Neatorama

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• The Geek Dad Interview (and contest!)
• Damien Walters' Latest Display of Awesome
• Dateline: Silver Age
• Nuclear Reactor Cutaways
• Electron Boy Saves Seattle
• Facade Printer Sprays Images with Paintball Gun
• Fart-Absorbing Blanket
• Swimming Pool Optical Illusion
• Banksy Steals Band Name Then Gives Them $300,000 Painting
• The Fanciful Designs of Steven Johnson
• Robot Balances on Ball, Serves Drinks
• Man Claims to Have Had No Food or Drink for 70 Years
• Denmark Wipes Toilet Paper Competition
• Orville Wright's Home-Made Bread Slicer

The Geek Dad Interview (and contest!) Posted: 01 May 2010 10:40 PM PDT Most Neatoramanauts know all about Ken Denmead’s Geek Dad blog over on Wired.com. But did you know Ken has a book coming out? Yep, in just a couple days you’ll be able to curl up with a pantload of geeky projects perfect for you and your kids.  Some are ripped right from the posts you’ve come to love on the blog, but most are brand-spankin’ new. Ever think about flying a kite at night, rigged with lights? Or making a comic strip out of Lego pieces? Or constructing a fortress – out of cake? Those are just some of the cool projects you’ll discover in the Geek Dad book, an easy to read,  adroitly written craft book. And because Ken is himself a Neatoramanaut, he’s been kind enough to give us three, no more, no less, four we did not get, neither two, five is right out. But three, being the third number, is the number of books we have to give away in our contest! (We’ll leave the contest open until the book is officially published on May 4th!) Want to win a copy? Here’s what you need to do: 1. Read the interview below! 2. Click the link at the end of the interview and answer the question you find waiting for you. 3.  E-mail me the answer to the question (e-mail address found on the linked page). 4. That’s it! We’ll pick three random winners and send out your very own copies! Enough rat-a-tat! On with the interview… DI: Toward the front of the book, there's a lot of discussion about the very word geek, how it has morphed over time, and the variations and various subsets. It got me thinking: When I was in high school, I was a band geek and a computer geek. Yet I also scored an extra part in Revenge of the Nerds 2, so some people called me a big 'ol nerd. Yet I also infamously scored two points for the other team in a basketball game, so I fit right in with the dweebs who were picked last in gym. My question to you is this: Can a person be a geek, a nerd, and a dweeb? Is it like astrology where I'm really a geek dad (for those who don't know, I have a toddler), but have a nerd rising? Shine some light, if you would… KD: The point I make in the book is that the difference between geek and nerd if self-awareness about the anti-social nature of obsession over a hobby or pursuit. Obviously real people are far more complex that the labels that get broadly applied to them, and it’s perfectly realistic that you could be an overall geek (aware of your nerdish tendencies, but able to either embrace them with vim, or mitigate them through careful behavior), and yet be more nerdish or dweebish in certain circumstances or when pursuing specific hobbies. DI: At what point in YOUR life did you come to the conclusion that you were a geek? Certainly before daddom, I'd imagine? Or… KD: Oh, in high school certainly. I was a music geek, theater geek, I played D&D at lunch with my friends from AP Physics, and wrote science fiction stories during free periods. DI: In the book you talk about how more and more females are categorizing themselves as geeks—that it's obviously not just for a label for dudes anymore. Did you wind up finding a fem-geek to settle down with and, if so, would that make your kids über-geeks? Or do two geeks cancel each other out and produce jocks and politicians? KD: My wife is a total geek, with a strong passion for science fiction movies and TV shows, and we love traveling to conventions now and buying each other show props. We’ve been very careful not to push our tendencies on the kids, though – and luckily they are absorbing them instead. Actually, our older son, who played baseball and basketball, but also loves D&D and video games, called himself