tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27663942030875469682024-03-19T09:20:36.508+00:00Ant BlogUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-76381001462818979722012-10-21T09:48:00.002+01:002012-10-21T10:31:39.604+01:00#163; Pigeons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Anyone who's had the, er, pleasure of reading my <a href="http://anthony-lewis.com/Content/A%20lewis%20FHS%20Project%20small%20file.pdf" target="_blank">undergraduate research project on pigeon navigation </a>using miniature on-board cameras will see why this (below) is so interesting. In the project, I wrote of "recent technological advances". Er, perhaps <a href="http://publicdomainreview.org/2011/08/09/dr-julius-neubronners-miniature-pigeon-camera/" target="_blank">not so recent after all</a>...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFL_A497mvI9S-JO-j7WlbWDkfnjt9EdanLY6WLbfrld3qN41-QmKK1D3V7B7DSiIK0GnWjja4K93EOkoWyEWEmSecDzDyQccTeH52HwhbuzDxoU4PtqRTQIGaYGwvhbF04f3U5_x81U/s1600/Julius_Neubronner_with_pigeon_and_camera_1914.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFL_A497mvI9S-JO-j7WlbWDkfnjt9EdanLY6WLbfrld3qN41-QmKK1D3V7B7DSiIK0GnWjja4K93EOkoWyEWEmSecDzDyQccTeH52HwhbuzDxoU4PtqRTQIGaYGwvhbF04f3U5_x81U/s320/Julius_Neubronner_with_pigeon_and_camera_1914.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeGKc4ejPqU6bwq9tE5-5Oh6Wi3D80C7rkOq-JGkAM_Biegvq4SlPtsakD20NPbxKiGQ521JLI0DbOYFQ876n6YuF_eAIZjy3s9TirPhpMhboUf-oqqtSsp0nuRywuWUnDFdyN8VCNFQ/s1600/449px-Dr_Julius_Neubronner_patented_a_miniature_pigeon_camera_activated_by_a_timing_mechanism%252C_1903.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeGKc4ejPqU6bwq9tE5-5Oh6Wi3D80C7rkOq-JGkAM_Biegvq4SlPtsakD20NPbxKiGQ521JLI0DbOYFQ876n6YuF_eAIZjy3s9TirPhpMhboUf-oqqtSsp0nuRywuWUnDFdyN8VCNFQ/s320/449px-Dr_Julius_Neubronner_patented_a_miniature_pigeon_camera_activated_by_a_timing_mechanism%252C_1903.jpeg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ25EnUiKczPcTN31EWN0gFPUUXxOCoNwyozQy6MTJuvwYxvrN74ByPPPh1gZ5kx4PXJNc80GinWe85ZtjCPdaKENuYDIg9ZGEDXt5q59lvxsNaEIvJiwM3tIt0Ag-KxruPgy9_DfiBgE/s1600/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-R01996%252C_Brieftaube_mit_Fotokamera_cropped.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ25EnUiKczPcTN31EWN0gFPUUXxOCoNwyozQy6MTJuvwYxvrN74ByPPPh1gZ5kx4PXJNc80GinWe85ZtjCPdaKENuYDIg9ZGEDXt5q59lvxsNaEIvJiwM3tIt0Ag-KxruPgy9_DfiBgE/s320/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-R01996%252C_Brieftaube_mit_Fotokamera_cropped.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxJvVcaa5572rNJOhygwU6rmaJkb157HYHEkoYjj5yVga2d0BcKaVIKyuww_g6wMycPUm6kw2mBusj6Bpw5jQ1BELBjUC2ptEN4dLN9-ZTqOt5-j9TCRul0PyivhkWLOdPHEvjyNYiWQ/s1600/800px-Pigeon_wingtips.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxJvVcaa5572rNJOhygwU6rmaJkb157HYHEkoYjj5yVga2d0BcKaVIKyuww_g6wMycPUm6kw2mBusj6Bpw5jQ1BELBjUC2ptEN4dLN9-ZTqOt5-j9TCRul0PyivhkWLOdPHEvjyNYiWQ/s320/800px-Pigeon_wingtips.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
and now...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFEg4Dgx71tTeOb4kfRzLvuiAczb8ObvJvdEno9BpJAqkVTaYe6DCXO0nHNcEwalMV9NDXmPPvgqsABronpyqOqpv1NkUJ70u-M74mILmVi_l_QMFeIUxGHqVHI2O5gdGX9z83HM-_2k/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-10-21+at+09.46.54.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFEg4Dgx71tTeOb4kfRzLvuiAczb8ObvJvdEno9BpJAqkVTaYe6DCXO0nHNcEwalMV9NDXmPPvgqsABronpyqOqpv1NkUJ70u-M74mILmVi_l_QMFeIUxGHqVHI2O5gdGX9z83HM-_2k/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-10-21+at+09.46.54.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-49893027167506585212012-08-27T17:56:00.000+01:002012-08-27T17:56:29.592+01:00#162; Mechanical BiologyOur mechanical biology - I love Fritz Kahn's illustrations of the body as an industrialised world. <a href="http://socks-studio.com/2012/08/24/fritz-kahn-human-body-as-an-industrialized-world/" target="_blank">Click here for tons more</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxd8x3Deha-K4TkB5jKHZJXQbho7hYoWeiSGiNOBcVwXhLROJX1Eh2BBNmrJbWZuI_MsJ2x3IYpTVxiwD6TsrlErRkO9GQ33XKhTkR2wr_XLO2vVwf6ZD8oA7R8_h6xktGjsKdp_cZtU/s1600/fritzkahn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxd8x3Deha-K4TkB5jKHZJXQbho7hYoWeiSGiNOBcVwXhLROJX1Eh2BBNmrJbWZuI_MsJ2x3IYpTVxiwD6TsrlErRkO9GQ33XKhTkR2wr_XLO2vVwf6ZD8oA7R8_h6xktGjsKdp_cZtU/s400/fritzkahn.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://thosewhomake.com/" target="_blank">Those Who Make</a> is a curated list of videos showcasing people who do and make things. Lovely.</div>
