This is a paper model of da Vinci's mechanical hammer:
This is one of the simplest machines designed by Leonardo in order to improve the human performance. A lever connected to the hammer is moved by means of an eccentric cam. At each turn of the handle, the hammer gives a stroke. As a matter of fact, the real hammer is supposed to be powered by a water paddle-wheel.
To impress potential female mates, the male Lyrebird can immitate the songs of 20 other bird species, and other sounds like camera shutter, car alarm, chainsaws, and so on! BTW, that's David Attenborough, not his brother Richard.
Canadian mathematicians Samuel Gaudet and Claude Gauthier created a new "guitar" based on a network of three or more strings that can give "exotic overtones that a single string doesn't":
Gaudet notes that a conventional, two-anchor musical-instrument string generates a fundamental sound frequency plus harmonics. Those frequencies are two, three, or other-integer multiples of the fundamental frequency.
The tritare generates not only those harmonic overtones but also nonharmonic ones, he says. Listeners typically hear such nonharmonic overtones from percussion instruments—for instance, bells or gongs—which vibrate in more-complicated patterns than simple strings do.
Depending on how each note on a tritare is played, the sound can include a few or many nonharmonic ingredients, Gaudet says. So, he adds, the instrument offers "a richer sound than does a classical stringed instrument."
In Denver-based Double Edge Film's short clip called Spin, a mysterious DJ is sent to reverse a series of tragic events - with unintended consequences, of course!
If you like Virgin's "Flex Your Music Muscle" and Lonely Planet's "Cities", then you'll like LoveFilm's "Ultimate Film Desktop", with references to 100 movie titles for you to find.
Leadbelly. Leadbelly was an influential folks and blues musician with a pretty colorful life:
Lead Belly's boastful spirit and penchant for the occasional skirmish sometimes led him into trouble with the law, and in 1918 he was thrown into a Texas jail for the second time, this time after killing a man in a fight. He was released seven years into his twenty year sentence after writing a song appealing to Governor Pat Neff for his freedom. This is how the legend goes but in reality Lead Belly was due for early release due to good behavior.
For many, their introduction to Leadbelly was through Nirvana. In 1993, Nirvana's Kurt Cobain covered Leadbelly's song "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" [YouTube] for MTV Unplugged.
Pearson Ford Fuel Depot is part dealership, part alternative fuel depot:
Along with gasoline and diesel, the one-of-a-kind station -- part of a dealership near busy Interstate 15 -- offers a full range of clean-burning alternative fuels from ethanol to propane to BioWillie, a brand of biodiesel made from soybeans and promoted by country music legend Willie Nelson.
This forward-thinking fueling station was the West Coast' first "BioWillie" pump (above is Willie Nelson himself in the grand opening of the station).
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/06/12/alternative.fuel.ap/index.html | Clean Air Article - Thanks David R!
Sam Garfield modded this NES controller into a cell phone using Nokia 3200 parts:
As the night went on and the idea evolved, I thought to myself; “Self, why not make the controller into the actual phone?” Self thought this was a great idea and we set to work. My first idea was to use an actual GSM radio and build the other electronics and antenna. I ditched the idea when I remembered my old Nokia 3200 which I had sitting around.
The Nokia 3200 was advertised as the “American Idol” phone or some such nonsense. Because it has interchangeable face plates, the case was removable. In addition, each button actually has two digits on it, so there are half as many buttons as normal. These two facts make this the perfect phone for modifying - easy to get to electronics, and less buttons = less cutting.
Remember the dog helmet? Your dog also needs stylish googles!
Doggles are superbly made sunglasses. For dogs. Do not adjust your computer, you read that correctly. Incredible though it sounds, many vets and dogtors agree that canine eyes need protecting from the sun just as much as ours. All Doggles boast rugged polycarbonate (shatterproof) anti-fog lenses with 100% UV protection, and are ggggreat for dogs with eye disorders such as pannus and light sensitivity. Doggles are genuine doggy-health must-haves, and most dogs will readily accept them after a short adjustment period.
Fusarium keratitis is the eye-eating fungus that caused contact lens solution maker Bausch & Lomb to recall its product (apparently, using their product can lead to fusarium infection, which can cause blindness).
But get this:
That same week [the recall was announced], the House of Representatives passed a provision to a bill requiring that the very same fungus be sprayed in “a major drug-producing country,” such as Colombia. The bill’s sponsor was Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) and its most vocal supporter was his colleague Dan Burton (R-Ind.), who has been promoting the fungus for almost a decade as key to winning the drug war.
Thankfully, everyone seems to be against it. For example:
The CIA has been against the use of Fusarium to kill drug crops since at least 2000. At that time, one official told the Times, “I don’t support using a product on a bunch of Colombian peasants that you wouldn’t use against a bunch of rednecks growing marijuana in Kentucky.”
There's something quite fantastic about James Christensen's bronze sculpture:
In dreams, it is said that wings represent a release of creative forces, that they give us the ability to understand and transcend the human condition. In religion, wings appear on angels, faeries, spirits and demons. In mythology, winged creatures are often messengers of the gods; they are a symbol of freedom and spirituality and a character having one wing is said to be lost in dreams.
http://www.galleryone.com/christensen_prints_a-l.htm - via Crumpled Wings
I don't understand haute couture, but this I understand: Gareth Pugh's Fall 2006 Ready-to-Wear (really!) Collection on style.com. In fact, don't miss any of his fashion creations: check them all out on the slideshow.
What to do with that old circuit board? How about making a lamp out of it? Or, you can always buy one:
The beauty of technology shines through with this unique circuit board lamp! Made from recycled circuit boards from computers, TVs and audio equipment, this light makes any desk cutting edge. And each lamp is virtually one of a kind, with variations in patterns and color. 40W tubular bulb included.
