unique and interesting: June 2012

Saturday, June 30, 2012

The Weekend Will Last An Extra Second

Ever heard of a 61-second minute? Well, you're going to get one today. Time will stand still for one second today because a 'leap second' will be added to let a lagging Earth catch up to super-accurate clocks.A leap second is a one-second adjustment...

The web today is a growing universe of interlinked web pages and web apps, teeming with videos, photos, and interactive content. What the average user doesn't see is the interplay of web technologies and browsers that makes all this possible. Over time...

Tic Tac - La Pire Haleine Du Monde

TicTac came up with a new version of the flash mob for its viral filmed in France. On a square a person is asked for directions. As soon as the person starts speaking, something strange happens. Watch La Pire Haleine du Monde (The Worst Breath in the World) yourself to find out what occurs.YouTube link(thanks...

image creditNamaqualand is an arid region of Namibia and South Africa, extending along the west coast over 600 miles (970 km) and covering a total area of 170,000 square miles (440,000 km²). Namaqualand is dry for most of the year, yet when the rains...

Instructions on making a 4th of July pinwheel. You'll need: card stock, printer, scissors, glue, straight pins with a head, pliers and paper lollipop sticks.(thanks Co...

image creditOsedax is a genus of deep-sea siboglinid polychaetes, commonly called boneworms, zombie worms, or bone-eating worms, the name alluding to how the worms bore into the bones of whale carcasses to reach enclosed lipids, on which they rely for...

Ilhama Featuring DJ OGB - Bei Mir Bist Du Scheen

Azerbaijani pop singer Ilhama Gasimova sings 'Bei Mir Bist Du Scheen' (actual title: Bei Mir Bist Du Schön).YouTube link(thanks Co...

Are you a satalight installer? A contractor is now highering.(via Crig...

image creditMy Little Pony galloped into the world in 1983 on a cloud of pink and purple sparkles, bent on winning the hearts of little girls. Set to a saccharine jingle, commercials showed pigtailed girls admiring these pastel-colored vinyl toy horses,...

Cat Vs Kitty Coin Bank

A cat is fascinated by a Kitty Coin Bank.YouTube l...

image creditA set of photos of geisha and maiko (apprentice geisha) posing as bathing beauties during the Meiji and Taisho eras (1868 - 1926) of old Japan.(via Everlasting Blo...

Sales 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...

New York City Subway Stairs

The exit at 36th Street subway station near Sunset Park in Brooklyn, New York, has something very peculiar about it. Something that makes it unique from any other subway station in the city. One of the stairs is a fraction of an inch higher than all the others. Making it just high enough so that nearly...

image creditIt's no mystery that dogs earned the moniker of 'Man's Best Friend' due to their longstanding service to mankind. But should you need an explanation beyond this, here are selected tales of some of the most awesome dogs that ever exist...

Colorful And Picturesque Villages Of Faroe Islands

image creditThe Faroe Islands are a group of 18 islands in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Scotland and halfway between Iceland and Norway. The Faroe Islands are undeniably beautiful: green, rugged and wind-swept. The countryside...

image creditIn 1992, Nickelodeon got together with the Kids World Council to decide what was most important to kids at the time. Then they assembled those items, put them in a big orange time capsule, and buried it in front of the Nickelodeon Studios.The...

Back To The Start

A stop-motion animated film about farming commissioned by Chipotle Mexican Grill. It shows the life of a farmer as he slowly turns his family farm into an industrial animal factory, before seeing the errors of his ways and opting for a more sustainable future. Willie Nelson was commissioned to record...

image creditWhat seems weird to us may be totally normal for people in other countries. For example, insect-eating is common in parts of North, Central and South America; and Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. However, in some societies insect-eating...

image creditAs we bid farewell to Lonesome George, the last of his Galapagos tortoise subspecies, remember that plenty of other species have been declared extinct pretty recent...

World Record: Most Consecutive No-Look Half Court Shots

Jason 'White Shadow' Gibbons completed three no-look half court shots in a row, a world record.YouTube linkMore records at RecordSetter.(thanks Dav...

image creditLego struck gold when they started releasing collectible minifigures 1978. They have become hugely successful, with over 3.7 billion produced in both limited edition waves and in blind packaging. These figures are highly detailed and imaginative,...

SKYS

A wonderful short film of beautiful skies created using time-lapse photography from amateur photographer and film maker Daniel Gregoire. SKYS is the culmination of about two years of setting up a tripod and a camera, pointing it at the sky and waiting for something interesting to happen.Vimeo link(thanks...

For those times you need the president to agree with your friends for you in GIF fo...

image creditDisney's Mary Poppins might be a cherished childhood memory for a lot of us, but for author P.L. Travers it was a complete slap in the face. Despite having script approval, Travers' edits were largely disregarded. Travers loathed the movie's...

