Sunday, May 26, 2013

End World Hunger with 3-D Printed Food


Anjan Contractor’s 3D food printer might evoke visions of the “replicator” popularized in Star Trek, from which Captain Picard was constantly interrupting himself to order tea. And indeed Contractor’s company, Systems & Materials Research Corporation, just got a six month, $125,000 grant from NASA to create a prototype of his universal food synthesizer.

But Contractor, a mechanical engineer with a background in 3D printing, envisions a much more mundane—and ultimately more important—use for the technology. He sees a day when every kitchen has a 3D printer, and the earth’s 12 billion people feed themselves customized, nutritionally-appropriate meals synthesized one layer at a time, from cartridges of powder and oils they buy at the corner grocery store. Contractor’s vision would mean the end of food waste, because the powder his system will use is shelf-stable for up to 30 years, so that each cartridge, whether it contains sugars, complex carbohydrates, protein or some other basic building block, would be fully exhausted before being returned to the store.

Ubiquitous food synthesizers would also create new ways of producing the basic calories on which we all rely. Since a powder is a powder, the inputs could be anything that contain the right organic molecules. We already know that eating meat is environmentally unsustainable, so why not get all our protein from insects?

If eating something spat out by the same kind of 3D printers that are currently being used to make everything from jet engine parts to fine art doesn’t sound too appetizing, that’s only because you can currently afford the good stuff, says Contractor. That might not be the case once the world’s population reaches its peak size, probably sometime near the end of this century.

“I think, and many economists think, that current food systems can’t supply 12 billion people sufficiently,” says Contractor. “So we eventually have to change our perception of what we see as food.”

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Adorable Lion Hat for Cats




Creative hat designed for cats and small dogs will transform your favorite pet into a fearless lion. Handmade by Nestasnest, unique Lion Hat makes a great pet costume. Made of synthetic fur, plush felt, and soft cotton. Side flaps are connected using Velcro fasteners under the chin. Easy to put on and remove.

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Saturday, May 25, 2013

What happen with Strax answers questions from children?



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Incredible Cosplay of Merida from Brave





With all the controversy over Disney's recent choices with Merida, here's some good news!
15 year old Angela is something of a cosplay wunderkind as far as I am concerned. Angela's works are simply breathtaking, especially her Merida. Her tutorials can be found here, and various photographs of this and other designs are all over her previously mentioned web spaces.

Angela, you kick ass. Merida would be very proud, indeed.

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Friday, May 24, 2013

Creative "Love Hurts" Kit to fix your broken heart








Based in New York, Melanie Chernock has created a survival kit “Love Hurts Packaging”, containing all the elements necessary to recover from a breakup. With a simple and successful visual identity, discover this project with handkerchiefs, chocolate or vodka in following in images

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Monday, May 20, 2013

How far would you go to get a job? Interesting job seekers window display


Unemployment in Europe has recently hit record highs, and although Denmark has been shielded from the eurozone’s economic problems thanks to its low public debt, qualified professionals are still finding it tough to get a job. Danish marketing firm Reputation Copenhagen has come up with an ingenious way of helping academics get noticed – putting them on display in storefront windows.

Many highly-trained professionals, ranging from former CEOs to lawyers and tax experts are currently finding it increasingly difficult to find decent employment on the Danish job market. Some of them have been trying for years, leaving their resumes with dozens of companies, without ever hearing back from them, and are now at a point where they are willing to try anything. Even putting themselves in display windows like mannequins, hoping to get noticed by someone in need of their services. Alexander Peitersen, managing director of Reputation Copenhagen came up with the idea of using his company’s office as a storefront for the campaign, as there are many businesses nearby that might be interested in the talent on display. So he set up a small desk, put up the “an available academic is sitting here” sign, and asked the unemployed to just sit in the windows like merchandise. It seems like a pretty desperate measure, but at least it works; according to the agency’s website 3 of the job-seekers in their window display got a job in a day or two.

