Unicycle-Riding Clown Finds Cell Phone Users Inattentive
Researchers at Western Washington University wanted to test how alert cell phone users were of their surroundings compared to the general population. So they dressed a student as a clown and had him ride his unicycle around campus:
The observers asked walkers if they had noticed anything unusual, and for those who didn’t, they asked specifically if they had seen the unicycling clown. Even when directly asked, the cell-phone users were less than half as likely to notice the clown as those listening to music players or single individuals without any electronics. People who walked in pairs were the most likely to see the clown.
“So it’s not the conversation that’s the problem; it’s not an electronic device that’s the problem,” Hyman told LiveScience. “It’s something about a cell phone conversation is where the problem is.”
He speculates, as do other researchers, that when talking to someone in person you both can modify your conversation based on the environment, so if a clown, say, pops up you can both look up. “That’s not the case with the cell-phone conversations,” Hyman said.
Link via Gizmodo | Image: Ira Hyman
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Philips Carousel
[YouTube - Link]
Philips Carousel is a short film by Adam Berg and Stink Digital (music by Michael Fakesch) to promote the company’s new movie theater-proportioned 21:9 LCD television set (the clip itself is 2:19, get it?).
Whether or not you like the concept (cops vs. clowns – really?), it’s hard to resist the quot;one take" stopped motion special effects.
There’s even an interactive feature over at Philips Carousel website:
The 2 minute 19 second cinematic feature is filmed in one continuous tracking shot and offers an exploration into the world of movies being made for the cinema screen through the eyes of the director and the special effects and lighting experts. During playback of the movie, users have interactive touch points in which they can access additional content and feature demonstrations.
– via philips
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Celebrities are Clowns... No, Really
I am horribly, terribly scared of clowns (and people dressed up in costumes or masks that obscure their faces, for that matter), but even I find this contest on Worth 1000 interesting. The contest lets people with wicked Photoshop skills put their techniques to the test with regular challenges. This one is to give the celebrity of their choice a Ringling-style makeover.
The one here is by Worth1000 submitter SassyDeb, and in case the grease paint threw you, it’s Hugh Laurie from House.
Here’s the whole gallery, but you can also find previous incarnations of this particular challenge here.
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