Humanity today is facing a massive extinction: languages are disappearing at an unprecedented pace. Experts estimate that only 50% of the languages that are alive today will be spoken by the year 2100. And when that happens, a unique vision of the world...

How To Improve Your Relationship

Parker and The Numberman, a San Diego hip hop duo, teamed up with Qualcomm's Snapdragon to create this music video.YouTube link(thanks Jes...

image creditDon't look at any of these guys! Your untoward glances are making them blu...

Sometimes its hard to keep your desk clean and tidy. Turns out, men seem to find it a bigger problem, because a recent study suggests that men have far, far dirtier desks than women. To establish that, a team of researchers from the University of San...

It's just a week now until The Amazing Spider-Man comes out, so here's something to keep you busy until then. The 1981 Spider-Man Mad Libs book. There's a fun story with Electro and one where Spidey fights the most horrible evil of all, costume odor....

Box Of Garbage Thrown Into A Volcano Lake

The test was performed with a box of camp waste (largely food rests) in a bin bag. The lake reacts with violent lava fountaining activity, presumably in part due to steam produced from the organic matter.YouTube link(thanks Co...

Kraplap is the Dutch word for bodice. The kraplap is part of some of the traditional costumes from the Netherlands. Originally the kraplap was a part of the underwear, but it has developed into an important decoration of the outerwear; often very visible...

image creditSome islands were used for military purposes, for the construction of individual buildings or for permanent settlements in which people lived for centuries. However, loss of strategic position, natural disasters, nuclear tests or simply a...

image creditIf you have been in a plane over a large agricultural hub you may have casually glanced out of your window. And then you may have performed a very, very quick double take. What on earth are those circular shapes below? They are not the alien...

Where The Hell Is Matt? 2012

Matthew Harding is an American traveler, video game designer, and Internet celebrity known as Dancing Matt for his viral videos that show him dancing in front of landmarks and street scenes in various international locations.Last week, Harding released 'Where the Hell is Matt? 2012.' The video features...

image creditStaff at the Galapagos National Park in Ecuador say Lonesome George, a giant tortoise believed to be the last of its subspecies, has died. Scientists estimate he was about 100 years old. Lonesome George, a giant tortoise, was believed to...

image creditIt does not matter if someone is outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts, his enemies will wait patiently to attack him one by one until he has knocked out their predecessors. No matter how fuzzy the photograph, it can be enlarged and...

image creditResearchers have discovered evidence that there's a lot more water on Mars - at least on parts of Mars - than anyone previously thought. Using new technology, scientists examined the water content in meteorites from the planet, and it points...

Scientists Make Easter Island Statue Walk

Researchers Terry Hunt of the University of Hawaii and Carl Lipo of California State University Long Beach test a new theory that suggests how ancient Easter Islanders may have used ropes to 'walk' the moai to their platforms.YouTube l...

The average weight of an adult human is 137 pounds (62 kg) according to a league table of the world's 'fattest' nations from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.Find out how you compare to other adults using an interactive graph...

Three bathrooms in 20 minutes? He's quite the catch.(via Crig...

The three terrain vehicles in the picture above appear different in size because of the surrounding environment. This is because of depth perception our brain automatically processes. Take something to measure them, and you'll see they are exactly the...

Sharks Feed Off A Devoured Whale

About 100 sharks line 400m of the shoreline of Warroora Station in Australia to feed off a devoured whale. Some were tiger sharks, thresher sharks and others were reef sharks. Horrific yet intriguing.Vimeo link(thanks Co...

image creditThere are countless Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts backpacking through forests in 155 countries around the world. But while those iconic khaki uniforms are associated with childhood adventure, scouting was actually forged in the heat of battle...

Rules for cats? I don't think so!source: unknown(thanks Co...

The Charlie Brown Cafe in Busan, South Korea, is dedicated to all things Peanuts. This coffee house provides stressed-out college kids the chance to escape into a simpler world. Your cappuccino is served with Snoopy-shaped cinnamon matching the powdered...

Zipper Truck At Work On Presidio Parkway

Presidio Parkway is a roadway tucked into the natural contours of the Presidio of San Francisco and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, one of the largest urban parks. Watch as the barrier transfer machine, known as a 'zipper truck,' adjusts the moveable median barrier.YouTube link(thanks Co...

image creditThey appear throughout the Middle East: Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan have these antique Persian designs dotted around their towns and cities. They are windcatchers, known in the area as Bâdgir.Serving as ventilation systems they have given...

A 20 gigapixels photo of central Lond...

