Neatorama

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• Color Pencil Tree
• Guess Who Showed Up to the Fishing Trip
• Rejected Pitches For E.T.
• Dog Steals Cabbage
• A New Species Discovered ... On Flickr
• A Chair Designed to Make Horror Movies Scarier
• An Unexpected Encounter
• Actors Studio Remixed: 10 Questions
• <i>Space Invaders</i> Chalkboard
• Platypus Mini Squishable
• Belgium-Sized Mass of Floating Volcanic Rock Spotted off New Zealand
• Helvetica Heroes
• For Better or For Worse
• Severed Right Hands Excavated in Egypt
• Space Exploration Superstitions
• Dog Saved Puppies From Burning House
• Six Months, Three Days
• The Battle of Little Desktop
• Space Saving Bunk Couches
• Burning Cigarette Dispensers
• Barbie Insulated Lunch Bag
• Felted Adventure Time Toys
• Brandalism Campaign Hits Billboards Across The UK
• How to Hide a Cell Phone Tower in Arizona
• Nothing Like A Nice Relaxing Bowl of Curry
• Awesome CG Animated Short - A Fox Tale
• Olympians Decorate with Performance-Enhancing Tape
• If The Avengers Were In The Olympics
• 10 Of History’s Most Beautiful Typewriters
• Photorealistic Portraits Created With Crayon Tips

Color Pencil Tree Posted: Artist Dave Rittinger proposed this "Color Pencil Tree" as a public art installation in Philadelphia. Now all he needs is a giant sheet of paper to complete the look! Link - via designboom

Guess Who Showed Up to the Fishing Trip Posted: Mark Peters went albacore fishing off Santa Cruz, California, when he got some unexpected visitors ... Hit play or go to Link [Vimeo] to find out who dropped (technically, swam) in!

Rejected Pitches For E.T. Posted: (YouTube Link) This goofy little comedy video is part of a web series called Rejected Pitches, and this episode focuses on Spielberg and some studio execs sitting around talking about E.T. After watching this video I'll never think of that wrinkly little brown alien with the glowing finger the same way ever again! --via Geek Tyrant

Dog Steals Cabbage Posted: (YouTube link) Maymo is the dog you loved in the video Beagle vs. Lemon. Now he's after a cabbage, which may make you uncomfortable if you've ever dealt with dog farts after your beloved pet ate cabbage. Maymo is too cute to care! -Thanks, Jay Finch!

A New Species Discovered ... On Flickr Posted: Over a year ago, entomologist Shaun Winterton spotted a previously unknown species of a lacewing insect as he was browsing Flickr. He really didn't know what it was at the time, but he knew he'd never seen anything like it. He contacted the photgrapher, Guek Hock Ping, who shot the picture in Malaysia. No, he didn't have a specimen, just a picture. A full year later, Winterton received an email from the photographer; Guek had returned to the region of the original sighting and found another lacewing with the same wing pattern. "He told me, 'I've got one in a container on my kitchen table — what should I do with it?' " Winterton says. The specimen was sent to Steve Brooks, an entomologist at the Natural History Museum in London. Brooks confirmed that the lacewing was new to science. He also found a matching specimen that had been sitting in the museum's collection, unclassified, for decades. The new species was dubbed Semachrysa jade — not after its pale green color, but after Winterton's daughter. It was introduced to the world in the latest issue of ZooKeys, a scientific journal focused on biodiversity. In keeping with the digital nature of their discovery, Winterton, Guek and Brooks wrote the paper from three different continents using a Google document. And that's a fine example of how the internet not only brings us closer together, but makes global research easier and faster. Link -via reddit (Image credit: Kurt/Orion Mystery)

