C2C - F·U·Y·A from On and On on Vimeo.
As the title suggests, my blog has content from many sources. Being a professional nerd, there is a strong techy vibe here but my interests are varied and some will hopefully be of interest to the non-tech also.
Saturday, 31 December 2011
F.U.Y.A
The video for the tune F.U.Y.A by C2C is extremely clever. In much the same way a band might use samples to piece together a tune, they have done with a perfectly synchronised edited video.
C2C - F·U·Y·A from On and On on Vimeo.
C2C - F·U·Y·A from On and On on Vimeo.
Friday, 30 December 2011
Brain Surgery
What do you do for a living? I bet it's not exactly brain surgery is it? Great sketch from the BBC's That Mitchell & Webb Look. Enjoy!
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Get The Hump
I'm sure you are familiar with the concept of it all being fun and games until someone comes along to ruin it. Check out the animal version of that. In late summer the plankton bloom is at its height. Vast shoals of herring gather to feed on it, diving birds round the fish up into a bait ball and then a humpback whale roars in to scoop up the entire ball of herring in one huge mouthful. Awesome in the true sense of the word.
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Shuffling
I defy you to watch this and not smile to yourself. This is how I want to be when I'm old. (Don't say it!).
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Sunday, 25 December 2011
Friday, 23 December 2011
Glass Steam Engine
This model of Stephenson's steam engine was made in 2008 by master glassblower Michal Zahradník. The crankshaft is glass. The piston is glass. The counterweight that makes the wheel spin evenly is glass. Imagine that everything is made out of glass. There are no sealants used. All seals are accomplished by a perfectly snug fit. The gap between the piston and its compartment is so small, that the water that condensates from the steam seals it shut! Notice the elaborate excessive steam exhaust system next to the piston. Apparently the piston is the most arduous part to make due to the extreme level of precision needed. Its parts have to be so accurate that no machinery is of use here. The piston and its cylinder must be hand sanded to perfection, and they are very likely to crack in the process! On average, three out of four crack.
Thursday, 22 December 2011
Alan Turing
Another "hero" of mine that I would have loved to have a conversation with is Alan Turing. A true genius who had a profound influence upon the development of several fields, but whose personal life and death were touched by tragedy. The video below features Dr Jonathan Tepper from Nottingham Trent University making his contribution to the My Favourite Scientist website.
If you would like to sign the e-petition that proposes the British Government grant Turing a posthumous pardon for his "crime", click here.
If you would like to sign the e-petition that proposes the British Government grant Turing a posthumous pardon for his "crime", click here.
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
The McGurk Effect
Whilst researching something completely unrelated the other day I came across a phenomena known as the McGurk Effect. I'd not heard of it before but found it interesting enough to post here. Put very simply, it occurs when a sound we hear contradicts the visual. I managed to dig out a clip from the excellent BBC series Horizon called Is Seeing Believing?
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Monday, 19 December 2011
AT&T Predictions
The following video shows a series of commercials by US communications company AT&T that make some predictions about how we might be using technology in the future. Except that the future is now because these ads were made back in 1993, a time before the Internet was a standard thing in the home let alone the street. They are surprisingly accurate.
Saturday, 17 December 2011
Toronto Timelapse
After my visit to Canada earlier this year I seem to be unwittingly drawn to all things Canadian at the moment. Films, TV, books, blogs, photographs etc. Not that I'm complaining, I loved the place and hope to return one day. In the meantime I get beautiful reminders of my time there like the following time-lapse of Toronto. Taken not long after I left, it really shows this amazing city off.
Friday, 16 December 2011
Before Birth
Yet another fascinating TED talk. Science writer Annie Murphy Paul talks through new research that shows how much we learn in the womb. From the lilt of our native language to our soon-to-be-favourite foods.
Thursday, 15 December 2011
Fresh Christmas
Hopefully she will forgive me as I'm posting this without prior permission, but today's post is stolen from one of my favourite blogs. Fresh Eyes On London provides a superb candid photograph once a day as the charming Mo explores her surroundings. Today's post puts me in a festive mood.
OK it's now close enough to Xmas that I am now going to bring Xmas images. This year it began in October! Way to early for me. The giant Xmas tree in St Pancras Station is entirely made of Lego. One way of being green I guess. It's a hit with the tourists as they arrive on the Eurostar.
