Weird Images of Yore: Black and WTF
Image from Foxtongue [Flickr]
The next time you get a bunch of WTF pictures on a viral email, remember this: human’s propensity for making weird (and weirdly wonderful) pictures predates the InterWeb. Take a look at these strangely compelling black and white images of yore over at Black and WTF tumblr blog: Link – Thanks Matt!
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Pumpkin Face Illusion
Here’s a fine and seasonally-appropriate example of the Hollow Face Illusion, created by Tony Bailey. Also in this category, Three Figurines is not to be missed!
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Ants vs. Crab
Ants are such amazing creatures! Able to work together to create vast underground empires and take down almost any animal of any size…even humans! So, what happens when a creature such as the crab ends up getting the ants attention? In a Goliath vs. David (x100 or so) situation a crab thinks its protective armor is a deterrent preventing the ants from killing it, guess again. I can’t imagine what it must feel like having something start eating you from the inside out. O_O
From the BBC show “Ant Attack”.
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PostSecret Interview Follow-Up: Winners of the PostSecret Book
A
couple of weeks ago, we posted an interview
with Frank Warren of PostSecret,
where we asked Neatoramanauts to submit their own questions.
Here are the four questions and a comment that were picked - these people will get a free autographed copy of the PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God:
1. Reflecting upon all the Post Secrets you’ve received, and the contents therein, what would you say is the underlying – yet unifying – character(istic) of humankind? (Asked by Sanyu)
Frank : All the secrets I have seen, almost half-a-million, have revealed a hidden landscape that we all recognize but don' talk about. They have made me aware of our rich inner lives and the stories of heroism, human frailty and humor happening in people's lives. Those stories and secrets allow me to feel more empathy toward others and greater self-acceptance. They make me feel more connected to strangers. They make riding the subway more interesting.
2. How do you tell a fake secret submission from a genuine one? Or does it matter to you if they’re genuine confessions from the person who sent them or not if they might resonate with someone who might read them? (Asked by Melissa)
Frank: I think of the postcards as works of art that may have several layers of truth. Perhaps the secret we think is true becomes false when we share it. Maybe the secret you "make-up" actually reveals a kernel of truth that you are hiding from yourself.
3. What is the most commonly sent ’secret’ to Postsecret? (Asked by Mowog)
Frank: The most common secret I get is, "I pee in the shower". The most common kind of secret I get are the ones describing that condition I think we all can relate to; our search for that one person who we can tell all our secrets to. The journey toward greater intimacy with others and understanding of ourselves.
4. Have you ever received a secret you didn’t think you should publish? (Asked by Jenny)
Frank: A year ago I received a call from the FBI about a secret. It was about a secret I did not publish. Maybe someday I can post it.
5. Comment that won the book:
Oh my goodness… The last postcard up here “Rationally, I think the idea of God makes no sense, but I cannot get rid of my faith no matter how hard I try” has tears streaming down my face. I have been reading PostSecret for the last 3 or so years and this hasn’t happened yet. Funny that it’s on Neatorama and not PostSecret though, but i digress.
I have felt this way my whole life and it has caused a huge number of conflicts for my spiritual self. I have such a hard time praying and praying after telling people I’m an atheist or that I don’t believe in God, but I still always say stuff like that. I’m so happy there is someone else who is having the same conflict. (Comment by Paula R)
Congratulations to everyone who won the book (you'll get an email from me soon)! My apologies to those whose questions didn't get picked - they're all great questions, but time limitations did not permit every single one of them to be answered. Thank you to Frank and all you Neatoramanauts who participated ;)
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Limecat Halloween Costume
It’s bound to happen: someone created a Halloween costume inspired by the Melon Hat Cat (AKA Limecat) Internet meme. Our very own Jill Harness wrote about this and many more weird Halloween costumes at Inventor Spot blog: Link
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2009 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition
Stereomicrograph: Fabrice Parais of DIREN Basse-Normandie
I’m a big fan of Nikon Small World, an annual photomicrography competition (featured before on Neatorama in 2007 and 2008). The winners of the 2009 contest have just been announced.
I particularly like this one above, the Atherix ibis (watersnipe fly) aquatic larva magnified 25x by Fabrice Parais of DIREN Basse-Normandie in Hérouville-Saint-Clair, France.
