Fiat Lux is a lamp with a switch that hovers underneath -no strings attached! The ball-shaped switch is magnetic, and rests on the lamp when not in use. When you approach the lamp, it turns itself on. Then you "hang" the switch underneath, where it levitates by magnetic force. Move the switch to turn the lamp off. Designed by Constance Guisset and Grégory Cid. http://www.constanceguisset.com/?page_id=35 -via Metafilter

A tree snail found in the tropical forest near Cairns, Australia has been named after the late Steve Irwin. Dr. John Stanisic of the Queensland Museum named it Crikey steveirwini.

The scientist described Crikey steveirwini as "a colourful snail, with swirling bands of creamy yellow, orange-brown and chocolate giving the shell an overall khaki appearance".

"It was the khaki colour that immediately drew the connection to the late Crocodile Hunter," Dr Stanisic said.

Link -via Arbroath

(video link)

National Geographic's Adventure Magazine named ten people as Adventurers of the Year, and invite you to rate each of them to help them determine the readers' choice top adventurer. One of the profiles features 37-year-old Dean S. Potter, rock climber, tightrope walker, and BASE jumper. Potter set a world record in 2009 by jumping off a high face of Switzerland's Eiger in a wingsuit and sailing for almost three minutes! The trip was 9,000 feet vertically and four miles horizontally. Links to all adventurers. Link to voting. -Thanks, Ethan!

Get ready for a strange story of a lost Beatles album found on cassette on the other side of a portal to a parallel universe. James Richards brought the cassette back and is making all the songs available. Link -via YesButNoButYes

Think before you buy a souvenir snow globe on your next vacation. You probably won't be able to take it on a plane in your carry-on luggage because of TSA regulations.

"Snow globes are not permitted to be carried through security checkpoints," said Transportation Security Administration spokesman Dwayne Baird.

The reason is that the globes contain liquids, and TSA rules say that only liquids, gels or aerosols in containers of three ounces or less are allowed through security in carry-on bags.

Even a small snow globe with less than three ounces of liquid may be confiscated because security personnel have no way of measuring it. You can pack a snow globe in your checked luggage, but be careful to pad it well, or you may end up with wet clothing by the time you reach your destination. Link -via Metafilter

(image by Flickr user revrev)

Some people eat at their computers. Some smoke while computing. And some don't change the filter on their heating and air system as often as they should. Many of us never open up our computers to see what's inside, but that's the first thing your computer repair expert will do. If your PC is anything like these computers, the next thing he/she will do is take a picture. The Register has six pages of these dirty, filthy pictures. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/13/ventblockers/ -via Digg

(Live Leak link)

In the original Ninja Cat video, the cat only moves when you're not looking. In this new video, the camera is stationery so we can see how he moves only when his "prey" (a feather in this incident) can't see him. -via Arbroath

This 11-month old baby isn't even their youngest customer! The ad copy also says:

By the way, Mom, when it comes to toddlers- if they liked to be coaxed to drink their milk, try this: add 7-Up to the milk in equal parts, pouring the 7-Up gently into the milk. It's a wholesome combination- and it works!

Click the picture at Kitchen Retro to see the full-size version of this and other vintage ads. Link -via J-Walk Blog

Newsweek Magazine has begun a series of stories looking back at the first decade of the new millennium. In this list, the most-watched crime stories are ranked and summarized. If the complicated developments of Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme or the hunt for the D.C. Snipers were hard to follow in real time, you can catch up on the important details. Pictured is Andrea Yates, who drowned her five children in 2001. http://2010.newsweek.com/top-10/mesmerizing-crime-stories/rod-blagojevich-saga.html# -via the Presurfer

(YouTube link)

A road crew and a television crew were on the scene on Highway 64 in Polk County, Tennessee Tuesday when a massive rock slide covered the road. Workers were busy removing a large rock that fell Tuesday morning when the mountain gave away at about 1PM. Rock slides are not uncommon in the mountain area of East Tennessee, but they are rarely seen in progress, much less recorded. The road will be closed for at least a week. Link

A thief in Wuppertal, Germany made off with a Mercedes Transporter owned by Circus Probst, apparently unaware that a lion was in the back. The van was recovered Wednesday morning with Caesar still inside. It is not yet known whether the presence of the lion led to vehicle being crashed and abandoned. It was found with the motor still running.

Police then towed the van away, also unaware of its feline freight and it wasn't until midday on Wednesday that Caesar was returned to his rightful owners, more than 12 hours after his adventure began.

"Caesar is fine. We're not worried about him," circus spokesman Laurens Thoen said.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hU2gIqvkCxUbaSPH0TspvB4drQYw -via Arbroath

This beautiful picture of Earth was taken by the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft. Rosetta is on a mission to intercept the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which will happen in 2014. The brightest part of this picture is our South Pole. Link

(image credit: ESA)

Photographer Richard Calmes takes glorious pictures of professional dancers in flight. This photograph (which took many attempts to achieve the result) is from the gallery entitled Beautiful Dancers on the Town. Link to gallery. Link to artist's site. -via Everlasting Blort

(YouTube link)

Over a few years and several blogs I have posted quite a few imaginative marriage proposals, but this is by far the most elaborate proposal I have ever encountered. Steve posted the story at the YouTube page.

I have know my fiance Tracey Wade for over 14 years and wanted to propose to her in a very unique way. Tracey thought we were just going to the movies on a Sunday afternoon. Little did she know, I had rented the entire theater and filled it with 160 of our friends and family. I made it seem as though we were showing up a little late to the movie and went in to the theater after the lights had gone down and the movie trailers were already playing. This was done to keep her from recognizing anyone in the theater. What I had done was make an entire movie trailer that had actors portraying both Tracey and I at different times in our lives, both present day and in the future. After a few trailers played including one for Lord of the Rings the one I had made started. Tracey thought it was just another trailer for a movie soon to be released. Tracey was just perplexed as to how many different things had similarities to our relationship, she kept nudging me throughout the trailer. Tracey had no idea this was a marriage proposal until the last three seconds of the trailer.

Nine months earlier in September of 2006 I started by hiring a professional production team, securing two and a half million dollars (FOR FREE) worth of film equipment (THANK YOU PANAVISION, THEY DONATED THE EQUIPMENT FOR THE SHOOT), and writing a script that would show what would go through someone's mind (Tracey's) if they were about to die. It is said "moments before you die your life flashes right before your eyes". JUST A NOTE: Ever since Tracey was a young girl, she has had a reoccurring dream that she was going to die in a plane crash. Actors were cast to portray both Tracey and I at different times in our lives (twenty years in the future as well as present day)

Oh yeah, she said yes! This is one of The Top 14 Geekiest Wedding Proposals at LaptopLogic. http://laptoplogic.com/resources/geekiest-wedding-proposals -via Unique Daily

Former British soldier Shaun Clark spent over four hours in a tattoo parlor yesterday, celebrating Remembrance Day by having the names of all 223 British soldiers who died in Afghanistan tattooed on his body.

He said: 'I don't mind suffering for a few days if I can let the lads know that people really care about what they're doing out there, and raise some money for the guys coming home wounded as well.

'The family thought I was mad to begin with, but they've come round to the idea now, and my wife is backing me all the way.'

The married father-of-two from Doncaster hopes his challenge will raise £500 for the charity Help for Heroes.

He plans on updating the sombre list every year on Remembrance Day if required.

Tattoo artist Kevin Kent donated his services free of charge. Link -via Digg

(image credit: Ross Parry Agency)