.
January 18, 2013
Your robot fix for the day, week, year… #awesome
Briefly: A robot is a mechanical or virtual artificial agent, usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by a computer program or electronic circuitry. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or remotely controlled and range from humanoids such as ASIMO and TOPIO to Nano robots, ‘swarm’ robots, and industrial robots. By mimicking a lifelike appearance or automating movements, a robot may convey a sense of intelligence or thought of its own. The branch of technology that deals with robots is called robotics. (From Wikipedia)
Plus, get a load of THESE!
By Vancouver based Luc Latulippe, and also available for sale here (I’ve also seen them in a shop in Gastown)
January 17, 2013
Who knew “defrosting” could look so beautiful?
“For nine decades Fulton Market Cold Storage Company operated in Chicago’s meatpacking district with a full ten stories of freezing storage situated close to major railways. […] Architects Hartshorne and Plunkard were hired to help convert the ice-encrusted space into a new, modernized office building and specific with the task of the most epic refrigerator defrost in history.”
By Gary Robert, via Colossal.
January 16, 2013
Physics of the domino effect. Or how to knock over the empire state building using 28 dominos
– – –
“A domino can knock over another domino about 1.5x larger than itself. A chain of dominos of increasing size makes a kind of mechanical chain reaction that starts with a tiny push and knocks down an impressively large domino.
See http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0401018 for a sophisticated discussion of the physics.”
First presented by Lorne Whitehead, American Journal of Physics, Vol. 51, page 182 (1983). – pdf
January 16, 2013
Vintage National Geographic Images
Charles Bittinger, Eclipse of the Sun by the Earth, 1930s
Vittorio Sella, A Cascade of Weathered Ice Spills From the 14 Square Mile Glacier, Karagour Glacier, Caucasus Mountains, Russia, 1910s
Pierre Mion, Habitat in Space, 1970s
On display at the Steven Kasher Gallery until February 16th, 2013
January 16, 2013
Star Wars Trilogy Pathway Infographics #awesome
Click to enlarge.
By Andrew DeGraff, and currently all prints have been sold out (although the original is still available at $2900!).
January 12, 2013
Ng Family Year in Review Mix 2012 #song4mixtape
For the last 12 years, ever since Hannah was born in fact, I’ve gone to the effort of preparing a year end music mix. What’s been nice about this tradition is that I only populate the mix with songs that have somehow “informed” the year.
For instance, songs might have gotten a lot of airplay because someone would repeatedly ask for it (This would pertain to “Hurt Me Tomorrow” for Ben, “Big Blue Wave” for Hannah, or that Carolina Liar song for Kate). Some of these songs would get a lot of airplay because it was something related to certain family activities: like Hannah hoping to use “It’s Only Life” for choir auditions, playing it over and over again, and then discovering that those notes were really tough to hit!
Still others make it into our family history in more interesting ways. “Airbag” for instance is now not just a radiohead song, but has actually made it into the lexicon in my household. Basically, we now say the word when we refer to the overplaying of a song, as in “Ben has now officially airbagged that K’naan song”).
Anyway, most of the songs on this mix are somewhere on this blog somewhere, and I’ve tried to provide links accordingly. Take a peek, click, listen and hope you enjoy. As well, I’d love to hear recommendations for songs that could make the 2013 mix.
– – –
– – –
01. Christmas Lights – Coldplay *
02. Let’s Fall In Love – Mother Mother
03. Things You Think (feat. Pomplamoose) – Ben Folds & Nick Hornby
04. Hello Sadness – Los Campesinos!
05. I’m On Fire – Whitehorse
06. Welcome (Acoustic) – Hey Rosetta!
07. Working Together – Gonzales
08. Wild Goose – M. Ward
09. Photosynthesis – Frank Turner
10. Airbag – Radiohead
11. ABC- Jackson 5 *
12. Show Me What I’m Looking for – Carolina Liar *
13. I’ve got a new friend – The Civil Wars
14. Nothing Is Anything (Without You) – Wintersleep
15. It’s Only Life – The Shins
16. Fight to Keep – Monsters Calling Home
17. Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It – Ben Folds Five
18. Big Blue Wave – Hey Ocean!
19. Hurt Me Tomorrow – K’naan *
20. Let Your Heart Hold Fast – Fort Atlantic *
– In which Ben has been drawing lots of comic books
– In which Hannah is now une élève à l’ècole Diefenbaker
– In which Kate and Dave are finally loving the dog (sometimes).
January 10, 2013
This has to be the coolest memo pad I’ve ever seen: Topographically accurate too.
“A memo pad that looks as if it has been cut directly out of the earth’s crust. The earth’s surface seems to be whittled away as the pages of the pad are used, and the pattern of the geographical features and the coastal lines changes. A memo pad that lets you enjoy the same kind of sensation you get from diving down into the ocean.”
Available from geografia. Via Stacy Thinx.
popperfont.net 