“I’m willing to try anything,” Hannibal Camel Holt, an unemployed political scientist, told the Wall Street Journal. Despite his qualifications and speaking six languages, he has been looking for work on and off for the last four years. ”I feel like a monkey…in a cage as people walk by and just stare at me,” the former tax ministry employee said while working at his desk and occasionally glancing at passersby hoping for a positive reaction. The ingenious campaign has proven a hit with both unemployed professionals and headhunters, so Reputation Copenhagen has extended the two-week run, to keep up with demand. Company representatives or business professionals interested in the academics on display can scan a QR code to watch a presentation of the person sitting behind the glass, check out their LinkedIn profile or come inside and have a talk with them.

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Now you can go to the same school as a Time Lord


This is absolutely the most brilliant university ad that has ever been created. It’s for the University of East Anglia which just happens to be Matt Smith’s alma mater. He studied drama and creative writing there, graduating back in 2005. They have a pretty impressive list of graduates, but I think graduating a Time Lord really does have all the others beat.

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A message to all you graduates out there


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Make Sparkle Skirt with Flora Motion Sensor



Becky Stern of Adafruit has created a motion-activated sparkle skirt using 12 color-changing LEDs and a Flora board. Stern explains the entire process in this video, and step-by-step instructions are available at Adafruit.

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Sunday, May 19, 2013

The End of World Nutella Day


Sara Rosso loves Nutella. In fact, she loved it so much that seven years ago, the hazelnut chocolate spread superfan founded World Nutella Day, a celebration of all things Nutella.

Over the years, the event grew from a few food bloggers posting recipes to thousands of participants Tweeting, pinning recipes on Pinterest, making songs, poems, and short films.

It's not surprising, because, as you know, yummy Nutella goes with everything. Well, almost everything. There's one thing that doesn't mix well with Nutella and its fans: lawyers.

Sara Rosso wrote on World Nutella Day's website:

On May 25, 2013, I’ll be darkening the World Nutella Day site, nutelladay.com, and all social media presence (Facebook, Twitter), in compliance with a cease-and-desist I received from lawyers representing Ferrero, SpA (makers of Nutella).

Seven years after the first World Nutella Day in 2007, I never thought the idea of dedicating a day to come together for the love of a certain hazelnut spread would be embraced by so many people! I’ve seen the event grow from a few hundred food bloggers posting recipes to thousands of people Tweeting about it, pinning recipes on Pinterest, and posting their own contributions on Facebook! There have been songs sung about it, short films created for it, poems written for it, recipes tested for it, and photos taken for it.

The cease-and-desist letter was a bit of a surprise and a disappointment, as over the years I’ve had contact and positive experiences with several employees of Ferrero, SpA., and with their public relations and brand strategy consultants, and I’ve always tried to collaborate and work together in the spirit and goodwill of a fan-run celebration of a spread I (to this day) still eat.

I have hope that this is not a goodbye to World Nutella Day forever, for the fans’ sake, and hopefully it will live on in one form or another in the future.

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Saturday, May 11, 2013

Nathan Fillion stabs Link and steals Zelda


Here’s a picture of Nathan Fillion being, well, Nathan Fillion. He also happens to be stabbing Link while holding a very happy Zelda in his arms. This is silly because, in reality, Zelda would have stabbed Link herself and jumped into Nathan’s arms all on her own.

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Little Weeping Angel Cosplay


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Beautiful and Realistic Pokemon Ballet



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Scientific Seven-Minutes Workout

Exercise science is a fine and intellectually fascinating thing. But sometimes you just want someone to lay out guidelines for how to put the newest fitness research into practice.

“There’s very good evidence” that high-intensity interval training provides “many of the fitness benefits of prolonged endurance training but in much less time,” says Chris Jordan, the director of exercise physiology at the Human Performance Institute in Orlando, Fla., and co-author of the new article.

Work by scientists at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and other institutions shows, for instance, that even a few minutes of training at an intensity approaching your maximum capacity produces molecular changes within muscles comparable to those of several hours of running or bike riding.

Interval training, though, requires intervals; the extremely intense activity must be intermingled with brief periods of recovery. In the program outlined by Mr. Jordan and his colleagues, this recovery is provided in part by a 10-second rest between exercises. But even more, he says, it’s accomplished by alternating an exercise that emphasizes the large muscles in the upper body with those in the lower body. During the intermezzo, the unexercised muscles have a moment to, metaphorically, catch their breath, which makes the order of the exercises important.

