The Colossal Squid Thaw
05/01/2008
In January of 2007, fisherman off the coast of Antarctica hauled in a barely alive, 1000-pound Colossal Squid. The 25-foot long squid is the largest specimen ever to cross paths with humans, though apparently these suckers can grow to a length of over 45 feet. Since its scientific appropriation at the Te Papa Institute in New Zealand, the beast has been preserved on ... Read More
Posted in Science/Technology | Permalink
Wormwood Doesn't Make You Hallucinate - It Just Gets You Drunk
04/30/2008
Or so say the findings of a team of German scientists with their recent paper in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. The green, anise-flavored liquor previously thought to be hallucinogenic turns out to simply be a stiff drink. It's back to the drawing tables for Marilyn Manson! His Mansinthe absinthe can't really be as gothically potent as he claims but if ... Read More
Posted in Science/Technology, Food | Permalink
Don't Forget to Turn the Walls Off
04/15/2008
Nederlander Jonas Samson is pretty much guaranteed a job at some high end design firm after he finishes the final year of his post-graduate degree. Talk about a thesis project, Samson created light-emitting wallpaper! His custom-designed innovation can be installed and switched on in any house for a mere starting price of 6,000 euros. Interior-design whores, form ... Read More
Posted in Design, Science/Technology | Permalink
How Long Could You Survive In The Vacuum of Space?
04/09/2008
It's a simple question most of us waste hours pondering over every day, especially after watching Total Recall. Seriously though, how long could you survive in the vacuum of space with no spacesuit? You better be praying that Quaid starts that reactor! Read More
Posted in Science/Technology | Permalink
Goodbye Black Ice, Hello Pink Ice
04/04/2008
It's happened to all of us way too many times: you're just driving down an ice-free road, singing along to Hannah Montana, and before you know what happens, you've been in a fatal accident. Fortunately, researchers at French company Eurovia have invented a clear varnish for paved surfaces that turns pink when temperatures drop below 1˚C (that's 33.8˚F Americanos). N ... Read More
Posted in Science/Technology | Permalink
Move Over Segway, There's a New Dork in Town
04/03/2008
The Monowheel was originally invented in 1869 by the craftsman Rousseau of Marseilles in France. More than 100 years later Kerry McLean of Walled Lake, Michigan beefed up Rousseau's ideas and made himself a Monocycle. Wanna try? For a mere $12,999.95 you can order your own mechanized monocycle at Hammacher Schlemmer. Read More
Posted in Sport/Games, Science/Technology | Permalink
Big Dog Robot: Fact or Fiction?
03/26/2008
Boston Dynamics posted video footage of their Big Dog robot a couple weeks ago and the whole Internet was like, "wow." We mean, that was some freaktastically impressive engenuity, right Internet? However, early yesterday some additional footage surfaced that might have these Boston Dynamics guys going the way of those cold fusion dorks back in '89. P.S. Who names thei ... Read More
Posted in Science/Technology | Permalink
Build Your Own Warrior-Bot
03/20/2008
Have any dirty work too dangerous for a human to handle? Ever wished for an automatic, hydromatic, systematic "friend," R2D2 style? This is your lucky day! Wired.com's How-To Wiki page will give you all the details needed to build unmanned aerial, ground, or submersible vehicles using radio controlled airplanes, cheap cell phones, and digital cameras. Battle Bots ... Read More
Posted in Science/Technology | Permalink
Egypt Releases New Ketchup-Flavored Version of Windows
03/17/2008
PC's never tasted so good. Read More
Posted in Science/Technology, Food | Permalink
Finland's Cell Phone Operated Restrooms
03/13/2008
In an attempt to discourage roadside lavatory vandalism, the Finnish Road Administration has implemented a system along Highway 1 which requires restroom visitors to text "Open" to unlock the doors of the facility. The idea is that potential hoodlums will be discouraged from defacing public property knowing that their mobile number is on file. If one doesn't have a ... Read More
