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July 9, 2012

Grant writers: On discussing the applied benefits of funding lightsaber research…

…Please watch this video. Note the research benefits are twofold. First, the obvious fact that lightsaber would be real; and second, the fact that that birdie must be damn near indestructible!

Inspired by the fact that we just bought one of those cheap badminton set-ups and the kids think it is an AWESOME way to spend your summer days in your backyard (especially when you make lightsaber and/or Kung Fu sounds whilst playing).

Also, what other applications would go into this grant?

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July 9, 2012

Power transmission towers that look like giant human figures

“If we have to live with them, why not turn them into something both functional and artistic? This was the sentiment of American design firm Choi+Shine Architects, who submitted the concept to Iceland’s ‘High-Voltage Electrical Pylon International Design Competition.” The concept, dubbed ‘The Land of Giants‘, sought to transform mundane transmission towers into statues on the Icelandic landscape by making only small alterations to existing pylon design.”

Via Twisted Sifter

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June 25, 2012

Welcome Image Awards 2012: Isn’t this moth beautiful?

Definitely worth taking a look. The one below is my favourite.

“This false-coloured scanning electron micrograph shows a moth fly (Psychodidae), also known as a drain fly. As its name suggests, the fly’s larvae commonly live and grow in domestic drains; the adult fly emerges near sinks, baths and lavatories. The moth flies’ bodies and wings are covered in hairs, which gives them a ‘fuzzy’, moth-like appearance. The fly is 4-5 mm long, and each eye is approximately 100 microns wide.”

By Kevin MacKenzie.

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June 18, 2012

Ohm Sweet Ohm: Handy Cross-Stitch Resistor Reference Chart #awesome

By Becky Stern, and available here (via Fresh Photons)

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June 18, 2012

Deep fried Apple (Computer) products

For use in commentary where too much of a good thing (as in too much time spent on these devices) is maybe not so good after all?

By Henry Hargreaves.

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June 6, 2012

The Wristwatch of Death.

Patented by David Kendrick (officially called a “life expectancy timepiece”), this device provides a running countdown to your calculated time of demise. There also exists a version that elicits the odd audible signal, just in case you forget you’re technically getting closer to death all the time.

Via Futility Closet.

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June 1, 2012

Solar powered cremation (a.k.a. funeral with a death ray)

Look at the schematic carefully, and you can just picture the proceedings. First you have the service in the room with the seats; then the casket would ceremoniously rise to the roof; whereupon a crane would lift it into the path of concentrated solar energy.

“A temperature of about 1,700° F. is required to provide incineration and a total of about 3,000,000 BTU’s is required to consume a corpse. Thus, at a supply rate of about 1,000,000 BTU/hour, cremation would take about three hours. A concave mirror-reflector bowl similar to the steam-producing Crosbyton hemisphere in Lubbock, Texas is considered a suitable collector. At 65 ft. diameter, a bowl of this type can produce approximately 1,000,000 BTU/Hr. under full sunshine conditions from mid-morning to mid-afternoon.”

Design by Kenneth H. Gardner, via Futility Closet.

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May 26, 2012

Radiohead’s “O.K. Computer” in glorious 8 bit. #song4mixtape #whoa

Very cool… Plus, I can’t get Airbag out of my head now.

By Quinton Sung, and full track listing at the YouTube page. Bonus is that you can download the entire album as well. (There’s also Kid A treatment as well).

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May 22, 2012

Insects made from typewriter parts.

By Jeremy Mayer, via Colossal.

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May 20, 2012

From space, no-one cares about your tweets.

(Click image for larger version)

By Jonathan Haggard, via Hey Oscar Wilde!

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May 11, 2012

How To Survive A Robot Uprising.

Always run in a zig zag pattern…

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May 11, 2012

FYI: data transfer via sperm is way faster than a 4G network.

Not sure of the source of this one.

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May 9, 2012

There’s a nice visual connect here between the path of an ice breaker and the effluent of a rocketship.

Re-Edit: Whoa – just realized, the boat picture isn’t an oil spill, but rather the path of an ice-breaker (even cooler)

Called “Beyond the Limits”, the effect you see here is pretty cool, although not really sure how these pieces might be used in a science lecture. ~~Possibly to do with carbon? (oil, exhaust, etc).~~

By Marko Manev at Behance.

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May 7, 2012

Short lived American bank notes from 1896 depict “Electricity” as a child and then as a pretty awe inspiring adult.

Plus, “Science” makes an appearance! From the Futility Closet.

On the $2 note, Science presents Steam and Electricity (as children) to Commerce and Manufacture. The reverse bears portraits of Robert Fulton and Samuel Morse.

The almost impossibly glorious $5 note depicts Electricity Presenting Light to the World. She is flanked by Strength, Fame, and Peace. The New York Times wrote, “The arrangement of this composition, the grace of pose in each figure, and the idea connected with the designs of this artist entitle it to a place beside the finest allegorical designs in the world.”

