Laughing Squid

In a luminescent episode of the SciFri series The Macroscope, filmmaker Christian Baker visited with Don Hampton who works at the University of Alaska Fairbanks as an aurora researcher. It is his job to study the Northern Lights to learn all he can about the effect it has upon satellites...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Studying the Northern Lights to Learn More About the Effect Upon Satellites and Electrical Infrastructure first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Filmmaker Lyn Goldfarb has created “Eddy’s World”, a short film about her 98 year old father Eddy. Eddy Goldfarb is known as one of the most prolific toymakers and designed such iconic designs as “Yakity Yak Wind Up Teeth”, “Battling Tops”, “KerPlunk”, and “Chutes Away” just to name a few....Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post The 98 Year Old Prolific Toy Inventor Who Designed 800 of the World’s Most Iconic Toys and Games first appeared on Laughing Squid.

German postproduction company PX Group created an absolutely incredible animation that features a computer-generated city skyline that’s carved into a remnant wooden stump of a tree. This short piece was made for the German environmental advocacy group Robin Wood and in partnership with ad agency Thjnk. The message is extremely...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post A Powerful Environmental Ad Features an Incredible Animation of a City Skyline Carved Into Wooden Stump first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Woodworker Dylan Iwakuni demonstrated the wonderful traditional art of Japanese wood joinery with several different examples. This particular technique of joining pieces of wood without any adhesives or nails was brought to Japan from China in the late 12th century and has been used for all sorts of projects of...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post A Wonderful Demonstration Showcasing the Traditional Art of Japanese Wood Joinery Without Nails or Glue first appeared on Laughing Squid.

There are so many things to love about the wonderfully inventive Monterey Bay Aquarium. This includes their very cleverly punny website 404 error page, which reads “You’ve gotta be squidding me!”. This, of course, is very appealing to us here at Laughing Squid for obvious reasons! Sorry, but the page...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Very Cleverly Punny Squid Themed Website 404 Error Page first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Swedish artist and craftsman Love Hulten (previously) has created “VOC-25”, a conceptual vocal synthesizer based upon the Axoloti Core 25 circuit board. The traditional computer setup features 25 sets of plastic teeth that are attached to the “monitor”. Each jaw screams at a different pitch whenever a note on the...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post VOC-25, A Conceptual Vocal Synthesizer That Uses 25 Sets of Plastic Teeth to Emit Blood Curdling Screams first appeared on Laughing Squid.

When a rather rebellious pet hamster named Mister Hamster found himself trapped inside a prison, he took matters into his own “hands”. The rascally rodent escaped the cell itself through a broken toilet. Once free of the suffocating four walls of the cell, Mister Hamster successfully attacked each and every...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Hamster Makes a Daring Prison Break to Freedom Through an Intricate Obstacle Course Cardboard Maze first appeared on Laughing Squid.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jumpei Mitsui (@jumpei.mitsui) Japanese LEGO artist Jumpei Mitsui, who is the youngest LEGO Certified Professional in the world, used his immense talent to recreate the iconic woodblock print “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa” by ukiyo-e artist Hokusai out of LEGO bricks....Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post A Stunning LEGO Recreation of the Iconic Woodblock Print ‘The Great Wave Off Kanagawa’ by Hokusai first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Many people have compared the year 2020 to that of a dumpster fire, so it seems only fitting that the annual tradition of the Yule Log be replaced with an in-kind likeness. The folks at the Canadian ad agency AM/FM have done just that with their “2020 Xmas Dumpster Fire”,...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post An Hour-Long Real-Life Dumpster Fire Christmas ‘Yule Log’ Video That Helps Bid Goodbye to 2020 first appeared on Laughing Squid.

The Jewish a capella group Six13, who previously musically celebrated the overlap of Thanksgiving with Chanukah and sang a festive a cappella adaptation of “Bohemian Rhapsody” in its entirety, performed a festive medley of some of the most iconic Star Wars songs featuring Hanukkah themed lyrics. “DO, OR DO NOT...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Jewish A Capella Group Performs a Festive Medley of Star Wars Songs With Chanukah Themed Lyrics first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Martin Kaninsky of About Photography took a detailed look at how the The Queen’s Gambit utilized complementary colors to make the entire series so visually engaging. Martin points out that many of the scenes work directly off the unique color of main character’s hair. By combining two primary colors yellow...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post How the Use of Background Complementary Colors Made ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ So Visually Engaging first appeared on Laughing Squid.

