Laughing Squid

In 2016, former NASA engineer Mark Rober and The Backyard Scientist filled up a backyard swimming pool with 25 million Orbeez water balls. On that same day, Rober decided he was going to fulfill his childhood dream of creating the world’s biggest JELLO swimming pool. With the help of his brother, Rober accomplished his long-awaited...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Trying to Swim in a 15 Ton JELLO Swimming Pool first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Researchers at the Samsung AI Center in Moscow, Russia have quite amazingly turned Mona Lisa and other famous subjects of photos and art into realistic talking heads. This “Few-Shot Adversarial Learning” technology combs through thousands of videos and catalogs visual information. When an image is presented, the matching landmark features are located and put to...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Samsung AI Machine Learning Turns Mona Lisa and Other Famous Portraits Into Realistic Talking Heads first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In 2017, dedicated dad Kevin Scruggs shared a wonderful compilation of interviews he conducted with daughter Mackenzie on the first day of school from first grade through graduation. Two years later, he did the very same with his younger daughter Madison, starting with kindergarten and going through to her senior year and in doing so,...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Dedicated Father Captures 13 Years of His Daughter’s First Day of School From Kindergarten to Senior Year first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In February 2019, Agility Robotics announced the development of Digit, an anthropomorphic version of their bipedal robot Cassie. Digit sports an upper torso, arms, and an increased number of sensors. These additions give Digit a greater sense of balance, stair-climbing capability an ability to pick up large items and even deliver packages. Digit’s out-of-box readiness...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Bipedal Robot That Makes Front Door Deliveries After Being Transported to the Curb by a Self-Driving Vehicle first appeared on Laughing Squid.

An absolutely adorable raft of Southern sea otters at the Elkhorn Slough in Moss Landing, California, happily performed an unintentional synchronized swimming routine from one side of the inlet to the other, much to the amusement of the humans watching. It gets even better with the addition of the iconic theme from Hawaii 5-0. Everything...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Raft of Sea Otters Perform an Unintentionally Synchronized Swimming Routine Across an Inlet first appeared on Laughing Squid.

A teaser for the upcoming CBS All Access series Star Trek: Picard shows a retired Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation walking through his vineyard and boxing his namesake wine before sitting down to explain why he left Starfleet when he did. The end is only the beginning. Related Laughing Squid PostsThe...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Captain Jean-Luc Picard Explains Why He Left Starfleet Over Some Wine in the CBS All Access Series ‘Picard’ first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Panic, the company behind Transmit, Coda and the adventure game Firewatch, teamed-up with Teenage Engineering to create Playdate, their unique version of a handheld gaming system. Playdate is bright yellow with a black and white screen, with retro design. It also sports modern conveniences such as wifi, Bluetooth, USB-C, and a headphone jack, yet also...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Playdate, A Retro Yellow Crank Controlled Handheld Gaming System With a Black and White Screen first appeared on Laughing Squid.

While repairing a vintage Buchla synthesizer from the 1960s, KPIX broadcast operations manager and instrument repair volunteer Eliot Curtis came across an unknown substance and wiped it away with his finger. With this single motion, Curtis unexpectedly ingested lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), which had somehow been preserved on the synthesizer since the last time it...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post San Francisco Engineer Accidentally Dosed by LSD While Repairing a Vintage 1960s Buchla Synthesizer first appeared on Laughing Squid.

During the Venice Biennale 2019 art exhibition, elusive street artist Bansky stealthily set up a stall along artist’s row to feature multi-panel artwork of the city’s famous canals. As of late, however, these gorgeous waterways have become lousy with giant cruise ships that bring in tourists from all over the world. Banksy’s reflected the scope...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Banksy Sets Up a Street Stall at the Venice Biennale With Art Critical of the Canal’s Cruise Ship Problems first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Art student Andrew Ognibene bravely documented and shared his truly frightening struggle with sleep paralysis and associated hallucinations in a haunting animation that he created as a final project for an art school class. The animation provides a visual representation to the animator’s fears, yet in that visualization also provided for Ognibene a bit of...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Student Bravely Shares His Struggle With Sleep Paralysis Hallucinations in a Haunting Animation first appeared on Laughing Squid.

