The slime mold Dictyostelium is a single-celled amoeba. The weird thing about it is that upon a chemical signal, millions of slime molds can "clump" into a mound that then moves around as if was a single organism.
But it turns out the story is even weirder: Rice University biologists discovered that these amoebas can discriminate their own kins – and will altruistically sacrifice themselves for their relatives!
Plush lids and water-tank covers? Never! Today’s Gothicists decorate the “littlest room” with wings, scales, and talons! Cast in slatelike resin for the look (but not the chill) of great halls and battlements, this dragon-surfaced seat and lid set a décor Mrs. Merlin would have been proud of. Fits standard commodes. 14"W x 18"L x 2 1/2"H.
Got an illegal pet snake? Then for Pete’s sake, don’t post it on your MySpace page, where your neighbors can see it and call the Animal Control on you!
Neighbors first saw the python on their neighbor’s Myspace.com page. The page shows the owner with the snake wrapped around his neck and lounging near him on the floor.
Animal Control Vet Mary Blinn said pet snakes, in Mecklenburg County, can not weigh more than 49.5 pounds.
Blinn said they can be dangerous to the owners and the public.
The Beijing Olympic Committee chose a set of pictograms to depict the sporting events of the 2008 Beijing Olympic. Now, this guy seems to make it his life’s mission to tattoo the icons all over himself!
Posted by Alex in Art, Pictures on September 1, 2006 at 2:20 pm
What’s so special about this photo of the Korean actress Song Hye Kyo? It’s special because it’s not a photo – it’s a super-photorealistic computer rendering, done by Indonesian artist Max Edwin Wahyudi.
Think you have a bad job? Trust me – it’s not the worst job ever. Just check it against the list of worst jobs in history, for example:
Seeker of the Dead You are required to conduct thorough inspections, noting visible marks on the body (for instance, pus-oozing buboes in plague victims), and interview the deceased’s nearest and dearest before you reach your diagnosis. The three to four pence per corpse that is paid will allow you to live out your last days (of which there won’t be very many, bearing in mind how contagious the plague is) in some comfort.
Toad Eater ("Toady") Quack doctor seeks assistant. Duties will include the demonstration of the fantastical powers of medicinal remedies of my own devising at markets and fairs across the country. After you have swallowed one of my toads, which are supposedly deadly poisonous, you will miraculously come back to life following a dose of one of my medicaments. Then crowds eager for some relief from their aches and pains, infections and diseases will flock to purchase it.
Sin Eater As a sin eater, you will be responsible for consuming the evil and sins contained within the corpses of normal decent folk. When one of the godly community pops their clogs without getting the chance to own up to their wrongdoings, the sin gets trapped inside. As long as those bad things remain in there, St Peter’s going to turn that individual away.
This position involves going to the house of such a dead person and sitting down to a bread and beer supper served up on the bare chest of the dearly departed. The idea is that the sins of the dead are absorbed by the bread. So as you tuck in, you get to fill up on evil and so cleanse the stiff. You’ll get a sixpence for your trouble, but don’t expect to make many friends. And you’d better make yourself scarce when any witch-finding commissions come to town as you’ll be one of the first on their list.
And that’s just in the Stuart era (1371-1707) alone!
Japanese scientists have developed a micromotor powered by the movement of bacteria:
The 20-micron (1 micron = 1 millionth of a meter) diameter revolving motor has 6 blades, each with a foot that sits in a 0.5-micron deep, 13-micron diameter groove etched into a silicon substrate. The surfaces of the feet and the groove are treated with proteins that cause the bacteria (introduced via a connecting groove) to move in one direction, pushing the feet (and spinning the motor) as they pass through the groove.
The researchers believe microbial motion can be harnessed as a power source for microdevices in the future, with potential applications that include motors for micromachines and miniature pumps for tiny medical devices.
Clos de la Tech (Klō deh lah Tĕk, for you Philistines) takes a page from the practice of Chateau Mouton Rothschild, which puts a piece of art on its bottle – except, Clos de la Tech chooses to put "chip art":
We decided to put “chip art” on our bottle—in the case of the 2000, two real silicon memory chips with 107 million transistors on them embedded in sealing wax. Each year, we honor Cypress Semiconductor’s most successful chip that way.
In 1976, Morrisburg, Canada was the sight of the greatest car stunt ever performed. This event was known as the Super Jump. Stuntman Kenny Powers would attempt the longest car jump in history. His goal was to jump the St. Lawrence River. The distance would be one mile. An 8 and a half story ramp would be constructed for his rocket-powered Lincoln Continental. Once the car would leave this ramp it will sail one mile over the river and land on Ogden Island in the state of New York.
Would he make it? Or would his car just plop into the water? And why on Earth was he doing it with a Lincoln Continental anyway? Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] – via Fazed.
It’s no accident that Duff Goldman, the owner and top chef at the Charm City Cakes, has a TV show on The Food Network called the Ace of Cakes – he makes awesome cakes that look too good to eat!
When she was out of town, someone stole Jodi Goode’s 300-pound gorilla statue from her front yard in Arizona.
The gorilla, affectionately nicknamed "Gordon," was a Christmas gift to Goode 12 years ago from her husband, Jerry Kelly. Goode estimated Gordon’s worth at about $3,500. The beast occupied the same spot on Goode’s lawn for all 12 years, she said. He’s about 3 feet tall and 4 feet long.
Police suspects the worst:
Sgt. Mark Robinson of the Tucson Police Department said it’s common for metal to be stolen in the Tucson area and sold to scrap yards.
One standard 12" green onyx stone toilet: $2,850. One toilet seat, must be purchased separately: $33. Showing off the throne to friends & family: priceless.
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