7-10, is by far the most difficult.'

Is the 7-10 the hardest shot in all of bowling? The announcer's claim is certainly the conventional wisdom. But it's not the hardest shot in bowling. So, what is?

(thanks Chava)

Lopifit - A Walking Bike Invention

Meet Bruin Bergmeester from the small village of Valthe in the Netherlands. In his spare time he has invented a new form of transport: the Lopifit. It works in part as a scooter, a treadmill and a bicycle.



YouTube link

(thanks Cora)

The Computer Simulation That Almost Started World War III

image credit National Archives

Remember the 1983 movie WarGames? The film is about a computer 'game' with the potential to start thermonuclear war. But strangely this scenario is more truth than fiction.

Because in 1979 programmers at NORAD almost started World War III when they accidentally ran a computer simulation of a Soviet attack.

Mute

Mute is an animated short about a world populated by people born without a mouth. When a gory accident leads to the discovery they are able to create their own mouth by cutting themselves, this releases an enthusiastic chain reaction among the population.



Vimeo link

(thanks Cora)

A History Of The Most Impractical Weapons Ever Used In War

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A lot of brainpower goes into designing weapons of war. Unfortunately, in a complicated situation, brainpower is a terrible substitute for testing. Here are some of the ingenious weapons of war that were great on paper and terrible in practice.

Deskloop

Deskloop is a short film by Dutch designer, animator and artist Evelien Lohbeck presenting a chain reaction that takes place on a desk(top).



YouTube link

(via Miss Cellania)

Portraits Of Anne Boleyn May Not Be Her, Say Experts

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Anne Boleyn (1501-1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of King Henry VIII. Two of the most well known portraits of Anne Boleyn, which are on display at the National Portrait Gallery, may not be her, scientists have concluded. Facial recognition experts have created a computer algorithm which maps the faces from portraits to find a match with other paintings.

They used a contemporaneous miniature of Anne Boleyn from the British Museum as a reference, as it is the only undisputed likeness of Henry VIII's second wife. After running the software, the experts said they could not be sure that the 'Anna Bolina' portrait, a late 16th century copy of a painting from 1533, which hangs in London's National Portrait Gallery, was the queen.

Flight Stream

Flight Stream is an experiment by software engineer Callum Prentice to map the airline flights between world airports. It's not showing real time positions but rather great-circle routes between major airports based on flight data.

(thanks Chava)

Why Do Mirrors Flip Horizontally But Not Vertically?

Physics Girl Meg Chetwood explains why mirrors appear to flip images horizontally but not vertically.



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(thanks Chava)

10 Mysterious Lost Lands

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Has the geography of the world changed enough that entire lands and continents have disappeared? Throughout history, a lot of people have thought so. The drowned continent of Atlantis is the most famous of these mysterious lands, but there are dozens of others.

Some of these lands may have disappeared due to erosion, ice melt and tectonic plate shifts. Others could simply be the result of poor navigation by sailors. But the stories of lost lands linger on, appearing and reappearing at the edges of history and science.

Snackadium Kickstarter Campaign

If you love sports and you love food, then you must have heard of a Snackadium. A Snackadium is a stadium made of snacks. Dallas Amsden and his business partner Rich now have created the ultimate Snackadium and they need your help on Kickstarter.

It is an eleven-piece, multi-tiered, plastic-injection molded, food container set. These food containers are fully customizable and apart from the eleven-piece design, they also have designs, patents and trademarks pending on other multi-pan sets, single-pan pieces, aluminum foil versions; and the designs cover a wide array of sports like baseball, basketball, MMA and more.

Dragonfly Delight: A Life Cycle In Superb Macrophotography

image credit: John 'K'

The sight of a dragonfly on the wing is one of the more remarkable that nature has to offer. With the help of some astounding macrophotography, we take a look at the life cycle of the dragonfly as well as its remarkable and unusual physiology.

Mom And Kids Drifting In A 550 HP Minivan

First of all, don't try this at home. No mothers or children were endangered in the making of this video. It's an advertisement for Famous Footwear. This is what happens when you take a 550 HP engine and put it in a minivan. Stunt woman Shauna Duggins takes the kids for the ride of their lives.



YouTube link

(thanks Spencer)

Pet Peeve Love Story

Twenty common couple pet peeves presented in a fast-paced, visual, Amélie-esque style. A whimsical look at the ways we hate the ones we love. Share it with your pet peeve today.



YouTube link

(thanks Ryan)

Google Doodle Honors Alessandro Volta

A new Google Doodle is celebrating what would have been the 270th birthday of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745-1827), who in the year 1800 published a theory that led to the modern battery.

With this invention Alessandro Volta proved that electricity could be generated chemically and debased the prevalent theory that electricity was generated solely by living beings.

Green Living

Green Living is an animated short about a green sparrow who dreams with all his heart to become an elegant flamingo, and will have to rely on the help of his friends.



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(thanks Cora)

Venice's Libreria Acqua Alta: The Most Beautiful Book Shop In The World

image credit: ECV-OnTheRoad

For those who love to read, there's something incredibly enticing about an independent book shop. Especially if it's full of cosy nooks and crannies and deliciously old paper smells, and there doesn't appear to be any logical order to the chaos that lies within.

Then you should visit the Libreria Acqua Alta in Venice, Italy. With stacks of books covering every possible surface, including a full-size gondola and old bathtubs, it's an establishment that tries to use objects which have a connection to water - adding to the shop's quirky identity.

Academy Awards Fun Facts

Infographic by Shari's Berries. The Academy Awards ceremony is approaching its 87th year.

This infographic takes a look back at the most notable moments since its inception, including record-breaking films like Titanic and Lord of the Rings, movies that belong on your must-see list. Plus, all the memorable Oscar winner speeches filled with heartfelt thanks to Mom, Dad and Meryl Streep.

(thanks Julissa)

The Giant Puffball: Nature's Orbicular Idiosyncrasy

image credit: bathyporeia

There are worse things you can find in the woods. As summer turns to fall, woodland and meadows the world over play host to one of nature's more orbicular idiosyncrasies.

It is large, round, white and has a distinctly extra-terrestrial appearance. Yet the giant puffball is very much of this world, albeit one of its stranger fungal denizens.