A Chair Designed to Make Horror Movies Scarier Posted: If you'd like to be even more terrified at horror movies, researchers at Japan's University of Electro-Communications have just the right chair for you. The Chilly Chair will, on command, send mild electrical charges through you--just enough to raise your hair. The premise is that emotions are responses to physical changes, so changing a person's physical experience can alter his/her emotional experience: Users sat in the chair, resting their forearms inside black tubes that arch over the armrests. To activate the chair, one of Fukushima's colleagues sent 10 kilovolts of electricity through the arches. The arches are made of three layers. From the inside surface to the outside, the layers include an insulating dielectric plate, an electrode and a rubber plate. The voltage goes through the electrode, polarizing the dielectric plate. Users' arm hairs are attracted to the polarized material, so they stand up. People may experience a similar feeling when they take clothes out of the dryer that are charged with static electricity. [...] At the same time Fukushima's colleague activated the Chilly Chair, he played a loud alarm sound and flashed an image of a wide-eyed, gaping-mouthed man on the projector screen in front of the chair. Unfortunately, we had already caught a glimpse of the surprised man photo while another SIGGRAPH attendee was testing the chair, so we were not surprised, but the hair-raising did feel prickly and a little unsettling. It's still uncertain whether induced hair-raising truly enhances people's emotions, however. Before SIGGRAPH, Fukushima and his colleagues tested the chair under controlled conditions and saw promising results, but they had only six study volunteers. In the study, three volunteers were suddenly blasted with an alarm while sitting in the Chilly Chair, while three heard the alarm without the effects of the Chilly Chair. Fukushima measured all six volunteers' skin conductance reactions, an electrical property of the skin that's known to change with fear and surprise. He found that Chilly Chair users showed stronger reactions. Chilly Chair users also rated their own surprise as higher. Link -via Glenn Reynolds | Image: Shogo Fukushima, Hiroyuki Kajimoto

An Unexpected Encounter Posted: Joel Runyon was working on his computer at a coffee shop when he met an elderly man. As they were chatting, the man said people should do things that have never been done before. The next part of the conversation took Runyon by surprise. “In fact, I’ve done lots of things that haven’t been done before”, he said half-smiling. Oh really? Like what types of things?, All the while, half-thinking he was going to make up something fairly non-impressive. I invented the first computer. Um, Excuse me? I created the world’s first internally programmable computer. It used to take up a space about as big as this whole room and my wife and I used to walk into it to program it. What’s your name?”. I asked, thinking that this guy is either another crazy homeless person in Portland or legitimately who he said he was. “Russell Kirsch” And it was, indeed, Russell Kirsch. The meeting left Runyon behind in his work, but glad that he took the opportunity to listen to a stranger in a coffee shop. Read the story of how a chance encounter turned into a chance of a lifetime at the Blog of Impossible Things. Link -via Ed Yong Runyon received a lot of feedback on his story about meeting Kirsch, so he did a followup article called 7 Things I Learned From My Encounter With Russell Kirsch. Link (Image credit: Paul Runyon)

Actors Studio Remixed: 10 Questions Posted: (vimeo link) On the TV show Inside the Actors Studio, host James Lipton asks those same questions of every guest, and many give the same answers. It's almost as if they've seen the show! This remix by Jordan Laws makes them all quick, to the point, and downright easy to dance to. -via Nag on the Lake

<i>Space Invaders</i> Chalkboard Posted: Increase speed, drop down and reverse direction! Only such advanced tactics will save this technological marvel. Etsy seller Joel Cammarata made this chalkboard, as well as others in the shape of California and Thailand. Link -via Technabob

Platypus Mini Squishable Posted:   Platypus Mini Squishable - $18.99  They are odd! They are cute! Sometimes they are even secret agents. Now you can get your very own semi-aquatic mammal with the Platypus Mini Squishable from the NeatoShop. Who knew a platypus could be so darn fluffy, cuddly, and huggable? Snuggle up with one today.  Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more delightfully unsual Plush Toys. Link

Belgium-Sized Mass of Floating Volcanic Rock Spotted off New Zealand Posted: What you're looking at is a huge mass of pumice--volcanic rock that can float. Aircraft and naval vessels from New Zealand are studying the 10,000-square mile body which is likely the product of a recent underwater volcanic eruption: The stretch of golf-ball-size pumice rocks was first spotted this week by a New Zealand air force plane about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) northeast of Auckland. The rocks stretch for about 26,000 square kilometers (10,000 square miles). [...] Scientists say the rocks likely spewed up in an eruption by an underwater volcano. Link -via Ace of Spades HQ | Photo: New Zealand Defense Force

Helvetica Heroes Posted: Helvetica. Is there anything it can't do? Besides making websites and print pretty to look at, the typeface is also good at fighting crime (or perpetrating one). At least according to graphic artist René Mambembé in the series "helvetica, my hero" (which, as you can see, also include villains): Link - via Huffington Post

