Neatorama

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• A Breed Apart: Boning up on Man's Best Friend
• My Jello Americans
• Flight Attendants Give Safety Demo as a Dance
• Paredolia Illusion
• Gold Vending Machine
• Will Ferrell and 1,580 People Break Guinness World Record for the Most Number of People Dressed as Superheroes
• The Michael Bayifier
• Chillipedes Ice Tray
• Salesman Pete and the Amazing Stone from Outer Space!
• "Horse Race" for Women in Bikinis
• The Beautiful Atchafalaya Swamp
• Secret Stash: The Art of Hiding Things in Plain Sight
• Robot Learns Archery
• BattleMech Kid's Walker
• Redneck Windshield Defroster
• Bag Made From Fireman's Jacket
• Gotham Starry Night
• Dice Bow Tie is to "Die" for
• 3D Dinosaur Fossil Pancake
• Biomechanical Mic Stand
• Fractal Snowflake Cupcakes

A Breed Apart: Boning up on Man's Best Friend Posted: 04 Oct 2010 04:43 AM PDT A 12,000-year-old grave in Israel has touching evidence of the long, close relationship between humans and dogs. The grave contains a human skeleton whose hand rests upon the bones of a small puppy. Through the centuries dogs have given people loyalty, aid, and companionship. So what did people do to get such understanding and helpful friends? Well, actually, they created them themselves. NEVER CRY WOLF (Image credit: Flicker user ucumari) Scientists have discovered 400,000-year-old wolf bones mingled with human bones. But they believe that the man and the wolf relationship goes back hundred of thousands of years before that. Early humans probably first used wolves as food; but the wolves would have also been using humans, scavenging through their garbage dumps and over time moving closer and  closer to the center of camp and the human’s food source-the campfire. After a while, the gentler wolves were accepted by humans as part of the group. Wolf packs and early human tribes had a lot in common. They were both willing to follow a leader, cooperate, and work together to protect members of their group. So, a wolf-human cooperation was natural-especially when it came to hunting. Wolves began to follow humans when they went hunting. Wolves gave off cues when prey was around and humans soon figured out that wolves possessed a superior sense of smell and could detect prey at long distances. Man and wolf began to cooperate and eventually wolves became active participants and true partners with humans in the hunt for food. AN EVOLVING PUPPY TALE When selecting a wolf pal, humans naturally favored the most cooperative animals. They associated cooperative behavior with a puppylike appearance in an adult wolf and encouraged those animals to stick around. They also began picking out the most gentle, trainable puppies to raise. (Image credit: Flickr user Paul Moody) In effect humans replaced nature’s selection process with a man-made one. And after thousand of years of human meddling-about 14,000 years ago-a new animal evolved. Thanks to domestication and their diet, these animals had smaller brains, heads, and teeth than wolves. We call them dogs. As wolves evolved into dogs, they became even more important to humans because of their usefulness and their companionship. Dogs have always had a wide variety of size and body proportions, but about 3,000 to 4,000 years ago, folks tinkered with Mother Nature in earnest to create specialized working and companion dogs. That’s when the difference in breeds really began to emerge. The Romans bred and trained working dogs and lap dogs. As breeding continued, dogs became more and more specialized. Herding dogs were bred to work with livestock. Sporting dogs were bred for bird hunting. Hounds were bred to hunt by scent or by sight.  Working dogs were bred to perform many tasks, including herding, hauling, and guarding. Terriers were bred to hunt rodents and other vermin. Toy breeds were bred to be companions and some of those were bred to be simply lap warmers. DOGS OF WAR (Image credit; Flickr user United States Marine Corps) Alexander the Great was said to have helped develop a huge breed called Molossus, as a battle dog that could knock a man right off a horse. In the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors used kill-trained greyhounds and large Mastiff-type dogs against Native Americans and to assist in their conquest of the New World. During the Civil War, dogs were used for sentry duty, to guard prisoners, and to accompany troops as mascots. In World War I, dogs were used to detect enemy forces, carry messages, search battlefields for wounded soldiers, and evacuate wounded soldiers by pulling small ambulance carts. Dogs also cheered up soldiers at the front lines and those wounded in hospitals. During World War II, the United States really got serious about using dogs to protect its military and military-related property. Scout dogs were used to good advantage in Vietnam; they served double duty as security dogs. Mine-detector dogs and tunnel dogs were both trained during this conflict. Vietnam also saw the development of the tracker dog. Tracker dogs were used to hunt down the enemy. The modern canine soldier is trained to save lives, not take them. American war dogs help our troops avoid potentially deadly encounters. They work as sentries on sensitive military installations, or lead their handlers to hidden caches of weapons, explosives, and drugs. COP DOGS (Image credit: Flickr user Thomas Hawk) The organized use of dogs in law enforcement for the apprehension of criminals was established in the early 1900s. Working German shepherds became so good at helping law enforcement personnel that they were nicknamed “police dogs”. The idea of using dogs for police work was largely brought about by the development of and organization of purebred dog clubs. The earliest examples of police dog programs were those in Germany, Belgium, and England. EXCEEDINGLY WELL BRED Dogs have been successful as a species because they have adapted well to the needs and desires of humans for loyalty, companionship, and assistance. Dogs and people communicate effectively through voice, body language, and facial expressions, though in many ways dogs are much better at understanding humans than humans are at understanding dogs. Dogs and humans have a relationship that is based on mutual support. Dogs have a greater difficulty surviving on their own and a dog’s dependence on humans make it a sensitive pal, cooperative and responsive to its owner’s moods. Dogs are wonderful companions, they help people make a living, and they save lives. Man’s best friend is even a healer, reducing stress and lowering blood pressure. Dogs may be mankind’s greatest accomplishment-the creation of a superior being. After all, a dog will never turn o you as long as you treat it right. The same can’t be said about people. ***** “Dogs look up to you. Cats look down on you. Give me a pig. He just looks you in the eye and treats you as an equal.” -Winston Churchill ______________________________ The article above is reprinted with permission from Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Plunges Into History Again. The book is a compendium of entertaining information chock-full of facts on a plethora of history topics. Uncle John’s first plunge into history was a smash hit – over half a million copies sold! And this sequel gives you more colorful characters, cultural milestones, historical hindsight, groundbreaking events, and scintillating sagas. Since 1988, the Bathroom Reader Institute had published a series of popular books containing irresistible bits of trivia and obscure yet fascinating facts. Check out their website here: Bathroom Reader Institute