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
ROSA
This short-film was created entirely by young comic-artist Jesús Orellana with no budget during a single year. Since it's world premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival, ROSA has been an official selection at film festivals around the world such as Screamfest, Toronto After Dark, Anima Mundi or Los Angeles Shorts Film Festival. In October ROSA was screened at the opening night of the Sitges International Film Festival, considered the world's best festival specialised in genre films. Following the successful festival run, the short film has attracted the attention of the major talent-agencies and Hollywood producers. Currently ROSA is in development to be a live-action motion picture.
ROSA from Jesús Orellana on Vimeo.
The film takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where all natural life has disappeared. From the destruction awakes ROSA, a cyborg deployed from the Kernel project, mankind’s last attempt to restore the earth’s ecosystem. ROSA will soon learn that she is not the only entity that has awakened and must fight for her survival.
ROSA from Jesús Orellana on Vimeo.
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Computer Symphony
Canadian Youtube user bd594 seems to be a bit of an electronics and music wizard. His channel is full of great examples of his efforts, but the following video is my favourite. It features some rather vintage computer equipment being used to play House of the Rising Sun by The Animals. It is wonderful!
Monday, 12 December 2011
Soul Train
This is a bit different for a music video. Atomic Tom perform their song Take Me Out on a subway train in New York using iPhone apps instead of instruments. I wonder if Apple will pay them now it has gone viral?
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Dr Who Prequel
Not long until Christmas now but that also means that it won't be long until the Dr Who Christmas special. Yay!
To get us all in the mood, the BBC has kindly released what they're calling a prequel, although it's more of a teaser if you ask me. Either way, it certainly gets me in the mood for The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe to be shown on Christmas day.
To get us all in the mood, the BBC has kindly released what they're calling a prequel, although it's more of a teaser if you ask me. Either way, it certainly gets me in the mood for The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe to be shown on Christmas day.
Saturday, 10 December 2011
Back To The Start
Willie Nelson performs a rather nice cover of The Scientist by Coldplay to accompany this short animation. It promotes the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation. A simple message well put.
Friday, 9 December 2011
Nikola Tesla
Today's post is dedicated to a man I wish I could have spent just thirty minutes with. Nikola Tesla was a true genius and one of the most prolific inventors the world has known. Unfortunately, he is not as famous as he should be and many put this down to the controversial nature of some of his discoveries. Is there a conspiracy to keep this man's true genius from? The following is part of a fascinating documentary called The Lost Wizard.
Thursday, 8 December 2011
John Lennon
I don't often write posts about current affairs but today is an anniversary that I couldn't let pass by. Thirty-One years ago today the world lost John Lennon. Outside his apartment in New York, he was shot in the back four times. His killer pleaded guilty and was sentenced to twenty years but remains in prison after being denied parole six times. What follows is my favourite song of Lennon's. RIP.
Dots!
Stippling is a drawing technique that uses thousands (or millions) of dots to create a picture. Vimeo user Miguel Endara has filmed himself using 3.2 million dots to create a picture of his father. He calls the picture "Hero".
Hero from Miguel Endara on Vimeo.
Hero from Miguel Endara on Vimeo.
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Sandscape
This is a video of the stunning talent of Ako Tsubaki and his sand art creations. Watch how he delicately builds up the layers to reveal a landscape. See his website for more.
Monday, 5 December 2011
Moves Like Jabba
Sunday, 4 December 2011
Military Wives Choir
This will be more familiar to you if you are from the UK. The wives and girlfriends of some British troops, with no singing experience at all, formed a choir. Within seven months they performed at the Royal Albert Hall for a remembrance night. Now there is a campaign running here to get this single to number one and beat the X-Factor effort.
Saturday, 3 December 2011
History Of The World
Kalle Mattson's video for their song Thick As Thieves is beautifully shot as a stop-motion animation of a condensed version of the history of the world. Director Kevin Parry did such a good job of attracting attention to the band that they have decided to offer their album as a free download for a short time. See their website.
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Boxie
The boffins at MIT often come with amazing things and whilst I would not consider "Boxie" to be amazing, it really caught my interest. Boxie is a mobile interactive robotic camera built with the goal of actively capturing stories about its environment and the people within it. The video explains.
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