The very talented Luca Stricagnoli (previously) got his groove going in a cover of the iconic Bee Gees song “Stayin’ Alive”. To get a real feel for the song, Stricagnoli dressed up in his Saturday Night Fever best, sporting a turtleneck, brown leather jacket, and large gold sunglasses. The video...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post A Groovy Cover of the Iconic Bee Gees Song ‘Stayin’ Alive’ Played on Acoustic Guitar first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Photographer Joaquin Baldwin created an incredibly powerful pixilation timelapse of himself from shoulders up, focusing on the growth of his hair and beard over 101 days of quarantine due to COVID-19. While Baldwin’s hair ebbed and flowed within the timelapse, he lip-synched the extremely timely and appropriate Radical Face song...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post A Powerful Pixilation Timelapse Showing a Man’s Hair and Beard Growth Over 101 Days of Quarantine first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Martin Molin (previously) of the band Wintergatan and creator of the incredible Marble Machine X, was concerned that his instrument was vibrating too much, causing too many marbles were missing their marks. Molin spent three days studying every angle and determined that he needed to increase mass and structure in...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post The Amazing Marble Machine X Plays a Remarkable 30,000 Marbles After a Massive Three Day Tune Up first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Kelvin the Menga Man, who was previously bested by his friend lamlei in an attempt to break the record for the most Jenga pieces stacked onto one block, blew away all previous records when he stacked an absolutely amazing 1,002 pieces onto a single vertical block. I put 1,002 pieces...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Man Stacks an Amazing 1,002 Jenga Blocks Onto One Vertical Jenga Block Breaking All World Records first appeared on Laughing Squid.

While Star Wars IX: Rise of Skywalker was playing on the television, a playful black cat tried to catch the discarded Crossguard Lightsaber that Kylo Ren threw away during an incredibly pivotal scene in the film.Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post A Playful Black Cat Tries to Catch Lightsaber Thrown by Kylo Ren During ‘Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker’ first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Online retail Ali Express is selling a very strategically designed bangle bracelet that doubles as a portable flask. The sleek style allows one to carry their choice of beverage in a discreet manner. The bracelet is available in a number of colors and comes with a convenient funnel for easy...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Strategically Designed Bracelet That Doubles as a Flask first appeared on Laughing Squid.

With the soaring popularity of The Mandalorian growing greater each season, Looper decided to take a look at the history of the planet Mandalore. They look at when the planet first came into being, where it existed in the scope of the Star Wars franchise, the type of beings who...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post The History of the Planet Mandalore Explained first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Passport Pockets: Music Edition is a clever collection of distinctly colored notebooks by Dorothy that look like passports with country appropriate song titles emblazoned across the cover. The 48-page notebooks come in a set of four and are perfect for those who like to travel. Born in the USA? Causing...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Clever Collection of Notebooks That Look Like Passports With Corresponding Song Titles on the Cover first appeared on Laughing Squid.

German insect enthusiast and breeder Adrian Kozakiewicz of Insecthaus (previously), gently picked up a surprisingly cooperative, giant Hercules beetle (which is a form of rhinoceros beetle) by the thoracic horn to get the insect’s wings going. The giant beetle complied and the noisy flutter made it sound as if a...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post World’s Longest Beetle Pretends to Be a Helicopter first appeared on Laughing Squid.

The Latvian company Brette Haus has created a wonderful line of affordable prefabricated tiny homes that uses the principles of origami to unfold and be placed into wherever the customer decides to call home (within Latvia). Each house has a 100 cycle hinge system within, making placement far more simple...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Affordable Prefabricated Foldable Tiny Homes first appeared on Laughing Squid.

On the first night of Hanukkah, Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters and record producer Greg Kurstin covered the classic Beastie Boys anthem “Sabotage” with incredible accuracy in both vocals and effects. As the only Rock and Roll Hall Of Famers with a lyric about kugel, we thought it would...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Dave Grohl and Greg Kursten Cover The Beastie Boys’ ‘Sabotage’ on First Night of ‘The Hanukkah Sessions’ first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Traffic Scotland, the national service behind winter road service, has given absolutely wonderful punny names to the individual gritters (snowplows) of their beloved fleet. Among these amusing monikers is “License to Chill”, “For Your Ice Only”, “Spready Mercury”, “Gritallica”, “Gritty Gritty Bang Bang”, “Sir Grits A Lot”, “Ready Spready Go”,...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post The Amusing Names of the Scottish Snowplow Fleet first appeared on Laughing Squid.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Birdmom777 (@birdmom777) A helpful parrot named Maui used her powerful beak to open a packet of vanilla chai tea that her human Kerri put in front of her. Maui rhythmically perforated the protective envelope at a rapid clip so that the...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Helpful Parrot Uses Her Beak to Open a Packet of Tea first appeared on Laughing Squid.

