Holograms are pretty cool, but they're lacking in the color department. Well, not for long, perhaps. Photonics physicists from Osaka University in Japan have managed to capture the original colors of an object in 3-D holograms:

The team at Osaka took another approach, they use both lasers and white light. They first fire a laser at an object, say an apple, to create an interference pattern, but instead of just one laser color, they actually use three; red, green and blue.

The interference pattern is then captured on a light sensitive material which is coated with silver (because it contains electrons that are easily excited by white light) and silicon dioxide (to help steer the waves).

They then shine a steady white light on the metal sheathed material exciting the free electrons, causing the creation of surface plasmons, which results in the regeneration of the captured image as a true-color 3-D hologram; one that can be viewed from almost any angle and is the same colors as the original object.

Link

(YouTube link)

John Varty founded Tiger Canyons reserve in South Africa. His goal is to start a population of wild, free-range tigers outside their natural habitat. He began with two zoo-born tigers, and now has 15 cats running loose in the reserve. This clip is from Tiger Man of Africa: The Mating Game, which aired last night as part of Expedition Week on the National Geographic channel. Link -via Buzzfeed

Photo: PS Geschwill

If you can't beat 'em ... sit with 'em! That's what Mayor Dieter Moerlein of Eppelheim, a small town in Germany did by installing a park bench for teens who refuse to sit properly:

The mayor of 17 years calls them "no-interest" benches because teens have "no interest in following etiquette. They all sit on the new benches like sparrows on a branch," he said. [...] "Kids are happy because there are no rules against sitting on the back of benches," the mayor said. "Others are happy because they now have a clean place to sit."

Link | Photo from Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung - via J-Walk Blog

Angel & Demonds - Prep 550 inflatables

Forget computer and humans! If you want crowds in your next film, forgo the expensive CGI and rowdy extras ... inflate them instead! Joe Biggins of Inflatable Crowd Co., has supplied plastic people to some of Hollywood's biggest hits: http://www.inflatablecrowd.com/Main/Home.html - via Metafilter

Dream Lights - $29.95

No fireflies in your backyard? You can still get a jar of magical lights to brighten your (or your children's) nights with this clever solar-powered LED Dream Lights from the NeatoShop.

The jar contains 6 LED lights that gently shimmer and shine, just like glowing fireflies. Best of all, it's easy to recharge: all you have to do is leave the jar on a sunny window ledge and it's ready to go again that night.

As it gently winks and blinks, you'll fall asleep like a child to happy memories of glowing fireflies, warm summer nights, and lazy vacation days. Ah, remember those?

Link | More Fun Lighting | Neat Stuff for Your Home from the NeatoShop

While on general patrol on Highway 527, 45 kilometers south of Armstrong, Ontario, my partner and I came across what we thought was only one lynx. Once we pulled over to the side of the road, three others came out of the bush. I was able to get out and take photos from the road without the family being spooked. I took 62 pictures in total.

Remember the walrus and his stolen bucket? Well, Lolrus (actually, not a walrus but a really fat seal) may have kicked the bucket, but we're glad to report that a baby Polar bear at Aalborg Zoo in Denmark has now picked up the meme.

Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] - via Have You Seen This?

When Naoto Mitsumoto and Naoko Hamana of the architectural studio MihaDesign were asked to renovate an old apartment to give the owners more room for their kids in a very limited space, the duo came up with an ingenious solution: bed desk combo.

The result is surprisingly nifty. Spoon-Tamago has the pictures: Link - via BB-Blog

Debates are part of a healthy democracy but why does it seem like Congress has so much trouble working out a deal over the budget? (Or anything else for that matter)

Harvard professor Gary King decided to take a look at how members of Congress communicate with each other and found something surprising: they spent 27% of their time taunting one another!

A Washington Post reporter sent King and his students a sampling of 48 recent news releases, a week’s worth, from three top congressional Democrats and three top Republicans.

Of those, King’s folks said, 20 percent were mainly about taunting the other side. Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) sent one out on proposed Social Security changes that said, “Republicans have shown they couldn’t care less about those who have the least.”

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) sent out one on the anniversary of the federal health-care law saying, “Democrats have not displayed the same interest in listening to the American people.”

King said this tendency to taunt seems to show Congress distracting itself from its most basic mission: to find common ground to solve national problems.

“I think most people,” he said, “would say that this is not a good thing.”

Link

You may find a lot of flesh on Chattoulette, but you're guaranteed to find them on Charcuteroulette. It's a website dedicated to showing you random Charcuterie: Link - via Accordion Guy

Martini may be the Breakfast of Champions, but most of us don't associate breakfast with alcoholic drinks. Well, New Zealand's Moa Brewery is set to change all that by launching the world's first "breakfast beer" called Moa Breakfast:

Moa co-owner Geoff Ross said his company wasn't targeting alcoholics, nor was it trying to create irresponsible behaviour.

"Look at cultures like Germany where a lager in the right circumstances is part of the culture, or Italy where the grappa is used as a morning pick-me-up. Cultures around the world consume alcohol in the right way, and that includes breakfast."

Link

Previously on Neatorama: Neatolicious Fun Facts: Beer