Graphic designer Justin Bryant has a delightfully morbid imagination. In a series of six posters, he suggests that popular children's board games could easily be turned into horror films. Candy Land looks sweet, but hides a dark secret. Hungry Hungry Hippos are ready for lunch. And you definitely don't want to catch--or be caught-- by the Cooties.
You can see all of these posters at Born in Space.
Sure, you already follow him on Instagram and listen to his podcast. But now you can watch live, streaming video thanks to a camera invented by Vikram Iyer, a doctoral student at the University of Washington.
It's a remarkable technical achievement. Not only is the image sensor tiny, but it's mounted on a swinging arm that matches the direction of the insect's head, thus presenting a more realistic depiction of a bug's view of the world.
To save on battery life, the camera only turns on when an accelerometer is triggered and thus remains dormant when the beetle doesn't move. As a result, the camera can capture video for up to six hours.
How is this useful? Iyer described his invention as more useful for robotics than entomology. King 5 News quotes him:
“If you need to build a robot that can fit into small spaces, you need a way to navigate around that environment,” said Iyer. “And vision is one of the major ways people solve these problems.”
At the core, he said it’s essentially a tiny computing platform ready to be modified for different uses.
-via Dave Barry | Image: Science magazine
Matt Benedetto, an inventor in Vermont, specializes in gadgets with little to no practical value. But every now and then, he makes something actually useful. These spring-loaded crutches, for example, help him get around while his broken foot heals. He'll surely bounce back soon now that he's healing.
Master pie artist Jessica Clark-Bojin (previously at Neatorama) is challenging members of the Instagram piecrafting community to devise a #MonsterPie for Halloween. One of her own contributions is this frightening Jack-o-lantern pie that offers more than a hollow interior. Her whole Instagram page is worth exploring, as she has already become internet famous for such works as Dark Crystal and baby Yoda pies.
-via Design You Trust
Hannah Grace, an artist in the UK, transforms herself into amazing creatures with paint and makeup. Parts of her body disappear, then reappear elsewhere. She seemingly melts, breaks apart, and comes together again.
Iron Cat is here to save the world. He's ready, now that he has a 3D printed helmet that even pops open to reveal the (very patient) cat's face on demand. Cathode the cat of Besançon, France models the latest superhero costume.
-via Dave Barry
This seal is well-known among the people who live along the River Witham in Anton's Gowt, Lincolnshire, UK. He is called Dandy Dinmont (and he looks the role) and has been a resident since 2017.
Recently, Dandy visited a group of paddleboarders. Lincolnshire Live reports that he climbed on two of the boards and stayed there for about 10 to 15 minutes.
-via Super Punch
Do you have a romance that reminds you of Harley Quinn and the Joker? Then Etsy seller Nenad Cicmil has the perfect wedding ring for you. If you have a different sort of relationship, like that of Spawn and Wanda Simmons or the Punisher and Maria Castle, then this jeweler has more options for you.
For me, I'll take this black gold Batman ring for a gritty reboot marriage. I'd propose in a forced gravely voice, like Christian Bale struggled to use in The Dark Knight film trilogy.
-via Technabob
Mezerg is a French musician and instrument designer who builds unique instruments, including a watermelon, a theremin ring, and an electric drill.
His latest creation is the Piano Cocktail. Selected keys open the stops on liquor bottles, allowing the musician to play a cocktail into existence. You can also mix a specific recipe. It just might sound weird.
-via Born in Space
Are you clothed above the waist right now? If so, why? Unless you're a klutz with your webcam, you have nothing to worry about. Right now, I'm wearing pajama shorts with a dress shirt because no one in my upcoming Zoom meeting will see my lower body.
Fashion brands are catching up with this trend. The BBC reports:
A "waist-up" focus has been noticed at both Milan and London Fashion Weeks, with detailed necklines and relaxed trousers. [...]
"Fashion is about reacting to reality," said Miuccia Prada, head designer of Prada, at its virtual Milan fashion show. "During lockdown, I realised how important technology is and how it is impactful for us, and in some ways, an extension of ourselves."
"The tunic tops and roll necks, with the brand's famous triangle logo blown up and placed directly below the neckline, will certainly catch the eye of your fellow Zoomers," Jane McFarland, fashion director at The Sunday Times, said of the collection.
-via Dave Barry
Spoon & Tamago describes several ways in which public parks in Tokyo have been carefully prepared to convert into emergency shelters in the event of a natural disaster, such as an earthquake. Among the features are pagoda shelters that are sized for tent covers, manholes that give access to the sewer system for portable toilets, and solar powered lights that direct people to shelters during power outages.
I'm especially impressed with the simple but clever addition of wood burning cook stoves to park benches. You can see two such designs above.
This is Roll Bottom, a desk design by Ian Stell. The metal secretary desk cover slides down and forms the seat. I'm not sure if it's practical, but it's pretty. You could give it to a coworker that you dislike.
-via Swiss Miss
If you had the hands of a LEGO minifig, what would they look like? Comic book artist James McKelvie directs us to this image. These flesh claws would actually be useful for precision tool work. We'll have to change the way keyboards are designed, though.
-via Super Punch
Helen Nugent taught herself the arcane arts of piecraft. As you can see from her Instagram feed, she has thoroughly mastered them. From her home kitchen in Toronto, she weaves the most elaborately tasty and beautiful pies you've ever seen. Nugent now passes on her knowledge in a newly-published grimoire titled Pie Style: Stunning Designs and Flavorful Fillings You Can Make at Home.
YouTube user TrainDozer imagines a different type of Star Trek show: a sitcom. Adapting the theme song for Family Matters, one of the iconic sitcoms of 90s, he introduces Data, the titular character of a comedic and wholesome story of an android trying to become a human. Data lives on a ship with a family of good-natured humans and a Klingon.
-via reddit