My Jello Americans Posted: 03 Oct 2010 08:19 PM PDT My Jello Americans is a blog dedicated to the art of the Jello shot. And I do mean art, as these shots can look like anything from an ear of corn to ice cream to fossil insects encased in amber! The flavor combinations are amazing as well, like shots that resemble bonbons flavored with absinthe and Black Sambuca. Link -via Breakfast Links

Flight Attendants Give Safety Demo as a Dance Posted: 03 Oct 2010 07:19 PM PDT (Video Link) Flight attendants on board a Cebu Pacific Airlines flight remixed Katy Perry and Lady Gaga in their unique presentation of their jet’s safety features: Candice Iyog, vice President of Marketing at Cebu Pacific Airlines, said: “Cebu Pacific has always been known as a fun airline, we wanted to get the message across to our customers that flight safety doesn’t have to be boring. “This was an experiment that we hope to repeat and also a chance to showcase the talent of some of our cabin crew staff.” The performance took place while the plane was at cruising altitude, with the cabin crew giving a normal safety demonstration before take-off. Link via Ace of Spades HQ

Paredolia Illusion Posted: 03 Oct 2010 06:33 PM PDT Take a look at this photograph from the early 20th century. It has not been retouched, nor is it a double exposure. It looks like a big face has been plopped into the middle of it, an example of pareidolia {wiki}, the tendency for human brains to interpret patterns as meaningful, like seeing a face when there is no face. For an explanation of what this photo really is, see the post at Historic LOLs. Link

Gold Vending Machine Posted: 03 Oct 2010 06:30 PM PDT We’ve brought you some weird vending machines before, but this takes the cake! When you feel the need to buy gold, but don’t want to drive all the way to the bank or to your broker, just use this handy dandy gold vending machine, from a business called GOLD To Go. The first one was installed earlier this year at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Of course. Link -via Laughing Squid

