In the 1830s, several people incependently figured out how to capture images permanently -which we call photography. Hippolyte Bayard did it in France, but got very little notice. Here's his story, including how he produced the first staged fake photo, in which he showed his own dead body. -via Digg
Given the booming popularity of rideshare electric scooter in many U.S. cities, you'd be forgiven if you think that motorized kick scooter is a relatively new invention. In actuality, they've been around for over a century:
The Online Bike Museum explains that the Autoped, the first mass-produced motorized scooter ride in the U.S., was “[e]ssentially an enlarged child’s scooter with an engine mounted over the front wheel.” Though some reports claimed it could reach speeds of 35 miles per hour, the steering column operated the clutch and brake, which the museum noted made the ride “unsteady” when it pushed 20 mph. Later, a battery-operated version of the Autoped was made available when the Everready Battery Company bought the outfit.
The concept of the scooter stretches back at least a century before to 1817 and Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbrun of Germany. After he debuted his early two-wheeled, human-powered ride, the velocipede concept was quickly spun off into bicycles, tricycles and kick scooters. Give or take a few decades, the transportation was being motorized, too, with rear treadle drives popping up in Scotland around the 1840s, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Come the turn of the 19th century, battery-powered machines were also entering into the fold; Ogden Bolton Jr. was issued a U.S. patent for his battery-powered bicycle in 1895.
But why didn't the motorized scooter of the early 19th century become popular? The Smithsonian has the story behind the rise and fall of the world's first motor scooter.
(Image Credits: National Museum of American History)
We already have electric cars that run on batteries and thus help reduce the carbon footprint.
But now a new concept tries to step up the game by not only using hydrogen as a source of fuel, but also making the car like a mini power plant that can convert energy into electricity which will then be supplied to the power grid.
The concept comes from Esther Park Lee from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) who recently obtained her PhD on the subject.
A fuel cell car converts hydrogen into electricity, heat and clean water. The stationary hydrogen car can also supply that electricity to the power grid and thus act as a buffer in a sustainable energy system, because the supply of energy from renewable sources such as wind and sun fluctuates.
(Image credit: Spielvogel/Wikimedia Commons)
I remember years ago, when I was in high school, I would complain to myself, “How would this subject help me in my life? I won’t use this when I grow up.” I would later answer this question for myself, and my answer would be “because the school wants to hone your creativity and critical thinking.”
But don’t you wish that there was more in high school than just writing on the board solving math equations, like being taught how to cook, or how to replace a flat tire? Hopefully a school in Kentucky does just this. Bullitt Central High School hosts “adulting” classes such as “tax filing”, “meal prep”, “love letter writing”, and “resume writing”.
Read more on IcePop.
(Image Credit: wendywatson94 / Wikimedia Commons)
Every landlord has a tenant horror story, and every tenant has a landlord horror story. But while few people ever become landlords, almost everyone has had to live in someone else's house at one time or another. And the tenant-landlord relationship can get weird really fast.
Although some are definitely weirder than others.
See all 25 stories in Cracked's latest pictofacts list.
A pair of floating robots are now headed to International Space Station as NASA sent them with whole bunch of other ISS supplies and experiments on a Cygnus spacecraft which launched on Wednesday. Their job is to aid ISS crew in their daily activities.
“Astrobee, NASA’s new free-flying robotic system, will help astronauts reduce time they spend on routine duties, leaving them to focus more on the things that only humans can do,” NASA explains. “Working autonomously or via remote control by astronauts, flight controllers or researchers on the ground, the robots are designed to complete tasks such as taking inventory, documenting experiments conducted by astronauts with their built-in cameras or working together to move cargo throughout the station.”
See BGR for more | Description over at NASA
(Image Credits: BGR)
"Earth" by Lil Dicky is more than just a music video. It's a love letter to our planet. It features lush animation and appearances by all kinds of creatures we share the earth with, voiced by a cavalcade of celebrity singers:
Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Halsey, Zac Brown, Brendon Urie, Hailee Steinfeld, Wiz Khalifa, Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart, Adam Levine, Shawn Mendes, Charlie Puth, SIA, Miley Cyrus, Lil Jon, Rita Ora, Miguel, Katy Perry, Lil Yachty, Ed Sheeran, Meghan Trainor, Joel Embiid, Tory Lanez, John Legend, Backstreet Boys, Bad Bunny, Psy, Kris Wu
Contains NSFW language and adult subject matter. -via Tastefully Offensive
If you drive by the house at 3970 Spencer Street in Las Vegas, you might not think there's anything remarkable about it. But it's what you don't see that matters. And it can be yours for a mere $18 million! See, underneath the one-acre lot is a 15,000 square foot underground bunker. From the real estate listing:
Las Vegas Underground House! Its not just a house, its an subterranean 15,000sqft concrete & steel rectangular shaped doomsday bunker. The 5000 sqft House is built Inside this huge bunker & is finished with pool,spa,waterfall,trees,guest house,BBQ,fountain & 500 linear feet of floor to ceiling illuminated murals of landscapes of wide open spaces simulating day,dusk,dawn & night modes. All Furnishings & 1 year of caretaker & upkeep are included
It's got everything except windows, but to make up for that, there are nature scenes painted on the walls and colored lighting you can adjust for daytime and nighttime moods. It was built in 1978, with the original decor that will take you back to the Cold War era, overlaid with Las Vegas kitsch (think neon, pink, and astroturf).