The exercises should be performed in rapid succession, allowing 30 seconds for each, while, throughout, the intensity hovers at about an 8 on a discomfort scale of 1 to 10, Mr. Jordan says. Those seven minutes should be, in a word, unpleasant. The upside is, after seven minutes, you’re done.

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It's the 1000th post! Let's celebrate this with magical sushi cats!!








Listen guys, Sushi Cats exist. Because is there really anything cuter than kitties hangin’ out on beds of rice? Naw, man!

Sushi Cats are the photographic brainchild of Japanese company Tange & Nakimushi Peanuts, featuring furballs dressed up in tasty accessories like lobster and pickles and, of course the inedible, bonnets and ping pong paddles.

But here’s the burning question: Why is there so much attention on cats looking like sushi? Get this– “the cats are a magical and historical creature that have been influencing humans since the beginning of time” (debatable).

Whether you’re a fan of these cute nuggets or not, I think we can all agree the photo creations are quite magical.

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Sunday, May 5, 2013

Doctor and Clara Lunch Box and a really cool theory involving Rose Tyler



Read here

Wil Wheaton's message to a newborn girl. You find the things that you love and you love them the most that you can.



During a talk at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo on April 27th, audience member Jennifer Black asked professional nerd Wil Wheaton to explain to her newborn daughter Violet why being a nerd is so awesome. Jennifer captured Wil’s inspiring answer on film for herself and others around the world to enjoy and pass on to their children.

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Saturday, May 4, 2013

Adorable UP House Cosplay


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Victorian Supergirl Cosplay


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Yoga and meditation may change your genetics instantly



Researchers may have a new clue as to what’s behind the feelings of well-being that come with activities like yoga or guided meditation. A new study shows that these forms of practiced relaxation have the potential to change which genes a person is expressing almost instantaneously. One yoga session is not going to alter your genetic structure and turn you into a superhuman, of course, but it could influence the function of genes associated with metabolism and immune system function in a hot second, which, really, is weird and surprising enough for our tastes.

Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center took multiple blood samples from a small group of test subjects who had little prior experience with relaxation practices. Comparing over 22,000 different genes at points when subjects were going about their normal day to when they were practicing relaxation, the team found that blood samples taken during relaxation indicated increased activity in genes that regulate energy metabolism, while gene pathways that regulate inflammation and stress at a cellular level were suppressed. That’s not concrete proof, but it does make one suspect that the benefits of meditation are more than just blowing off some steam and taking a moment to yourself.

While this isn’t yet proof that meditation can change gene expression — lots of further study will be needed to demonstrate that convincingly — it’s a pretty intriguing indicator that the physical benefits of just taking a step back and a couple of deep breaths could go right down to our DNA.

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NASA found a planet similar to 'Gallifrey', homeworld of Doctor Who and Time Lords!



In news that's sure to excite everyone except people who aren't super into Doctor Who, astronomers have just announced the discovery of a planet very similar to Gallifrey, the home world of Doctor Who and the Time Lords.

According to an article in the Register, NASA came across what it calls a “transiting circumbinary multi-planet system” – in layman’s speak, “two worlds orbiting two suns” – using its Kepler planet-hunting telescope, and the Register likens to “Doctor Who’s Time Lord homeworld [of] Gallifrey – or alternatively the luxury-planet-builders’ planet Magrathea [from] The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy”!

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I found him!


Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts Flavored Vodka


It seems as though we just can’t get enough of these breakfast flavored vodkas. Literally days after we introduced you to the Mama Walker’s Breakfast Liqueurs, Kellog’s decided it was time to unveil their Pop-Tarts Vodka.

That’s right, an entire range of vodka dedicated to our favorite morning treat. As if the news of the Pop-Tarts ice cream sandwich wasn’t exciting enough for fans of the popular toaster pastry, we now have the option to indulge on 3 different flavors of 80-proof Pop-Tarts vodka. Kellog’s will roll out three classic flavors including Strawberry, S’mores, and the above pictured Brown Sugar Cinnamon. The company has been prepping this line for years at their headquarters, and have plans to roll out 3 new flavors every year. We were saddened to find out this was simply an April Fools joke by Table to Grave, but figured this post could spark some thought.

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