unique and interesting: August 2012

Friday, August 24, 2012

What Were We Thinking? The Top 10 Most Dangerous Ads

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Vintage 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 advertising, but our current obesity epidemic suggests exactly the opposite.

Here's a look back at 10 colossally painful advertisements, which make you wonder: What modern 'health' products might look a little more evil in the future?

(thanks Hunter)

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Every 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 Casey)

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 history, a few intrepid language enthusiasts have taken on the challenge of learning not one or two but dozens of languages. A few have even purportedly mastered as many as 100 distinct languages and dialects. Learn more about a few of these astonishing language learners, who just might inspire you to step up your own language learning game.

Bacon Is Done

Stick a fork in bacon, Internet. Bacon's done.

YouTube link

(thanks Cora)

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 human biological functions.

In Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep, journalist David K. Randall explores 'the largest overlooked part of your life and how it affects you even if you don't have a sleep problem.' From gender differences to how come some people snore and others don't to why we dream, he dives deep into this mysterious third of human existence to illuminate what happens when night falls and how it impacts every aspect of our days.

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Google 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 Canadian territory of Nunavut.

Residents of Cambridge Bay (picture above), a small northern hamlet, used Google Map Maker to add roads, rivers, lakes and other points of interest to the area's map. The tool, which allows locals to add their knowledge directly to Google Maps, supports Inuktitut, one of Nunavut's official languages.

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 Cora)

(via Criggo)

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 of his Tone Shrine is polymer. Three speakers and an iPad are housed inside the structure which took three months to complete.

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The 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 geographic feature that can swallow whole towns both quickly or slowly. This article deals with the partially buried buildings in sand, some of which were abandoned for hundreds of years, and some only a few years.

(thanks Bosko)

The Page Turner

How to turn a newspaper page. The Page Turner is a contraption by Joseph Herscher.

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(thanks Cora)

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In 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. Peter Fitting, author of Subterranean Worlds: A Critical Anthology, explores Holberg's book in the wider context of the hollow earth theory.

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The 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 sees the start of the Paralympic Games.

The Paralympics have grown from a small gathering of British World War II veterans in 1948 to become one of the largest international sport events by the early 21st century.

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 of peculiarity, revealed through more than 450 portraits of schoolchildren from 20 countries.

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 Cora)

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Ever 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 didn't romp through the pages of his well-loved children's books. No, instead, they were badgering hapless drivers and boaters in motor oil ads and bug spray.

(thanks Lisa)

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 that fertilize the rainforest have to come from someplace else.

Scientists have known for a while that this natural fertilizer is crossing the Atlantic in the form of dust storms, but science writer Colin Schultz ran across a 2006 paper in the journal Environmental Research Letters that not only produces evidence for a much larger trans-oceanic transfer of dust than was previously assumed... it also pinpoints the exact (and astoundingly small) location where all the fertilizer in the Amazon is coming from.

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.

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Forget 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 in shouting their favorite team to victory. They're everywhere.

And they are animals! Well, many of them are, anyway. All during the contest, no matter what the game, the crowd is fired up by the likes of bulldogs, panthers, eagles, tigers, squirrels and anteaters. Some college mascots simply are truly weird... and every one of them has an interesting story to tell. Here are 10 of those most interesting college mascot stories.

(thanks Kat)

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 to withstand the physical, emotional and chemical changes that a woman undergoes during pregnancy.

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 something. Man-eater, a pedestrian-head eating creature. Man-eater is part of his graduation project 'Remake Reality' for the Royal Academy of Art in the Netherlands.

Vimeo link

(thanks Cora)

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Cheesecake 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. It's impossible to list all of the world's best desserts, but here is a shortlist of six cities and their famous sweet treats.

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 Carnival)

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Built 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 planet. Some call it by the name of the fort it surrounds - Kumbhalgarh.

Others simply refer to it as The Great Wall of India. Yet bewilderingly, it is still little known outside its own region.

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An 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 of cargo storage while keeping the same basic chassis.

It is designed as an zero-emission urban vehicle. Prototypes have been tested by KLM/AirFrance for use as emission-free vehicles in airports. MDI has been promising production of the AirPod since 2000 but as of 2012 none have gone on sale. Most experts agree that compressed air cars are inefficient and impractical.

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Gabrielle 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 and popularizing the acceptance of a sportive, casual chic as the feminine standard in the post-World War I era.

A prolific fashion creator, Chanel's influence extended beyond couture clothing; her design aesthetic was realized in jewelry, handbags, and fragrance. Her signature scent, Chanel No. 5 became an iconic product, one irrevocably identified with The House of Chanel.
Take a look back at the woman who changed it all.

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 Cora)

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Looking 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 can gain a glimmer of insight.

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One man's junk is another man's brilliant invention. How many of these products are simply novelties and how many of them are actually useful?

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 world population. In 2012 there are 2.27 billion Internet users, 33% of the world population. In 2002 we spent an average of 46 minutes each day on the Internet. Today the average is 4 hours.

Smart Fortwo Facelift Commercial

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

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Making 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 it gives you in the movie or advertising industries.

Imagine you could create fully artificial digital actors and make the audience believe they are real. So real that there would be no questioning it. We are all familiar with the best examples out there - Gollum in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean or the alien species in Avatar.

(thanks Cora)

What Should We Call Poets

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, Humanyms)

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Sharks 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 10 weirdest-named shark species.

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 correct riding technique and enjoys a safer, easier and faster learning experience.

YouTube link

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The 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, making it one of the most visited locations in the region.

