Cracked consistently has some of the coolest articles, ever. This new one details some of the physically largest scientific undertakings of recent history. The Large Hadron Collider is there, amongst other monstrosities.
via Cracked
StreetScooter Electric Car Built Through Crowdsourcing
The StreetScooter is a new electric vehicle that is currently being tested for street use. It can go about 25 miles per trip, with a top speed of 74 mph. But the most interesting thing about this new vehicle is the manner by which it was designed and built.
The StreetScooter is being built in a very unusual way. Rather than being the product of one company, StreetScooter a cooperative venture of over 80 auto parts suppliers, engineering firms, and electronics companies. It does have a management team of sorts, but is designed around the Disruptive Network Approach to project management, which is meant to keep the project flexible and to provide ways to work around potential roadblocks. The companies involved are all subject matter experts, with each bringing their expertise and manufacturing capabilities to the project. By defining the car as a series of modules and requiring consistency only at the places where those modulars interface, the project is structured more along the lines of an open-source software project than a typical manufacturing process.
[Via Autoblog Green]
Peter Jackson Explains “Red Epic” 3D Camera Technology
Peter Jackson is shooting “The Hobbit” at 48 fps, in 3D. Here’s a video in which Jackson and crew explain the pros and cons of working with this awesome new technology:
Two 3D cameras need to be mounted at the same “interocular” (the inch-or-so distance between your eyes) which is impossible given the size of the Epic and its lenses. The team had to hire specialist firm 3ality to build a rig where one camera shoots the action and the other is pointed vertically at a mirror. Those who would love to shoot with an Epic should also beware that the cameras naturally desaturate the action to such an extent that the makeup, costume and set design teams have to over-color everything to look natural in post production.
[Via Engadget]
Woman’s Face Made of 500 Faces
Though the headline seems a bit serial-killerish, the actual result of artist clickflashwhirr’s portrait made up of 500 self portraits is creepy/awesome.
The digital composite was done by Tiemen Rapati, who explains he “simply [counted] the individual RGB values for each pixel and for each portrait, and [divided] those values by the number of portraits.” The result is a slightly hazy, easy on the eyes, year-plus amalgamation of a woman. It’s dreamlike, but unsettling to think the face we’re looking at here never really existed.
Indeed.
via Gizmodo
LED Pillow Light Cover
Sweeeeeeet. I want that for an outfit, though.
Luminube is a pillow cover with integrated LED lights that provide ambient light for reading, easing you to sleep, or even waking you up with its smartphone controlled timer. If only I had this when I was a kid… it would’ve been a lot easier going to sleep when I was afraid of the dark!
Darth Vader Befriends Superhero Grandpa [Picture Gallery]
We’ve already featured the work of Sacha Goldberger here on [GAS] in the past, and now, Sacha is back with another amazing photo set featuring everyone’s favorite dark lord of the Sith befriending a superhero grandpa named Dark Papouka.
[Sacha Goldberger | Via OW]
Working Model of Stephenson’s Steam Engine made of Glass [Video]
This Model of Stephenson’s Steam Engine was made in 2008 by master glassblower Michal Zahradník.
The crankshaft is glass. The piston is glass. The counterweight that makes the wheel spin evenly is glass. Imagine that everything is made out of glass. There are no sealants used. All is accomplished by a perfectly snug fit. The gap between the piston and its compartment is so small that the water that condensates from the steam seals it shut! Notice the elaborate excessive steam exhaust system next to the piston. The piston is the most arduous part to make due to to extreme level of precision needed. Its parts have to be so accurate that no machinery is of use here. The piston and its cylinder must be hand sanded to perfection, and they are very likely to crack in the process! On average, three out of four crack.
[Youtube]
“Boilerplate” Movie Coming Soon
I don’t really go to the movies that often anymore, but if this thing actually makes it all the way through production, which it looks like it will (it’s got JJ Abrams producing) then I will totally shell out $10 to see it. Even if it apparently has unknown (crappy?) writers.
The graphic novel follows the eventful life of Victorian era robot Boilerplate, who fought alongside Teddy Roosevelt and Lawrence of Arabia, met Mark Twain, traveled to the South Pole, worked in the movie industry, and went on many other badass adventures which totally happened for real you guys.
[Via Gamma Squad]