On September 16, 1977, the ABC television network aired “The Making of Star Wars”, a wonderful one-hour documentary that went behind the scenes of the blockbuster new film Star Wars IV: A New Hope, which had been released in May of that year. The characters C-3PO and R2-D2 played host to the special and actor...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post An Amazing 1977 Television Documentary About the Making of ‘Star Wars’ Hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2 first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In 2015, we wrote about the amazingly detailed colorful balloon animals by Japanese artist Masayoshi Matsumoto. Since that time Matsumoto has created quite a few more of these exquisitely detailed inflatable creatures of all shapes, sizes, and forms, originating from land, air, and sea. I create animals, plant life and insects using only balloons. The...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post New Exquisitely Detailed Balloon Animal Sculptures by Japanese Artist Masayoshi Matsumoto first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In 2016, Brooklyn game designer Nicole He set up a meditative experiment in which a webcam would take a picture of a fiddle-leaf fig plant she named Grow Slow. The camera then automatically tweeted the photo from the same day at 10:17 AM every day for three years. it’s @grow_slow’s third birthday on tuesday ?...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post An Amazing One Minute Timelapse of a Self-Tweeting Plant Slowly Growing Over the Course of Three Years first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Nat Geo WILD takes a look at how tiny hummingbirds are able to hover in midair for so long while feeding in place. As it turns out these petite aviators have an extremely high metabolism, a specific ability to flap their wings at very high speed and constant hunger that gives them so much endurance...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post The Science Behind a Hummingbird’s Hover first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Musician GBH has created a Synthesia keyboard remix of the Game of Thrones theme (previously) with a colorful interface that visually tracks the progress of the song with falling notes. Main Theme of Game of Thrones, remixed by me. via Digg Related Laughing Squid PostsVideogame of Thrones, An 8 Bit Remix of the Game of...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Visual MIDI Remix of the Game of Thrones Theme first appeared on Laughing Squid.

French filmmaker Fabrice Mathieu, who makes brilliant mashups with clever titles, has combined footage from the Apollo 11 mission (previously) with several Stanley Kubrick interviews to create the brilliant “Moon Shining”. In making these connections, Mathieu has made it appear as if Kubrick directed the iconic 1969 moon landing itself. Behind the scenes of the...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Moon Shining, A Brilliant Mashup That Reimagines the Iconic Apollo 11 Landing as Directed by Stanley Kubrick first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Now that Game of Thrones has ended, the talk of spinoff series is reaching fever pitch. One such idea, as envisioned by Jimmy Kimmel Live, has Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) joining the family of Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) and Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier) in a Full House reboot. Jaime tries his best to fit in...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Jaime Lannister Joins the ‘Full House’ Family first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Vlogger and podcaster Ankit Vengurlekar of Gadget Wala watched as a robotic chef mixed, scrambled, flipped and served an omelette that he customized with toppings of his choice. This culinary robot prototype named AUSCA was developed in Singapore by Kurve Automation and is featured at Millenium Hotels in Singapore. AUSCA also prepares eggs in other...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post An Autonomous Self-Service Robotic Chef That Prepares Customized Omelettes on Demand first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Just five years after the viewing audience parted ways with the enormously popular Julian Fellowes series Downton Abbey, a new feature film of the same name brings us back to the Grantham family in 1927 as they hurriedly prepare for a visit from King George V and Queen Mary of Teck. Heavens …the king and...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post The Grantham Family and Staff Prepare the Estate for a Royal Visit in the Highly-Awaited ‘Downton Abbey’ Film first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Sony Pictures has released the trailer for Quentin Tarantino‘s 9th film entitled Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (previously) in which a television actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) try to break into the strangely unfamiliar film industry. The storylines of other characters, both famous and infamous, are...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post TV Star and His Stunt Double Explore the Last Days of the Golden Age in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ first appeared on Laughing Squid.

