This picture of the Sun was taken by Alan Friedman who used a filter that lets through only a very narrow wavelength of light emitted by hydrogen, so this tracks the activity of gas on the solar surface.
He also inverts the image of the solar disk to increase contrast. Somehow this adds a three-dimensional quality to the picture, and reveals an amazing amount of texture.
Continue reading… “Jaw-Dropping Picture Of The Sun”
It’s really convenient to have your own WiFi network which connects all WiFi-enabled gadgets. Routers are very cheap, as well as high speed broadband network access, thus a modern city is usually filled with hundreds of networks – of various signal strengths and various ranges. Three Scandinavian guys came out with an idea to visualize that contemporary phenomenon…
Continue reading… “What If WiFi Networks Were Visible?”
It’s no joke: The United States’ first-ever laughing championship takes place Saturday in San Luis Obispo, Calif., and a few dozen gigglers, guffawers and chortlers will yuck it up in hopes of winning the coveted title of “California’s Best Laugher.”
We’re serious: It’s a laughing contest and the contestants will compete in events such as “Best Diabolical Laugh” and “Most Contagious Laugh” and face off in “Laughter Duels” to see who can make the other person crack up most.
And while just mentioning the contest is enough to make some skeptics start rolling on the floor in ridicule, it’s part of a serious effort by Albert Nerenberg to raise awareness of the power of laughter…
Continue reading… “America’s First Laughing Competition Guffaws Off Ground”
The powerful tsunami that today slammed into Japan’s eastern coast comes just two days after warnings that the movement of the moon could trigger unpredictable events on Earth.
Astrologers predicted that on March 19 – a week tomorrow – the so-called ‘supermoon’ will be closer to Earth than at any time since 1992, just 221,567 miles away, and that its gravitational pull will bring chaos to Earth.
Others on the Internet have predicted it will cause further catastrophes such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
Coming just three weeks after the quake which devastated Christchurch in New Zealand killing hundreds, this latest disaster will only add fuel to their fire…
If you listen to the pundits on TV and radio (on both sides of the political spectrum), it seems like this country is going to hell in a handbasket with jets strapped to our backs. But are they actually right?
Fareed Zakaria of TIME magazine takes an in-depth look at whether America’s best days are behind it:
Despite the hyped talk of China’s rise, most Americans operate on the assumption that the U.S. is still No. 1.
But is it? Yes, the U.S. remains the world’s largest economy, and we have the largest military by far, the most dynamic technology companies and a highly entrepreneurial climate. But these are snapshots of where we are right now…
Hank Torres, a quadriplegic, set the Guinness Book of World Records for the fastest hands-free typing.
Continue reading… “Quadriplegic Sets Guinness World Record For Fastest Hands-Free Typing”
The Toepener is a simple device that attaches to doors, enabling users to open the door with their feet. It is the ideal solution for exiting a public restroom.
It provides a sanitary, hands-free alternative for users to open the door and avoid touching the handle…
Continue reading… “Toepener – Hands-Free Foot Door Opening Solution”
Japanese tombstone maker Ishinokoe has begun offering memorials that feature QR codes. Want to know more about the person entombed there? Just whip out your smartphone and scan the code…
Continue reading… “QR Codes as Tombstones”
They have a fascination with luggage carousels and park benches. They enjoy watching paint dry and, around this time of year, sap drip. These are the members of the Dull Men’s Club, and they don’t care if they bore you.
“We’re not a 12-step program where we’re trying to change our ways,” says club president Leland Carlson, 71, of London, where the club, known as DMC, is based. “We’re a two-step program: We admit we’re dull and we’re gonna keep it that way.”
The club, which Carlson founded in New York City with a few bored — and boring — pals in the mid-’80s, has remained true to its founder’s words. It’s never grown, it’s never held an event and it’s never had a membership drive…
Continue reading… “The Dull Men’s Club”
Artist Ward Shelley’s brilliant map of the history of science fiction from 2009 is a kind of interestingness black hole whose event horizon captured me for several hours this morning as I pored over the diagram and the arguments it makes about the history and origins of science fiction. I don’t agree with every conclusion illustrated here, but thinking about them made me reconsider a lot of cherished beliefs…
Continue reading… “Wondrous, Detailed Map of the Wondrous History of Science Fiction”
A gassy success.
Continue reading… “Canned Cow Farts Prove Big Hit in Germany”
Are you sick of hearing about Charlie Sheen? Tinted Sheen is a browser add-on for Firefox or Chrome that blocks mentions of Sheen as you go about your daily browsing.
Continue reading… “Firefox And Chrome Add-On To Erase Charlie Sheen From The Web”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.