Laughing Squid

With help from Tony Reid of Mind Over Metal, Stephen Robinson of 52 Skillz learned how to rip a phone book in half using his bare hands. A post shared by 52skillz (@52skillz) on Dec 15, 2017 at 12:56pm PST How to Rip a Phone Book in HalfA Determined Man Quickly Learns How to Split...

On December 16, 2017, Ralph Carney, the brilliant wood and brasswind musician who was a good friend of Laughing Squid, passed away at the age of 61 in Portland Oregon. The Akron, Ohio native who lived in San Francisco for many years, had collaborated with such acclaimed artists as Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Jonathan Richman...

In another one of his truly insightful video essays, YouTuber Polyphonic dives into the career of the George Martin, the very talented producer, composer and musician in his own right, who provided The Beatles with their iconic full orchestral sound for much of the the band’s lifetime. While Martin is just one of several men...

“The Firmest Friend” is a really touching, award-winning documentary about forgotten homeless youths in New York City and the incredibly unique bond they share with their pit bulls, a breed that is often demonized as being vicious. Filmmaker Andrew Fixell sensed a real kinship between misunderstood humans and misunderstood dogs and wanted to share it...

When farmers in Fordongianus, Italy went out into the field, they were surprised to find that a small dog had climbed onto the soft, downy back of one of their longhaired sheep and got comfortable. The oblivious sheep didn’t seem to mind the canine interloper and just went about grazing along the grass as if...

Due to a serious predilection for the destruction of Christmas trees by one of their cats, Chris and Jess, the humans belonging to Cole and Marmalade, decided to forego the challenge this year and instead found a fun and simple alternative. Using inexpensive feline-safe materials, the couple created a giant cardboard gingerbread house complete with...

New York City sound designer Matt McCorkle, a member of New Museum incubator NEW INC, who previously made a spooktacular interactive Halloween Soundboard, has created the New Year’s Music Box, an interactive soundboard to celebrate the New Year. This online soundboard lets users experiment with the instruments of a four-part harmony performance of “Auld Lang...

In a gutsy TED-Ed lesson by Emma Bryce and animated by Jeremy Jusay, narrator Addison Anderson explains how the digetstive system works in order to transport necessary nutrients to keep the body and the brain functioning properly. Across the planet, humans eat on average between 1 and 2.7 kilograms of food a day, and every...

Jack Houweling of Jackspiano and Jax Design has created a fantastic tutorial video where he demonstrates how to make a double chaotic pendulum out of wood. His step by step guide, with pictures, is available to view on the Jax Design website. images via Jax Design via Digg The Corpus Clock & Chronophage (Time Eater)...

A post shared by Cristian Marianciuc (@icarus.mid.air) on Aug 7, 2017 at 9:43am PDT In January 2015, British origami artist Cristian Marianciuc challenged himself to make one unique paper crane per day for a year. Marianciuc then increased the challenge to reach 1,000 unique cranes a goal he easily reached over the course of three...

A post shared by Chad Knight (@chadknight) on May 8, 2017 at 11:03pm PDT Surrealist artist Chad Knight has created a mind-blowing collection of 3D digital sculptures that look they actually exist in the real world. Prints of his impressive works of art are available to purchase from Society6. A post shared by Chad Knight...

Kyloki is a funny web series, created by the folks at Leisure Elk Productions, about a random guy who attempts to live in an apartment with evil villains Kylo Ren and Loki. A post shared by Leisure Elk (@leisureelk) on Nov 27, 2016 at 1:26pm PST A post shared by Leisure Elk (@leisureelk) on Sep...

While visiting the Adelaide Zoo in South Australia, YouTuber Flippers & Feathers captured adorable footage of an excited small clawed otter as he skillfully and repeatedly juggled three small stones while lying on his back on top of another otter’s tail. It was almost if he were anticipating something very good, very soon. An Oriental...

Lynx & Birds is a charming animated Christmas short, created by Blue-Zoo Animation in London, that tells a heart warming tale about a fearsome predator who unexpectedly becomes a loving provider. A mama bird accidentally lets her baby bird fall out of its nest. The little bird comes face to face with a hungry lynx....

A post shared by Tina's perspective on life (@tinasperspective) on Feb 14, 2016 at 3:07pm PST Norwegian photographer who goes by the moniker Tina’s Perspective has captured some absolutely stunning macro portraits of the mysterious and magical beauty of the ever-changing cat’s eye from several different angles. Tina’s subjects were most likely Zorro, Zonic and...

Gavin Free and Dan Gruchy of The Slow Mo Guys teamed up with Amazon to promote the second season of The Grand Tour. To do so, they captured slow motion footage of a 4 ton wrecking ball destroying a brick wall and all sorts of vehicles. Puppy Christmas, Cute Puppies Destroying Gifts & DecorationsProject Wrecking...

A very silly little cat named Mew Mew who lives in Blacklick, Ohio, sneaked behind the computer where her human Kelley Fultz was working, caught the scent of a yummy baked good and stuck out a surreptitious white out to drag the half eaten piece of break away by the napkin. Fultz, however, was having...

