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2010/01/31

Neatorama

Neatorama

Unhappy Hipsters

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 07:02 PM PST

I know how much Neato readers appreciate good captions, so here’s a site I just discovered via Ellen Maguire on Twitter. It’s called Unhappy Hipsters and it gives funny captions to photos that have appeared in Dwell magazine.  Here’s an example:

“Still recovering from broken trust, neither wanted to be the first to try the eggs.”

Photo: Mark Mahaney, Dwell, November 2009

Link: Unhappy Hipsters

I like this one too:

“You can come out when you can properly explain the differences between Modernist architecture and postmodern ornamentation.”

Photo: Craig Cutler, Dwell, February/March 2006

Link: Unhappy Hipsters

There are lots more where those came from.

James Murray's Resume

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 06:55 PM PST

Inspired by the resume of Leonardo daVinci (below), I thought it would be interesting to post the resume of Sir James Murray.  This passage comes from a letter he wrote when he applied for a position in the British Museum Library.

“I have to state that Philology, both Comparative and special, has been my favourite pursuit during the whole of my life, and I possess a general acquaintance with the languages & literature of the Aryan and Syro-Arabic classes… With several I have a more intimate acquaintance as with the Romance tongues, Italian, French, Catalan, Spanish, Latin & in a lesser degree Portuguese, Vaudois, Provencal, & various dialects. In the Teutonic branch, I am tolerably familiar with Dutch (having at my place of business correspondence to read in Dutch, German, French & occasionally other languages), Flemish, German, Danish. In Anglo-Saxon and Moeso-Gothic my studies have been much closer, I having prepared some works for publication upon these languages. I know a little of the Celtic, and am at present engaged with the Sclavonic, having obtained a useful knowledge of the Russian. In the Persian, Achaemenian Cuneiform, & Sanscrit branches, I know for the purposes of Comparative Philology. I have sufficient knowledge of Hebrew and Syriac to read at sight the Old Testament and Peshito; to a less degree I know Aramaic Arabic, Coptic and Phoenician to the point where it is left by Genesius.”

Remarkably, he was turned down for the job.  Some years later he was appointed editor for the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary.

Link.   Photo credit.

Vancouver City

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 06:49 PM PST


(YouTube link)

Music by Serge Chubinski-Orlov, with vocals by Linda Ganzin. The beautiful time lapse video is a collaboration between the Innerlife Project and TimeLapseHD. Link -via Nag on the Lake

Absurdist Protest Signs

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 06:36 PM PST

The Westboro Baptist Church {wiki} held a demonstration in front of the Twitter office in San Francisco on Thursday. Even more people showed up for a counter protest, featuring the best protest signs I’ve ever seen. See more signs at Laughing Squid. Link

(image credit: Rubin Starset)

Leonardo da Vinci's Resume

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 05:34 PM PST

Well, it’s actually structured more like a cover letter, but this document served as a resume when da Vinci was 30 and trying to get a job with the Duke of Milan. Here’s the first part:

Most Illustrious Lord, Having now sufficiently considered the specimens of all those who proclaim themselves skilled contrivers of instruments of war, and that the invention and operation of the said instruments are nothing different from those in common use: I shall endeavor, without prejudice to any one else, to explain myself to your Excellency, showing your Lordship my secret, and then offering them to your best pleasure and approbation to work with effect at opportune moments on all those things which, in part, shall be briefly noted below.

1. I have a sort of extremely light and strong bridges, adapted to be most easily carried, and with them you may pursue, and at any time flee from the enemy; and others, secure and indestructible by fire and battle, easy and convenient to lift and place. Also methods of burning and destroying those of the enemy.

2. I know how, when a place is besieged, to take the water out of the trenches, and make endless variety of bridges, and covered ways and ladders, and other machines pertaining to such expeditions

Link via Gizmodo

Metal Foam is Lighter Than Aluminum, Stronger Than Steel

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 02:18 PM PST

Materials scientist Afsaneh Rabiei has developed a substance that is very lightweight, but stronger than a block of steel. And when placed under extreme pressure, it can absorb shock without shattering:

Rough traffic accident calculations show that by inserting two pieces of her composite metal foam behind the bumper of a car traveling 28 mph, the impact would feel the same to passengers as impact traveling at only 5 mph.[...]

The results are most striking when the material is tested in a lab. The test itself is exciting: a high-powered machine smashes a piece of steel foam straight down into the base plate of the machine, and then does the same thing with a piece of bulk steel.

When she examines the base plates under both samples, there's a clear indentation left under the bulk steel sample, while the plate under the foam shows no indentation. The test shows how the foam absorbed the energy and protected the plate, while the steel simply transferred it to the base plate with no protection.

Among potential applications are orthopedic implants and body armor. In the links, you can find a video about the invention.

Link via Digg | Video | Image: Iran Daily

Incredible Crepuscular Rays: Sunbeams Caught on Camera

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 01:45 PM PST

Crepuscular rays – sunbeams to most of us – can be caught by a camera, mostly just after sunrise and just before sunset (hence the name).  Many photographers will loiter for what seems an age to capture the right light and techniques used are known variously as The Golden Hour, Chiaroscura and the Rembrandt effect – all of which those little (or large) sunbeams can help.  Here in a remarkable series of images, take in the beauty of those rays.

Link

(image credit: Flickr user Pear Biter)

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by taliesyn30.

A Meme's Effect on a Human Being

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 10:38 AM PST

This is just one of 5 Science Fair Projects for the Internet, brought to you by College Humor. Other subjects are Facebook, Google search, comment thread eruptions, and how to build a great website. Link -via Digg

When Star Wars Attacks

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 10:29 AM PST

(YouTube Link)

Check out this excellent quick flick put together by Lamb Productions.

My friends and I were bored one day during Christmas Break and decided to make a quick movie. We shot this in 30 minutes and only used 8 minutes of tape. I then proceeded to spend 3 and a half weeks putting in the visuals for the film. Special thanks to the Action Essentials 2 kit from Videocopilot.net, and Jason Lee for his Enterprise model.

via Bits and Pieces

Wormdance

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 10:05 AM PST

YouTube link.

The video documents a seagull “dancing” to bring earthworms to the surface.  When humans do this, it’s called “worm-charming” or “worm-grunting.”  Wood turtles also use this technique, by repeatedly bumping their carapace against the ground.

Via Reddit.

Last Night's "Wolf Moon" was a Perigee Moon

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 06:13 AM PST

Last night’s full moon was the biggest one of the year (by 14%) and also the brightest (by an impressive 30%).

The Moon’s remarkable luminosity sprung from its proximity–about 50,000 km closer to Earth than other full Moons of the year. This can happen because the Moon’s orbit is not a circle but an ellipse: diagram. Last night, the Moon was on the near side of the ellipse–a place astronomers call “perigee”–making it a big, bright perigee Moon.

The “Wolf Moon” designation applied to January full moons comes from Native American tradition, according to the Farmers’ Almanac.  If you missed last night’s maximum, it will still be impressive tonight.  Those experiencing cloudy weather can watch the movie “Moonstruck” instead.

Link.
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