This is a video of a Brazilian girl catching piranhas by dangling a piece of raw meat in the water, waiting for the piranhas to bite it, then tossing them in a bucket. A fairly solid technique. That plank she’s standing on? Not very solid.
The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Program’s 2015 Symposium is about the sci-fi-esque (but real!) space technologies that people are prototyping and researching for the future of space exploration. Event includes a tour of NASA Kennedy Space Center. Free for people to attend, but they should register ASAP as there’s limited space.
via Boing Boing
It might not offer the same durability as your trusty ol’ Husqvarna, but a 3D-printed lawnmower has shown it is up to the task of keeping your lawn in shape. South Africa’s Hans Fouche designed and produced his new machine with a custom-made 3D printer dubbed Cheetah, which he has hopes of eventually bringing to market.
via Gizmag</ … Read More → "3D-printed mower keeps lawn in trim"
You’ve probably heard of the Stanley Hotel. This century-old landmark in Estes Park, Colorado is the spooky spot that inspired Stephen King to write The Shining after he and his wife stayed there*. Now, you can design a giant hedge maze—inspired by the giant hedge maze in The … Read More → "The hotel from The Shining wants you to design its scary new hedge maze"
Often, in cases where someone needs a transplant, there is a relative willing to make this sacrifice but is unable to do so because they aren’t a close enough tissue match (which would lead to the organ’s rejection by its new host’s immune system). Separately, there are some rare individuals who are simply willing to donate a kidney to an unknown recipient. So the medical community has started doing “donation … Read More → "The math of organ donation: Kidneys are an NP-hard problem"
No parent likes to see their tyke battle a little sickness, only to have to exacerbate the little one’s discomfort with constant thermometer probes. But what if temperature monitoring could actually be a soothing experience for the baby? Enter Pacifi, a child’s pacifier with a thermometer built into its silicone teat and a Bluetooth chip that sends temperature readings to a paired smartphone. From within the Pacifi app for Android and iOS, … Read More → "Smart pacifier tracks babies and their fevers"
These days, you’re more likely to see the works of great artists on a screen rather than in person. And that raises an interesting question: what are you really looking at?
That’s exactly what artist Yousuke Ozawa wondered, and it forms the … Read More → "This is what famous paintings look like as raw data"
The automotive status symbol may no longer be the fob on your keyring but the smartwatch on your wrist, and we’ve got up close with the LG-made wearable Audi casually revealed during its CES keynote. R&D chief Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg used the watch to summon a self-driving Prologue to the stage, the touchscreen timepiece similar in appearance to LG’s existing circular-screened Android Wear … Read More → "This is Audi’s custom car-controlling LG smartwatch"
Makerbot has announced a new line of printing mediums as part of CES, expanding its product line far beyond the traditional plastics. Planned for late 2015, the new filaments will let 3D printers mimic the look and feel of limestone, maple wood, iron, or bronze, using the same Makerbot Replicator hardware. The new filaments are heavier and dry to a different texture, but they’re designed to behave roughly the same … Read More → "Makerbot announces new filaments that mimic limestone, metal, and wood"
The internet of beds is upon us — and it’s coming for your kids. Sleep Number, famous for its mattresses with adjustable air pockets, is making a version of its cloud-connected beds for children. The SleepIQ Kids bed, which the company announced today, monitors your children’s slumber and will alert you when they get out of bed. Lights under the bed … Read More → "Sleep Number’s newest smart bed will track your kids’ slumber"