The Avenue of the Baobabs has been a center of local conservation efforts, and was granted temporary protected status in July 2007 by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests, the first step toward making it Madagascar's first natural monument.

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Some 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 bizarre.

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 name, position, callsign, status and lots more. Click on a plane to see all the info.

Want to see ships? Use Ship Finder.

(thanks Cora)

Romance

A film by Ore Peleg.

Vimeo link

(thanks Cora)

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 on September 10, 210 B.C.

The answers to a number of historical mysteries may lie buried inside that tomb, but whether modern people will ever see inside this mausoleum depends not just on the Chinese government, but on science.

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 into how motor sports has grown and adapted through the years, taking full advantage of innovations in technology along with the tenacity and daring of drivers to become a multi-million pound sport's industry.

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, pack a set of lawn drink holders and never again worry about an accidental tipped can.

Molded from durable stainless steel, each beverage holder wraps around your can or bottle for a handy, secure place to set your drink. Just push the 7.5-inch post into the ground and the handy can holder will do the rest.

(thanks Cora)

Max - Cat Controller

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

YouTube link

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A 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 that allows for long exposures.

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France 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, the images depicted the world as it was imagined to be like in the year 2000.

There are at least 87 cards known that were authored by various French artists, the first series being produced for the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris.

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.

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(thanks Cora)

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. As a teenager, Reiniger fell in love with cinema, first with the films of Georges Méliès for their special effects, then the films of actor and director Paul Wegener.

The first film Reiniger directed was Das Ornament des verliebten Herzens (The Ornament of the Enamoured Heart, 1919), a short piece involving two lovers and an ornament that reflected their moods. The film was very well received. She made six short films during the following few years, all produced and photographed by her husband Carl Koch.

Here you can see a Lotte Reiniger silhouette film called Snow-white and Rose-red from 1954.
And here's a documentary about Lotte Reiniger.

(thanks Jimmy)

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The 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 homes are what we love and the following 10 architects have paved the way for ingenious design, cutting edge innovation and have become pioneers of our built environment. Take a look at 10 of the greatest modern architects of our time.

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It 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 have fled here from far more frightening enemies than a cuckolded king.

Atop Roche Rock lies the eerie remains of a chapel, dedicated to Saint Michael. The rock, even without the ruins, looks out of place, jutting unexpectedly out of the Cornish landscape. The chapel was built in 1409 and abandoned some centuries afterwards.

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 Cora)

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Beautiful, 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 delicate skin stretched over bony plates rather than regular scales.

Take a look at these amazing creatures. By the end, perhaps you'll have learnt something new about these lovely and fragile marine animals.

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

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 items used in the creation of the flag will be reused, resold or recycled by Oxfam.

YouTube link

(thanks Jon)

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 with and it's definitely something to take away someone's productivity for a bit.

(thanks Nick)

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 graphics surround us in the media, in published works both pedestrian and scientific, in road signs and manuals. The Infographic Directory is a blog by David Eaves featuring awesome quality infographics from around the internet in a wide range of categories.

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 about Lee Daniels on Kuriositas.

Vimeo link

Chef Cartoon by Andertoons

Mark 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 his clients are GM, General Electric, FedEx, Microsoft, and IBM.

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 age, when all notes were taken by hand - you might then type that mis-remembrance into an article. Multiple versions circulate. And so on.

But in the modern age, where basically everything is track-downable, what's our excuse? Why do misquotes arise - and why are they so persistent and hard to eradicate?

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 an American flag.

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(thanks Cora)

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Matthew 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 laboratory in order to eventually turn it into a museum.

The area is currently up for sale and there's apparently a second offer on the table from someone that wants the land. This could mean that the lab would be torn down to make way for something else, because we don't have enough shopping centers.

(via Geekosystem)

Hey, That's My Bike!

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

YouTube link

(via Criggo)

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 say vowel sounds out loud over and over again, producing regular and methodical exercises that will strengthen the twelve facial expression muscles in a comprehensive way.

(via Everlasting Blort)

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Aqueducts 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 by bridging a river valley or other eroded opening in an otherwise flat area.

This list describes the old aqueducts that were built in the period since the 1st century till the 19th century.

(thanks Bosko)

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 the place. The video has been color enhanced.

YouTube link

(thanks Cora)

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 a reference to the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China.

The beauty of such a realistic perspective drawing such as this one is that the image only makes sense when viewed from a particular angle. Perspective-based street drawings of this scale require plenty of mathematical precision.

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The top 5 things that will help you most to develop as a photographer.

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

100 Greatest Maniacal Movie Laughs

Some laughs are good, some are bad, but they're all insane.

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(thanks Cora)

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Matryoshka 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 these super-detailed 'matryoshka' doll sets for the pop-culture junkies and cult-film fanatics. From Reno 911 to The Royal Tenenbaums, these sets of nesting dolls span practically the entire geek oeuvre.

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 with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs. In 1996, Julia Child was ranked #46 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.

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China 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 hewn from rock consists of over 7,000 Buddhist sculptures not to mention almost 1000 square meters of murals.

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 Cora)

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 Fukushima accident. The link between the mutations and the radioactive material was shown by laboratory experiments, they report.

By comparing mutations found on the butterflies collected from the different sites, the team found that areas with greater amounts of radiation in the environment were home to butterflies with much smaller wings and irregularly developed eyes.

(via TISOTIT)

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Much 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 Alexander Kumar, originally from Derbyshire, UK, and now based at the station, describes living through 'the worst winter in the world.'

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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