A silly little cat hilariously brought a performance of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra in Turkey to a complete standstill by walking onto the stage and decisively interacting with various musicians. A security guard attempted to catch the stray feline, but she preferred the limelight and refused to be caught....Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Wandering Stray Cat Hilariously Brings an Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra Performance to a Standstill first appeared on Laughing Squid.

During the 2016 Christmas season, the members of Eclipse 6 dressed in 18th century clothing and donned antlers on their to tell the story of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer with cleverly adapted songs from Hamilton. An homage to “Alexander Hamilton” and “Right Hand Man” from Hamilton: An American Musical....Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post ‘Hamildolph’, A Brilliant Christmas Parody of ‘Hamilton’ That Tells the Story of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Netflix went behind the scenes of the sublime 2020 miniseries The Queen’s Gambit to talk with creator Scott Frank, actors Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomas Brodie-Sangster, along with other members of the crew about how they brought the novel of the same name to vivid life on screen. Each member spoke...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post How ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Was Brought to Vivid Life first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Old-timey, banjolele-playing musician Thomas Benjamin Wild Esq., who previously had No More F***s to give, performed a completely fitting original song dedicated to the year 2020 that’s aptly entitled “Well,This is Sh*t”. I don’t need positive affirmations I need to scream and bawl The unrealistic expectations Won’t help with this...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Old Timey Singer Performs ‘Well, This Is Sh*t’, An Original Song Dedicated to the Year 2020 first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Hoops Désolé is a “Crazy Circus Company” made up of six incredibly talented performers who combine hoop diving through gymnastic rings, along with other acrobatic feats such as leaping and tumbling in a fun, comedic way. The group is made up of Jacob Grégoire, Gian Nardin, Theddy Nardin, Augustin Thériault,...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Hoops Désolé, A Troupe of Six Talented Comedic Acrobats Who Playfully Dive Through Hoops first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In a wonderfully nostalgic clip from a 1985 episode of Sesame Street, a Billy Idol lookalike Muppet named Billy Idle croons out his window to a rebellious letter L who is protesting with words that start with itself outside. The song, entitled “Rebel L”, is a direct nod to Idol’s...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Billy Idol Lookalike Muppet Croons ‘Rebel L’ in a Sesame Street Parody of His Hit Song ‘Rebel Yell’ first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Tom BetGeorge of Magical Light Shows, who decoratesFollow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post The Entire Tracy, California Christmas Light Show Featuring Singing Christmas Trees in the Windows first appeared on Laughing Squid.

A beatboxing parrot named Pépé quite rhythmically scratched out a song while sitting upon his bathroom perch. The talented bird bopped his head and up and down in sync with the beat of the song while the acoustics of the tile carried his voice throughout the house. Pépé’s beatbox with...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Beatboxing Parrot Scratches Out a Rhythmic Song first appeared on Laughing Squid.

The Merkins (previously) amusingly substituted famous fictional killers from film and television for the actors in the iconic musical intro to The Brady Bunch, creating a rather creepy parody entitled “The Deadly Bunch”. This particular piece was made during the downtime created by quarantine. Thank you for continuing to support...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post A Creepy Parody That Combines Deadly Killers From Film and TV With the Iconic Intro to ‘The Brady Bunch’ first appeared on Laughing Squid.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by CAL (@cal_dessins_and_co) French artist CAL Dessin creates wonderfully inventive street art that fully incorporates the urban irregularities and interruptions within the overall environment of the piece. This can be a handing wire that makes a perfect rail for a people moving...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Inventive Street Art That Cleverly Incorporates Urban Irregularities and Interruptions in the Environment first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Denise Mancuso of AJSweetsoap has created a wonderfully savory soap set made up of an incredibly realistic breakfast of bacon and eggs. While these soaps look good enough to eat, they are actually made for washing up. Each soap is scented with a vanilla buttercream oil and is completely vegan....Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post A Savory Set of Realistic Bacon and Egg Vegan Soap first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Designers Joanna and Johnny of Letterfolk have created the Tile Mat, a very versatile doormat that comes with removable hexagonal tiles that are used to create custom designs, messages, patterns, etc. The flexible tiles can be ordered in a variety of colors and the online tool can help with design...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post A Versatile Doormat Featuring Removable Hexagonal Tiles That Are Used to Create Custom Designs first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In an Ted-Ed lesson written by Alex Rosenthal and animated by Lisa LaBracio, narrator Jack Cutmore-Scott explains in great detail how the largest organism on Earth is not a giant dweller of the sea, but rather an enormous colony of genetically identical quaking Aspen trees that all originate from the...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Examining the History of the World’s Largest Organism first appeared on Laughing Squid.

During an online episode of the sublime opinion show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, the forthright host made mention of what the Pringles mascot (Julius Pringles) looks like from the neck down when talking about a particularly frustrating news interview. While Oliver’s remark was made in passing, fans on...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post John Oliver Challenges Pringles to Reveal What Their Distinctive Mascot Looks Like From the Neck Down first appeared on Laughing Squid.