a “gock” – half geek, half jock. DI: The sub-head of the book is "Awesomely Geeky Projects and Activities for Dads and Kids to Share" – and some of the projects that stand out to me, the ones I can't wait to try with my son, are: Build a Binary Calendar, Portable Electronic Flash Cards, Fly a Kite at Night, and Model Building with a Cake. Of course, some of these projects you already wrote up on the blog, but many were new for the book. Are there one or two in particular that you really enjoyed creating and writing about? KD: Flying the video camera on a string of balloons was great to do because there was science and engineering required to sort it out; figuring out the volume of helium needed to provide sufficient lift for the camera package and then devising the best way to string them together. DI: If you could have lunch with any geek dad from history, who would it be? KD: That’s a tough question. My first instinct would be J.R.R. Tolkien, because he started the rich creations of Middle Earth as something for his kids. But he probably wouldn’t have considered himself a geek (indeed, at the time the word would have been an insult). So I’d settle on Gene Roddenberry. His influence on geek culture cannot be understated. DI: Of some of the more famous fictional geek dad-figures, who was cooler? Or who would you rather spend time with? Dr. Emmett Brown or Dr. Newton Crosby? KD: Naw, give me Doctor Quest, Reed Richards, or Mr. Incredible! DI: Of all the geek-gadgets you own, which one would you take to the proverbial desert island if you only could take one? KD: Assuming (as any good geek would have to), that there was free power and wi-fi available on this desert island, my iPad! DI: What's the worst thing about being a geek? KD: Being socially outcast; really, having to live in an environment where no one “gets” you. DI: Your day job is in civil engineering. What's a typical day for you? KD: In broad brush-strokes, just like anyone else. Up early, help get the kids ready for school, and head to work (stop and get coffee on the way). Work, work, work – sad to say, civil engineering isn’t as glamorous as everything thinks! Pick up the kids from school, get home, and do family stuff. And all in there, keep an eye on the blog. DI: It's 2120—is geek still in our vernacular? What's the future hold for the geek as AI becomes more and more sophisticated in the future? KD: By the evolved definition of the word I like to use, absolutely. Geeks aren’t just about technology. Of course, techie geeks will still be with us, because technology is driving our culture more these days than ever before, and the people who are obsessive about the creation and use of technology will always be needed. Just, by then, the geeks will be moving planets around. DI: Let's not even look down the road that far, what's Ken Denmead doing 25 years from now? KD: Semi-retired, overseeing the GeekDad media empire and working part-time at Disneyworld. DI: Other than the blog, are you working on anything now you want to tell us about? KD: There’s always the hope that the book will do well enough to spawn another. I’m involved in the development of a NPR radio show for dads that will hopefully get picked up. And we want to keep building GeekDad as a property. The great thing is that new opportunities pop up when you least expect them! DI: Will there be any book signings or speaking engagements? Where can people find you after the book comes out? KD: There certainly will, and I’m keeping track of all that kind of thing on the website we’ve built for the book: www.geekdadbook.com. I’m always lurking on Twitter, as well (@fitzwillie). DI: Lastly, anything you wish I'd asked? KD: “What’s the airspeed of an unladen swallow?” N.B. – Please do NOT leave answers to our contest question in the comments below. We will delete your comment. Thanks for understanding! However, we DO want you to send us your answer, the details of which can be found, along with the contest question, right here! Good luck to one and all. Special thanks to Ken, who jammed on turning around the Q&A within 24 hours so we could present the interview/give-a-way in a timely manner. As Crush, dad-turlte said so eloquently to his son Squirt in the Pixar film Finding Nemo: You SO totally rock dude!