Will Ferrell and 1,580 People Break Guinness World Record for the Most Number of People Dressed as Superheroes Posted: 03 Oct 2010 05:31 PM PDT As a publicity stunt for his upcoming movie Megamind, Will Ferrell gathered 1,580 people dressed as superheroes in order to break a Guinness World Record for that feat: A total of 1,580 costumed individuals showed up to the event, which was more than enough to break the record of 1,500 set by a New Hampshire children's hospital way back in… August.[...] Then Ferrell majestically appeared on a rising stage platform, and Guinness spokesman Stuart Claxton verified the world record, to the sound of cheers. "Everyone in a Spider-Man outfit wins a new car!" joked Ferrell. Link via Fanboy | Photo: Valerie Macon/Getty Images

The Michael Bayifier Posted: 03 Oct 2010 04:36 PM PDT The Michael Bayifier takes any photo and makes it look like a still shot from a Michael Bay movie (e.g. Transformers, Armageddon). Pictured above is Alex and his kids on one of their action-packed vacations. Link via The Presurfer

Chillipedes Ice Tray Posted: 03 Oct 2010 12:42 PM PDT Chillipedes Ice Tray – $8.95 Real insect larva in your drinks may be kind of gross, but ice-shaped like squirming bugs is SO cool! From the NeatoShop, behold the Chillipedes Ice Tray. Perfect for your budding entomologists: Link | More Fun and Unusual Ice Trays | Fun Party Supplies

Salesman Pete and the Amazing Stone from Outer Space! Posted: 03 Oct 2010 12:35 PM PDT Move over, Dreamworks! From the creative desks of Marc Bouyer, Max Loubaresse, Anthony Vivien, Denis Bouyer, Yann de Preval, Vincent E. Sousa and Laurent Monneron, let me introduce you to Salesman Pete: Pete is a nice and clumsy salesman. But he’s also a deadly super secret agent with a microprocessor implanted into his brain by some mad scientists from the governement ! He has to secretly stop a bunch of badguys who stole a magic stone that can change anything into seafood! Geeks Are Sexy has the Vimeo Clip (the artwork is AMAZING!): Link | Salesman Pete Official Website, Blog

"Horse Race" for Women in Bikinis Posted: 03 Oct 2010 12:15 PM PDT If men come out in droves to watch horses race around the track, then imagine what would happen if the contestants are beautiful girls, running in bikinis? Needless to say, it’s controversial: When they came up with the idea of a women’s horse race, the guys at The Gold Coast Turf Club in Queensland, Australia probably thought something like “if guys come to the race track to see horses run, just imagine how many of them will come to see beautiful women dressed in skimpy bikinis do the exact same thing.” The Bikini Track Sprint is scheduled to take place on December 4, with over 150 girls racing for the prize of 5,000 Australian dollars. Believe it or not, in a poll conducted by a local tourism website, just 27% percent of voter said they find his kind of event degrading for women, while the other 73% were perfectly alright with it. Even the members of Women in Racing, a Gold-Coast group that promotes racing, said they can think of better ways of marketing races, but they’ll back anything that has something to do with racing. Link

The Beautiful Atchafalaya Swamp Posted: 03 Oct 2010 12:14 PM PDT Photo: amaw [Flickr] I learned two things from this neat post over at Kuriositas: 1) Atchafalaya Swamp is the largest swamp in the United States and 2) it’s strikingly gorgeous: Atchafalaya – the name itself is something of a mystery. When exactly the swamp got its name is unknown, though it means long river in one of the local languages. What is known about this place of splendor and inscrutability is that it is the largest swamp in the United States and is the spiritual home of Cajun culture. Louisiana is culturally rich, drawing from African, Caribbean, Native-American as well as European culture and the ecology of Atchafalaya is just as diverse and varied. If you want to pronounce it properly, try these syllables – ah-CHA-fa-LIE-ah – and you may be as close as you are ever going to get. Link

Secret Stash: The Art of Hiding Things in Plain Sight Posted: 03 Oct 2010 12:13 PM PDT If you’ve got to hide something in plain sight, then London-based Taiwanese artist Yiting Cheng is the gal for you. Check out her Secret Stash Project, where every day ordinary objects may just be hiding something: Link [embedded Vimeo]

