February 9, 2008

Do the loco-motion with me.

Perepiteia. Thane Heins, who named his invention after a Greek word meaning an action that "has the opposite effect to that intended," has perhaps created a...perpetual motion machine. His 20-year obsession has broken up his marriage and lost him custody of his two young daughters. Contraption stumps MIT professor. Is it a hysteresis brake? Or a scam. YOU decide.
posted by wallstreet1929 at 8:54 PM PST - 76 comments

The Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year 2007

The Wikimedia Commons Picture(s) of the Year 2007.
posted by stbalbach at 6:42 PM PST - 45 comments

Test your national pride

Kick A Migrant!
posted by goo at 3:28 PM PST - 69 comments

InfraGard

The FBI Deputizes Business. "Today, more than 23,000 representatives of private industry are working quietly with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The members of this rapidly growing group, called InfraGard, receive secret warnings of terrorist threats before the public does—and, at least on one occasion, before elected officials. In return, they provide information to the government, which alarms the ACLU. But there may be more to it than that. One business executive, who showed me his InfraGard card, told me they have permission to 'shoot to kill' in the event of martial law."
posted by homunculus at 2:38 PM PST - 70 comments

"So find humor in that, and go ahead and put it in your review."

The King of Kong, continued. If you enjoyed "The King of Kong," check out the Onion AV Club's recent, impromptu, and insightful interview with Billy Mitchell. Also featured are responses by filmmakers Ed Cunningham and Seth Gordon.
posted by Monster_Zero at 1:35 PM PST - 49 comments

Bitlet: stream torrent music

Bitlet allows you to stream audio directly from a torrent.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 1:30 PM PST - 15 comments

Is the 2007 U.S. Sub-Prime Financial Crisis So Different?

Carmen Reinhart of the University of Maryland and Kenneth Rogoff of Harvard University have compared the recent US subprime mortgage crisis with five downturns in industrialized economies in the past 30 years in their brief paper, Is the 2007 U.S. Sub-Prime Financial Crisis So Different? (pdf). Their conclusion: “given the severity of most crisis indicators in the run-up to its 2007 financial crisis, the United States should consider itself quite fortunate if its downturn ends up being a relatively short and mild one.” Summarized, with some data and charts, here. Via.
posted by ibmcginty at 12:48 PM PST - 19 comments

Fear(less)

Why Real Men Don't Cry [YouTube] [more inside]
posted by hadjiboy at 12:25 PM PST - 81 comments

College Photographers of the Year 2007

College Photographers of the Year, 2007, and archive of past winners, 2001-2006.
posted by Rumple at 11:05 AM PST - 7 comments

Truck Bearing Kibble

Truck Bearing Kibble is an intricately illustrated web comic clearly inspired by Perry Bible Fellowship (previously), albeit with more pop culture references. I recommend it for fans of both PBF and Cyanide and Happiness. [more inside]
posted by spiderskull at 11:04 AM PST - 20 comments

"Hey, my Cheetah could paint that!"

Human artist or ape artist? Six paintings, six chances to show your expertise or just guess correctly. (Previously) Hint inside. [more inside]
posted by maudlin at 10:39 AM PST - 71 comments

photographs of wildlife

Wildlife Photographer of the Year
posted by Flashman at 3:48 AM PST - 15 comments

World Press Photo of the year 2007

World Press Photo of the year 2007. Category winners and runners up. (Some possibly NSFW)
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:22 AM PST - 16 comments

« Previous day | Next day »