Link | Check out the whole gallery here: Link
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Can A Car's Gas Mileage Be Improved By Adding Golf Ball Dimples?
It has been argued that dirty cars are more fuel efficient than clean ones for the same reason that dimples on a golf ball improve its aerodynamics during flight. The team at Mythbusters tested these hypotheses and found that a dirty car did NOT achieve improved gas mileage, BUT…
For a full-scale test, Adam and Jamie put a layer of clay on a car and did two more sets of runs on their track – one with a smooth clay surface, the other with dimples pressed into it. The respective fuel efficiencies were calculated as 26 and 29 miles per gallon. Although the original myth was invalid, the theory behind it was sound, leading to a final judgment of “Busted, Concept Plausible”.
Discussion threads on several auto forums discussing the Mythbusters episode note that “shark skin” textures on military fighter aircraft (and on America’s Cup yachts) serve the same purpose, that dimpling on the undercarriage of some Lexus cars reduces noise (by reducing friction), and that textured paint is banned on professional race cars.
Mythbusters achieved the dimpled effect using modeling clay applied to the surface of a Ford Taurus. It’s not clear whether the same effect could be achieved with a ball-peen hammer.
Screencap credit. A brief YouTube video of the car (not the full episode) is here.
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Insurance for ... Taste Buds?!
Sure you can insure your house, car, precious artwork … but how about taste buds? Turns out that you CAN insure parts of your anatomy, especially when those parts generate income. For example:
John Harrison
No wonder he’s smiling. John Harrison is, and has been for many years, the official ice cream taster at Dreyer’s Ice Cream and on a daily basis approves or rejects ice cream according to its many different varieties of flavour, colour and texture. It’s a difficult job but someone’s got to do it, and that someone just happens to be John, a man who uses a gold spoon (there’s no aftertaste) to judge ice cream in order to pay the bills. Unsurprisingly, his taste buds are insured for £700,000.
More about the strange world of taste insurance: Link | John Harrison’s website at Dreyer’s – Thanks Dave!
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Movies - One Letter Off
More fun with movie posters and Photoshop can be had at The Chive. Inspired by a Worth 1000 contest, users re-imagine popular movies if one letter in their title was changed, or removed. Here, The Chive lays claim to The Ark Knight and No Country For Old Hen.
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Remote-Controlled Human
Image: Edgadget
Look at the picture. When the man moves his joystick to the left, the helmet on the girl’s head pulls her left ear, signally that she should go left. When he moves his joystick to the right, the opposite occurs.
Thomas Ricker of Engadget speculates about the most obvious application for this device from Kajimoto Laboratory: a navigation aid for the blind. With a GPS system added, it could be used to give the visually impaired greater independence.
Four years ago, Alex wrote about a similar gadget.
Link (Google Translator version) via Engadget
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Medical Researchers Making Progress On Uterus Transplants
Uterus transplants have been thus far unsuccessful because the transplanted uteri do not maintain a blood supply strong enough to keep a fetus alive. But now British medical researchers may have solved that problem. The Guardian reports:
They have worked out how to transplant a womb with a good blood supply which could mean it lasts long enough to carry a pregnancy to term.[...]
Their most recent study involved five donor rabbits and five recipients, which were operated on at the Royal Veterinary College in London.
Five rabbits received a womb using a “vascular patch technique” which connected major blood vessels, including the aorta.
Of the five, two rabbits lived to 10 months and examinations after death showed the transplants were a success.
Link via Discover | Image: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Man Stacks 61 Objects On His Cat While Serenading Him
(YouTube Link)
Sam Hart wrote a love song for his cat entitled “Kitty Song.” Then he sang it to his cat while stacking 61 objects on top of him. Most of them are just playing cards, but others are quite large. You can find the lyrics to the song at the YouTube link.
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Itchy and Scratchy Episode or Cheesy Horror Film?