Robot Learns Archery Posted: 03 Oct 2010 12:12 PM PDT Obviously, the robotics team led by Petar Kormushev at the Italian Institute of Technology have never watched Terminator. Otherwise, why would they try to teach the (deceptively innocent-looking) iCut robot how to shoot arrows? Here at Geekosystem, we like to follow the things leading up to Judgment Day, just so we can say “Told you so!” right before the big metal robot crushes our skulls, so it’s no surprise we’re a little worried when we find out that a program exists that teaches robots to hit bullseyes with arrows in eight tries or less. As for how the ARCHER algorithm works: …the ARCHER algorithm is used to modulate and coordinate the motion of the two hands, while an inverse kinematics controller is used for the motion of the arms. After every rollout, the image processing part recognizes automatically where the arrow hits the target which is then sent as feedback to the ARCHER algorithm. Geekosystem has the video clip: Link [embedded YouTube clip]

BattleMech Kid's Walker Posted: 03 Oct 2010 11:22 AM PDT Why settle for a ho-hum kid’s walker when you can create your own BattleMech version? That’s what Japanese (who else?) machinery and robotics manufacturer Sakakibara Kikai did: Link (don’t miss the video clip within)

Redneck Windshield Defroster Posted: 03 Oct 2010 11:21 AM PDT If necessity is the mother of invention, then duck tape is probably the father. Well, at least when it comes to this Redneck Windshield Defroster. Take a look at more Hilarious Redneck Inventions over at Oddee: Link

Bag Made From Fireman's Jacket Posted: 03 Oct 2010 11:20 AM PDT Now this is so "hot" it’s practically on fire: Etsy user Cleverscene created a duffel bag out of retired fireman’s jacket: These bags are 100% custom and hand-made, and visually striking–in a more literal sense too, as the reflective tape is about as eye-catching as it gets. And in the off chance that your bag gets blown off the luggage cart, on to the tarmac and then violently toasted in the superheated exhaust of a 737’s engine, you’ll know that everything inside is safe and sound, as the fabric itself can obviously withstand intense heat. Your luggage will unfortunately still be on the tarmac of an airport, but hey, you can’t win ‘em all. Link

Gotham Starry Night Posted: 03 Oct 2010 11:19 AM PDT Image: Deviant artist 1funnyguy Popped Culture has a gallery of the neatest parodies of Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night you’ll see today. My favorite is this one above, titled Gotham Starry Night by deviantART user 1funnyguy. Check out the entire gallery here: Link

Dice Bow Tie is to "Die" for Posted: 03 Oct 2010 11:18 AM PDT To honor musician André 3000’s birthday, Mr. Talented created this awesome bowtie made from 10 dice. Each bow-tie is hand ensemble and rolled before putting together so that each customer will have his or her own unique piece. Half the sale of will be donated to support Children in Haiti: Link

3D Dinosaur Fossil Pancake Posted: 03 Oct 2010 11:18 AM PDT We’ve featured the crazy cool creations of Jim’s Pancakes before on Neatorama, but this one takes the cake (or perhaps pancake): the 3D Dinosaur Bones Pancake. As usual, Jim’s daughter Allie approves: Link – via Great White Snark

Biomechanical Mic Stand Posted: 03 Oct 2010 11:17 AM PDT Photo: Dennis Blachut When Adam Gontier, the lead singer of Three Days Grace, ran across the sci-fi sculptures of Christopher Contee, he commissioned a mic stand that Skynet would heartily approve. Behold, the Biomechanical Mic Stand: Link | Wired Article by Lewis Wallace

Fractal Snowflake Cupcakes Posted: 03 Oct 2010 05:32 AM PDT This Koch snowflake cupcake is the tastiest mathematical iteration ever. These lovely fondant fractals are made from edible dough rolled, cut to exacting detail and assembled on top of the cupcake of your choice. Warning: some manual dexterity required. The interesting thing about fractals like these is that they are emergent phenomena– complex patterns that show up when a simple algorithm is iterated. We often think of mathematical iteration as something that only happens in computers, but as these examples show, there are a number of interesting certain cases where you can perform iteration with your hands as well. Link – Via RealityCarnival

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