Not to harp on treehouses, but these are interesting too: fiberglass sphere structures available as DIY kits or made-to-order dwellings.
TED 2006 just wrapped up this weekend, bringing together over 800 leaders in technology, entertainment, design, etc. for a little mutual appreciation, and undoubtedly, a whirlpool of creative synergy.
There’s some good coverage of the event at TEDBlog, as well as the blogs of Ethan Zuckerman (of Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society, and WorldChanging.com) and Bruno Fiussani.
This month: The Star Larvae Hypothesis, Constructal Theory, Cliff Pickover, The Science Of Anticipation, and The Power Of Observation.
I’ve written about Feist before, but just heard the Postal Service remix of “Mushaboom” via Waxy and wanted to share. If you’ve not seen her live acoustic session on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic yet, it’s definitely worth a go as well — 40 minutes of musical serenity.
Modern treehouses for use as recreational lofts, romantic pads, guest houses — whatever you can imagine. The website has lots of photos, but they’re a bit hard to get to, so I’ve compiled the best ones into a flickr set.
Ben XO spins groovy, upbeat drum & bass every Tuesday on Bassdrive.com from 3-6pm EST, and has several residencies around the UK, including Locus in Bristol and Grooverider’s Grace in London. He’s also a freelance computer programmer, systems engineer, web developer, and the webmaster for DogsOnAcid, and of course, Bassdrive. His choice in material is always fresh and his timing is solid, not to mention from time to time his breaks have been known to invert the polarity of the universe. He’s got hours of mixes available for download on his website, so go check it out — “End of an Ear-Ache” and “100 Tons of Forked Lightening” especially.
“Mozart is the greatest composer of all. Beethoven created his music, but the music of Mozart is of such purity and beauty that one feels he merely found it — that it has always existed as part of the inner beauty of the universe waiting to be revealed.” (Albert Einstein)
The dark markings in the shark embryo pictured above indicate gene expression in the electro-sensory organs in the animal’s head. University of Florida researchers traced the origin of a shark’s electro-sensory powers to the same type of embryonic cell that gives rise to many head and facial features in humans.
The rules of Pillow Fight Club:
- Tell everyone about Pillow Fight Club.
- Turn up at the arranged Pillow Fight Club venue with pillow hidden in a bag.
- At the exact given time pull out pillow and fight.
- You cannot fight anyone without a pillow (unless they want it).
- Nothing heavy can be hidden in the pillows.
I know what you’re all thinking. “If only I had some Valentine’s Day links I wouldn’t be such a lonely shell of a human being.” I mean, I’m not, but you probably are. XOXO, etc.
… and linger for decades. It’s too soon to know what, if any, role they play in the mother’s health after birth, but some evidence points toward them behaving like stem cells, repairing and replenishing when she is sick.
“Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader and former presidential candidate, was only slightly exaggerating when he said that Wal-Mart was a modern plantation, with workers toiling in its stores rather than in the fields of the deep south.”
The last post on multi-touch interaction reminded me of the Touchlight interface I saw at last year’s SIGGRAPH. Here’s some video I took of its creator, Andrew Wilson, explaining a prototype, and an earlier video of him outlining the workings in more detail.
“While touch sensing is commonplace for single points of contact, multi-touch sensing enables a user to interact with a system with more than one finger at a time, as in chording and bi-manual operations. Such sensing devices are inherently also able to accommodate multiple users simultaneously, which is especially useful for larger interaction scenarios such as interactive walls and tabletops.”
“Pleix is a virtual community of digital artists based in Paris. Some of us are 3D artists, some others are musicians or graphic designers. This website is the perfect place to share our latest creations.”
Justin Mullin has collected equations and theorems he feels correspond to more tangible ideas like birth, family, mystery, etc., and now sells posters of his work in addition to having his first gallery exhibit later this month.
With Garfield’s speech/thoughts removed, the comic strip reaches a new level of meaning: it’s just some lonely dude talking to his cat.
Some amazing aerial photos of Mexico City taken by helicopter pilot & photographer, C.O. Ruiz.
An astonishing mist-shrouded “lost world” of previously unknown and rare animals and plants high in the mountain rainforests of New Guinea has been uncovered by an international team of scientists.
Kenneth Huff’s digital work combines complex geometric forms with intricately rendered texture, giving it a tangible, organic quality. He also makes 3D animations and sculpture that adhere to a similar style.
This Month In Finity is a regular installment of artifacts and developments in humanity’s never-ending quest for truth and meaning. In Finity recognizes the importance that science, philosophy, religion, etc. play in establishing our identities and satisfying our eternal curiosity, not to mention in finding peace and balance. Be it quantum physics, zen meditation, tribal dance and music, Epictetus’ Discourses, or The Sermon on the Mount — all will find common ground here, and hopefully, a common voice with which to share their insight.
This month*: Clarence Larkin’s Bible Charts, Empathy Neurons, Michael Sosteric’s Mystical-Scientific Bridge, The Neuroscience Of Meditation, & Are Animals Self-Aware?
*a little late, due to a weekend trip and some technical problems.