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Article

Scientists Create Flubber-Like Effect Using Nanotubes

Now I'm no scientician, but I can tell you that the following video shows some seriously weird science. Basically, researchers set up a "superhydrophobic carbon nanotube array" (where "array" I think effectively means "board"), then dropped water droplets on the surface, filming the results at very high speed (several thousand frames per second). Weird stuff happens. The droplets bounce, they hop, and they even merge into mega-droplets. It's strangely mesmerizing and nerdy. The authors describe... READ ON

Article

Powers of Ten

I've written about "Power of Ten" before, but the videos have been taken down due to copyright claims by the owners. Finally, the Eames Office has an official YouTube channel (albeit with only one video for now) hosting a version that will not be taken down. If you haven't seen this classic film from 1977, please take a few minutes to enjoy it. Here's what I wrote in 2009 about a (now taken-down) YouTube clip of the film: If you’ve never seen the classic short “Powers of Ten,”... READ ON

Article

Dan Hanna: 17 Years of Self-Portraits in One Video

Artist/animator/filmmaker Dan Hanna has been photographing himself every day from two angles, for roughly 19 years (he started in 1991). In the video below, he shows the first 17 years' worth in a rough edit (a fancier version is coming later; as you can imagine, scanning and arranging all those photos is very time-consuming). Actually, the video only uses images from every second day in order to keep the video short. Hanna describes the rather amazing camera rig he built to take the photos like so:... READ ON

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"Hallelujah" 10 Ways

"Hallelujah" is a song written by Leonard Cohen in 1984, and never officially released as a single. It has become famous mainly through cover versions, and has been recorded by hundreds of artists. In 2008, American Idol contestent Jason Castro sang a version that caused Jeff Buckley's famous cover to rocket to the top of the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart (you know, the kids these days with their iTunes and what-not). Buckley's rendition became a Platinum single on April 22, 2008, eleven years after... READ ON

Article

Star Wars Trilogy Paper Animation

This Thursday not nerdy enough for you? Sounds like you need to watch a version of Star Wars done in paper cut-outs, animated via stop-motion, set to the song "Tatooine" by Jeremy Messersmith. Yes, really. It's only a few minutes (the entire trilogy in under three minutes!), why not give it a shot? It's kinda wonderful. Oh, and, uh, spoiler alert re everything that happens in the original trilogy. Jeremy Messersmith - Tatooine from Eric Power on Vimeo. The video is by Eric Power (bonus points... READ ON

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The Late Movies: How to Iron a Shirt

So you think you know how to iron a shirt? Take it from the YouTube experts, there's actually a lot of technique involved! And with just a few minutes, you can be ironing like the pros. How to Iron a Shirt (STRICTLY MEN ONLY) Michael Chartres is a one-man video advice columnist. Specifically, one drunk man. He describes himself thusly on his YouTube page: About Me: Nearly 68 years old, retired, living in Staffordshire. Love spending time on my boat, NORSELA. Enjoy building model boats,... READ ON

Article

Mexico City Tourism Video is Actually Terrific

Here's a visual treat for your Friday afternoon: a video designed to promote tourism in Mexico City, that's actually beautifully shot, and a joy to watch. It's heavily influenced by Koyaanisqatsi and/or the work of cinematographer Ron Fricke -- virtually every shot is in slow- or fast-motion. There's not a whole lot going on here, aside from beautiful cinematography -- but that's the point. Here's how the producers describe it: Una producción del Fondo Mixto de promoción turística de la Ciudad... READ ON

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Ben Folds + Nick Hornby + Pomplamoose = Adorable

Musician Ben Folds and novelist Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About a Boy, lots more) have just released a new album called Lonely Avenue. To build a little buzz, Folds and Hornsby collaborated with internet phenoms Pomplamoose as their backing band, creating a "Video Song." The result has Hornby doing some spoken word (though the album involves more straightforward songs with just Folds singing). The Video Song is a charming little ditty called "Things You Think," and I think it's just adorable:... READ ON

Article

The Late Movies: Leslie Hall, Rap Queen of Iowa

Leslie Hall is what Wikipedia describes as "an American satirical rap artist and front-woman for the band Leslie and the Ly's and the operator of what is best described as a 'gem sweater museum.'" I asked around and was told by THREE friends, "Oh yeah, Leslie's kind of famous." She's been on Yo Gabba Gabba!! Looking at her videos, I'm stunned that we haven't given her the Late Movies treatment yet. So strap yourselves in, stuff's about to get awesome. "Tight Pants / Body Rolls" This video is... READ ON

Article

Gummy Bear + Potassium Chlorate = Fiery Candy Death

So the St. Albans Science Department put up a video showing what happens when a gummy bear is dropped into a test tube containing molten potassium chlorate (KClO3). The "Science Department" (quite possibly a "Mad Science Department," if you ask me) explains the result like so: Molten potassium chlorate is a strong oxidizing agent that reacts violently with sugar. Gummy bears have lots of sugar in them. Here's the video: After the jump, a similar experiment shows a closeup of the poor... READ ON