Laughing Squid

Japanese filmmaker Hiroshi Kondo has created “Multiverse”, a motion-forward film that captures the energy within the anonymous mass of scooter riders in Taiwan. Using multilayer techniques, Kondo skillfully turns these downhill riders into a flowing cascade that clears all that is in their path. A crowd moving in one direction. People who flow in a...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Scooter Riders Turn Into a Flowing Cascade of Colors in Short Film That Captures the Energy Behind Anonymity first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Photographer Romain Laurent (previously) has continued his wonderfully bizarre series with animated GIFs that take an absurd take on the human body. Some substitute objects for body parts while others exaggerate human features. Such examples include a whirlpool for a woman’s face, fireworks for a person’s eyes, a balloon for a man’s head, a pair...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Absurd Animated GIFs Reimagining the Human Body first appeared on Laughing Squid.

The wonderfully motor-mouthed, artistically talented music theorist 12Tone explains why covers songs aren’t always the most successful form of music, no matter who is performing the cover version. He uses the Weezer cover of the Toto song “Africa” as his first example. While the Weezer version is fun, it didn’t wander too far from the...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Why Cover Songs That Don’t Stray Too Far From the Original Version Inevitably Invite Critical Comparison first appeared on Laughing Squid.

A “Star Wars By the Numbers” episode of Star Wars Kids counts the number of times a button, switch or lever has been pressed or flipped on the Millenium Falcon throughout the entire series of live-action Star Wars films. By their count, it’s at least 355 times. The Millennium Falcon is the fastest ship in...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post The Number of Times a Button or Lever Has Been Pressed or Flipped on the Millenium Falcon in Star Wars first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Veritasium host Derek Muller took a boat tour of a reservoir in Los Angeles that was filled with 96 million black balls made from HDPE recyclable, food-grade plastic. These balls, known as “Shade Balls” help reduce evaporation, but their main function is to keep the water safe from a chemical reaction that causes harmless bromide...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Boat Tour of a Reservoir Filled With 96 Million Black Plastic Balls That Keep the Water Safe for Consumption first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Christopher Clements of FXitinPost has created Scene 38 ReImagined, where Clements brilliantly recreates the legendary lightsaber duel between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi as a far more elaborate scene that runs for twice as long as it appeared in Star Wars IV: A New Hope. This one-off work of art puts this iconic battle in...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post The Legendary Lightsaber Duel Between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi Reimagined in a Modern Context first appeared on Laughing Squid.

A couple of 17 year old boys who have not only never seen, let alone used a rotary phone in during their short lives, were challenged by adults who gave them four minutes to figure out how it works. The teens gave it their best, with encouragement from the adults. After several attempts, the boys...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Teens Attempt to Successfully Dial a Rotary Telephone first appeared on Laughing Squid.

A family of gorillas at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden in Columbia, South Carolia huddled under the safety of an overhang during a severe rainstorm. As the downpour grew heavier and water started creeping into the safety of their perch, each member of the troop slowly stood up to to go inside, sticking very close to...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Gorillas Awkwardly Cling to an Outside Wall as They Make Their Way Indoors During a Heavy Downpour first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In a very rare, non-animated video, the wonderfully articulate CGP Grey (previously) narrates his unexpected road trip across “The Loneliest Road in America”, from San Jose, California to Moab, Utah. Grey had thought about flying but was presented with the offer of a Tesla Model X that he could borrow, an offer he couldn’t pass...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post CGP Grey Drives a Tesla Model X Across ‘The Loneliest Road in America’ From San Jose to Moab, Utah first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Music vlogger Noah LeFevre of Polyphonic (previously) takes a close look at the music of the late, great Jimi Hendrix and likens a number of his songs to the four classical elements: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. In each example, LeFevre shows how Hendrix’s visionary lyrics and/or his iconic guitar work captures the essence of...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post How Jimi Hendrix Captured the Essence of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air Through His Visionary Music first appeared on Laughing Squid.