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<a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/08/hear-all-ye-people-hearken-o-earth/" target="_blank">Can fonts make you more trustworthy</a>? Very interesting experiment by Errol Morris in the New York Times. Times readers answered a quiz written in one of six different fonts, to see whether the font a passage is displayed in can make it seem more or less believable. I wonder if there's been any more substantial, "real" research into this?</div>
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If you're looking for some nuggets of interest, take a look through <a href="http://video.pbs.org/program/off-book/" target="_blank">PBS' Off Book</a> series on everything from typography to microscopy to glitch art.</div>
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<a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/08/neil-armstrong-panorama/" target="_blank">Stand on the moon with Armstrong. Go full screen. Surreal.</a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-88012276382971586892012-06-28T21:03:00.002+01:002012-06-28T21:03:51.572+01:00#161;The evolution of evolution - these images chart the development of Darwin's <i>On the Origin of Species </i>as he published updated editions<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiL5BJNuyqjMpI8Gqsh6sci8wro2tXQGCnHn8kTLyYs89oczO5nXVWPVoJs-bk35Be9ec1Gso6F1y7WvhqjbPqnt2JcSfao7MFE8VL8ZqT6Q41wd7drnoqrrhEcluC0C2hyphenhyphenaO9l2A55po/s1600/darwin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiL5BJNuyqjMpI8Gqsh6sci8wro2tXQGCnHn8kTLyYs89oczO5nXVWPVoJs-bk35Be9ec1Gso6F1y7WvhqjbPqnt2JcSfao7MFE8VL8ZqT6Q41wd7drnoqrrhEcluC0C2hyphenhyphenaO9l2A55po/s1600/darwin.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/06/26/talk-to-me-moma-paola-antonelli-book/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">via</span></a></div>
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Code Club - I wish there had been something like this while I was at school... and someone to force me to join...<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FxhGIajRsq4" width="560"></iframe><br />
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And two just for fun:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ewP7dCsBD4bIm0-jcelPFwDYPM8CzrIMhmeWak425xxJhlAo2Io9bCUOLr5fp1Exm_kUTnEK-DvigS_-8CTcQyaFFsdHHORWPCnt4-Mhq-32-76FMTWR8cEfwdgNryc5QVjpAhk9bgw/s1600/tumblr_m5ohv2cgAH1qb2cg0o1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ewP7dCsBD4bIm0-jcelPFwDYPM8CzrIMhmeWak425xxJhlAo2Io9bCUOLr5fp1Exm_kUTnEK-DvigS_-8CTcQyaFFsdHHORWPCnt4-Mhq-32-76FMTWR8cEfwdgNryc5QVjpAhk9bgw/s320/tumblr_m5ohv2cgAH1qb2cg0o1_500.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://curiositycounts.com/post/25311044677/absolutely-delightful-muppet-themed-alphabet" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">via</span></a></div>
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and animation anatomy:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyKfiKhGU2RyE2_ULGhkYKPqz-EtaATO4ux-wt_bcKpW0R1PmpwfHK8edPyL-dZdQtG1nhJM2CTWpcsOQGxdQMdN86wRvd5TBwxk3-SCromV4w7hjPMG6GEj1MDWXARgftReIKqasc1SU/s1600/021_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyKfiKhGU2RyE2_ULGhkYKPqz-EtaATO4ux-wt_bcKpW0R1PmpwfHK8edPyL-dZdQtG1nhJM2CTWpcsOQGxdQMdN86wRvd5TBwxk3-SCromV4w7hjPMG6GEj1MDWXARgftReIKqasc1SU/s320/021_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/post/25810451707/chazmcintyre-animatus-is-the-name-of-a-series" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">via</span></a></div>
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This week's long(ish)form articles:</div>
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<a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/featured-story/428150/what-facebook-knows/" target="_blank">What Facebook Knows</a> - There's no shortage of paranoia and fear-mongering (not that those fears are necessarily unfounded) about Facebook's data collection habits, but this is a very interesting insight into what they're trying to do with it.</div>
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<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/26/AR2005042601144_pf.html" target="_blank">Snowbound</a> - a surprisingly touching account of a trip to Savoonga: the community at the end of the earth, struggling with very modern issues of depression and identity-crisis.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-48710470659160802222012-06-06T22:11:00.001+01:002012-06-06T22:11:42.766+01:00#160; Fishing and measuringNice visual explanation of overfishing. I mostly like the animation style, but the part about the (in)efficiency of fish farms is particularly interesting:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/42619545" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://flowingdata.com/2012/06/06/overfishing-visually-explained/" target="_blank">Via Flowing data, which also has the more dramatic "story of sushi"</a></span><br />