For Better or For Worse Posted: Photo via moctodtidderptth/reddit Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, has been drenched with 11 days of rain from Typhoon Saola. More than half of the city is under water, but that didn't stop this loving couple from celebrating their wedding! Via Twisted Sifters

Severed Right Hands Excavated in Egypt Posted: Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs revealed the tradition of soldiers presenting severed right hands of the enemy in exchange for gold, and now, archaeologists excavating a palace in the ancient city of Avaris have confirmed the myth with this gruesome discovery: The archaeologists have unearthed the skeletons of 16 human hands buried in four pits. Two of the pits, located in front of what is believed to be a throne room, hold one hand each. Two other pits, constructed at a slightly later time in an outer space of the palace, contain the 14 remaining hands. They are all right hands; there are no lefts. Owen Jarus of LiveScience has the story: Link (Photo: Axel Krause)

Space Exploration Superstitions Posted: Photo: James Rickman/Los Alamos National Laboratory Rationality be damned! When it comes to space exploration, not even the world's most brilliant scientific minds are immune to superstitions. Take, for example, the superstition-turned-tradition of eating peanuts during space launches: The tension was palpable in the control room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the minutes leading up to the Aug. 5 landing of the Mars rover Curiosity. Rows of headset-clad flight controllers in matching pale blue polo shirts huddled over their computers, awaiting the rover descent’s ”seven minutes of terror.” Then, seemingly from nowhere, bottles of peanuts started to appear, and soon all the engineers and scientists were munching on handfuls of the proteinaceous snack. [...] The peanut tradition started in the 1960s during JPL’s Ranger missions, which were spacecraft designed to fly into the moon and take pictures of it. The first six Ranger spacecraft failed during launch or while leaving orbit, but on the 7th launch, someone brought peanuts into mission control, and the mission succeeded. It’s been a tradition at JPL launches and landings ever since. Tanya Lewis of Wired Science lists more strange traditions of NASA and their Russian/Soviet counterparts - for example: NASA Before a launch, the commander must play cards (supposedly either Blackjack or 5-card poker) with the tech crew until he loses a hand. The tradition’s origins are a mystery, but it may have begun during the two-man Gemini missions. After the shuttle orbiter was successfully transported from the Orbital Processing Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building, the managers would provide the team with round donuts and bagels. It may have to do with the fact that these foods are round like the wheels of the shuttle transporter. Russian Roscosmos/Soviet Space Agencies Before leaving the Star City training complex near Moscow, Soyuz flight crews leave red carnations at the Memorial Wall in memory of first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, and four other cosmonauts. They visit Gagarin’s office, sign his guestbook, and supposedly ask his ghost for permission to fly. On their way to the launch, Russian cosmonauts are known to urinate on the right rear wheel of their transfer bus, an act supposedly performed by Yuri Gagarin. Female cosmonauts are excused, but certain women have been known to carry vials of their urine to spill in solidarity. Read more over at Wired Science: Link

Dog Saved Puppies From Burning House Posted: Photo: J. Monsalve As firefighters in Chile battled a house fire, photographer J. Monsalve noticed a dog going back and forth rescuing her puppies. The dog, named Amanda, dragged her 10-day old puppies one by one and placed them in the safety of a firetruck. Link [translated] - via MSN Now | The thread at reddit

Six Months, Three Days Posted: In the science fiction love story Six Months, Three Days, the first line sets up the scenario: "The man who can see the future has a date with the woman who can see many possible futures." But can two people who recall the future the way the rest of us recall the past ever find happiness together? Once they’ve broken the taboo on talking about the future in general, Doug suddenly feels free to talk about their future, specifically. They’re having a romantic dinner at one of those restaurant/bars, with high-end American food and weird pseudo-Soviet iconography everywhere. Doug is on his second beer when he says, “So, I guess in a couple of weeks, you and I have that ginormous fight about whether I should meet your parents. And about a week after that, I manage to offend Marva. Honestly, without meaning to. But then again, in a month and a half’s time, we have that really nice day together on the boat.” “Please don’t,” Judy says, but she already knows it’s too late to stop it. “And then after that, there’s the Conversation. I am not looking forward to the Conversation.” “We both know about this stuff,” Judy says. “It’ll happen if and when it happens, why worry about it until then?” “Sorry, it’s just part of how I deal with things. It helps me to brace myself.” Read the entire tale by Charlie Jane Anders at Tor.com. Link -via Metafilter (Image credit: Sam Weber)

