Artist Stephen Pfeil depicted the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the styles and poses of the artists for whom they were named. And then he added some more artists from history into the mix. He writes:

But seriously, while going through Art History class I had a hard time NOT thinking of the Ninja Turtles. They may or may not have been doodled into the margins next to Brunelleschi’s perspective business.

Larger image at the link.

Link via Popped Culture

(YouTube Link)

This video is circulating the Internet today. It shows an unnamed artist making a portrait of Conan O'Brien out of cheetos. Allegedly, he (she?) used about 2,000 cheetos from 50 bags for the work, but the provenance on that information is iffy.

via The Agitator

UPDATE: In the comments, mikerbaker provides a link that informs us that this was created by artist Jason Baalman, and that it measures 5 by 4 feet. Thanks, Mike!

Henrietta Lacks, an impoverished tobacco farmer in Virginia, contracted cervical cancer in 1951. Her doctor gave a sample of her tumor to a medical researcher, who then used it to grow a cell culture. What's amazing is that in almost sixty years, those cells are still alive, making them the longest-living human cells grown in a laboratory. Journalist Rebecca Skloot has written a book about Lacks and her cells, and submitted to an interview with Smithsonian:

Henrietta’s cells were the first immortal human cells ever grown in culture. They were essential to developing the polio vaccine. They went up in the first space missions to see what would happen to cells in zero gravity. Many scientific landmarks since then have used her cells, including cloning, gene mapping and in vitro fertilization.

Skloot writes about how scientists are using these unusual cells to study human immunity. But her book is also about how the scientific world collided with a largely illiterate family and how the human body has become a commodity.

Link | Photo: Lacks family, via Smithsonian

(YouTube Link)

This clever music video of the song "Bad Apple" peformed by Nomico consists of stop-motion animation. Each frame is printed, as you can see from the image file numbers ticking away.

via DudeCraft

This infographic by Michael Paukner shows which nations have how many satellites in orbit around the earth. Information is sorted by functionality. You can view a larger image at the link.

Link via Gizmodo

Waze has a list of the most dangerous or complex roads in the world, including the above Lysebotn Road in Norway:

This is probably the most fun road you can travel on four wheels, and then maybe on your two legs checking out the various hiking trails leading from the area. In fact, this might be considered the most breathtaking place in Europe. It all starts with the narrow road up the steep walls of the Lysefjord, Norway. It has 27 switchbacks and a 1.1 km long tunnel at the bottom, with 3 switchbacks inside. The last 30 km of Lysebotn road is a true roller-coaster! It’s narrow but has a perfect surface, winding left and right all the time. If you happen to ride a motorcycle in Norway, then this is the road you simply cannot afford to miss!

Beyond simply dangerous roads, the post also includes pictures of and information about very complicated interchanges.

Link via The Presurfer | Photo: Rick McCharles

(YouTube Link)

In this Japanese-language razor commercial, a man shaves his face after he's jumped out of an airplane. It's one part of a whole ad campaign in which men shave under extreme conditions, such as while engaging in pro wrestling or riding a mechanical bull. More videos at the link.

http://www.kiretenai.com/ via Japanator

Well, it's actually structured more like a cover letter, but this document served as a resume when da Vinci was 30 and trying to get a job with the Duke of Milan. Here's the first part:

Most Illustrious Lord, Having now sufficiently considered the specimens of all those who proclaim themselves skilled contrivers of instruments of war, and that the invention and operation of the said instruments are nothing different from those in common use: I shall endeavor, without prejudice to any one else, to explain myself to your Excellency, showing your Lordship my secret, and then offering them to your best pleasure and approbation to work with effect at opportune moments on all those things which, in part, shall be briefly noted below.

1. I have a sort of extremely light and strong bridges, adapted to be most easily carried, and with them you may pursue, and at any time flee from the enemy; and others, secure and indestructible by fire and battle, easy and convenient to lift and place. Also methods of burning and destroying those of the enemy.

2. I know how, when a place is besieged, to take the water out of the trenches, and make endless variety of bridges, and covered ways and ladders, and other machines pertaining to such expeditions

Link via Gizmodo

Materials scientist Afsaneh Rabiei has developed a substance that is very lightweight, but stronger than a block of steel. And when placed under extreme pressure, it can absorb shock without shattering:

Rough traffic accident calculations show that by inserting two pieces of her composite metal foam behind the bumper of a car traveling 28 mph, the impact would feel the same to passengers as impact traveling at only 5 mph.[...]

The results are most striking when the material is tested in a lab. The test itself is exciting: a high-powered machine smashes a piece of steel foam straight down into the base plate of the machine, and then does the same thing with a piece of bulk steel.

When she examines the base plates under both samples, there’s a clear indentation left under the bulk steel sample, while the plate under the foam shows no indentation. The test shows how the foam absorbed the energy and protected the plate, while the steel simply transferred it to the base plate with no protection.

Among potential applications are orthopedic implants and body armor. In the links, you can find a video about the invention.

Link via Digg | Video | Image: Iran Daily

Pop artist Sam Carter's Birth of Zbornak is inspired by Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus as well as the TV show The Golden Girls. The recently passed Bea Arthur is featured at the center in her role as Dorothy Zbornak. The painting is quite detailed, and if you're foolhardy enough to look at an enlarged image, you can even observe the varicose veins on her legs.

Link via Popped Culture

(YouTube Link)

The American TV musical show Glee was just released in Japan. This video is a commercial for it, featuring the Hawaiian-born sumo wrestler Akebono Taro singing Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'."

via Topless Robot

Bernard H. Pietenpol had a dream. He wanted to make an airplane accessible to the masses. So in 1928, with only an eighth-grade education, he set out to design and build a simple, inexpensive plane. The result was the Pietenpol AirCamper, and his family is still selling the plans for it, just in case you're in the mood for a weekend project.

Hobbyist Chuck Gantzer was in such a mood, and at the link, you can see in-process photos of the construction of an AirCamper, as well as of the completed airplane in flight.

http://nx770cg.com/ via Make | Pietenpol AirCamper Website | Photo: Wikimedia Commons

(YouTube Link)

Sound engineer Henry Dagg built an enormous pin barrel harp with 11,520 holes that can be selected for different compositions. He calls it the "Sharpsicord." Here is his performance of Paul McCartney's "The Long and Winding Road."

Link via Urlesque

A British cat that was run over by a car has received the first complete feline knee replacement surgery. After twelve weeks of hospitalization and unprecedented veterinary procedures, Missy the cat is back at home with her family:

The new total knee replacement implant for the other leg was designed by Dr Fitzpatrick, Professor Gordon Blunn and Mr Jay Meswania of OrthoFitz Implants.

It is made of two parts which are linked together with a hinged mechanism so that the knee ligaments - which had all been shredded - would no longer be required and the knee could no longer dislocate.[...]

The three-inch long implant is made out of stainless steel and is bonded to the thigh bone and the shin bone using cement

The design phase was particularly challenging for the prosthetist because human knee replacements need only accommodate walking, but a joint for a cat must assume that the user will try to run and jump.

Link via The Presurfer | Photo: Bancroft Media

(YouTube Link)

Charlie Brooker is a journalist and comedian. In this video, he pokes fun at the former profession by illustrating how television news is structured according to a standardized style that tries to impress the viewer without necessarily being informative. Content warning: some NSFW language.

via reddit