The robotic band Compressorhead (previously) played a truly heavy metal cover of the classic grunge anthem “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana. The footage was taken during a 2014 show in Moscow. Related Laughing Squid PostsA 1,000 Member Italian Rock Band Rocks a Live Version of Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’The 2016 Winner of ‘The...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Robotic Robot Rock Band Compressorhead Performs the Classic Nirvana Anthem ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Filmmaker Bradley Smith delved into the wonderful history of the iconic signs for San Francisco’s 49 Mile Scenic Drive. These signs were designed for a contest by gift store owner and artist Rex May in 1954. For his efforts, May received $100 and bragging rights for years to come. Unfortunately, these signs began disappearing from...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post The History of the Disappearance and Reappearance of San Francisco’s Original 49 Mile Scenic Drive Signs first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Oxford, UK design firm Clark and Steel has created The Color Clock, a novel device that uses specific sequences of color rather than numerals to tell the time. The clock is available either as in large for wall hanging or small for desktop. Designed and hand assembled in England, these clocks are built to last....Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Unique Clock That Uses a Sequence of Colors Rather Than Numerals to Tell the Time first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Animator Emma Shih shared the reference video she used while working on the film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The video shows Shih imitating the characters in several different with great detail, allowing her to gain insight into subtleties involved in each movement. Here’s Shih’s animation reel from the film. I have this inkling Stupid Twitter...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ Animator Shares Her Reference Videos for Several Scenes From the Film first appeared on Laughing Squid.

The resident artist of Arts and Crafts Studio demonstrated the fascinating “Flip Cup” fluid art technique using a cup, acrylic paint, floetrol, and silicon oil. The artist carefully layered 24 shades of acrylic paint into the cup, treated the canvas and then literally flipped the cup over. The paint immediately formed a gorgeous landscape of...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Flip Cup Fluid Art Tutorial Using 24 Paints Resulting in a Gorgeous Landscape of Cellular Color first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Slovakian video editor Ctrl Shift Face has quite seamless (and somewhat disturbingly) employed deepfake software to morph comedian Bill Hader‘s face into those of Al Pacino and of Arnold Schwarzenegger as he was doing vocal impressions of the two legendary actors during separate interviews with Conan O’Brien. The Al Pacino impression and first Arnold Schwarzenegger...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Deepfake of Bill Hader Morphing Into Al Pacino and Arnold Schwarzenegger While Impersonating Them first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Researchers at the University of Zurich Department of Neuroinformatics played a unique one way game of dodgeball with a drone that was mounted with an event-based camera and flying above them in the lab. This unique test is part of their effort to understand how artificially intelligent machines respond to unstable environments. The team specifically...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Testing Out a Drone’s Obstacle Avoidance Recognition Using a One Way Game of Dodgeball first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In a snappy Ted-Ed lesson written by Eleanor Nelsen and animated by Belfer Creative, narrator Addison Anderson explains exactly why knuckles and other joints release such as satisfying (or disgusting to some) popping sound when stretched. Cracking knuckles is simply the release of gas bubbles from joint cushioning synovial fluid, much in the same way...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Why Knuckles Make a Popping Sound When Stretched first appeared on Laughing Squid.

As part of his ongoing series of animated history videos, vlogger James Suibhne of Subhine (previously) has created a detailed animation that captures the history of England in just six short but highly informative minutes. The English have had perhaps more impact on British, European and World History than any other nation. First a province...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post An Animated History of England first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In a fragrant video essay for Wired, senior writer Emily Dreyfuss speaks with MIT professor Andreas Mershin. Mershin is the expert authority on artificial olfaction and is trying to develop an app that would create the ability for the phone to sniff out changes in a person’s health through baseline olfactive comparisons. While Mershin is...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Artificial Olfaction Expert Explains Why Dog’s Sense of Smell is Still Superior to Any Amount of Computer Code first appeared on Laughing Squid.