One of the amazing humans of Flatbush Cats, a non-profit feral rescue program in central Brooklyn shared the story of Julius, Golden Lion of House GingerFloof, Warden of the Windowsill, First of His Name, Father of None, A shy, sick and scraggly cat who wandered into his backyard looking for something to eat. The other...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post The Incredible Journey of a Stray Cat From Shy, Sick and Scraggly to Playful, Healthy and Handsome first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Musician TommyLeeDepp performed an amazing solo bass arrangement of the iconic Pixies song (and personal theme) “Where Is My Mind”. The colorful DR Fluorescent Strings on his instrument glowed brightly as he played under ultra-violet light. Hope you like my solo bass arrangement of “Where Is My Mind” by Pixies ;) We’ve bought an UV-light...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Solo Bass Arrangement of the Pixies Song ‘Where Is My Mind’ Played On Glowing Fluorescent Strings first appeared on Laughing Squid.

The cooperative team of outdoor cats who defended their human’s yard from an incoming real dog and shied away from a meowing plush puppy, invaded their human’s house when a utility person accidentally left the back door open. The wily kitties went right to the food stores and began inviting their little friends from the...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Wily Team of Outdoor Cats Invade Their Human’s Home When Utility Person Leaves Back Door Open first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Online novelty retailerFollow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Squishy Tardigrade You Can Squeeze When Stressed first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Japanese artist Hirotoshi Ito creates absolutely brilliant rock sculptures that visually challenge the perceived consistency of the material. In order to achieve this, Ito adds functioning zippers that seemingly reveal the contents kept inside, much in the way coins are held in a change purse. The contents of each “purse” are widely varied and include...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Brilliant Zippered Change Purse Rock Sculptures That Visually Challenge the Perceived Consistency of Stone first appeared on Laughing Squid.

A really sweet elderly three-legged spaniel named Toby who can no longer see nor hear played a surprisingly lively game of modified fetch with his very patient human Aidan O’Brien on a rainy afternoon in Dublin, Ireland. It’s a very wet and miserable Thursday, so please won’t you enjoy this unorthodox game of fetch with...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Elderly Blind and Deaf Three-Legged Dog Plays Modified Fetch With His Human on a Rainy Thursday first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In August 2018, Russian car vlogger Kosik of AcademeG embarked upon an ambitious project to transform a Bentley Continental GT into a badass “Ultratank” of his own design. As Kosik added giant tank treads and made other adjustments to the Bentley, he carefully documented every step of the process in a series of progress videos...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Russian Mechanic Adds Giant Tank Treads to a Bentley Continental GT Turning It Into a Badass ‘Ultratank’ first appeared on Laughing Squid.

The Pine Mountain Country Coffee House in Desoto, Missouri has created a unique dessert known a the “Pickle Split”, an oddly tantalizing ice cream dish that uses dill pickles in the place of the more usual banana. The umami of the pickle brine combined with the sweetness of the ice cream create a mouthwatering sweet...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Missouri Coffee House Serves an Oddly Tantalizing Ice Cream Split That Uses Pickles In Place of Bananas first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In 2017, we wrote about a really amusing adoption ad that was presented in the style of a used-car commercial for Furkids Animal Rescue in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2018, the folks at the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society in South Dakota created a similar ad in which a highly motivated, fast-talking salesman in a loud...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Fast-Talking Salesman in a Loud Tie Offers a Great Deal on a Variety of Cats in an Amusing Adoption Ad first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Because of You is a wonderful multimedia campaign by the Ad Council that combats the threat of bullying with positive messages to encourage teenagers to use compassion, self-reflection, and mindfulness when interacting with other people. These messages come in the forms of heartfelt videos of teens sharing their own experiences, clever posts on social media...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Because of You, An Anti-Bullying Campaign Focusing on Positive Things That Individuals Can Do for Others first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Ian Curtis of Joy Division rides a rollercoaster. Speaking of which, here’s Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins also riding a rollercoaster. Related Laughing Squid PostsBilly Corgan Rides a RollercoasterIan Curtis of Joy Division Enjoys a Carefree Ride on a Rollercoaster In Clever MashupAn Anthropomorphic Bottle Opener Goes For a Bumpy But Thrilling Ride on a...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Ian Curtis Rides a Rollercoaster first appeared on Laughing Squid.