The Itchy & Scratch Show is a “show within a show” featured on The Simpsons. If you are at all familiar with it, you’ll enjoy today’s Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss. See if you can decide which title is an episode of Itchy & Scratchy, and which are actual names of horror films. It’s not easy! I scored only 50%. Link
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Prisencolinensinainciusol
The song is called Prisencolinensinainciusol, written by Italian artist Adriano Celentano in 1972. Recorded by Celentano and Raffaella Carrà in an American accent, it sounds like it should be English, but the lyrics are pure gibberish. Link -via Metafilter
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Taxidermy Fashion Accessories
Artist Reid Peppard makes fashion accessories out of dead animals. Imagine cufflinks made from little mouse heads, a coin purse that was once a rat, or headbands with real wings. Shown is a hair comb made from a guinea pig. Link -via Digg
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Balloon Boy Halloween Costume
That didn’t take long. You can get your very own Balloon Boy Halloween Costume Kit from Plantraco Microflight. Includes balloon (some assembly required). Link -via the Presurfer
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Speedy the Turtle
Who says turtles are slow? This strange-looking soft shell turtle made a quick getaway! -via Unique Daily
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Beyond Monopoly: The 15 Greatest Board Games Of All Time
People often blanche at the thought of playing a board game, but that’s because they have only been exposed to the old "classics" that really aren’t worthy of the title due to poor rulesets that promote luck over skill. Here are 15 games that are probably superior to the old standbys like Monopoly, including Last Night on Earth, a zombie thriller:
Last Night on Earth is essentially a survival game. Participants can play as either the “Hero” team or the “Zombie” team. The objective is for one team to complete their “scenario objective”, thus defeating the opposite team. The game is designed to have a horror movie feel, and even comes with it’s own soundtrack!
From the Upcoming 
ueue, submitted by 
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42 Essential 3rd Act Twists
Image: Aaron Diaz
In this issue of the webcomic Dresden Codak, Aaron Diaz pokes fun at the contrived plot devices of movie makers, such as the Reverse MacGuffin and the Double Shyamalan. My favorite is the Unreliable Reader — a counterpart to the Unreliable Narrator. Click on the link for a larger image.
Link via Popped Culture | Interview with the Artist
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I Love xkcd
(YouTube Link)
Animator Noam Raby expressed his love for the webcomic xkcd and the many interests of its artist, Randall Munroe, in this one minute music video. Raby and Munroe have previously collaborated on another animated video entitled “Letting Go.”
Art by Randall Munroe and singing by Olga Nunes.
via io9 | xkcd.com | Raby’s Website | Olga Nunes’ Website | Interview with Randall Munroe
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Anthropologist Argues that Modern Humans Are Wimps
In his new book Manthropology, Peter McAllister argues that human physical strength and endurance have deteriorated over time. John Mehaffey writes for Reuters:
Many prehistoric Australian aboriginals could have outrun world 100 and 200 meters record holder Usain Bolt in modern conditions.
Some Tutsi men in Rwanda exceeded the current world high jump record of 2.45 meters during initiation ceremonies in which they had to jump at least their own height to progress to manhood.
Any Neanderthal woman could have beaten former bodybuilder and current California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in an arm wrestle.
McAllister blames technology that, for all the good it has done, has reduced the physical demands of human existence. Even our comparatively recent ancestors could best us:
* Roman legions completed more than one-and-a-half marathons a day carrying more than half their body weight in equipment.
* Athens employed 30,000 rowers who could all exceed the achievements of modern oarsmen.
* Australian aboriginals threw a hardwood spear 110 meters or more (the current world javelin record is 98.48).
Link via Jules Crittenden | Image: American Museum of Natural History
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LED Eyelashes
(YouTube Link)
Artist Soomi Park created a LED rig that gives the user the appearance of having glowing eyelashes. Here’s her motivation:
An LED Eyelash project is brought into the world to find an answer to this simple question: Why do women want larger and bigger eyes? In particular, Asians tend to have stronger needs for bigger eyes as a standard of beauty.
Since relatively few Asians are born with big eyes, those without can only look for alternative ways to make their eyes look prettier – i.e., larger. They have a repertoire of skills to make their eyes look enlarged: makeup, jewelry, and plastic surgery. Their desire for bigger eyes are almost obsessive in that so many women look to plastic surgery in order to make their dream come true. Soomi calls this, the fetish of Big Eyes.
Artist’s Website via Make
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The Scubacraft Submersible Powerboat
Photos Property of Scubacraft
You’re cruising along in your speedboat, when suddenly the urge strikes to just flip a switch and dive deep into the waters with your boat. No problem. That dream is now possible with The Scubacraft. Loaded with everything you need to pretend you’re James Bond, this can be yours for the low low price of $165,000. But wait, there’s more!
