unique and interesting: 2012

Friday, August 24, 2012

What Were We Thinking? The Top 10 Most Dangerous Ads

image creditVintage advertising campaigns often steered consumers into dangerous territory, espousing misleading half-truths to convince people that toxic products were actually good for them. We may feel we're far beyond the bad old days of deceptive...

image creditEvery once in awhile, we find proof that there's not much to understand of the criminal mindset. Here are the stories of the 10 Stupidest Criminals and their stupid crimes that are just too bizarre not to be true.(thanks Cas...

10 Most Impressive Polyglots In World History

Polyglotism is the ability to speak several languages with a high degree of proficiency. There is no consensus on exactly how many languages a person has to speak to be a polyglot. One could say 'four or more,' since speakers of two or three languages are commonly called bilingual and trilingual, respectively.Throughout...

Bacon Is Done

Stick a fork in bacon, Internet. Bacon's done.YouTube link(thanks Co...

What Happens While You Sleep And How It Affects Your Every Waking Moment

The Ancient Greeks believed that one fell asleep when the brain filled with blood and awakened once it drained back out. Nineteenth-century philosophers contended that sleep happened when the brain was emptied of ambitions and stimulating thoughts. Even today, sleep remains one of the most poorly understood...

image creditGoogle has embarked on a trip to build the most comprehensive map of Canada's Arctic region to date. It is the furthest north that the Google Maps Street View team has traveled in Canada, and marks the first time that it has set foot in the...

Joe Rinaudo On The American Photoplayer

Joe Rinaudo performs 'Ghost Parade' on the American Photoplayer, a type of player piano specifically developed to provide music and sound effects for silent movies.YouTube link(thanks Co...

(via Crig...

Georg Dinkel from Germany has looked at polymer for many years in his job as a photographer for Staedtler, the maker of Fimo. This year he picked up a couple of leftover blocks and he was hooked.Except for a wooden frame and the electronics, the rest...

image creditThe deserts and sands are the best landscapes for finding old and abandoned buildings. The arid climate lends itself to preservation, and there is little danger of serious decay or damage from flooding.At the same time, the sand is an ever-shifting...

The Page Turner

How to turn a newspaper page. The Page Turner is a contraption by Joseph Herscher.YouTube link(thanks Co...

image creditIn 1741 the Norwegian-Danish author Ludvig Holberg published 'Klimii Iter Subterraneum,' a satirical science-fiction/fantasy novel detailing the adventures of its hero Niels Klim in a utopian society existing beneath the surface of the earth....

image creditThe Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and cerebral palsy. Wednesday, August 29, 2012...

How Children Learn: Portraits Of Classrooms Around The World

Since 2004, Julian Germain has been capturing the inner lives of schools around the world, from England to Nigeria to Qatar, in his large-scale photographs of schoolchildren in class.Classroom Portraits is a poignant lens on a system-phenomenon that is both global in reach and strikingly local in degree...

Apex Predators

Short video by Sarosh Jacob of gray reef sharks, shot in Nassau, Bahamas. The sharks hang around a shipwreck called the Ray of Hope.Vimeo link(thanks Co...

image creditEver had an encounter with a Zero-doccus, a Karbo-nockus, a Moto-raspus, or a Moto-munchus? These fantastical creatures are some of the first Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, introduced to the world in the 1930s. But the beasts...

The Amazon rainforest with all its plant and animal life, and all its astounding biodiversity could not exist as we know it without a patch of African desert. The soil the rainforest is producing isn't very nutrient rich. All the minerals and nutrients...

A Brief History Of The Recession

A Brief History of the Recession provides a short explanation for the 2008 financial crisis. Written and directed by Don Sherwood.YouTube l...

image creditForget about what's happening on the college playing field. The real action is often on the sidelines or in the stands as team mascots, often costumed as fierce animals, drive fans to a screaming frenzy against the opposition and lead them...

This infographic questions the assumption that men are stronger than women by asking: Could a man handle pregnancy? While many have speculated, this infographic relies on science to examine whether men are structurally and psychologically tough enough...

Man-Eater

For four years Daniel Disselkøen took the same tram to art academy. He wondered why you would look out the window with curiosity when there is no reason to expect anything new. He decided to change the daily journey for his fellow passengers and himself. He didn't move the tramway track, but he added...

image creditCheesecake in New York, Brussels waffles in Ghent, Gelato in Florence, and Turkish Delight in Istanbul. Most destinations have at least one signature dessert - that one confection that they do so well, you can taste history in every bite....

3D-Printed 'Magic Arms'

Two-year-old Emma wanted to play with blocks, but a condition called arthrogryposis meant she couldn't move her arms. So researchers at a Delaware hospital 3D printed a durable custom exoskeleton with the tiny, lightweight parts she needed.YouTube link(via Reality Carniv...

image creditBuilt during the course of the 15th century, Kumbhalgarh is a fortress in the Rajsamand District of Rajasthan state in western India. Long overshadowed by its lengthier neighbor to the east, this is the second largest continuous wall on the...

image creditAn AIRPod is a prototype of an alternative fuel vehicle produced by Motor Development International in cooperation with Tata Motors, that is powered by compressed air. The AIRPod comes in three models that vary the number of seats and amount...

image creditGabrielle Bonheur Chanel (1883 - 1971), better known as Coco Chanel, was a French fashion designer and founder of the Chanel brand. Along with Paul Poiret, Chanel is credited with liberating women from the constraints of the corseted silhouette...