An adorably determined dachshund named Rocco happily took his equine friend Wally the horse for a nice walk along a lane in the beautiful Scottish Border town of Kelso. According to their respective human Dominic Buckley, Rocco loves Wally. Rocco also gets along with other horses whom he considers as friends. via Storyful Related Laughing...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Determined Little Dachshund Happily Takes His Horse Buddy For a Nice Walk in the Scottish Countryside first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In 1996, Canadian/American architect Frank Gehry (previously) and Czech architect Vlado Milunic were commissioned by Dutch bank Nationale-Netherlanden to design a memorable, innovative building for their Prague location, but were given fairly free reign as to what that design could be. The result of this collaboration is the famous “Dancing House” on the bank of...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post The Famous Dancing House of Prague by Frank Gehry first appeared on Laughing Squid.

The craftsman behind Hand Tool Rescue (previously) created a really amusing stop-motion timelapse that looks like a 1990 Larami Super Soaker water gun is restoring itself into pristine original condition. This video took me around 50 hours to make and just over 4000 photos. I have been wanting to get to item for a while...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A 1990 Super Soaker Appears to Restore Itself to Original Condition in Amusing Stop-Motion Timelapse first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Curious about the Great Pyramids of Giza, Canadian woodworker John Heinz of I Build It decided that he would learn about their remarkable structural engineering by building a miniature version of his own. Heinz cut small pieces of wood and treated them as if they were made of stone in order to gain a greater...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Craftsman Builds a Miniature Great Pyramid of Giza Out of Wood to Understand Its Structural Engineering first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Filmmaker Lance Krall of Picture It Productions quite clevery reimagined the rather precarious and quite unlikely friendship between Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) and Sandor “The Hound” Clegane (Rory McCann) as the perfect entry for a Game of Thrones spinoff in the style of a very 1980s buddy sitcom. Aptly entitled, “Arya and The Hound”, the...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post The Tense Friendship Between Arya Stark and the Hound Reimagined as a 1980s TV Sitcom Spinoff first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Nature host Phil Torres of The Jungle Diaries captured the absolutely magnificent sound of several million monarch butterflies flapping their wings, ready to take flight into the Mexican skies. This is a tree trunk in Mexico, covered in tens of thousands of monarch butterflies. Now imagine the sound when they all take off and fly,...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post The Magnificent Sound of Several Million Monarch Butterflies Taking Off All at Once first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In a highly enigmatic teaser trailer for the new HBO series Watchmen, the masked masses begin a tick tock countdown to the end of the world. A select group of vigilantes turns to their former superhero strength to put a stop to this self-fulfilling doomsday prophecy. The series is a serial interpretation by Damon Lindelof...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Masked Masses Commence a Tick Tock Countdown to Doomsday in a Teaser Trailer for ‘Watchmen’ on HBO first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In the 19th episode of the Ted-Ed series Mythic, tea expert Shunan Teng shares “The Chinese Myth of the Immortal White Snake”. This beautiful narration, animated by Kino Bino, tells the story of a husband and wife who will go to any lengths to save each other, despite any secrets they may have kept from...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Beautifully Animated Interpretation of the Chinese Myth of the Immortal White Snake first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Inspired by the colors of the Oregon high desert, scientist and filmmaker Tyler Hulett (previously) mixed together paint and oil, creating the abstract macro piece “Earthtone”. The piece is a meditative combination of colors that evoke a strong sense of a desert environment. My second crack at an abstract paint short with colors inspired by...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Meditative Combination of ‘Earthtone’ Paints and Oils That Evoke a Strong Sense of the Oregon High Desert first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Freelance illustrator Nas Alhusain has created a really amusing and honest animation that reveals what different procrastinators do when they put off that thing that they really should be doing. The different categories of procrastinators include the perfectionist, the cleaner, the foodie, the napper and the five minute liar. Alhusain was inspired by his own...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post An Amusing Animation Showing What Procrastinators Do When They Put Off What They Should Be Doing first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Moodlapse is a iOS mindfulness app that can provide calm and comfort to an individual through an interactive, combination of symmetrical kaleidoscopic floral imagery and brain music. The blooming flowers can be built upon for an individual customization experience. As the sensory overload of online chatter has caused our attention spans to dwindle, we need...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Moodlapse, An Interactive Mindfulness App That Combines Blooming Flowers With Binaural Brain Music first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In their never-ending quest to perfect all that is rubber chicken, the folks at Archie McPhee have created the biggest, loudest functioning squawker that’s sure to amuse and assault ears both young and old. Everybody knows that Rubber Chickens are funny, especially when they squawk! This Rubber Chicken is 22” long and squawks so loudly...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Archie McPhee’s Biggest and Loudest Rubber Chicken first appeared on Laughing Squid.