Damien Walters' Latest Display of Awesome Posted: 01 May 2010 06:21 PM PDT We’ve seen Damien Walters before here at Neatorama, but he’s back with a new video chock full of absolutely sick moves. For instance, previously he did a long rolling vault while undressing; this time he does it while dressing! Is there anyone greater at doing this stuff than Damien? Let us know in the comments. (YouTube Link) via Bits&Pieces

Dateline: Silver Age Posted: 01 May 2010 05:35 PM PDT Here’s a blog that consists of newspaper headlines that appeared in comic books. The lack of context makes them funnier than they were ever intended to be! Link -via Metafilter

Nuclear Reactor Cutaways Posted: 01 May 2010 05:33 PM PDT Have you ever wondered what the inside of a nuclear reactor looks like? BibliOdyssey has a collection of posters showing cutaways of existing reactors around the world from the magazine Nuclear Engineering. The reactor shown is in Dorset, England. Link

Electron Boy Saves Seattle Posted: 01 May 2010 03:20 PM PDT Erik Martin always wanted to be a superhero. The 13-year-old even designed his own secret identity as Electron Boy. On Thursday, his wish came true with the help of the regional chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Erik suffers from liver cancer, but he was ready to respond when Spider Man called for his assistance. Pulling off a wish like this one required a big story, and a lot of heart. And so, with a note of panic in his voice, Spider-Man explained the dilemma: “Dr. Dark” and “Blackout Boy” had imprisoned the Seattle Sounders in a locker room at Qwest Field. Only Electron Boy could free them. Erik got into his red-and-blue superhero costume, and called on the powers of Moonshine Maid, who owns a DeLorean sports car. For good measure, more than 20 motorcycle officers from the Bellevue Police Department and King County and Snohomish sheriff’s offices escorted Electron Boy to Seattle. “They shut down 405 — they shut down I-90,” marveled Moonshine Maid, aka Misty Peterson. “I thought it would just be me, in the car.” At Qwest Field, Electron Boy was directed by frantic fans to the Sounders locker room, where the entire team was shouting for help behind jammed doors. With a little help from Lightning Lad, the alter ego of local actor Rob Burgess, Erik opened the door with his lightning rod. The Sounders cheered. That’s just the beginning of the story. Dr. Dark and Blackout Boy had also trapped a city worker in a bucket truck and stalled elevators at the Space Needle. Erik rescued everyone, helped police arrest the bad guys, and accepted a key to the city. Link to story. Link to photographs. -via I Am Bored (image credit: Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times) Also, Electron Boy has a Facebook page.

Facade Printer Sprays Images with Paintball Gun Posted: 01 May 2010 12:28 PM PDT (Video Link) The Facade Printer is a computer-controlled paintball gun. It was developed by the German design group Sonice Development GmbH and can paint images onto a wall: It consists of a two-axis turntable and a print head which is powered by compressed air. The printer shoots the picture dot by dot from a remote distance on a selected surface. Particularly inaccessable, formatless and uneven surfaces can be printed on. For example a building can be printed from the street, without having a complex scaffolding. Gallery and Technical Info (in German) via GearFuse

Fart-Absorbing Blanket Posted: 01 May 2010 12:15 PM PDT (YouTube Link) It’s called the “Better Marriage Blanket” and is supposed to absorb noxious bodily odors. The advertisement claims that the carbon fabric lining of this blanket keeps flatulence beneath the covers. It also suggests that the blanket would make a great wedding or anniversary gift. Link via Geekologie

Swimming Pool Optical Illusion Posted: 01 May 2010 12:02 PM PDT We’ve previously featured the optical illusions of artist Leando Erlich. One that we’ve missed is this installation at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan. It looks like a swimming pool, but is actually two sheets of acrylic with a few inches of water between them. Visitors to the exhibit at the lower level appear to be walking around at the bottom of a swimming pool. More pictures at the link. Link via DudeCraft | Artist Website | Museum Website

Banksy Steals Band Name Then Gives Them $300,000 Painting Posted: 01 May 2010 08:23 AM PDT What do you do if you are a member of a band and someone keeps sending you emails claiming to the the artist known as Banksy, and asking you to change the name of your band? That actually happened to the band Exit Throught the Gift Shop. The emails were from Banksy! The artist hoped to convince the band to change their name in order to prevent confusion with his movie of the same title, and offered original artwork as an incentive. It turned out that the mystery man was the elusive graffiti artist and the band agreed to change their name. They have now rebranded themselves as Brace Yourself. Keeping his promise, Banksy then sent a huge painting to his home featuring a black and white Grim Reaper driving a dodgem car. The Banksy painting has been valued at £200,000 but the band plan to display it at a gallery rather than sell it. Link – via quazen From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by sagest.

