(YouTube link)

Just when I thought I was getting tired of supercuts, Harry Hanrahan strung together the greatest exploding bridge scenes in cinema history, with a satisfyingly appropriate soundtrack. -via The Daily What

Once again, it's time for our collaboration with the always amusing What Is It? Blog. Do you know what the pictured item is? Can you make a wild guess?

Place your guess in the comment section below. One guess per comment, please, though you can enter as many as you'd like. Post no URLs or weblinks, as doing so will forfeit your entry. Two winners: the first correct guess and the funniest (albeit ultimately wrong) guess will win T-shirt from the NeatoShop.

Please write your T-shirt selection alongside your guess. If you don't include a selection, you forfeit the prize, okay? May we suggest the Science T-Shirt, Funny T-Shirt and Artist-Designed T-Shirts?

For more clues, check out the What Is It? Blog. There's another picture of this item at a slightly different angle there. Good luck!

Update: the object in question is a mailing machine for putting addresses on newspapers and magazines. Villaridge knew that, and won a t-shirt from the NeatoShop. Meanwhile, DocKami said, "it's a .... IT'S A TRAP !" which made me laugh, so he wins a t-shirt for the funniest answer. It does kind of resemble a trap, doesn't it?

I also want to remind you of the "one guess per comment" rule, because we had a lot of people with multiple guesses this week, and that's not really fair to everyone else. Of course, you are welcome to leave as many comments as you want.

The date today is 6/28, which is Tau Day. The number Tau is 2pi, or 6.28 (followed by many more decimals). Geek Are Sexy has an explanation of tau, which is kind of like pi, only more so. And since tau is 2pi, you should celebrate Tau Day by baking two pies. One for me, and one for you. And not to throw at each other! Link

See also: The Pi is a Lie

The U.S. Mint is manufacturing, and will continue to manufacture, one dollar coins that just pile up in the Federal Reserve because no one wants to use them. They've already stockpiled over a billion dollars in coins, and may reach two billion!

In 2005, Congress decided that a new series of dollar coins should be minted to engage the public. These coins would bear the likeness of every former president, starting with George Washington. There would be a new one every quarter. So, far, the Mint has produced coins through the 18th president, Ulysses S. Grant.

Members of Congress reasoned that a coin series that changed frequently and had educational appeal would make dollar coins more popular. The idea came from the successful program that put each of the 50 states on the backs of quarters.

The reserve also has plenty of Susan B Anthony and Sacagawea dollar coins. If the public does not want to use dollar coins, why are they being made? The answer is a bit complicated, and is explained in this article at NPR. http://www.npr.org/2011/06/28/137394348/-1-billion-that-nobody-wants?sc=fb&cc=fp -via Breakfast Links

YouTube took the original Nyan Cat video down, and in its place there is a notice that "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by PRguitarman." However, PRguitarman says he did not file a copyright claim. He is having trouble straightening this out.

Funny how someone can easily make a complaint but to actually prove it the owner has to jump through all of these hoops. FUN TIMES! But seriously, there is a lot of work involved here and it's pretty stressful.

Meanwhile, people are flagging my videos on Youtube and giving me death threats just like upstanding Internet citizens usually do. Good job.

Anyway, I've been working at this for about two or three hours and have done the most I can for now. Saraj00n, Daniwell, and Youtube have been contacted and I am just now waiting for each of their replies so we can work on getting the video back up.

The cat is still available in the original .gif format at his site. Link -via The Daily What

Mr Whaite made this animated image of Stanley Kubrick and his films patterned after a Rubik's cube.

Kubrick’s films are meticulously pieced together like intricate puzzles, so this seems like an appropriate way to portray the great director - hidden within his own work. Also, Kubrick rhymes with Rubik and I’m a sucker for wordplay.

Also available as a print for film lovers. http://mrwhaite.tumblr.com/post/6900170853/rubikkubrick -via Buzzfeed

Does this remind you of a certain Imperial Walker from the movie The Empire Strikes Back? In 1962, General Electric conceived the Cybernetic Anthropmorophous Machine (CAM), which became known as the Walking Truck.

The Army liked what GE had been testing and awarded a contract for building the experimental vehicle in 1966, a year after America began sending troops to Vietnam. But the same super-sensitive, hand-and-foot-controlled hydraulics that enabled the CAM to casually push aside a jeep, or gently paw a GE light bulb without breaking it, also made it impractical for prolonged battlefield use. Operators found the constant manipulation of the controls very fatiguing, leading the project to be mothballed.

In additional to the fictional AT-AT, this reminds us of BigDog from Boston Dynamics. See more pictures of the CAM at GE Reports. http://www.gereports.com/where-jules-verne-meets-star-wars-ges-walking-truck-of-the-1960s

Judith G. Klausner has an ongoing project called From Scratch in which she carves classic cameos out of Oreo cookies! She also uses cereal, toast, and other foods as a launching point for art projects, which you can see at her site. Link -via Boing Boing

Director Alfred Hitchcock appeared in at least 45 of his 52 films, usually in tiny parts that you'd never notice if you weren't looking. However, identifying those moments has become a game among Hitchcock fans. In today's Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss, you are challenged to match nine screenshots of the director with the movie they come from. Good luck! Link

Zombies supporters have their own organization now! Join PETZ (People for the Ethical Treatment of Zombies) and you can adopt a zombie, lobby for zombie rights, and network with other zombie supporters. Among their offerings is this checklist for a "cruelty-free lifestyle":

Proper zombie care
Keep your zombie well-refrigerated
Reattach any limbs that have fallen off immediately
Brush your zombie's remaining teeth regularly
Companies that test on zombies
KFC
Sephora
Men's Wearhouse
Recipes for zombies
Brain stew
Soy-flesh
Ladyfingers (for zombies with a sweet tooth)

The site was launched in support of the production Zombie! the Musical. Link -via @johncfarrier

(YouTube link)

Improv Everywhere staged a horse race at Bryant Park, complete with jockeys, announcers, and even a bugler -on the carousel! The audience seemed to enjoy it, and the winner was quite pleased. Link -via The Daily What

This picture of "various isolates of ascomycete fungi grown on agar nutrient plates" is from a Tumblr blog called Electric Orchids, which features great photographs of anything to do with biology, from exotic animals to fossils to microscope images. Link -via Nag on the Lake

(Image credit: Dr. David Midgley)

Ludwig II of Bavaria died under mysterious circumstances 125 years ago. The death was ruled a suicide, but many don't buy that explanation.

Today, Ludwig remains famous for the castles he built and attempted to build, most notably Neuschwanstein Castle, perched high in the Alpine foothills. The king was a romantic, a friend and suporter of composer Richard Wagner, and he hired theatrical set designers rather than architects to design his castles. More absorbed in his personal world than state affairs, Ludwig spent most of his time on his own projects -- emptying his personal coffers -- and left his ministers frustrated by his inattention.

What is left is a mystery -and those castles! The Atlantic has a collection of 30 photographs of the king's life and those gorgeous palaces that still grace the region. Link -via TYWKIWDBI

(Image credit: AP/Christof Stache)

This Twaggie was illustrated by artist Kaz Foxsen from a Tweet by @beingtheo. It might make you feel old, especially if you understand what it means to eat corn on the cob "typewriter style". Link

What's in store for you at your local or state fair this year? You'll get a preview as Jill Harness takes us on a virtual trip to the San Diego Fair. She found out what deep-fried delicacies will be offered this year, and took pictures of strange displays. Don't miss the chocolate-covered corn dog! Link