Advanced safety features include -an automatic depth control (ADC) system that assists the operator in maintaining depth, controlling ascent and descent. -VHF radio, underwater communications, lights and GPS are accessories that further enhance safety and performance in operation. -With no exposed propeller and the ability to operate in very shallow water, the technology has advantages over conventional surface craft even before it submerges underwater.
Choose your model – one seats three, the other six. Twisted Sifter has all the details on this dreamboat.
Link | Previously on Neatorama – The Hypersub
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Language Map of Europe
Languages correspond only imprecisely with political borders, which are designated by the superimposed red lines. The map at the linked source can be supersized for more detailed examination.
Link. The English version of this map was created by Postmann Michael in 2007; it has subsequently undergone several revisions, and there are continuing doubts regarding the accuracy of some of the language borders.
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10 Bizarre Wine Brands
These are the kinds of wine that people buy just for the name. Are they good? Who knows? No one wants to open a bottle, they just want everyone to see the name on their wine shelf! The wine pictured was named (Oops) because it was made from grapes that had been mislabeled for years. Link -via Blame It On The Voices
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Hitler Flummoxed by "Balloon Boy" Hoax
Adolph Hitler’s “outburst” scene from the 2004 film “Der Untergang” (”Downfall”) is an excellent example of how a cultural event can go “viral” as an internet meme. Because the original film was in German, complicated overdubbing is not required; creation of a parody can be achieved by the simple expedient of superimposing fake subtitles.
Dozens of such videos can be located with a quick search of YouTube, including ones in which Hitler reacts to sporting events, computer problems, Obama, Palin, Brett Favre, losing his home to foreclosure, the use of the term “grammar Nazis,” and even the existence of the parodies themselves. The most recent example, embedded above, has him ranting about another meme – the “balloon boy” hoax.
Link.
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Humans Skulls Recreated in Chocolate
To me these solid chocolate skulls are an example of both confectionary making and art. They are cast from REAL human skulls and come in a choice of chocolate including Fair Trade 80 per cent cocoa. There is also their bone chocolate – blended Belgian milk and white chocolates, resembling the colour of freshly cleaned human bones.
Link – via cakeheadlovesevil
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by 
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Top Ten Weirdest Halloween Handouts
Candy is dandy, but some folks aren’t prepared for trick-or-treaters (or else they’re just mean). We all know the neighborhood dentist who gives out toothbrushes instead of candy. Here’s a selection of alternative “treats” people have been known to disappoint trick-or-treaters with on Halloween.
8. Condiments and Cutlery
Probably from bachelor types who forgot it was Halloween – answered the door because they thought it was the pizza guy – and then mined their condiment stash so as not to disappoint. Though little containers of peanut butter and jam are passable, plastic packs of soya sauce, ketchup, relish, mustard, and plastic fork and knife sets really don’t do the trick for a treat!
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by 
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11 Incredible Homes From Around the World for Under $50K
The worldwide recession has hit a lot of people hard, but it’s not all doom and gloom. Far from it actually, as is the case with property. As the price of real estate has fallen, there are plenty of bargains to be had all around the world! The villa pictured is in Halcyon Hills, Greece.
No doubt there will be a few reading ready to point out the error in the title. Surely, it’s a mistake? Homes for less than 50K? No way! But yet, it’s true. Since the global financial debacle of last year, it’s shocking how many homes are available for sale for under US$50,000, especially in the US where the housing market was hit hardest.
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by 
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Real-life Harry Potter Not Happy with Fame
Harry Potter of Portsmouth, England was born in 1989 and had eight years of peace before J.K. Rowling wrote the books that would make him miserable.
He said: ‘No one ever believes that I’m telling the truth about my name. I had to show my girlfriend my passport, my bank card, and my driving licence to convince her that I wasn’t lying.
‘Even getting my season ticket for Portsmouth FC was a bit of a pain – I’m a massive football fan, but I had problems at the ticket office.
‘First they didn’t believe that my name was genuine, and when I convinced them, they thought it was hilarious. It’s never-ending.
‘I play a lot of football as well in a local league, and the match reports are always full of puns – ‘Harry Potter cast a spell on the opposition and that kind of thing.’
The real Harry Potter also has a scar on his forehead like the book character, and is the same age as Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who plays Potter in the movies. Link -via Unique Daily
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