Larry is a short horror film, created by Jacob Chase, about a lonely monster who comes to life after a parking lot attendant (Joe Calarco) reads a horror story. The terrifying creature only wanted a new friend. via io9 Battling Boy, Paul Pope’s Graphic Novel About Demigods and MonstersThe Shape of Water, A Cold War...

Producer Felipe Haurelhuk and editor Fabrício Carvalho teamed up with Darth Blender to create an animated version of the latest Avengers: Infinity War trailer. They used clips featured in 1990s television shows like Spider-Man The Animated Series, The Incredible Hulk, and The Avengers – United They Stand. A Retro Version of the Avengers: Infinity War...

Filmmaker Jacob T. Swinney has created an uplifting montage of people and creatures dancing in films from 2017. He featured scenes from movies like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, IT, and Baby Driver. A Supercut of People in Movies Watching MoviesA Montage of Epic Moments That Took Place at the Star Wars Celebration in...

Musician Cooper Carter did an incredible job of playing all 28 parts of composer John Williams‘ iconic “The Imperial March” theme song from Star Wars on guitar by himself. Here is the original song. submitted via Laughing Squid Tips Musician Plays the Brass Section of John Williams’ Star Wars Theme Song on Guitar by HimselfMusician...

To celebrate Star Wars: The Last Jedi blasting into theaters this week, The Warp Zone unleashed a force-filled parody where they add hilarious lyrics to the “Cantina Band” song in Star Wars: A New Hope. Star Wars Cantina Band Song on Chapman StickThe Bottle Boys Play the Star Wars ‘Cantina Band’ Song Using Beer Bottles...

During the Cold War, the Central Intelligence Agency embarked on a series of mind control experiments under the codename Project MKULTRA. Not all the subjects were aware they were participating. One such subject, CIA employee Frank Olson, jumped to his death, seemingly while under the influence of LSD, but questions remain through current times. The...

Upon hearing a very festive but noisy fireworks show taking place outside, an unusually anxious Simon’s Cat desperately attempted to find a safe place where could hide and completely opt out. The nervous feline tried everywhere, even inside the cat tree, where the kitten was sleeping, but nothing happened except making the kitten nervous. It...

Great Big Story traveled to to Thailand to marvel at the incredible and unique Wat Samphran – a bright pink Buddhist Temple that stands at an impressive 80 meters (263 feet) high and features a 17 story green dragon wrapped around the exterior of the building with its noble head proudly raised above the roof....

In a holiday-themed episode of their incredibly informative whiteboard series for Mental Floss, linguist Arika Okrent and illustrator Sean O’Neill explain the meaning of the old English lyrics of several classic Christmas carols and point out proper grammar intended in each. While you’re caroling this season, here’s a few grammar points to watch out for....

The wonderfully entertaining and very funny Maymo the Lemon Beagle followed a trail of plush beagle puppies out into the living room until he came upon a big pile of the very same plush dogs. Maymo was ready to walk away when a slight movement caught his eye. Slightly startled, Maymo cautiously approached the pile...

On a very daring episode of the First We Feast series, Hot Ones, YouTube’s own Casey Neistat sat down with host Sean Evans to talk about how his earliest job as a pot washer at a seafood restaurant inspired him to do what he loves most, making daring, outspoken and relevant videos. Neistat and Evans...

The normally reticent Sean “Diddy” Combs invited Joe Sabia of Condé Nast Entertainment into his home to answer 73 random questions for Vogue. Slowly coming down the stairs in a pink shirt and sunglasses, Diddy explained that he preferred to be the name Love, why he left New York for Los Angeles, his love for...

To celebrate the Christmas season and The Last Jedi landing in theaters this week, Christophe Haubursin and Mac Schneider of Vox created a video where they explain the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special and explore how it accidentally helped shape the Star Wars universe. A long time ago in living rooms across the US, a...

A post shared by Matthew Mohr (@moreismohr) on Dec 2, 2017 at 11:36am PST Artist and physicist Matthew Mohr has created “As We Are” an amazing interactive sculpture of a 14 foot human head made of LED screen ribbons that contains a photo booth located behind in its neck. When a person gets a picture...

Portland, Oregon stop-motion animator Kevin Parry of LAIKA (The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings) has created an amusing new video where he demonstrates 50 different ways of sitting while on a chair. Back in June, he showed off 100 different types of walks while on a treadmill. Animator Demonstrates 100 Different Types of Walks...

Italian illustrator and architect Federico Babina has created “INKONICITY,” an animation and collection of creative illustrations that depict iconic imagery and sounds of various cities around the world. Prints of Babina’s artwork is available to purchase from Society6. A post shared by federico babina (@fbabina) on Dec 13, 2017 at 3:24pm PST A post shared...

