Impact Lab – Page 1452 – A Laboratory of the Future Human Experience

Architecture, Art, Breakthrough Thinking, Crazy Stuff, New Viewpoints

Blobitecture – The Rise of Organic Architecture

January 24, 2011

Blobitecture example in Selfridges, Birmingham UK

Yet what is blobitecture? It is a term for an architectural school in which organic shapes are the aim, bulging, cellular, amoeba-like buildings its expression. Although the term did not appear in print until 2002, blob architecture had been used as an expression in architectural circles since the middle of the previous decade. Notably it was the New York Times which first brought it to greater attention, as part of William Safire’s On Language column. (Pics)

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Analysis, Art, Human Behavior, Humor

Beer Pong Safety Card

January 23, 2011

Isn’t this something we always wanted? Here’s a Beer Pong Safety Card for the ultimate in safety when playing a deadly game of Beer Pong…

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Animals, Art, Crazy Photos, Crazy Stuff, Culture, Humor, Photo Perspectives

Top 10 Photos of the Week

March 9, 2011

When spies attempt to infiltrate the ranks of PETA, nothing can be left to chance

“People say New Yorkers can’t get along. Not true. I saw two New Yorkers, complete strangers, sharing a cab. One guy took the tires and the radio; the other guy took the engine.”

David Letterman

“People say New Yorkers can’t get along. Not true. I saw two New Yorkers, complete strangers, sharing a cab. One guy took the tires and the radio; the other guy took the engine.” – – David Letterman

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Great New Product, New Discoveries, Science & Technology News

New Polymer That Heals Itself Could Lead to Medical Implants or Engine Parts That Fix Themselves

January 23, 2011

Broken polymer chains reform to repair a crack in this material when it is pressed together and exposed to UV light.

A new polymer material that can repeatedly heal itself at room temperature when exposed to ultraviolet light presents the tantalizing possibility of products that can repair themselves when damaged. Possibilities include self-healing medical implants, cars, or even airplane parts.

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Analysis, Great Videos, Science & Technology News

Scientists in Italy Claim to Have Demonstrated Cold Fusion

January 23, 2011

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-Ru1eAymvE&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Few areas of science are more controversial than cold fusion, the hypothetical near-room-temperature reaction in which two smaller nuclei join together to form a single larger nucleus while releasing large amounts of energy. In the 1980s, Stanley Pons and Martin Fleishmann claimed to have demonstrated cold fusion – which could potentially provide the world with a cheap, clean energy source – but their experiment could not be reproduced. Since then, all other claims of cold fusion have been illegitimate, and studies have shown that cold fusion is theoretically implausible, causing mainstream science to become highly speculative of the field in general.

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Analysis, Health & Fitness, Human Behavior

Women Are More Likely to Take Sick Days Than Men

January 23, 2011

Women are more likely to call in sick.

Women are more likely than men to take sick days and are happier to give an embarrassing excuse for taking unplanned leave, according to a new survey.

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Crazy Stuff, Games, Science & Technology News, Video Games

Toylet – Sega Launches Video Games in Tokyo Urinals

January 23, 2011

Toylet

A Japanese entertainment company has combined men’s obsession with video games with their perennial inability to aim straight to create a range of distractions in selected Tokyo urinals.

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Analysis, Brain, Games, Science & Technology News

Professional Chess Players Use Hidden Brain Parts

January 23, 2011

Chess grand masters use different parts of their brains than amateur palyers.

Professional chess players have long stumped fans with how they make killer moves so swiftly and intuitively , and a Japanese study published on Friday may have unlocked their secret .

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Art, Breakthrough Thinking, Current Events, Internet

Do You See Your World Literal.ly ?

January 22, 2011

So how do you take this picture literally?

Literal.ly is a new blog by Nahum who also owns Oddee.
Literal.ly is made around the idea of taking pictures literally. You get an idea what this means if you visit the site. The picture above is called ‘Facebook.’

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Analysis, Big Problems, Breakthrough Thinking, Culture, Current Events, government, Health & Fitness, Historical Perspectives, Hot Issues, Latest News, New Discoveries

Portugal: 10 Years of Decriminalized Drugs

January 22, 2011

Here’s a good Boston Globe report on the first decade of Portugal’s bold experiment with drug decriminalization and increased treatment. Ten years ago, Portugal — whose drug problem had been spiraling out of control — decided to treat drug addiction as a public health matter, not as a criminal matter. They decriminalized possession of drugs, and increased treatment available to addicts, and experienced an immediate, dramatic and sustained drop in negative effects from drug use — though the use of some drugs went up…

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Breakthrough Thinking, Business, Green Friendly, Latest News, New Discoveries, New Viewpoints, Recycling

Ben & Jerry’s Factory to Convert Ice Cream Waste into Energy

January 22, 2011

Green Energy Never Seemed Sweeter.

Unilever is taking a Ben & Jerry’s factory in the Netherlands a green step forward: constructing a bio-digester that will convert the waste products from ice cream production and provide for 40 percent of the factory’s green energy requirements.

Made by Paques and expected to be operational a little later this year, the BIOPAQ®AFR is not like bio-digesters of old.

Paques describes:

After a successful test period, Unilever has opted for a new type of bio-digester from Paques, the BIOPAQ®AFR, in which natural micro-organisms (in this case more than 24 billiard (24•1015) little bugs!) ‘eat’ waste products and convert them into biogas. In this system, wastewater is purified by converting waste products from ice cream production such as milk, cream, proteins, syrups and pieces of fruit into biogas.