A short but interesting video by NPR explains exactly why migratory birds like the bald ibis, flap their wings in near-perfect synchronicity while flying in a V formation. The answer has to do with physics – when the lead bird flaps their wings, a small but discernable wind current is formed. A 2014 Nature study...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Why Migratory Birds Fly in a Synchronized V Formation first appeared on Laughing Squid.

An Australian plumber who goes by the name Drain Addict has created an oddly satisfying series of videos that show, in detail, the intimate process of successfully clearing drains. Drain Addict and his trusty high-pressure hose tackle all kinds of clogs in all sorts of places, though some are a bit more questionable than others....Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post An Oddly Satisfying Series of Drain Clearing Videos first appeared on Laughing Squid.

To mark the 40th Anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola‘s iconic 1979 Vietnam War epic Apocolypse Now, Lionsgate announced that they will be releasing on August 27, 2019, a Final Cut Combo Pack that contains one disk of the film newly restored in 4k Ultra HD. The pack also includes three Blu-Ray discs and a downloadable...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Francis Ford Coppola’s Epic ‘Apocalypse Now’ 40th Anniversary 4K ‘Final Cut’ Slated for August Release first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In 2017, a man from New Dehli, India named Davinder Singh confidently broke the Guinness World Record for typing a 130 character phrase with his nose. Singh typed “Guinness World Records have challenged me to type this sentence using my nose in the fastest time” in 40.19 seconds. The previous record was 43.85 seconds. The...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Indian Man Breaks Guinness World Record for Fastest Time Typing 130-Character Phrase With His Nose first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Creative Commons, the organization that helps people legally share images and other data online for the common good, has launched a brand new, streamlined search function that queries over 300 million images in the public domain or that have a Creative Commons license. The images come from a variety of resources that include universities, institutions,...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Creative Commons Launches a Streamlined Search Featuring 300 Million Images and Improved Attribution first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In an adorable clip from the Smithsonian Channel series Monkey Island, a troop of tufted gray langurs follow the alpha male to a tall fig tree bursting with fruit. The hungry monkeys climb easily up the tree for a good meal. A little infant named Pip gets purposely left behind so that he can learn...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Baby Monkey Figures Out How to Best Climb a Tall Fig Tree Without Any Help From His Watchful Mother first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Filmmaker Sean Reynard has created and embodied a rather interesting bespectacled, short-banged character he named Quentin Smirhes. As it turns out, Smirhes just launched his own YouTube channel and with it, an amazing array of surreal videos. One such video features a slightly befuddled Smirhes playing Gnossienne No. 1 by experimental artist Erik Satie on...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Man Performs Gnossienne No. 1 on Recorder Through a Birdhouse With the Help of an 18th Century Hand first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Great Big Story visited with master piano builder David Klavins at his studio in Vác, Hungary. Klavins, who has worked as a technician, concert tuner and musician, creates custom pianos at different heights for different tones, timbre, and acoustic characteristics. David Klavins is a pianist who, for years, could not find pianos that made the...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post The Tallest Concert Grand Piano in the World first appeared on Laughing Squid.

