A few words I never thought I’d say: Why, yes I’d love to wear this bacteria-covered scarf. And yet, here I am coveting a piece of silk dyed with what could be considered the excretion of streptomyces, a non-pathogenic strain of bacteria commonly found in the roots of plants.
The fabric is the work of designer Natsai Audrey Chieza, who … Read More → "Stylish silk scarves, dyed with bacteria"
When CNN launched in 1980, founder Ted Turner already knew how it was going to end. “Barring satellite problems, we won’t be signing off until the world ends,” he reportedly said. “When the end of the world comes, we’ll play ‘Nearer My God To Thee’ before we sign off.”
According to various rumors over the past three decades, Turner made good on that promise, … Read More → "A former intern found the video CNN planned to play at the end of the world"
Collectors Weekly has a great gallery and profile of uranium-infused glassware from the early 20th century. They ask experts: is it safe, and why does it glow under UV light?
Vaseline glass or canary glass are the names collectors use. The uranium is not generally considered dangerous in the amounts found in this glass. In fact, collector and expert Barrie Skelcher explains:
It’s the chemistry of … Read More → "Radioactive glassware and the collectors who love it"
Toyota announced today that it is following Tesla’s lead and opening up more than 5,600 fuel cell and related patents to the rest of the automotive industry for royalty-free use.
The automaker will open up access to 5,680 fuel cell-related patents held globally, including critical technologies developed for the new Toyota Mirai.
The list includes approximately 1,970 patents related to fuel cell stacks, 290 associated with high-pressure hydrogen tanks, 3,350 related to fuel cell system software control, and 70 patents related to hydrogen production and supply, Toyota says.
“At Toyota, we believe … Read More → "Toyota opens thousands of green tech patents to the auto industry"
Ontario-based photographer Stephen Orlando of MotionExposure.com creates languid nighttime shots of athletes in motion with LED lights attached to their gear or bodies. The result is ghostly, mathematical, and mesmerizing.
via Boing Boing
… Read More → "Beautiful long-exposure shots of LED-equipped athletes"
Advances in 3D printing have made it hard to keep up with the new breed of prostheses and their impacts on human life, but its potential in the animal kingdom has been largely unexplored. Much like Derby the disabled dog, Stumpy the box turtle had been short of a limb since the amputation of his injured front … Read More → "Fifth graders 3D print a prosthetic leg for Stumpy the turtle"
The Washington Post reports on a new study from Proceedings of the Royal Society B, which exposes this bizarre tactic of some mantids in Australia. Researchers forced the males to only pick by biological indicators such as scent, and their study suggested females that were incredibly hungry were giving off the most biological signaling.
Read More → "Hungry female praying mantis will fake fertility to eat males"
“Don’t get sick on a weekend.” That advice is also part of a title of a research paper that evaluates the fates of patients who go through the emergency room on a weekend. These patients are more likely to die. It’s just one of a number of studies that suggests patients who enter the hospital while the staffing is lower or the staff more relaxed end up with worse results.
… Read More → "When the doctor’s away, the patient is more likely to survive"
NASA engineers are preparing a radical fix that could help the Opportunity Mars rover regain its fading faculties and continue its mission.
The rover, which has spent ten years rolling across the Martian plains, has been having memory problems for the last six months because the cells in its flash memory have been overwritten so many times they are starting to fail.
“Now we’re having … Read More → "NASA preps LOBOTOMY for Opportunity rover to cure amnesia"
Colorado-based mathematician Clayton Shonkwiler creates wonderful animated GIFs and vector art inspired by the beauty of math.
via Boing Boing
