Vortex Cannon : SLYT "Jem Stansfield builds a vortex cannon to pick up where the big bad wolf failed to blow over a house of brick." More details at the BBC.
posted by bwg on Aug 2, 2009 - 43 comments

Pickering and the Female Computers. In 1881, Edward Pickering, the director of the Harvard College Observatory, became so impatient with a male lab assistant’s work that he famously declared his maid could do a better job. Rather than take offense, his 24-year-old maid, Williamina Fleming, instead took him up on the offer. She ended up working at the Observatory for the next 30 years, supervising the tedious work of cataloging photographic plates, but also discovering variable stars and novae, helping to develop a classification system—and, perhaps even more importantly, hiring nearly 40 female assistants, many of whom went on to have distinguished scientific careers. [more inside]
posted by mothershock on Sep 20, 2008 - 27 comments

Kitten Cannon (flash). Exactly what it says.
posted by blue_beetle on Nov 6, 2007 - 38 comments

Hail Cannons look awesome. They've apparently been around for along time, but they occasionally annoy the neighbors. Can we wipe out hail in our lifetimes?
posted by mattbucher on Jun 15, 2006 - 20 comments

Friday insanity: "We are no longer going to be the band that plays old game tunes. We are going to be the band that plays old game tunes on game controllers!" [23Mb DivX, explanation]. Witness Commodore 64 revival band Press Play On Tape playing Cannon Fodder using a bunch of game console controllers. War has never been so much fun.
posted by hoverboards don't work on water on May 5, 2006 - 9 comments

Howe & Ser Moving Company has completed its latest job: moving a Spanish-American War cannon from the pits of Pasadena, CA to sunny Cambridge, MA. The cannon arrived with one addition: a giant Brass Rat, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology class ring. In the past, the cannon graced the front yard of Caltech and took a brief vacation to Harvey Mudd College.
Last year, students from Caltech attempted to start a hacking war with MIT, with little response. This small delivery has drastically changed the score. More pictures.
posted by breath on Apr 6, 2006 - 37 comments

This weekend in Millsboro, Delaware is the 16th annual Punkin Chunkin World Championships, in which pumpkins are propelled distances approaching a mile from old-style catapults and huge air cannons. Anyone else going?
posted by donkeymon on Nov 3, 2001 - 6 comments

Giant Flaming Gerbil Shooter [from memepool] Three words: Oh. My. God.
posted by plinth on Aug 1, 2000 - 3 comments

Sure, spud guns have been done, but sometimes we need reminders of the awesome power of a flying tuber. I prefer this design, as it is powered by compressed air, whereas a buddy of mine just finished a device he calls "The Judge" powered by Acetylene and O2.
posted by plinth on Jun 15, 2000 - 7 comments