One of the hardest things for people to understand about the universe is just how big it is. There are three approaches typically used in describing its size. The first, the song, was pioneered by Monty Python (NSFWish, wireframe of naked woman) and then done just as masterfully by the Animaniacs. The second, the zoom method has been featured twice before here on the blue. The third method is the comparison method (skip to 1:30, unless you like looking at a image of the solar system with terrible distorted orbits), yielding some truly beautiful videos (this one found via the fantastic Bad Astronomy blog). These videos go, at most, as far as looking at the local cluster or the Virgo Supercluster. There are two videos that attempt to show the size of the entire universe, one unsuccessfully (although with great music) and one successfully. (Warning, all links except the first one, are to YT videos). [more inside]
posted by Hactar on Jul 1, 2009 - 74 comments

Britney Spears loves Japan for its tiny cars. Tiny cars are huge in Japan. But Americans are not very big on very small cars. Nonetheless, automakers may bring tiny microcars to the U.S.. The trick will be making money on smaller cars. Small cars are nothing new, but soon they may be cool.
posted by twoleftfeet on Dec 17, 2008 - 98 comments

Each week, a decorated matchbox with a tiny present hidden inside is left by a girl (and sometimes willing friends) somewhere in her travels.
posted by Fiasco da Gama on Dec 2, 2008 - 16 comments

Composer Max Richter's newest work, 24 Postcards in Full Colour, is a series of ringtones.
posted by 1f2frfbf on Nov 18, 2008 - 6 comments

Still a small world The 34th Small World Photomicography Competition is allowing visitors to pick their favorites among this years' top entries. Previous years were here and here.
posted by jenkinsEar on Oct 1, 2008 - 5 comments

Tiny Houses - Design Boom compiles a nice list of tiny residences around the world.
posted by dobbs on Aug 31, 2008 - 25 comments

No to the skinny platform!
posted by Armitage Shanks on Jan 4, 2008 - 128 comments

Better living through Smallistry at Smallist. Gadgets, spaces, beverages, fetishes: ultra-niche blogging at its finest. [via mefi projects]
posted by cortex on Mar 24, 2007 - 19 comments

Living small in the city: The smallest, coolest apartment contest results. Out of the city: the Micro Compact Home.
posted by nickyskye on Mar 18, 2007 - 29 comments

Tiny animals look especially tiny when perched on fingers. From mefi's own specklet.
posted by dersins on Aug 10, 2006 - 35 comments

"In the reign of Harad IV there lived at court a maker of miniatures, who was celebrated for the uncanny perfection of his work. Not only were the objects of his strenuous art pleasing to look at but the pleasure and astonishment increased as the observer, bending closer, saw that a passionate care had been lavished on the smallest and least visible details. It was said that no matter how closely you examined one of the Master’s little pieces you always discovered some further wonder." [via]
posted by jessamyn on Jul 13, 2006 - 17 comments

The art of Willard Wiggan is the world's smallest art.
posted by walljm on Jun 23, 2006 - 23 comments

High petrol prices force smaller cars - Not sure if this is serious or a photoshop trick. It looks good, and may be real: The mini community has a long history of making "shortys".
posted by SharQ on Sep 1, 2005 - 33 comments

ASmallWorld is a very exclusive world, where participants seek advice on where to charter a private jet for a single person and use 'summer' as a verb. This invite-only website for the well-connected, famous, or just stinking rich has an alternate however. When an aSmallWorld member is no longer welcome, they are unceremoniously dumped to a less restricted set of forums called aBigWorld. I don't expect to get an invite anytime soon, so I can't tell you of their Illuminati-like plans to keep their lofty power. (via1, via2)
posted by Kickstart70 on Aug 12, 2005 - 45 comments

Small Town Papers. Searchable, digitized archives of small town newspapers.
posted by Jimbob on Jun 15, 2005 - 7 comments

The Collier Classification System for Very Small Objects. By the Collier taxonomy, this bugger, which I just pulled from my heel, would be an onlipart shosolattach tanpointisharpanilik. [via]
posted by Tufa on May 27, 2005 - 15 comments

Zepto science Scientists have developed a device able to measure the weight of a single cell, and they intend to weigh a virus next.
posted by mcgraw on Apr 7, 2004 - 4 comments

The Coolest Book You Didn't Know You Needed. Do you have one?
posted by ZenMasterThis on Mar 26, 2004 - 19 comments

Nice Whisk(e)y: Shame About The Size! Behold a wonderful, almost infinitely explorable repository of miniature bottles of whisk(e)y; a Japanese one-guy Smithsonian that's quite probably the only resort for those looking for labels of ancient and/or abandoned delights. American straight whiskey fanatics (like me) will be specially surprised. Worth exploring, though exploration isn't easy: it's full of unexpected riches, but never easily had. [Previously offered in the course of a classic languagehat post.]
posted by MiguelCardoso on Mar 10, 2004 - 9 comments

The miniatures of Angie Scarr are astonishingly lifelike, and heartbreakingly charming. Instructions are provided for the nimble-fingered. Of course there's small, and then there's small, and then there's small, and then there's small, and then there's really, really small.
posted by e.e. coli on Aug 1, 2003 - 6 comments

Between Wellstone and Veblen, I got to thinking about my alma mater. There are a few others, off the top of my head, that this tiny, out-of-the way school can lay claim to. How many other prodigal children come from small colleges? Kofi is one, from another small Minnesota college. Who else? Schools with more than 2,500 students need not apply.
posted by RKB on Oct 30, 2002 - 18 comments

Small house, big ambitions. I've always lived in small houses and flats so this would be the perfect little place for me. As people are progressively continuing to stay single for longer into their lives, are homes like these what they'd be looking for to settle into?
posted by feelinglistless on Sep 28, 2002 - 23 comments

Guimp.com claims to be the world's smallest web site. And it probably is.
Jakob must be spinning in his crypt.
You don't have to scroll, though.
posted by Su on May 27, 2002 - 17 comments

Goliath lost. This and other pro-small billboards are popping up in downtown Atlanta. No doubt they have cousins (little ones, I'm sure) springing up in your cities. I couldn't believe my eyes, because the billboards seemed to be promoting the ever-so-British Mini Cooper.

The Mini is... well... just like it says, the veritable opposite of the stereotypical American SUV. Yes, it is the type of car Mr Bean would drive. But when you see them in their natural Anglo habitat, you can't help but notice they're just perfectly suited to zipping to and from wherever. The site lets you find a dealer, build your own Mini and save it for future reference. The catch is that you have to fill out an opt-in form, but with lines like this as part of your agreement, how could you resist?

"- I agree to chase squirrels around the park now and then and giggle like a madman while doing it."

Yeah. I want one. But will the American public?
posted by grabbingsand on Mar 14, 2002 - 77 comments