Unfortunately, the Treasury got a new secretary the following year, one who favored simple, clear designs, and he canceled more than $54 million in certificates as they came into the Treasury. “It can be said authoritatively … that no more of the so-called ‘new certificates’ will be printed,” the Times reported sadly in May 1897. “Neither will fresco painters be called in to make designs for the substitutes.”

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May 6, 2012

In a word: “Whoa…” Augmented Reality Sandbox

This is seriously amazing. I want boardgames with this feature!

Via Colossal.

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May 2, 2012

My business card is actually a microscope slide. #geekcool

This is very cool.

To promote their viral marketing efforts, Italian advertising agency Enfants Terribles (aka Ebolaindustries) created these microscope slide business cards. Ebolaindustries employees operate under pseudonyms, but their real names are printed on the slides in 1.6 point type—so small the names can only be read with a microscope.

By Enfant Terribles, via Laughing Squid.

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April 23, 2012

When the kids and I made a cardboard pinball machine (a.k.a. duct tape is AWESOME!)

Just noticed that our little duct tape project (done a year and a half ago) has recently hit 10,000 views on YouTube, so I thought it’ll be fun to rehash it again.

Basically, this ended up being a lot of fun, and (if I do say so myself) our pinball machine was FREAKING AWESOME! Note that all the spacey references were due to us just returning from a visit to the Science Museum in London.

Here are some pictures, and the video at the end is where Hannah and Ben demonstrate its awesomeness.

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April 23, 2012

Presenting the “birthing centrifuge!” This is… I’m not sure what the right word is…

Well, maybe: bizarre?

More so when you read the bit about “primitive” versus “civilized” women (see bolded text below). Extra surrealness when you learn that this patent was filed in 1965! (not say, much earlier, which was my original guess)

The present invention relates to apparatus which utilizes centrifugal force to facilitate the birth of a child at less stress to the mother.

It is known, that due to natural anatomical conditions, the fetus needs the application of considerable propelling force to enable it to push aside the constricting vaginal walls, to overcome the friction of the uteral and vaginal surfaces and to counteract the atmospheric pressure opposing the emergence of the child. In the case of a woman who has a fully developed muscular system and has had ample physical exertion all through the pregnancy, as is common with all more primitive peoples, nature provides all the necessary equipment and power to have a normal and quick delivery. This is not the case, however, with more civilized women who often do not have the opportunity to develop the muscles needed in confinement.

From Google Patents.

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April 6, 2012

Notes from Mattel’s “Future of Barbie®” Brainstorming Session (including Stem Cell Barbie and others…)

I always thought the Stem Cell Barbie’s slogan would make an interesting t-shirt. Note that this was originally published at Yankee Pot Raost.

By DAVID NG

Concept: Stem-Cell Barbie®

Description: Produce a plastic mesh form in the shape of a Barbie doll. Seed this mesh with embryonic stem cells. Culture in bio-chambers until cells infiltrate and coat the plastic form.
Pro: This Barbie might get pregnant.
Con: This Barbie might get cancer
Potential slogan: “Feels like real skin because it is real skin.”

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Concept: Hybrid Barbie®

Description: Barbie doll powered by both conventional gasoline engine, as well as an electric motor.
Pro: Barbie is emissions-compliant.
Con: No one can figure out a good place for the gas nozzle to go in. It always ends up looking dirty.
Potential slogan: “This baby gets up to 40 miles per gallon.”

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Concept: Schrödinger’s Barbie®

Description: Interactive Barbie doll placed inside a thick lead box, containing a mock cyanide canister, and mock Geiger counter. The Geiger counter may or may not release one decaying mock atom, which in turn, may or may not break the canister releasing the cyanide. Therefore, child would be uncertain as to the fate of the Barbie doll (who could be pretend-dead or pretend-alive) until the lead box is actually opened.
Pro: This is fun way to illustrate an aspect of quantum law, which suggests that due to the superposition of states, Barbie is both dead and alive until the box is opened.
Con: Huh?
Potential slogan: “Schrödinger’s Barbie—be the first to give a shit.”

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Concept: Super Malleable Barbie®

Description: Produce Barbie dolls using the Dow Corning 3179 dilatant compound (a mixture containing silicone oil and boric acid, commonly known as Silly Putty).
Pro: Barbie can bounce.
Con: When Barbie pretend-falls asleep whilst pretend-reading a newspaper, the newsprint will show up on her face.
Potential slogan: “Ken will thank you.”

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Concept: Flame-Retardant Barbie®

Description: Coat existing doll product with copious amounts of the common flame retardant, polybrominated diphenyl ether.
Pro: Excellent opportunity for accessories (fireworks, matches, flame throwers, etc).
Con: Excellent opportunity for accessories (fireworks, matches, flame throwers, etc).
Potential slogan: “Throw the Barbie on the barbie!”

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Concept: Supercomputer Artificial-Intelligence Robot Barbie®

Description: Multiple clusters of high-powered processors networked to a Barbie doll mainframe. 2 USB ports standard. CD/DVD burner drive optional.
Pro: No more stupid brainstorming sessions—send Barbie instead.
Con: Small chance of total world domination and destruction of the human race as we know it.
Potential slogan: “Kicks ass at chess!”