A pretty cool example of photomosaics: Steve Jobs made from computer icons.

Link (via Digg)

Dolphin Air Rings. Dolphins actually can make toys for themselves. They would blow a round ring of air through their blowholes and then play with it by pushing it around and swimming through it.

For long seconds the dolphin regards its creation, from varying aspects and angles, with its vision and sonar. Seemingly making a judgment, the dolphin then quickly pulls a small silver doughnut from the larger structure, which collapses into small bubbles. She then ‘pushes’ the doughnut, which stays just inches ahead of her rostrum, perhaps 20 feet over a period of up to 10 seconds. Then, stopping again, she regards the twisting ring for a last time and bites it–causing it to collapse into a thousand tiny bubbles which head–as they should–for the water’s surface. After a few moments of reflection, she creates another."

Link (via DeepFun)

See also: "Aliya" the whale bubble video: Link

Hunting for the best gas price in town? Just enter your zip in MSN Auto’s Local Gas Prices and it will display the prices at various pumps in town.

Link (via Miss Cellania)

Census of Marine Zooplankton captured thousands of microscopic animal specimens from the ocean bottom in an effort to map their DNA:

The latest research cruise in the ongoing Census of Marine Zooplankton project pulled weird and wonderful looking organisms up from as deep as 5000 metres, far surpassing the 1000 m depth of previous expeditions.

The goal of the project is to create a comprehensive genetic "encyclopaedia" of all the zooplankton species that live in the open ocean by 2010.

The picture on the left is that of Clio pyramidata, a swimming snail and one of the first zooplankton to have its genes sequenced.

Link | CMarZ Project (video goodness: Link)

New York

London

Berlin

Berlin-based art group EboY just released this amazingly complex, detailed pixel artwork of New York City. EboY has also previously released London,Berlin, Venice, and Cologne.

Definitely worth a looksee: Link (via Boing Boing)

Budhia Singh, a 4-year-old "India’s Forrest Gump", ran 65 km (40.4 miles):

"Budhia Singh completed the distance in seven hours and two minutes, which is an Indian record," said his coach, Biranchi Das. "This is perhaps a world record too. No other kid at his age has completed a distance of 65 kilometres at one go."

Das said the boy would have completed the 70 kilometres if hehadn’t been interrupted frequently by enthusiastic supporters and television reporters after entering Bhubaneswar. Many rushed to place garlands around his neck even before he could complete the run.

As if that’s not enough, it turns out that Budhia was sold as a child for 800 rupees (about $18) because his mother was too poor to take care of him:

Budhia is from Bhubaneswar. In 2004, he was sold to a man for Rs 800/- because his mother, who washes dishes, was unable to provide for four children, after the death of their father in the same year.

It proved to be a turning point for Budhia. His talent was discovered in the guise of a punishment meted out to him by the president of the residents’ association and judo coach, Biranchi Das. Das had ordered the mischievous kid to keep running till he returned. To his astonishment, when he returned after around four hours, Budhia was still running, and showed little signs of exhaustion. Das took him under his tutelage.

And that the Indian Child Welfare Committee is now investigating charges of exploitation by the coach…

Links: Canoe Cnews | Hindustan Times | BBC

Another oldie but goodie: watch this animated gif and count the men before and after the switch – where did that extra man come from?

This website will explain it all: Link (via connecto2)

From the website:

The Buddha comes in many manifestations. This Chocolate Buddha is a Hotei Buddha, or Laughing Buddha of Good Luck, is a Confucian symbol and Buddhist symbol and our original Chocolate Buddha. In Buddhism, he is considered to be a Boddisatva, or one who helps others realize their own enlightenment before he will pass out of this life. We offer a Dark Chocolate Hotei Laughing Buddha, a Milk Chocolate Hotei Laughing Buddha, and a White Chocolate Hotei Laughing Buddha and combinations of all three.

Chocolate Deities are Fine Quality Gourmet Handmade Chocolate that celebrate those gods and goddesses of love and luxury, joy and happiness, compassion, peace and serenity, healing, and fertility of the body and imagination.

Link

Archaeologist Hector Escobedo outsmarted tomb raiders to find the treasures of the tomb of a Mayan king in Peru Guatemala.

The excavation team were working against the clock, aware that would-be treasures looters were scouting the same area.

Just a day before Escobedo discovered the tomb, looters sneaked into a tunnel the archeologists dug under the pyramid, clearing out rock and rubble in a fruitless effort to find booty.

Link

Update 5/7/06: Neatorama reader Lisa pointed out that although the site is called the El Peru Waka, it is actually in Guatemala (Central America), not in Peru (South America). Also, the Maya lived in Central America whereas it was the Inca who lived in Peru. (Thanks Lisa!)

Laura "painted" this entirely with seeds glued to a board. Seeds used:

alfalfa, amaranth, amaranth (love lies bleeding), birdsfoot trefoil, brown mustard, celosia, clover (alsike, red, white), cream of wheat, dianthus, flax, red lentil, millet (hulled, indian, red), poppy seed, rape seed, sesame, hulled sesame, timothy

Link | See more "seedy art": Link (via Jaf Project)

This concept toaster, developed by the Inventables Concept Studio, uses special heating glass to warm a single slice of bread. At this time, the glass does not reach a high enough temperature to toast or brown the bread – but it’s a neat concept anyhow.

Link (via TechEBlog)

This one is titled A Second Chance. Check out more of Dan’s fantastic artworks: Link (via Kingboy)

Ah, oldie but goodie: the Mousepad Couch. Someone has a lot of time (and mousepads) on their hands. (via Unique Daily, Thanks Yayo!)

The second female android was built by Korean scientists at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (the first was made in Japan). From the website:

EveR-1, a combination of Eve and robot, looks just like a Korean female in her early 20s including her shape that is benchmarked against the nation’s model.

The human-sized robot can understand 400 words and make eye contact while talking via her lips that are synchronized with the pronunciation of words.

Fifteen tiny motors embedded into her silicon face enable her to make a total of four expressions in tune with as many sentiments _ joy, anger, sorrow and happiness.

From a distance, the android could be confused with a real, flesh and blood human being, according to Baeg.

Link (via digg)

Take a look at Howard’s other amazing photos: Link (Body Knot is work safe, but his other works maybe NSFW)