A new rave scene is about to kick off in your local doctors office, but this time the glow sticks won’t be the only things that are glowing-your guts will be too. That’s because researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University recently developed a fluorescent protein that will illuminate the inside of our bodies like never before, making internal organs far more visible, even if they appear downright toxic, and eliminating the need to cut the patient open in order to see what's going on inside.
These paper sculptures are so delicate they’d probably fall apart in your hands if you tried to hold them, and they definitely won’t hold any of your favorite beverages, but the appreciation of form and iconography of the classic soda can are what make these paper cans worth the while. See more intricate paper art by Yoshio Hasegawa at the link.
In this amazing month of stem cell research advancement, we have seen a replacement trachea grown from scratch, clues that may use stem cells to cure blindness, and now mice have grown transplantable molars. For those of you that are missing teeth, like me, this means that you’ll soon be able to grow your own set of choppers, your own teeth that can be easily implanted and readily accepted by your body.
Have you ever thought to yourself “Gee, I wonder what Bomberman would look like if he were a real person, and cast in a cheesy cop drama?” Well, your geeky prayers have been answered! Just don’t expect Oscar worthy performances, or high budget special effects, and you will definitely enjoy this tongue in cheek take on the classic console game. Take a gander at this kooky little YouTube video and revel in the ridiculousness.
If you think crime is bad in your neighborhood these days, ask yourself this: are people stealing bricks from houses on your street? If the answer is no, then your hood’s got nothing on St. Louis, Missouri, where things have gotten so bad people are literally stripping houses to the ground for a few extra bucks. There's a video all about it at Laughing Squid.
I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors by now that Stephen King’s Dark Tower would be coming to the big screen in an epic adaptation. Well, if this idea made you giddy and you can’t wait to see it happen, then I suggest you sit down because the Dark Tower movie has gone bust, its fate now unclear and any chance of good production value all but lost. Ron Howard was set to direct and making plans, including casting Javier Bardem and making a 2 season tv series that would show the events which took place before the books. But all is not lost, for there is still a proposed eighth book coming out entitled “The Wind Through The Keyhole” and there is the Marvel Comics series which is still going strong, so read on and imagine the movie in your mind.
Genesis Medical Imaging, Inc. has allowed scientists from Chicago's The Field Museum use of a mobile CT scanner to scan their ancient discoveries, and the results have been surprising. In one mummy they found nothing but straw under the wraps, in another only a skull and legs, and although some of their findings have been disappointing overall the Field Museum has been happy to know exactly what they have in their collection. Read more about it at Art Daily.
Philips aims to make our lives quite a bit brighter in the future, and their latest creation is like something out of a science fiction movie. They, along with Kvadrat Soft Cells, are in the process of making luminous textile, essentially mini LED lights embedded into material that can be hung on walls like regular wallpaper, or hung up like glowing works of art. Read more about it, and watch a short commercial style video with a shot of the ghostly wallpaper in action, over at PopSci.
Engineers at MIT have been busy creating all sorts of solar powered fun, but their latest innovation promises to make the solar panel manufacturing process easier than ever before. They have discovered a process in which solar panels can be printed on an average sheet of paper, and what's more this solar cell is foldable, bendable and manufactured with a simpler vapor deposition process, a process MIT brains claim most manufacturing facilities can handle with ease. Read more about this fascinating development over at PopSci,
Dutch Polaroid enthusiasts calling themselves the Impossible Project have acquired an old, shut down Polaroid factory in order to make their own instant film. This video shows the manufacturing process for making their version of Polaroid film, which is quite fascinating, even if the idea of bringing back Polaroids seems like a waste of time and money.
UConn Professor Andrew Moiseff has conducted research into why fireflies sometimes blink their lights in unison, and his discovery was interesting yet not surprising-males blink in unison to attract the attention of females. What is surprising, however, is that male fireflies appear to synch up with each other and blink in unison to cut down on female confusion, so she won't have any trouble finding a suitable mate. In fact, females had an overwhelmingly positive response to the males that blinked in unison, and tended to shun the non-unison blinkers altogether, which proves that female fireflies don't appreciate individuality.
Have you ever wanted to see the inside of the Space Shuttle Discovery's flight deck as the astronauts see it during a mission? If you answered yes then check out this 360 virtual viewer of the inside, complete with lots of shiny panels full of buttons and switches! Head on over to BoingBoing and see it before it ends up at the Smithsonian.
Here's the first trailer for the upcoming Tintin movie entitled "The Secret Of The Unicorn" which is produced by Peter Jackson and directed by Steven Spielberg. Tintin looks a bit creepy to me with a realistic face, but the visual effects are quite nice.
Researchers at UC Berkeley and Smithsonian Institution paleontologists have collaborated on a study of gray whales and how they survived so many global climate changes. The result-gray whales varied their diets and adapted to a wider range of food sources in order to survive. This study shows that whales may adapt quite easily to whatever comes their way in the future. Read more about it at Art Daily.
Members of the MIT Media Lab have created a python script called Minecraft.print() which will allow players of Minecraft with access to a 3D printer the opportunity to print out their creations. And while the odds of an average person having access to a 3D printer are slim, this script is a step in the right direction when it comes to programs playing nicely with 3D printers. Check out a video of the printer in action over at Forbes Online.