A sleeping orange Persian cat named Mr. Gold was snoring so loudly that he was distracting his human from getting any work done, so his human turned on a microphone to amplify the feline’s funny snores. That’s my cat, his name is Mr.Gold. He’s 10-years-old, likes to sleep so much and every time he sleeps...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Snoring Cat Hilariously Amplified With a Microphone first appeared on Laughing Squid.

The School of Life (previously) explains why the very human need for reassurance can also be terrifying and bring about discomfiting abandonment and approval issues that lead to further insecurity. Instead of spiraling into that endless cycle, they suggest reminding yourself that this particular need is a normal part of a loving relationship, without anything...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post How to Ask Another Person for Reassurance Without Appearing to Be Desperate for Their Approval first appeared on Laughing Squid.

A baby armadillo named Bonilha was rescued from the side of a South Brazil road after losing his the use of his hind legs and nearly starving to death. Once Bonilha was stable, his doctors fitted for a custom-made wheelchair that helps him go anywhere he wants to go. On this particularly Bonilha enjoyed a...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Brazilian Veterinarians Fit Baby Armadillo With Customized Wheelchair For His Paralyzed Back Legs first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Game music guitarist Jules Conroy of Family Jules discovered that the San Diego house in which he was living had a really old doorbell that could be reprogrammed into any short tune. Conroy set about changing the standard doorbell ring to that of the final boss song “Megalovania” from the video game Undertale. The painstaking...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Painstakingly Programming a Really Old Doorbell to Play ‘Megalovania’ From the Video Game ‘Undertale’ first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Video game editor Chanbahni very cleverly reimagined footage from the Westminster Dog Show by replacing the canine in the scene with a teeny tiny Shrek that successfully completed the agility course in record time. Shrek absolutely destroys Westminster agility championship Chanbahni also imagined other characters such as Pikachu and a rather “janky-looking” Sonic the Hedgehog...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Teeny Tiny Shrek Successfully Completes the Westminster Dog Show Agility Course in Record Time first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques took some time out of his day working on the International Space Station to open a container of honey in microgravity. As he did so, the thick, viscous substance began twisting around itself until it formed a rope between jar and lid. 2019-05-14 – CSA astronaut David Saint-Jacques takes...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post How Honey Reacts to Microgravity in Space first appeared on Laughing Squid.

A famished Cookie Monster joined NPR Education reporter Cory Turner for what he thought would be a nice plate of cookies to enjoy. Instead, Cookie Monster received a lesson in self-control when Cory told the hungry muppet that he would have to wait until their friend Anya Kamenetz arrived. Waiting proved to be very difficult...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Cookie Monster Practices Self-Control, Denying Himself the Pleasure of Eating Cookies Until His Friend Arrives first appeared on Laughing Squid.