The Battle of Little Desktop Posted: (YouTube link) It's green vs. tan as the little plastic army men defend their position on the desktop! Youtube user Slipshot Films says, "This video is dedicated to the men who died defending little desktop." The use of O Fortuna is a nice touch. -via Everlasting Blort

Space Saving Bunk Couches Posted: There's no reason why the space saving concept of the bunk bed can't be applied elsewhere. Desks, cribs, outhouses--you can save a lot of room with just vertical stacking. People at the i3 Detroit hackerspace built these bunk couches. Link -via Make

Burning Cigarette Dispensers Posted: Modern Mechanix commenter Stan Flouride writes, "That’s why I quit, too much work." There was a time when smoking was not so laborious, thanks to machines that  dispensed pre-lit cigarettes. Link -via Retronaut

Barbie Insulated Lunch Bag Posted: Barbie Insulated Lunch Bag - $11.95 Attention Barbie fans! Are you looking for the perfect lunch time accessory? You need the very fashionable Barbie Insulated Lunch Bag from the NeatoShop. This adorable purse-shaped lunch box is excellent for toting your favorite afternoon meal.  Matching Barbie Stainless Steel Water Bottle also available.  Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more stylish Back To School items! Link

Felted Adventure Time Toys Posted: Ever have the urge to make up your own Adventure Time stories? Well then, you might follow in the footsteps of Flickr user michelleness and make your own adorable felted creations from the series. She not only created these four, but also a long-legged Jake and Fionna and Cake. Maybe it's just me, but I think she should put these on Etsy so everyone can get their hands on the set. Link Via Geek Crafts

Brandalism Campaign Hits Billboards Across The UK Posted: Brandalism was the name given to a street art campaign that covertly replaced billboards across the UK with works by artists such as Ron English, Leo Murray and Eyesaw. The replacement pieces scathingly satirize the ideas and propaganda behind billboard ads, ranging from poignant and political to downright comical messages, like the Ron English ad for mythical meats pictured above. 25 artists from 8 countries gathered to take place in Brandalism, and you can see the rest of their subversive works at the link below. Link  --via Laughing Squid

How to Hide a Cell Phone Tower in Arizona Posted: This makes the landscape look good, but sooner or later they'll be penguins roosting in it. Link -via Boing Boing

Nothing Like A Nice Relaxing Bowl of Curry Posted: It's kind of like mixing a bento box with a nice, relaxing bath. You know what would make this really great? If you actually ate this while taking a bath yourself. Of course, in this weather, you'd probably want to make it a nice cool bath. Link Via That's Nerdalicious

Awesome CG Animated Short - A Fox Tale Posted: (Vimeo Link) This beautiful animated short is called A Fox Tale, and it was created by four students from the French animation school Supinfocom Arles. The story is loosely based on Asian mythology, and features vibrant colors, gorgeous visual effects and charming character designs. I wouldn't be surprised to see this short become a feature length film some day, and needless to say the students who created A Fox Tale are definitely going places! --via Cartoon Brew

Olympians Decorate with Performance-Enhancing Tape Posted: You probably noticed and have been wondering why so many Olympians from numerous events have masses of tape adhered across various body parts. It's called Kinesio Tape and was developed by a Japanese chiropractor to help heal injuries and and boost performance.

If The Avengers Were In The Olympics Posted: Yes, the Olympics are wrapping up this weekend, but we still have enough time to squeeze in DeviantArt user scargeear's take on what would happen if The Avengers competed in the games. Black Widow seems like she'd be great at gymnastics and there's no doubt that Captain America would be great at discus, but I can't imagine Loki's helmet would be very advantageous for pole vaulting. Link Via Geeks Are Sexy

10 Of History’s Most Beautiful Typewriters Posted: I miss seeing the old timey typewriters around town-the smell of the oil, the clack clack clack of the arms stamping letters onto parchment fed through sheet by sheet. The elegance of typewriter design is the basis for this gallery, and I've never seen so many gorgeous letter clacking typing machines together in one place! See them all at Gizmodo. Link

Photorealistic Portraits Created With Crayon Tips Posted: These photorealistic portraits are by Christian Faur, who uses the tips of crayons to create these awesome pixel-esque works of art. Christian carefully arranges thousands of different colored crayons into neat rows, resulting in some rather colorful works of pointed portraiture. Link  --via Juxtapoz

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