Zoom Into Steel

One of a series, this video zooms into a piece of steel to the atomic level, narrating what we are seeing along the way. When it's finished, you can select others in the Zoom series. Really fascinating.

Ronald Theodore Reuther

Who is Ronald Reuther? I didn't know either, until I wanted to visit the Micke Grove Zoo in Lodi. Turns out this guy was there at the beginning, then went on to live a very interesting and inspiring life. I wrote a Wikipedia article about him.

The 5 Most Badass Presidents of All Time

Cracked.com has a wonderful spread that's perfect for this election season. Andrew Jackson, John F. Kennedy, John Quincy Adams, George Washington, and Theodore Roosevelt are named the "5 Most Badass Presidents of All Time." Get ready to learn some history.

Rare Klaus Nomi Appearance

Klaus Nomi was a German pastry maker living in New York in the late 70s and early 80s. He was also an opera singer and a trailblazer in the post-modernist new wave genre. Sadly, he was also one of the first victims of the AIDS epidemic, even before AIDS was fully understood. Here's a trailer for a documentary called The Nomi Song.

Scoot!

The Design Blog features a conceptual design for an electric scooter called Scoot. Non polluting and noiseless, Scoot would be classified as a motorized bicycle thereby requiring no helmets or license plate registrations. I hope it gets made 'cause I want I want I want!

World's Tallest Building Almost Complete

Gizmodo has a set of jaw-dropping photos of the nearly completed Burj Dubai. Photographer David Hobcote's hi-resolution pictures from the air covey the massive scale of this building.

Extreme Ironing

Boing Boing once again gets the scoop on the newest sporting craze; Extreme Ironing. Creator Phil Shaw says it's "the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well pressed shirt."

Wallace and Gromit Model for Harvey Nics

Creative Review has some images of the poster campaign to announce that Harvey Nichols is opening in Bristol. Wallace and Gromit, being from Bristol themselves, have been chosen to model some of the fall fashions for this grand opening.

Amazing Bridges

Deputy Dog has a collection of unique bridges from around the world. Shown is Henderson Waves which is Singapore's highest pedestrian bridge. It's been a while since I've liked a bridge that wasn't designed by Calatrava or Foster.

Banksy is in New Orleans

Wooster Collective has posted a couple of new works by graffiti artist Banksy that have appeared in New Orleans. The looters image is indicting. For those of you who don't know who Banksy is, Web Urbanist has a nice overview here.

Walnut 8X8X16

Sergio Silva is another artist who has transcended the nature of a ubiquitous object by rendering it in wood. These walnut CMUs are lovely. They should be produced. Some of his other stuff is OK.

Lightmark

Lightmark is the website of artists Cenci Goepel and Jens Warnecke who create absolutely stunning time-lapse photographs. I'm not exactly sure how they do it, but the results are magical. 

Smith & Nephew Spot by PSYOP

You'd think this was an ad for a running shoe, but it's really for Smith & Nephew who make artificial joints. It's a beautiful illustrative style, and well executed by PSYOP. Is Smith & Nephew just super-cool, or is the medical industry getting that competitive?

Termesphere of the Adams House

Dick Termes paints murals onto spheres, and he does it using a "six-point" perspective technique (whatever that is). The effect and illusion is remarkable.

The Divers View

The New York Times has a panoramic view of the water cube in Beijing. It's a beautiful structure, and this Flash Player VR gives you views in all directions. There is a short narration of the experience from the 10-meter platform by American diver Thomas Finchum.

The Shanghai Riddle Exhibition

Selectism.com has a few images of the work of Marten Baas who's latest project, called "The Shanghai Riddle" consists of hand carved replicas of plastic furniture. I love the chair. I would own one were it possible. The contrasts between hand made and mass produced are eloquent.

Music is Math

This is another great animation inspired by the Boards of Canada track "Music is Math" 

UPL8 TV

UPL8 TV is a fun website brought to us by those creative web developers at POKE. Nothing to click, no menus to select, just a television screen with random clips from You Tube playing 24/7. If what your watching is too much, you can always hit the spacebar to advance to the next video.

Where the Hell is Matt?

Matt has traveled the world, and has been recorded in each place dancing a quirky jig; sometimes alone, sometimes with "the natives". What started out as a silly thing to post on the internet, has now become a continuing journey thanks to the support of Stride gum. I especially like the footage taken in the DMZ Korea. You can follow his trek and read his journal at wherethehellismatt.com.