We previously wrote about the former TWA Flight Center designed by Eero Saarinen at JFK Airport as it was being renovated into a lavish 1962 style retro hotel. This marvelous hotel opened to the public on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. The Points Guy was given a tour of this massive mid-century modern space and all...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Look Inside the Reconstructed Eero Saarinen Mid-Century Modern TWA Hotel at John F. Kennedy Airport first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In a teaser trailer for the third season of the HBO series Westworld, a weary blue collar worker (Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad) tries to hang onto his sense of humanity amongst an ever-growing society of robotic life. His path collides when with a seemingly helpless Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) who looks like she needs...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Aaron Paul Joins ‘Westworld III’ as a Construction Worker Trying to Remain Human in a World of Robots first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In an amusing semi-autobiographical stop-motion animation entitled “Freaks of Nurture” by filmmaker Alexandra Lemay, a young woman needing career assistance calls her mom for advice. Her mother is happy to hear from her daughter but is unable to give her full attention due to the many responsibilities she’s voluntarily taken on, such as the care...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Woman Seeks Advice From Her Overly Generous Mother Who Takes Care of Too Many Kids and Dogs first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In the wonderfully surreal short film “The Talking Tree” by Stefan Hunt and Matthew Webb, a young man (Eka Darville of Jessica Jones) was cutting through Central Park on a snowy day when he heard a voice calling out to him. The man turns around and is astonished to find that he’s talking to a...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Bewildered Man Finds Himself Looking For Existential Answers From a Rather Talkative Talking Tree first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Russian filmmaker and graphic artist Vladimir Tomin has “Continued” his wonderfully surreal series of absurd object personifications that are set in motion in order to interact with the real world. This small collection of motion sketches was made to determine ratio of work/outcome for different approaches to motion/animation and of course to have fun in...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Absurd Object Personifications Set in Motion first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Working with the Nobel Prize Museum on their “Sharing Worlds” project at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation in Dubai, artisans Lucie Thomas and Thibault Zimmermann of the French design studio Zim & Zou (previously) have created papercraft installations inspired by the award-winning novels Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset and One Hundred Years...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Exquisitely Detailed Papercraft Installations Inspired by Two Very Different Nobel Prize Winning Novels first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In 2008, Diagonal View posted incredible footage of Rouketopolemos, the great annual fireworks battle on the Greek island of Chios. This long-running tradition takes place between two rival congregations on the island right before Easter Sunday and lights up the sky with over 50,000 fireworks. The even was temporarily put on hold in 2016 but...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Incredible Footage of the Great Annual Easter Fireworks Battle on the Greek Island of Chios first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Joshua Donald of JoshBuilds shared a very simple way to build a mini long-legged robotic bug toy that’s mostly made of easily accessible household items. Other items include a couple of small batteries, a vibrating motor, and LED lights for the eyes. How to make a toy robotic bug at home. This is a simple...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post How to Make a Mini Robotic Bug From Household Items first appeared on Laughing Squid.

A creative episode of SciFri takes a look at Dr. Greg Dunn who embodies a rare combination of talents in both art and science, specifically neurology. Using that experience, Dunne creates beautifully realistic, microscopic Japanese-inspired gold leaf etchings. Each piece gives a glimpse into how Dunn sees the organization of neurons within patterns of the...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post Artist With Background in Neurology Etches Microscopic Interpretations of Brain Patterns Onto Gold Leaf first appeared on Laughing Squid.

The wonderful Robert Dollwet of Malibu Dog Training aka CATMANTOO (previously) offers some very helpful hints and guidance around teaching a cat how to walk on a leash. It’s not as easy as teaching a dog, so a little patience and some yummy treats are in order. For their safety, keep cats indoors, teach them...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post How to Gently Teach a Cat to Walk on a Leash first appeared on Laughing Squid.

Bulgarian automation and electronics engineer Daniel of Kvant3DPrinting has created a truly fierce dragon lamp that looks like it’s either breathing fire (light on) or breathing ice (light off) in true Game of Thrones style. These lamps are available for sale through Daniel’s Etsy store. 3d printed dragon lamp that “breathes” fire. The model was...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post A Fire Breathing Game of Thrones Dragon Lamp first appeared on Laughing Squid.

In a glowing Ted-Ed lesson written by photonics expert Sajan Saini and animated by Nemanja Petrovic, narrator Addison Anderson explains how a combination of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology and integrated photonics allow self-driving cars to see clearly at night. …a self-driving car’s LIDAR system…uses a narrow invisible infrared laser. It can image features...Follow Laughing Squid on Facebook, Twitter, Flipboard and Subscribe by Email.The post How LiDAR Infrared Lasers and Integrated Photonics Combine to Allow Self-Driving Cars to See at Night first appeared on Laughing Squid.