A researcher from the Civil Engineering Department at RWTH Aachen University in Aachen, Germany visually demonstrates scenarios in which different wheels are tested on a short, curvy metal track. The conclusion made is that train wheels require a rigid conical shape with a flange to keep the ride smooth. The model explains the interaction between...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Why Train Wheels Require a Rigid Conical Shape first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Woodworker Nick Zammeti cleverly built a giant colored pencil made out of many, many boxes of colored pencils. This very meta idea came to Zammeti while he was thinking about how much he relies on his pencils and his experience creating handcrafted items out of other unexpected items. While the result of his hard work...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Giant Colored Pencil Made Out of Colored Pencils first appeared on Laughing Squid.

While attending a friend’s party at the Hotel d’Angleterre in Copenhagen, Denmark, champagne enthusiast Nikolaj Makar quite elegantly removed the cork from an ice cold bottle of Dom Perignon with just a soft tapping motion onto the neck with the base of his champagne flute. The cork, still in its cage, exited the bottle with...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Popping a Champagne Cork With a Champagne Flute first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Music essayist Noah LeFevre of Polyphonic (previously) took a look at the classic Andrew Lloyd Weber/Tim Rice collaboration Jesus Christ Superstar. LeFevre first notes that the songwriting duo wanted to tell a biblical story as a rock opera and recruited the right voices for each part, including Ian Gillan of Deep Purple playing the role...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post How the Rock Opera ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ Reinterpreted Judas Iscariot as Sympathetic Character first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Ghost Box by artist/musician Steve Parker, is a remarkable interactive sound sculpture modeled after a World War II-era shortwave radio and allows listeners to change the content of the continuous audio feed by pressing on different strings and instruments that have been posted onto to the wall. The audio feed varies from traditional songs to...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Ghost Box, A Touch-Controlled Interactive Sound Sculpture Modeled After WWII-era Shortwave Radio first appeared on Laughing Squid.

photo by John Beherens Pro Arts Gallery in Oakland is presenting Signman, a three month long retrospective spaning 42 years of work by legendary San Francisco underground artist, prankster, Laughing Squid partner, author and urban explorer John Law. Curated by Natalia Ivanova Mount, this amazing show features many of Law’s creative projects, incluing his neon...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Signman, A 42 Year Retrospective of Work by San Francisco Underground Artist and Prankster John Law first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Musician Dave Rucci took a wire cutter and snipped off all but one string (G) on his guitar. He then proceeded to play ten different and iconic intro riffs using only one finger on that one string. …these 10 classic riffs are pretty much perfect to try on just your G-string, whether you have all...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Using One Finger on One String to Play Ten Iconic Riffs first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In 2000 Danish sculptor Bjørn Nørgaard created “The Genetically Modified Paradise”, a surreal series of oddly misshapen beings, including “The Genetically Modified Little Mermaid”, a new interpretation of Copenhagen’s famous statue “The Little Mermaid”. Each of Nørgaard’s characters were made from cast iron, stainless steel, aluminum-bronze, gold leaf, gilded lead, granite, bronze, and sandstone for...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post The Genetically Modified Paradise, Oddly Misshapen Beings Lurking Near The Little Mermaid of Copenhagen first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In 2004, the Polish architecture firm Szotynski & Zaleski built a wonderfully illusory building in Sopot, Poland that doesn’t quite look real. The design was based upon whimsical, fairy tale sketches of artist Jan Marcin Szancer and is quite aptly named “Krzywy Domek” or crooked little house. The building’s front facade is made up of...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Krzywy Domek, The Crooked Little House of Sopot, Poland That Sports a Distorted Illusory Front Facade first appeared on Laughing Squid.