The Ames Window is an optical illusion, in which a strangely-shaped window (with a stick running through it) is rotated slowly. Because we assume it to be a normally-shaped window, our brains perceive the window and the stick interacting in strange ways, seeming to change shape in ways that don't align with normal perspective shifts. The illusion was designed by Adelbert Ames, Jr., an American artist and psychologist. Ames also created the Ames Room, a similar perspective illusion that was later used to... READ ON

Artist Michael Kontopoulos brings us today's weird web video: Machines that Almost Fall Over. Kontopoulos calls it: "A system of sculptures that is constantly on the brink of collapse. My intention was to capture and sustain the exact moment of impending catastrophe and endlessly repeat it." Kontopoulos has created three machines in which a hammer strikes the machine, knocking it off-balance, but the machine just...barely...doesn't fall over. This is a short video showing those machines, tirelessly... READ ON

Today's surprising article: Kevin Kelly on Amish hackers. In a thoughtful article, Kelly explores Amish culture (from an outsider's perspective, anyway) focusing on their use of technology. Kelly's thesis is that the Amish aren't anti-technology per se -- they're just slower to adopt technology, and have a highly developed sense of which technologies they adopt. In Kelly's visits to Amish territory, he witnessed a people who had carefully selected their technologies, balancing family and community... READ ON

Get ready to bookmark this, people: Turkey Tracker is a collaborative webcast of a Thanksgiving turkey being cooked in a smoker in Portland, Oregon. The smoking starts at 9am (Pacific time) on Thanksgiving Day, and involves: • Two cameras trained on the smoker, broadcasting live video (via Ustream) • A USB thermometer inside the turkey that automatically posts its temperature readings to Twitter (read more on this at MAKE) • Live chat alongside the video (also via Ustream) •... READ ON