A tiny puppy sat on the back of a surprisingly obliging rooster who thought nothing of getting up and taking the young canine for a short ride around the patio. Once the rooster was done, however, the pup was then relegated to the ground. A puppy rides a rooster. Related...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Puppy Goes for a Ride On Top of an Obliging Rooster first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Netflix UK & Ireland took a look at how the iconic Christmas film Elf was made in a short behind-the-scenes documentary. The crew spoke with the director of photography Greg Gardiner and other members of the film crew to learn how certain scenes were filmed. The two predominant techniques were...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post How the Iconic Will Farrell Holiday Film ‘Elf’ Was Made first appeared on Laughing Squid.

The incredibly talented Pakistani musicians of Sachal Studios performed an absolutely brilliant cover of the iconic Dave Brubeck piece “Take Five”. This incredible version featured such uniquely Indo-Pakistani sounds as the tabla (twin drums) played by Ustad Ijaz Hussain Ballu Khan, Ustad Tanveer Hussain on sarod, and Nafees Ahmed on...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Pakistani Orchestra Performs a Brilliant Sitar-Forward Cover of the Dave Brubeck Jazz Classic ‘Take Five’ first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In a fascinating clip from the BBC series Inside the Bat Cave, three different species of bat are filmed in slow motion as they take flight. As they fly, the host of the program points out how different builds, wingspan lengths, and physiological needs create variation within each species’ flight....Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Fascinating X-Ray Slow Motion Footage of Bats Flying first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In a fascinating documentary from Origin, seven pairs of unrelated “identical” twins from different parts of the world compete against each other in a contest to see which pair of doppelgängers has the most in common. A team of British scientists, who will act as arbiters, is looking to find...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Seven Pairs of Unrelated ‘Identical’ Twins Compete to See Which Doppelgängers Have the Most in Common first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In time for the holidays, online retailer Studio 21 Graphix is selling a jolly Santa Claus face mask. This reusable face mask is made of cotton, completely washable, and looks good on anyone who wants to spread a little holiday cheer while helping to slow the spread COVID-19. One size...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post A Jolly Santa Claus Beard Face Mask first appeared on Laughing Squid.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by FUN.com (@fundotcom_) Online novelty and clothing retailer FUN has brought back a classic, incredibly fuzzy, snow-white Wampa fur rug from 2010. Now Wampa Ice Creatures are not known throughout the Star Wars universe, particularly on Hoth, for being the most cooperative...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post A Snuggly Star Wars Wampa Fur Skin Rug first appeared on Laughing Squid.

A rhythmic smiling golden retriever/border collie mix named Maple quite ably accompanied her human AcousticTrench (previously) on the drums while he played the iconic Jimi Hendrix song “Purple Haze” on acoustic guitar. The duo played the song to celebrate Hendrix’s birthday on November 27th. Today is Jimi Hendrix’s birthday so...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Smiling Dog Accompanies Her Human on the Drums While He Plays an Acoustic Cover of ‘Purple Haze’ first appeared on Laughing Squid.

A little sand bubbler crab quickly constructed a safe home on the beach in Vung Tau, Vietnam as the tide was out. In accordance with its name, the tiny dotilla made tiny balls of sand that were arranged geometrically in order to create a protective sand igloo to hide from...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Tiny Crab Quickly Builds a Sand Igloo on the Beach first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Talented guitarist André Atunes, who previously turned televangelist Kenneth Copeland’s rant into a respectably rocking heavy metal song, returned to apply the same treatment to another of the preacher’s sermons. Copeland spat into the microphone and then stated he was blowing the “Wind of God” against COVID-19. Whether Copeland realizes...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Guitarist Hilariously Turns Another COVID-19 Sermon by a Television Evangelist Into a Heavy Metal Song first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Puddles Pity Party, the golden-throated sad clown, performed a moving rendition of the classic serenading carol “Silent Night” in honor of the 2020 holiday season. Ahead of the vocals, Puddles quite skillfully played a faux saxophone that appeared to be made out of paper and tape. This cover was part...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post Puddles Pity Party Performs a Moving Rendition of the Classic Christmas Carol ‘Silent Night’ first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In a promotional video for Hisae Group, a master chef at Shunraku Kaiten Sushi Restaurant in Hokkaido, Japan demonstrated how to make a near-perfect plate of Dashimaki Tamago (rolled omelette). The chef skillfully cracked the eggs, mixed them together, and then created roll after roll while cooking the next. How...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, and Subscribe by Email.The post How to Make a Japanese Rolled Omelette first appeared on Laughing Squid.