Makin' Bacon Pancakes

Got 10 hours to spare? Here's 'Makin' Bacon Pancakes' The 10 Hours Version.Bacon pancakes, makin' bacon pancakes. Take some bacon and I'll put it in a pancake. That's what it's going to make. Bacon pancaaaaaaaaake!YouTube link(thanks Co...

image creditLooking back at Chinese culture with the eyes of people living in a completely different time, it's hard to know exactly what life would have been like for women during the 1800s. However, perhaps by examining these vintage photographs, we...

image creditOne man's junk is another man's brilliant invention. How many of these products are simply novelties and how many of them are actually usef...

We all know that technology is advancing super fast, but what about our Internet habits? Do you think those are evolving just as quickly? They are, although sometimes it's hard to notice it.In 2002, there were 569 million Internet users, 9.1% of the...

Smart Fortwo Facelift Commercial

Weird and creepy commercial from Smart to introduce the facelift they gave their Smart fortwo model.YouTube l...

image creditMaking a realistic and lifelike human character is one of the hardest tasks in 3D graphics. For a long time it was known as the 'Holy Grail' among 3D artists in the community. The reason why this skill is so desired, is the possibilities...

What Should We Call Poets is a tumblr blog with animated gifs about the life of writers. Here's an example.When I find a typo in a piece of writing that I've already sent out for submission.(thanks Pearl, Humany...

image creditSharks often have weird names. For example: the Starry Smooth-Hound, the Tasseled Wobbegong ot the Scalloped Bonnethead. Those are real animals. But the weirdest of all is the porbeagle, which doesn't sound like a fish at all. Here are the...

Gyrobike: A Better Way To Learn To Ride

Learning to ride a bike can be tough. But now there's Gyrobike's Gyrowheel. Gyrowheel is a revolutionary front wheel for children's bikes and is a better solution than traditional training wheels. Powered-on, Gyrowheel delivers high stability at low speed to help keep the rider upright. The rider learns...

image creditThe Avenue or Alley of the Baobabs is a prominent group of baobab trees lining the dirt road between Morondava and Belon'i Tsiribihina in the Menabe region in western Madagascar. Its striking landscape draws travelers from around the world,...

image creditSome very creative people have been building homes that aren't just places to hang their hats but instead are wildly whimsical, fantastically fanciful, amazingly awesome, and occasionally brilliantly bizar...

Want to know what planes are flying overhead? Wonder where they are going? Plane Finder is a near real time 'virtual radar' air traffic radar map. Plane Finder works by picking up ADS-B plane feeds used by commercial and private planes to transmit their...

Romance

A film by Ore Peleg.Vimeo link(thanks Co...

Buried deep under a hill in central China, surrounded by an underground moat of poisonous mercury, lies an entombed emperor who's been undisturbed for more than two millennia. The tomb holds the secrets of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, who died...

Find out how Formula 1 grew from being a 12 mph race around the streets of Paris in the 19th century, to being the big business, global phenomenon it is today. The evolution of Formula 1 is an eye-opening journey, which provides an interesting insight...

If, where you live, it is as hot as here, with temperatures up to 35° Celsius (95° Fahrenheit) you could need a cold drink. But what happens when the only place to put your drink is an uneven patch of grass? Sounds like you need an extra hand. Next time,...

Max - Cat Controller

From the Strange World of Max X: Cat Controller. Mistreating the cat just gives him ideas.YouTube l...

image creditA useful technique in night photography is the long exposure. The effects that can be captured with a long exposure are stunning and have an ethereal quality. The most important tool that you will need is a sturdy tripod, and a DSLR camera...

image creditFrance in the Year 2000 is a series of futuristic pictures by Jean-Marc Côté and other artists issued in France in 1899, 1900, 1901 and 1910. Originally in the form of paper cards enclosed in cigarette/cigar boxes and, later, as postcards,...

Mammals Shaking Themselves Dry In Slow-Motion

This is not just another cute animal video compilation. This is science. David Hu and colleagues at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, USA, filmed 33 wet mammals as they shook themselves dry. Watch their slow-motion footage and find out how fast different speies need to shake.YouTube link(thanks...

Lotte Reiniger (1899 - 1981) was a German silhouette animator and film director. As a child, she was fascinated with the Chinese art of silhouette puppetry, even building her own puppet theater so that she could put on shows for her family and friends....

image creditThe role architecture plays in our everyday lives is astronomical. From the cool houses we marvel at to historical and iconic buildings that we recognize instantly, architecture surrounds us daily.The architects behind these buildings and...

image creditIt is no surprise that Roche Rock in Cornwall in the United Kingdom is associated with a number of famous folktales. It is said that Triston and Isolde hid here when their love had been discovered by Isolde's husband, King Mark. Yet others...

