Friday Links!
We have a very strong assortment of links this week to start off your holiday season (or just end your work week). Let's get started.Leading off this week, a wonderful, wonderful profile of Shigeru Miyamoto in The New Yorker.
Yes, this is one of the most brilliant things ever: duplicating the Antikythera Mechanism --with Legos.
Here's another story with a mention of Stuxnet, but apparently, much more is going on: The Shadow War.
Matt Sakey's excellent Culture Clash has a new installment, and this time, he takes on Adobe.
This is an incredibly cool "turntable", but I'm going to have to quote the description to explain it:
...what you're looking at is a box filled with specially-angled Arduino Pro Mini boards constantly searching for RFID tags on top, and a set of cards each with two RFID tags, with each tag representing one song. When you drop one on the turntable, it begins playing within a second, thanks to the clever array of Arduinos underneath, and you and your High Fidelity soulmate can leave multiple cards on the table to create an impromptu mixtape, or, presumably, flip one of the "cassettes" to play Side B.
Technology and cleverness. Yay.
Also amazing: watch an entire hemisphere of the sun explode. Here's more, from Tim Lesnick.
From The Edwin Garcia Links Machine, a tremendous cover by accoustic group Túcan--
of Daft Punk. This is a very, very fun listen.
From John D'Angelo, a fantastic image of the moon rising through the shadow of a volcano.
From Sirius, a fascinating article on White Nose Syndrom, a fungal infection which has killed millions of bats. Next, and this is quite bizarre, a hornet that can "harvest" solar energy. Solar panels on its abdomen, more or less. Also, and hold on to your hat, there's this: scientists create computer-programmable bacteria.
From Michael M., and this video will blow your mind, a video of SawStop technology, and it's remarkable (and just what you think it would be based on the name).
From Jonathan Arnold, and this is both interesting and tremendously depressing, it's A Map of American Slavery.
From George Politis, some quite magnificent videos of Space Shuttle launches.
Here's another link that's so surreal I have to quote the description:
In 1973, the Navy made a 20-minute animated movie warning sailors -- in graphic detail -- about the dangers of venereal disease. The plot: The annual Communicable Disease of the Year Awards sees a huge upset when Venereal Disease, represented by the syphilis-carrying Count Spirochete, wins the coveted Fourth Horseman award over diphtheria and smallpox.
It's such an upset, in fact, that the host must explain in great, cringe-worthy detail, the history, science and symptoms of syphilis. Think lots of tiny horned devils stabbing mucus membranes with their pitchforks.
Wow. And you can watch the whole movie here.
From Andrew B, and this shouldn't be missed:
the KISS versus Doctor Doom comic book.
Don Barree sent in a terrific article that explains how holographic imaging is being used in architecture.
From Michael Clayton, and this is pretty wonderful: caterpillars can whistle.
Brett Barksdale sent in a link to a fascinating story about board game designer Brenda Brathwaitet, who designs one-of-a-kind board games that are both disturbing and exceptional.
From Kevin W, and this is awesome: Rockets Of The World.
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