The Musalman - Preservation Of A Dream

The Musalman is the oldest Urdu-language daily newspaper published from Chennai in India. It's an evening paper with four pages, all of which are handwritten by calligraphers, before being mass-produced with a printing press. The Musalman is possibly the only handwritten newspaper in the world.YouTube...

image creditDrinking a daily cup of coffee - or even several cups - isn't likely to harm your health, and it may even lower your risk of dying from chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine...

The 'stache is back! Only this time, it's not just a fashion statement. It's also a finely crafted corkscrew and bottle-opener. Because beverage containers are no match for the sheer power of a manly moustache!(thanks Co...

World Record: Man Balances Glasses Of Water On Brooms On Rola Bola

Brian Pankey balanced a glass of water on a broom in each hand while standing on a rola bola for 1 minute, 30.50 seconds, an official world record.YouTube linkMore records at RecordSetter.(thanks Dav...

image creditBeer is the world's most widely consumed alcoholic beverage; it is the third-most popular drink overall, after water and tea. And it's usually pretty cheap. But not always. If you like sampling new beers or hate having money, you might want...

Alan Mathison Turing (1912 - 1954) was an English mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst and computer scientist. He was highly influential in the development of computer science, providing a formalisation of the concepts of 'algorithm' and 'computation'...

The Art Of Packing From Louis Vuitton

Whether it's a week-long stay in an exotic locale or simply an overnight excursion just across state lines, packing can be both bothersome and tricky. Luckily, Louis Vuitton presents 'The Art of Packing' - an array of travel tips that teaches the viewer how to pack smartly, while not sacrificing the...

Titanic assistant ship's surgeon Dr John Simpson's note to his mother will go on display this summer at the new Belfast visitors' centre dedicated to the liner. It was brought ashore at Cobh, County Cork, the Titanic's last stop. Days later on its maiden...

A team of engineers and two crazy drivers are preparing for a history-making challenge drawn from the daydreams of every child who's ever crisscrossed his parents' living room with plastic race tracks: building, and racing on, a human-scale Hot Wheels...

Star Trek Alternate Title Intro

This animation is an homage to one of the most groundbreaking sci-fi television shows ever to beam down to Earth.Vimeo link(thanks Co...

image creditA Flickr set of photos from the Newcastle City Gaol and House of Correction collection. Particulars of criminals convicted of a crime specified in section 20 of the Prevention of Crimes Act, 1871 and reported to the Secretary of State as...

How do you get your dog or cat to stop drinking from your toilet? Buy them their own. Then, just to confuse them, you drink out of it. The Toilet Bowl emulates a pet's favorite alternative drinking source in smaller form. As with most toilets, this is...

image creditThere's a reason we use red to highlight objects we need people to notice - whether they're fire hydrants, stop signs, or warning flags at the beach. No color screams for attention like red, and of all the primary colors, it's certainly the...

Toddlers And Tiaras And Tammy

Haulin' Ass with Tammy is a tongue 'n cheek beauty series. Tammy used to work in a salon out on Highway 71 South near the mall, so she knows stuff. In this video Tammy shows you how to do a full glitz makeover for your Toddler to win that Crown.Unfortunately, Tammy doesn't have a child, so she is using...

Animal 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...

Data never sleeps. Every minute massive amounts of it are being generated from every phone, website and application across the Internet. Just how much data is being created and where does it come from?(via Neatora...

image creditAcross the western United States, wildfire season is well underway, and dozens of fires are currently being fought. In Colorado, the High Park fire has destroyed more than 180 homes, the most in state history. The Whitewater-Baldy Complex...

Slinky Slow-Mo

If you hold a Slinky by one end and drop it, the bottom end doesn't actually move until the top end catches up with it. Why is that? Here's an explanation.YouTube l...

Shoveling sand or dirt is fun. It's also messy, which makes it even more fun. But using a little shovel or spade or trowel is just plain ok. Like the HandTrux Construction Digging Tool. It's super durable and slips over your forearm. Grip the handle...

image creditRare are the countries that do not have mountains in their territory. The inhabitants of these countries have to go abroad if they want to engage in winter sports. This list deals with countries that have the largest area among the countries...

Top Gear Break A World Record

The Top Gear Live Stunt Team has set a new world record by becoming the first to complete a spectacular double loop-the-loop on four wheels. The ground-breaking feat was the amazing finale to the first of four Top Gear Festival shows staged in front of a sell-out 15,000+ live audience at the Moses Mabhida...

The Puppy Cafe is located in Busan in South Korea right above a pet shop. About twenty dogs of all species, age and size are running around there. People can enter the cafe - for a $7.20 fee - get a free coffee and get acquainted with the dogs.(thanks...

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Saturday, June 30, 2012

Friday, June 29, 2012

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Monday, June 25, 2012

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Friday, June 22, 2012

Thursday, June 21, 2012