Ball

With images from Google Search and music by J.S. Bach ('Nun Freut Euch'), Everynone and director Daniel Mercadante re-introduce the Ball.Vimeo link(thanks Co...

image creditBeautiful, fascinating and mysterious, the seahorse is a fish like no other. For one thing, there's the characteristically unique shape, from the horsey looking head down to the long, curling tail. Then there's the seahorses' covering, a...

image creditBabies sure are cute. But do they make good world leaders?Here's a peek at some of history's youngest rulers and their reig...

Marks & Spencer Create World's Largest Union Jack Flag from Unwanted Clothes

Marks & Spencer has created a giant piece of clothing art at West Ham Park. Using 2,100 unwanted items of clothing donated to the Shwopping initiative, M&S, local volunteering group Elevation Networks and charity partner Oxfam they made the world's largest Union Jack flag clothes mosaic. All...

Since college kids are moving back this week, the Movoto blog thought it was appropriate to invent a way for them to figure out how much they should tip their friends for helping them lug their junk around.Hence, the Moving Tip Calculator. Worth messing...

Information graphics or infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge. These graphics present complex information quickly and clearly, such as in signs, maps, journalism, technical writing, and education.Today information...

Jungle Brawl - Episode 1

Jungle Brawl - Episode 1 is the first in an intended web series of animated shorts by Lee Daniels. A rare Chimp attempts to evade capture by a tooled-up research facility, utilising his jungle surroundings as weapons and ammunition. Contains mild violence and scenes unsuitable for children. Read more...

Chef Cartoon by AndertoonsMark Anderson is a professional cartoonist from the Chicago area. His cartoons have been published in Reader's Digest, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Woman's World and the Saturday Evening Post, to mention just a few. Among...

Why Misquotations Catch On

You've probably heard the phrase 'Beam me up, Scotty'. Or Humphrey Bogart's iconic 'Play it again, Sam'. They were never actually uttered. In the world of speeches and orations, especially historical ones, the persistent misquotation is understandable. If you're a journalist - especially in the pre-recording...

How To Fold An American Flag

Most countries have a flag protocol. Flag protocol defines the proper placement, handling and use of flags. Some countries have added certain protocols into their law system while others prefer to have 'guidelines' without civil or criminal consequences attached. This video shows the protocol of folding...

image creditMatthew Inman, creator of The Oatmeal, is at it again. In conjunction with the non-profit Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe, Inman has started a fundraiser to raise $850,000 to purchase the land that includes Nikola Tesla's Wardenclyffe...

Hey, That's My Bike!

You can't really blame him, they do all look the same.YouTube l...

(via Crig...

The Face Slimmer is a simple solution to the timeless problem of how to give sagging facial skin and muscles that much-needed daily lift. Just three minutes per day is all you need; pop in the mold and then make mouth movements.The makers recommend you...

image creditAqueducts were built to bring a constant flow of water from distant sources into cities and towns, supplying public baths, fountains and private households. Many aqueducts over land connect points of similar height in a landscape, usually...

The Ross Sisters - Solid Potato Salad

The Ross Sisters were a trio of female sibling singing dancers consisting of Aggie, Elmira, and Maggie Ross. The Ross Sisters performed as a 3-part harmony trio wherein they also danced and did acrobatics and contortionism. In this classic footage from 1944 the Ross sisters sing and contort all over...

Street artists Leon Keer, Peter Westerink, Ruben Poncia and Remko van Schaik of the Netherlands created these LEGO soldiers marching down the street at the 4th Sarasota Chalkfestival in Florida, USA. The LEGO men are meant to resemble clay figures as...

image creditThe top 5 things that will help you most to develop as a photograph...

image creditA collection of 10 unexpected and intriguing facts about our solar system - our sun and its family of planets - you probably did not kn...

100 Greatest Maniacal Movie Laughs

Some laughs are good, some are bad, but they're all insane.YouTube link(thanks Co...

image creditMatryoshka dolls or 'nesting dolls' are a set of wooden dolls of decreasing size placed one inside the other. Much of the artistry is in the painting of each doll, which can be very elaborate. The dolls often follow a theme.Irene Hwang makes...

Google is honoring Julia Child (1912 - 2004) with a Google doodle. Julia Child (née McWilliams), born on August 15, 1912, was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for introducing French cuisine to the American public...

image creditChina has four major Buddhist cave complexes - by far the most visited being the Longmen caves. Less well known are the Maijishan Grottoes. Situated in Gansu Province in the northwest of China, this astonishing example of cave architecture...

The LEGO Story

As the LEGO Group celebrates its 80th birthday, take a look back at its history with this animated film.YouTube link(thanks Co...

Exposure to radioactive material released into the environment has caused mutations in butterflies found in Japan, a study suggests. Scientists found an increase in leg, antennae and wing shape mutations among butterflies collected following the 2011...

image creditMuch of Antarctica has endured more than three months of complete darkness - but yesterday, the Sun rose again for the first time over the horizon at French-Italian Concordia Station, an extreme and isolated outpost. Antarctic-based doctor...

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Friday, August 24, 2012

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Monday, August 20, 2012

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Friday, August 17, 2012

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Wednesday, August 15, 2012