The Fanciful Designs of Steven Johnson Posted: 01 May 2010 07:53 AM PDT No, it’s not a picture of Neatorama’s corporate offices (we don’t get a mobile shower unit). It’s an office design proposal by artist, designer, and inventor Steven M. Johnson. He has all sorts of creative if questionable suggestions to improve everything from cubicles, to RVs, to bedroom slippers. His Nod Office, for example, is an ingenious piece of furniture that integrates a bed into a desk. Who among us has not wished for such a thing? He takes the idea of integration further — much further — with concepts such as Road Office ("for those wishing to catch up on work at the roadside … or [in a] traffic tie-up," he says), the Treadmill Workstation (now that's productivity!), and any number of mobile workspaces, such as the chauffer-driven executive suite or the Real Life Vehicle, an SUV that features rotating seats, pull-out computer stations, file cabinets, and laundry facilities. At the link, there’s a thumbnail gallery of his work, an article about him, and if you keep scrolling down, an interview. Link via Fast Company

Robot Balances on Ball, Serves Drinks Posted: 01 May 2010 07:40 AM PDT (YouTube Link) Researchers at Tohoku Gakuin University in Japan have developed a robot that stays balanced on a ball, even when it’s pushed or heavy loads are placed on top. Three independent rotors spin to keep the robot’s balance atop the ball, and it can move in any direction, using an “omniwheel” akin to the one under Honda’s U3-X.[...] Dynamically stable robots like this one are better than static bots, which use three or more wheels, researchers say. They can have smaller bases, allowing them to navigate tight corners. And their omnidirectional abilities allow them to quickly go in any direction without having to turn around. via Popular Science

Man Claims to Have Had No Food or Drink for 70 Years Posted: 01 May 2010 07:30 AM PDT I’ve sat on this story for a week because it seemed like an obvious hoax. But Prahlad Jani, who claims to have consumed no food or drink for seventy years, has spent six days in a hospital in India under strict observation: So far, Mr Prahlad appears to be standing up to scrutiny. He has not eaten or drunk any fluids in six days, and similarly has not passed urine or a stool in that time. He remains fit and healthy and shows no sign of lethargy. Doctors will continue observing him for 15 days in which time they would expect to see some muscle wastage, serious dehydration, weight loss,and fatigue followed by organ failure. It is common in India for Jains and Hindus to fast, sometimes for up to eight days, without any adverse affects, as part of their religious worship. Most humans cannot survive without food for 50 days. The longest hunger strike recorded is 74 days. Link via technabob | Photo: AFP

Denmark Wipes Toilet Paper Competition Posted: 01 May 2010 07:14 AM PDT Congratulations to Denmark, which uses less toilet paper than any other Western nation: The problem of toilet paper waste has been brought to the forefront of the media through a comprehensive, worldwide usage study by watchdog organisation World Watch, which said that each Dane uses a meagre 13 kilos of toilet paper annually – a figure at the 'bottom' of those for the western world. On the flip side, Americans – the world leaders in TP usage – go through a whopping 23 kilos each per year. That figure is equivalent to using 57 squares of a roll each day. Link via Ace of Spade HQ | Image: CDC

Orville Wright's Home-Made Bread Slicer Posted: 01 May 2010 07:10 AM PDT When he wasn’t too busy making airplanes, Orville Wright made another interesting household gadget seen above. From our pal What Is It? blog: Orville Wright liked his bread sliced at a particular thickness and built this device to be used as a slicing guide

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