Star Trek introduced us to three-dimensional chess, which is actually playable in some variants. There are other ways to play chess, often increasing the complexity of the game. But game designer Doctor Popular went in the other direction by placing all of the pieces on a single strip of sixteen spaces.
Nonetheless, it's not simplistic like a game of tic-tac-toe. You can download the rules and a gameboard for free here.
Is your visual processor glitching? Maybe, but it's more likely that you're just looking at someone wearing new jeans from Leje, a fashion house in Paris. This company is all about contrasts:
Straight-Curve, Oriental-Western, Decomposition-Conjunction, Masculine-Feminine, Subculture-Luxury, etc.
The brand demonstrates the charming “disparities” between these elements and the harmony hidden within the contrast.
Hence the pants that are cut and resewn at jarring angles. For a mere $528, you can have pants like these!
-via Dave Barry
To you, the puppy above is cute. To the bald eagle, it's a snack. That's a problem because bald eagle populations have surged in recent years due to conversation efforts, as well the generalized awesomeness of the country that the bald eagle represents. To improve their dogs' chances of staying safe from hungry bald eagles, some owners dress their dogs in armored vests, such as the CoyoteVest pictured above. The Wall Street Journal (sorry, it's paywalled) reports:
"Eagles are strong enough to carry a 12-pound salmon, so a four-pound dog is nothing," says Mark Robokoff, owner of AK Bark pet shop in Anchorage. His shop sells CoyoteVest, a protective jacket covered in Kevlar and spikes, intended to protect small pets from coyotes. Mr. Robokoff immediately recognized its potential in a state with an estimated 30,000 bald eagles. The vest is topped with bright red nylon whiskers that he says scare off the birds from above.
-via Super Punch | Photo: CoyoteVest
Kevin Kohler, known on the internet as The Backyard Scientist, thinks that kids these days have become too soft in part because toys have become far less dangerous. They're also so boring! So Kohler gathered his friends and modified the toys to explode or reach dangerously high speeds.
Although Kohler doesn't attach razor blades so the snapping alligator game as the YouTube thumbnail implies, he does give the toy the snapping power of a spring-loaded rat trap. He and his friends also start fires inside a garage, which you should not try at home if you've been hoarding gasoline lately.
-via The Awesomer
A Red-winged Blackbird looking like it's getting a free ride on an Osprey's broomstick. The Blackbird was focused on driving the Osprey away from the marsh, while the Osprey was focused on bringing back a good stick for the nest. pic.twitter.com/vGxbSkKQ32
— Jocelyn Anderson Photography (@JocAPhotography) May 11, 2021
Have you ever seen a skateboarder grab the back of a tractor trailer? That's something akin to what this blackbird is doing in this amazing shot by wildlife photographer Jocelyn Anderson.
-via Super Punch
Golsa Goldchini, an artist born in Tehran and now living in Milan, depicts miniature, watery worlds on ordinary objects, such as discarded pieces of cardboard or a mound of acrylic paint. I'm especially delighted by her works executed on her own left hand. Goldchini's use of shadows and realistic depiction of her subjects make these ephemeral stories especially striking.
Redditor clairanic made a prom dress and matching parasol from small Doritos bags that she and her friends collected of the course of the school year. She made it as an art piece, though, and didn't actually wear it to the prom. It was too fragile and, she says, "I like to dance too much."
The dress is beautiful, but there is one drawback: noise.
-via Born in Space
Nine lives for a cat that jumped from fire at 65th and Lowe. Cat hit grass bounced and walked away! pic.twitter.com/LRBsjMta2Z
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) May 13, 2021
The ability of cats to drop astonishing distances, land on their feet, and survive, is well-known. Still, it's amazing to watch it in action. A fire in a Chicago apartment building trapped a cat in a fifth-story unit with only one way to survive: jump. It did without apparent injury.
-via Nag on the Lake
Oh, you want to show off your climbing skills? Johnny Dawes says "hold my cup of tea."
This British rock climber first experimented with no-hands climbing after a hand injury. In this promotional video for a specialty shoe designed for climbers, he demonstrates his mastery of nearly vertical ascents conducted with only his feet.
I know that halflings get a +2 to Dexterity during character creation, but Dawes has to have at least a +4 to that ability score.
-via Laughing Squid
The world is a dangerous place. You can walk around, playing on your cell phone quite innocently, and suddenly find yourself in road traffic, falling into a fountain, or meeting a wild bear. Our ancient ancestors long struggled with the task of walking while texting, hoping for a solution.
Now, thanks to modern technology, we have one. Industrial designer Minwook Paeng invented the Third Eye. This is a gyroscopically controlled ultrasonic sensor that activates when you tilt your head down. It buzzes you when you are about to encounter an obstacle.
-via Dave Barry
Jennifer McDermed, a television meteorologist in Minneapolis, ended up in a surprise remake of the Michael Keaton comedy film Multiplicity. An unknown technical glitch caused her to multiply as she walked across the screen. Like in Multiplicity, her copies deteriorate with every iteration.
-via Geekologie
Core77 introduces us to the mushroom knife, which is a tool designed for the needs of people who search for mushrooms.
The blade is curved for cutting through the stem. The brush allows the user to clear away debris that may obscure the mushroom. A scale printed on the side can be used to measure the mushroom. This particular model by toolmaker Garrett Wade also has a compass just in case you're too focused on searching for mushrooms and get lost.
InnoMake is a shoe designed by the Austrian startup company Tec-Innovation. Each shoe comes equipped with front-mount light sensor. When it detects an upcoming obstacle, it warns the user with a vibration and a cellphone notification delivered through a Bluetooth connection. The product website explains how it works:
The vibration feedback is provided directly in the shoe, which allows you to feel if there is an obstacle in front of you. The acoustic feedback is provided via a smartphone and if required via e.g. bone conduction headphones so as not to drown out environmental noises.
The visual impulses can be transmitted via the LED on the shoe and they can provide you with additional support in the dark. You can also use InnoMake without primary tools in familiar, safe environments, e.g. at home or at work, so that both hands are free.
-via Hack A Day
Colossal introduces us to Kazuaki Harada, a Japanese artist who delights with the world with whimsical automata. His world is filled with animals exercising, marionettes dancing, and, above all, expressions of romance. You can view more on his Instagram page or his YouTube channel.
(Poorly Drawn Lines/Reza Farazmand)
Bird is neglecting to mention that he also smokes when he feels empty. But he's probably just trying to get Mouse to shut up. Emptiness needs not adverbs. Emptiness simply is.