Whether being underground in this home will keep you safe in the apocalypse would depend on the situation, though -it does use public utilities. See a gallery of pictures of this underground fantasyland at Old House Dreams. And more pictures here. -via Nag on the Lake
If you ever wondered how ancient civilizations moved large and heavy stone structures like the Moai statues on Easter Island, take a look at this project by Matter Studio:
Walking Assembly re-introduces the potentials of that ancient knowledge to better inform the transportation and assembly of future architectures.
Using the theory of weight and balance, the researchers wanted to create large-scale stone objects that could be moved, assembled, and disassembled — without cranes, heavy equipment, or much effort from humans at all.
By using variable density concrete, the center of mass of the object is calibrated precisely to control the stable, but easy motion of the elements.
Watch on Matter Design and see how two men moved gigantic structures by hand.
Via Curbed.
(Image Credits: Screenshot from Matter Studio)
NASA's Cygnus capsule arrived at the International Space Station last Friday bringing with it supplies and some goodies for the astronauts on board. They included meals enough for an Easter feast especially for those who wouldn't be able to celebrate with their families.
Currently, there are six astronauts at the ISS including Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques who was the one that caught the capsule and brought it in for everyone to share.
For Cygnus’ trip, NASA packed more than 800 meals for the International Space Station’s six astronauts, including holiday choices of pork chops with gravy, smoked turkey, potatoes au gratin, apricot cobbler, and lemon meringue pudding.
According to the CSA, some Canadian treats were also sent to the cosmonauts. Smoked salmon, maple cream cookies, and a bison chili that’s based on Saint-Jacques’ favorite family dish were also included in the Easter-themed shipment.
(Image credit: David Saint-Jacques/Twitter)
The best airport in the world has just gotten better. You can't find a more ergonomic terminal anywhere else though several other airports that come close to Changi are also in Asia. Now though, Changi's probably making them run for their money.
It has added some new installations inside the terminal including a giant indoor waterfall and a garden. It looks more luxurious now, I'll give you that but in the future, they might continue to improve it so that it will become more eco-friendly (than it is now) and convenient for travelers.
A seven-story waterfall designed by Safdie Architects has become the shining focal point of Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport. The 130-foot “Rain Vortex” is supplied by collected rainwater, and flows at the center of a greenhouse topped by an inverted glass dome.
The new addition also includes five stories of shopping, a netted play area, and a terraced garden called the Shiseido Forest Valley that is dotted with smaller waterfalls accessed by trails.
What more could you ask for? -via Mashable
(Image credit: Jewel Changi Airport/Wikimedia Commons)
More than a week ago, the first teaser trailer for Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker was released and many people have been speculating based on the scenes that were shown in the trailer what will happen in the final episode of the sequel trilogy.
The Nerdist took particular notice of the frame showing the Death Star as Rey, Finn, and Poe stare at it from a distance. They believe that it might be the key for Kylo Ren's redemption. Take it however you will, it's just a theory. How they are going to wrap up the space saga, we will know once the film is released in December.
(Image credit: Lucasfilm)
People have been asking whether Notre Dame's spire in Paris should be rebuilt with modern designs. Of course, it has been a symbol of architecture, culture, and ingenuity that has stood the test of time. But making a new modern spire might increase its durability and safety.
On the other hand, artist Kendra Wells shares a few of her thoughts (and jokes) of what possible new designs for Notre Dame's spire could be when it undergoes restoration. Check out her comic strip on The Nib.
(Image credit: Kendra Wells/The Nib)
What exactly is art? Let’s not dig into the academic definition of art because there is always an easier way to spot it ... well, anything inside the museum on display is supposed to be a piece of art, right?
As long as the piece on display is not a part of someone’s prank or experiment:
In a social experiment, Jack Sim, the founder of the World Toilet Organization, spotted an empty exhibit display in the National Gallery Singapore last week and decided to place a pen on the ground to gauge the reactions of museum visitors. Soon enough, a tiny audience gathered around the writing object, snapping photos of the item and wondering how it constituted art.
Catch the public reaction over at Coconuts.
(Image Credits: Jack Sim)
Northern Texans are so innovative in making sure that their cars are protected from wreckage while facing a devastating hail storm.
Take a look at the creative (and some plain crazy) ways they use materials available at a moment's notice - from cardboard boxes, sleeping bags to children’s colorful floaties - to wrap their cars ahead of the coming storm.
See NBCDFW.com for more amazing pictures - via Davelog.
(Image Credits: NBCDFW.com)