Smoke Art

Dark Roasted Blend has a variety of images of smoke taken with high speed cameras. Not for the sake of science, but for art. Several photographers are featured as well as some images created for public service announcements. Some are beautiful.

Sculptures Made of Typewriter Pieces

Artist Jeremy Mayer creates stunning figurative works with old typewriter parts. He uses a process he calls cold assembly, which uses no solder, welding, or glue. The subtlety and expressiveness of his work is really exceptional.

Robert Lang and the Evolution of Modern Origami

Robert Lang creates some of the most intricate and stunning origami sculptures made today, and many of you have seen his website. In his TED talk, Lang describes the discoveries that led to modern origami techniques, and the "real world" applications in which they have been used. A wonderful speaker.

The Toaster Museum

The Toaster Museum is a site for those of my friends that are into toasters; You know who you are. You can view the collection alphabetically, or by country of manufacture. Some of the designs are pretty odd.

Designs of the Olympic Torch

The New York Times has a nice little Flash presentation of the Olympic torch designs from Berlin to the present. As you mouse over each design, you get a closer view and a blurb of information. It's really interesting that the use of color was the result of televisions influence.

Speaking of Games: El Laberinto Esferico

El Laberinto Esferico is a game created by Barcelona's award winning animator and features his character Mr. Coo. Everything about this game is wonderful and fresh. This point-and-click type puzzle game features outstanding graphics, including a dynamic storyboard format, compelling puzzles laced with humor, and great music to boot! I only wish the game were longer. Make sure you select "English" before hitting "Play".

Duck: Think Outside the Flock

Duck: Think Outside the Flock is a sweet little game created by Bart Bonte. The game is really well designed, with simple, yet dynamic, graphics, and puzzles that aren't too difficult so you enjoy the game all the way through its' 25 levels. Takes about 10 minutes. Have Fun!

The Girard Family Vacation Blog

The Girard Family, some very good friends from Strasbourg, have been touring the American west for the last month. They have been posting photo sets to their blog as they go. Some wonderful imagery of our vast land, and judging from the kid's faces, they're having a wonderful time.

Scientists Create Artificial Photosynthesis

Physorg.com has a remarkable story of a discovery by scientists at MIT that could revolutionize our world. By mimicking photosynthesis, they have been able to increase and simplify the storage of solar energy. What's really interesting, is the prospect of everything gathering its' own energy, removing the need for wired electricity altogether. 

Speaking of Animation; Presto!

Gamaniak has a high quality version of the latest animated short from Pixar titled Presto. A silly and fun cartoon about a magician and his hungry rabbit. It's the sort of good writing and tremendous digital animation we've come to expect from Pixar.

Western Spaghetti

This short video is the work of artist Adam Pesapane; a.k.a. PES. It is some of the most creative stop motion animation I've seen in a while. Lots of great methods for depicting objects and textures that are usually difficult for this type of animation. It's really clever and worth watching.

Railroad Snowplows

Oobject has a collection of railroad snowplow images and some video of deep snow being plowed. Some of the paint jobs remind me of dazzle ships (Oobject has a list of these too). Enjoy Lance!

Inflatable Mobile Performance Venue

Arch Daily has details of the work of Various Architects, a Norwegian collaborative design office. Designed to tour worldwide, the hexagonal structure deflates for transport, and inflates in a new location to seat 3500 spectators. The whole thing takes 30 shipping containers to move from place to place.

The Human Mirror Experience

Improv Everywhere, an organization I admire greatly, has completed their latest project involving sets of twins on a subway who not only dress alike, but sit opposite each other and mirror each others moves. The reactions from regular riders, the audience, are wonderful as they realize what's happening.

Camera Lenses Sawn in Half

Wired's Charlie Sorrel recently visited Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin, a science museum of German technology, and nabbed some great images of camera lenses that had been sawn in half to see how they work. Even looking at them now, I still cant figure out how they work.

Contemporary Airport Design

Designboom has a wonderful set of images depicting contemporary built, and unbuilt, airport designs from around the world. Some are really incredible. There are four pages of it, so be sure to click the links at the bottom of each page; the link, not the image.

Why Exercise? I'm Waiting for the Pill

This story has been circulating the internet, and with good reason! It seems that some scientists at the Salk Institute (a gorgeous building, by the way) have developed a pill that can "fool" your muscles into thinking they've exercises, thereby keeping trim and fit without having to get off the couch. Once someone invents "Lung Renew Spray", I'll be fit as a fiddle.