Scientists have taken 3 dimensional photographs of the Titanic's final resting place, documenting the wreckage like never before in order to gain a better understanding of how and why the ship sank so rapidly. The images were presented in a courtroom in Virginia as part of a salvage claim, and will soon be released for the world to see in the hopes that more answers will be revealed about the mystery of the Titanic.
The Terrafugia Transition has received exemptions from the NHTSA that make it legal to drive on the road. With polycarbonate windows instead of automotive safety glass and tires not normally considered street legal, it has nevertheless passed muster for both the sky and the highway in terms of weight and safety. Alex last reported on Terrafugia's innovation on June 29th, 2010 and the company has been doing lots of fine tuning since then to attain the proper licensing and exemptions needed to ensure these roadable aircraft are ready for delivery by the end of 2012.
A new exhibition in London's Mica Gallery will feature contemporary Egyptian art, much of which depicts themes and imagery from the Arab revolution. The exhibit includes graffiti from the streets of Cairo re-created on a gallery wall and a mummified man wrapped in pages from the Qur'an. Read more about this exhibition at the Guardian link.
Photographer David Slater had his picture taken by a crested black macaque in an Indonesian national park when the curious little critter figured out how to trigger the shutter release button on his tripod mounted camera. Soon, it seemed as if the monkeys actually knew that they were on to something, and they continued to snap shot after shot, showing an intelligence and problem solving ability macaques had been assumed not to possess. What's next for the shutterbug macaque, a job directing in Hollywood?
Engineers from the Australian Centre for Field Robotics in Sydney are working on an autopilot system for gliders that senses thermals and adjusts its course, utilizing the thermal currents to stay aloft. Couple that ability with the technique of dynamic soaring, where the glider flies between high and lower speed air currents to keep it aloft when thermals aren't readily available, and perpetual flight might become a reality sooner than we ever could have imagined.
A new gadget pen created by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign creates functional electronic circuits on surfaces such as paper and wood . Using liquid metal ink made of silver nanoparticles that only dries when applied to a surface, the pen is meant to be a fast, easy and portable way to create simple circuits in any shape the user can draw, circuits that could be placed on surfaces of virtually any shape.
An engraved bone, believed to be from a mastodon, giant sloth or mammoth, may be the oldest example of primitive art ever found in the Americas. The carved bone features the depiction of an ancient mammoth, and was discovered by an amateur fossil hunter in Florida, in an area near Vero Beach where other mammoth bones have recently been found. The archaeological team working on carbon dating the bone feel that it is at least 13,000 years old, and that the etching must be at least that old as well.
Check out these textural delights by artist Daniel Kornrumpf, who has resurrected the antiquated art of embroidery and brought it into a spectacular new light. His painterly approach to embroidery adds a fresh, modern style and energy to the medium, and the fact that so much detail is worked into these relatively small pieces makes them even more remarkable.
Disney has commissioned Southern California native artist NOAH to work his airbrush magic on a painting for their upcoming D23 Expo, which will feature movies celebrating an anniversary this year, like 101 Dalmatians and Alice In Wonderland. This illuminating video shows the master at work on the classic Disney inspired painting featuring a realistic portrait of Walt and a 'toony Sorcerer Mickey causing lots of colorful trouble. Link
Do you enjoy watching giant rubber monsters destroying cities and fighting with spandex clad superheroes who ride color coordinated motorcycles? Or the good old cinematic days of Giant Lizard vs. Giant Moth vs. Giant Gorilla vs. Giant Robot vs. all of Japan? If the answer is yes, then you are a Kaiju lover, and you probably didn't even know it! Check out this great video from Kaiju Big Battel which will explain all you need to know about Kaiju culture at the link.
LEGO artist/designer Nathan Sawaya, known for his life-sized LEGO sculpture of Conan O'Brien and amazingly detailed gray brick version of Mount Rushmore, has unveiled his newest brick-terpiece: a bust of Stephen Colbert! Check out these and other awesome LEGO sculptures at the link.
