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Everything about this short film by Random Encounters is great: the claymation, the sound effects, and most of all, the lyrics. I used to be sympathetic to the ghosts. But now, not so much. They get what's coming to them.

-via Nerd Bastards

I adore the tiny public sculptures of Slinkachu, like this one called "Fantastic Voyage." The sea monster, I suspect, just wants to be friends.

Link -via Super Punch

Jonathan Brown of Milton Keynes, UK, has struggled with dyslexia for many years. But he's found that studying the Klingon language from Star Trek very helpful for coping with it:

He explained how he has always had difficulty with reading and also has what he describes as "name blindness" but while doing this work he realised that he could use a different part of his brain.

"Dyslexia is not something you get over, you live with it. It's not necessarily a hindrance, you just learn different ways to pick things up.

"Working on the translation has helped me understand where I've been having problems all my life with languages, I realised I'd been trying to remember the words in the name part of my brain and because I can't remember names, I can't remember the words.

"With the Klingon language games used on the CD, I tended to put words into a different place and it went into my long term memory.

You can't go wrong by choosing to study Klingon. At one point, just a couple decades ago, it was the fastest growing language in the world!

Link -via blastr | Image: Paramount

Alan Yang's scrap metal Ravage reflects the modern movies. The original Ravage from The Transformers was an audio cassette tape, which isn't quite old enough to be hip and retro. Now a Ravage that turned into a 8-track cassettee -- that, I would like to see!

Link -via Technabob

Finnish photographer Vesa Lehtimäk captures amazing images of Star Wars LEGO minifigs in action. His winter scenes from the planet Hoth are particularly striking because the snow looks so realistic. Don't scoff at the stormtrooper pictured above. Ski troops are useful.

Link -via Walyou (warning: auto-sound)

The tsunami that hit Japan in March killed 20,000 people, so that nation is now thinking seriously about how to prepare for this type of disaster. A company called Cosmo Power has responded by developing a floating fiberglass pod that people can jump into in a hurry:

Company president Shoji Tanaka says the $3,900 (300,000 yen) capsule can hold four adults, and that it has survived many crash tests. It has a small lookout window and breathing holes on top.

It's called the Noah, in reference to Noah's ark. So far, the company has received 500 orders.

Link -via DVICE (where there's a video) | Photo: Aashi

Researchers from Taiwan have developed a machine that reads people's hand gestures and thereby permits them to open doors by waving a few fingers:

"In the future, you won't have to worry about losing or forgetting your keys," said Tsai Yao-pin, who teaches at the Technology and Science Institute of Northern Taiwan.

At the heart of the technology developed by his team is a chip that can detect movement in three dimensions, as used in Nintendo's Wii video game console, he said.

The technology allows users to easily unlock their doors by repeating a gesture preset in the sensor, according to Tsai.

You'll just have to be careful about your body language.

Link -via TechCrunch | Photo by Flickr user Eddi 07 - Free Stock

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John Kricfalusi, the animator for the legendary Ren & Stimpy Show, got a chance to direct the couch gag for last night's episode of The Simpsons. Kricfalusi is not one to hold back his creative vision, even for a children's show (Nickelodeon ultimately fired him). His work in this short is deliciously weird and psychedelic.

-via Boing Boing | Previously: Banksy's Couch Gag

It even comes with instructions: "Right click options: Save as snack; Add to meal favorites; Eat source; Export to kitchen table."

Link -via That's Nerdalicious!

Oh, you think that shaving with a straight razor is hardcore? Don't tell that to Alexander Karpenko, a Russian professor who has been shaving with shovels since he was 16. While he was growing up, his grandfather, a veteran of World War II, told him that it could be done. So Karpenko tried it with a very sharp shovel and found that it worked!

http://www.tden.ru/articles/show/14711 (Google Translate) -via Oddity Central | Photo: Tden.ru

N.B. is a common abbreviation for the Latin phrase nota bene -- "note well". It's an old style of annotation that has sadly passed out of common use. David, the man with this tattoo, says of its meaning "that everything is better with footnotes." This lovely sentiment so totally non-MLA standards compliant.

Link

Nicholas Hanna is an architect by training, but he's fascinated by Chinese calligraphy. He's invented an ingenious gadget that writes messages in Chinese with water. It's attached to a tricycle and as he rides it, the electronically-controlled machine sprays water onto the pavement.

If you had such a device, what would you write with it?

Link -via Bit Rebels | Artist's Website

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This clip from Penn & Teller's Magic and Mystery Tour shows a Chinese performer who can change between ten different masks so quickly that you can't see him switch. He waves his cape in front of his face, and he's a different character in the story!

-via reddit

The Man in Black wanted to keep organized, so he kept a regular to-do list. Very smart. Also, his choices are smart. But is it really necessary to write down #5? Would he have forgotten otherwise?

Link -via Ace of Spades HQ | Image: Julien's Auctions

Previously: The Johnny Cash Project

Children are never too young to be properly introduced to Star Trek, and a crafter named Julie Bell is getting her kids off to the right start. She's made a cloth book filled with age-appropriate activities that introduce the Enterprise-D crew and life onboard. Pictured above is a zippered turbolift door that opens to reveal finger puppets of the major characters. You can also do bat'leth training with Worf, reconstruct Picard after he was rescued from Borg assimilation, separate the saucer section, and more. Just go ahead and look at this simply delightful work at the link.

Link -via blastr | Previously by Julie Bell: Star Wars Quiet Book for Kids