Darren Dyk of Beyond Slow Motion captured wonderful slow motion footage of Brandon Laufer performing all sorts of monstrous Air Chair hydrofoil backflips. Steve-O Does a Fire-Breathing Backflip and Pops a Balloon Filled With Water in Slow MotionSuper Slow Motion Video of Two Paintballs Colliding in Mid-AirAn Air Balloon Popping Underwater in Slow Motion

Great Big Story went to Traverse City, Michigan to find out a bit more about K-9 Piper, a specially trained, hardworking border collie and his determined mission to clear birds such as geese, owls, crows and gulls from the runways of Cherry Capital Airport in order to prevent aircraft bird strikes. Piper’s human partner and...

The Star Wars films might have looked quite a bit different, if George Lucas stuck to the original concept drawings that Ralph McQuarrie produced in the early stages. Graduating students from the DAVE School (Digital Animation & Visual Effects School) decided to bring McQuarrie’s classic illustrations to life with an amazing trailer that they worked...

BMX and scooter rider Ryan Williams sat down to tell the story behind finally landing the world’s first backflip nothing front scooter flip, titled the “Free Willy.” The jaw dropping trick consisted of Williams doing a backflip while the scooter frontflipped in mid-air, before reconnecting on the ramp. After 2 years and 100 attempts, Ryan...

David Windestal of RCExplorer and a group of his friends took a 3,152 piece LEGO Star Wars Super Star Destroyer, strapped it to a rocket sled, let it rip, and watched as it exploded into a wall at 67 MPH. They captured all of the rocket powered mayhem in slow motion. via Digg A ‘Star...

On a hilarious episode of The Tonight Show, host Jimmy Fallon became a troubled teenage Charlie Brown while acting out a dark Riverdale parody of Peanuts. Jimmy Fallon’s “Riverdale” parody “Peanuts,” featuring cameos from KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Madelaine Petsch and Cole Sprouse. It’s Black Friday, Charlie BrownJimmy Fallon and Rashida Jones Sing...

Paramount Pictures has released a new trailer for Annihilation, an upcoming sci-fi action horror film directed by Alex Garland based on the book of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer. The thrilling trailer follows biologist Lena (Natalie Portman) as she sets out with a team to explore a plagued area, known as the shimmer, filled...

In November 2010, Megan, then fiancée (now wife) of Randall Munroe, the illustrator behind the brilliant webcomic xkcd, received the devastating diagnosis of stage III breast cancer. Throughout her eight months of treatment, xkcd posted several comics about the diagnosis, treatment options, T-Cells, gaining perspective, getting tattooed for radiation, and fear of looking too far...

A post shared by Jae Yong Kim (@jae_yong_kim_nyc) on Jul 29, 2017 at 6:05am PDT Sculptor Jae Yong Kim has created a whimsical line of rather scrumptious looking, brightly colored, Pop Art glazed donuts that look good enough to eat, yet it isn’t suggested. These very real looking sweets are handmade of ceramic, then painted...

An interesting BBC report on the hidden history of London reveals how hospital stretchers that were once used on the battlefields of World War II have since been recycled and put to use as yard railings around the city. Reporter Jim Wheble took a closer look at the railings, noting the curve of the handles...

A post shared by Joanna Hedrick (@joanna_hedrick) on Dec 3, 2017 at 7:36pm PST Joanna Hedrick, a photographer who works at California State State University at Sacramento and is student of philosophy, creates really wonderful ground designs using the leaves that fall from the plentiful gingko trees that line the campus. Using a rake to...

Kuma Films captured incredible footage of Sofie Dossi, a teenage contortionist and hand balancer who made it to the finals of America’s Got Talent, putting on a spectacular contortionist act with her self-taught skills. The amazing young lady also showed off how she can shoot a flaming arrow using her feet. A post shared by...

The very mischievous, ever-hungry and rather cunning Simon’s Cat hilariously put together a helpful animated guide to understanding the odd behaviors of a pet human. By citing such quirks as self-involvement, lack of sharing, wastefulness, keeping secrets and a fear of spiders, Simon’s Cat tacitly notes that his human is very high maintenance. What do...

Designers Sophy Wong and Kim Pimmel joined forces to create SelfieBot, a Rasberry Pi powered instant camera that comes equipped with a cute face and a fun personality. The two creatives shared their full DIY SelfieBot tutorial on the Adafruit Learning System and back in September they showed off their project at Seattle Mini Maker...

Google has released “Year In Search 2017,” their annual recap of the top search trends from around the world. We previously wrote about their annual recaps of 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013. Year In Search 2016, Google Takes a Look Back at Top Search Trends in the United StatesGoogle Zeitgeist 2013, The Year in Google...

“Thanks for the Stars” is a really lovely and befitting farewell by Alisa Stern‘s wonderful stop-motion puppet series “Doctor Puppet” (previously) to Peter Capaldi, the badass guitar-playing, sunglass-wearing Twelfth Incarnation of the beloved Doctor Who. Farewell Peter Capaldi, and thanks for everything you bought to Doctor Who. We will miss you! Just released a 12th...

TIMBER is an animated short film, created by Nils Hedinger, about a group of freezing logs who realize that their own bodies are the only fuel that they have for warmth. Things get out of control, when they begin sacrificing each other to the fire. via Vimeo Staff Picks The Inksect, A Short Film About...