technology

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The Dynasphere: Vehicle of Yesterday's Tomorrow

In 1932, Dr. J. A. Purves invented the Dynasphere, a ten-foot, thousand-pound wheel of steel that didn't exactly revolutionize personal motoring. The original 2.5 horsepower gas motor could achieve a top speed of about 25 miles per hour, with the driver sitting in the middle, tipping the thing left or right to steer...and clenching his teeth, hoping nothing was in the way. You may ask: why does the name reference a sphere, when this thing looks like a wheel or a hoop? Well, the outer body of the... READ ON

Article

What You're Missing at TED2012 Right Now

As you and I sit here like dopes in front of our computers, a swarm of alpha nerds are basking in the Long Beach sun and enjoying TED2012. Only two talks from the show have been released so far, and they have somewhat differing messages: Abundance is Our Future (by Peter Diamandis) and The Earth is Full (by Paul Gilding). I'll go ahead and embed the latter, as it's a bit more depressing: But I Want More! Well, it's a tough gig, but somebody's gotta liveblog the entire conference. No,... READ ON

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The Hindenburg, Pre- and Post-Disaster

If you've seen the Hindenburg before, it's likely only the film of it crashing and burning -- "Oh, the humanity!" and all that. In this extended newsreel from British Pathé, we see the full story of the Hindenburg's last flight, including lots of footage before the crash, and the crash itself with "wild sound" -- just what was recorded on the scene, without commentary (though there is commentary before and after). It's mesmerizing and horrible to watch; 36 people died in the crash. Have a look, if you... READ ON

Article

How Robots Make Sense of Our World

Robot Readable World is a short film assembling footage from computer vision experiments -- in other words, "what robots see" as they look at video footage. Or, more appropriately, "What you'd see if you were a Terminator." The footage is strangely beautiful, though it takes about two minutes to get really interesting (the whole thing is only five minutes long). We start with cars, and note how robots detect cars and draw boxes around them. Then we start tracking people. Subsequent footage includes... READ ON

Article

Your Daily Mind-Blow: The Lumarca

In this short documentary by Jason Scott, we see a beautiful work of sculpture/installation art made by Matt Parker, Albert Hwang and Elliot Woods. I won't spoil how it's done -- stick around through at least 1:50 for "the second blowing of [your] mind" when it's explained how exactly this is put together. If you're in New York, you can experience the Lumarca for yourself at Eyebeam -- for two more days, anyway! You can also learn more and even build your own. Pro tip: try fullscreen mode, and watch... READ ON

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An Update on SOPA, PIPA, and Last Week's Petitions

Last Wednesday (January 18), Wikipedia and other sites went dark in a protest of pending legislation before the US Congress. Now that the dust has settled, here are some details of what happened. Let the Backpedaling Begin On Friday (January 20) Lamar Smith, chief SOPA sponsor, pulled the bill from consideration. At roughly the same time, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid postponed a scheduled vote on PIPA in the Senate. Of the original 13 co-sponsors of the two bills, 7 backed out, saying they... READ ON

Big Question

Why Can't Some People See Magic Eye Pictures?

Earlier this month, I explained how Magic Eye pictures work. A lot of people commented about how they can never see the hidden image. So what gives? Is there something wrong with these people's eyes? Are they cursed? Are there really no hidden pictures? Is this all a... READ ON

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Lectures for a New Year: God, the Universe, and Everything Else

Ready for a spectacular late-80s treat? Here we have Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking, and Arthur C. Clarke in discussion with Magnus Magnusson shortly after Hawking's A Brief History of Time was published. This discussion was sparked by the book (Sagan wrote the introduction), and it shows three visionaries at a time in history when Hawking's book was a massive bestseller. In addition to the men on stage, Sagan joins via satellite (which we're reminded was nominally invented, or at least envisioned in great... READ ON

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Robot Pets Cat; Cat is Not Amused

You know it's officially The Future when a human-like robot (the NAO) is able to pet (well, brush, actually) a cat via a complex hack involving a treadmill, Kinect, Wii, and Head-Mounted Display (HMD). Taylor Veltrop shows us the future of human/robot/cat interaction in this video: Here's how he describes it (emphasis added): This is the culmination of my last year's work. I control the robot's arms through the Kinect and Wii remotes. I control the robot's navigation through the Kinect and... READ ON

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Lithophones - Instruments Made of Fossils, Floor Tiles, and More

Musician, artist, and "edutainer" Tom Kaufmann makes unique instruments called lithophones, which are similar to xylophones, but created from various stones. Here's how Kaufmann describes them: Another happy coincidence led me to my current fascination with constructing lithophones. I was tossing around some scrap pieces of granite countertop that I’d gotten for one of my Upright Furniture projects, and as one of the chunks landed, it rang as clear as a bell. I’d been looking for stone... READ ON