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Absolutely unbelievable wildlife footage. More at the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/LouieSchwartzberg?feature=watch" target="_blank">youtube channel</a><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MQiszdkOwuU" width="500"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/post/24067003488/the-nature-films-of-louie-schwartzberg-ok" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">via</span></a><br />
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My iPad has come in to its own since I downloaded the <a href="http://longformapp.com/" target="_blank">Longform</a> app, which shoots brilliantly selected long articles at you. It's productive procrastination at its best. One gem is <a href="http://archive.mensjournal.com/the-blind-man-who-taught-himself-to-see/print/" target="_blank">the story of Daniel Kish</a> - the blind man who 'sees' with sonar.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">"The first thing Daniel Kish does, when I pull up to his tidy gray bungalow in Long Beach, California, is make fun of my driving. “You’re going to leave it that far from the curb?” he asks. He’s standing on his stoop, a good 10 paces from my car. I glance behind me as I walk up to him. I am, indeed, parked about a foot and a half from the curb."</span></blockquote>
Bewilderingly impressive.<br />
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This is a fantastic animation. Equally engaging is the <a href="https://vimeo.com/42698919" target="_blank">Making Of</a>, if that's your thing<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/41756240?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ff0033" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/41756240">THE EAGLEMAN STAG</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/mikeyplease">Mikey Please</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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This video about measuring the universe is well worth a watch, if because it is one of the best examples I've seen of crystal clear communication of fairly complex ideas. Deceptively smart.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="375" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/41434123?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ff0033" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/41434123">Measuring the Universe</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/royalobservatory">Royal Observatory Greenwich</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com213tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-67922332968643311952012-05-17T21:46:00.001+01:002012-05-17T21:47:50.414+01:00#159; Coupla videosBrilliant, beautiful video from TED-Ed. Life and sex underwater. "I was a rocket ship"<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="284" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/i_R7ouD8-Eo" width="500"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://exp.lore.com/post/23042339012/how-life-begins-in-the-deep-ocean-another" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">via</span></a><br />
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More elegant beauty in this little clip of some of America's endangered animals. Watch the first video, then make sure you watch the "making of" out-takes, after.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/8426920?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ff0033" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
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now watch this:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/8562097?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ff0033" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/22843849341" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">via</span></a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-58521222499826878582012-05-07T22:05:00.000+01:002012-05-07T22:17:01.972+01:00#158; Orwell & Comic-ConOn the train the other day I read <a href="http://www.resort.com/~prime8/Orwell/patee.html" target="_blank">this brilliant article</a> from George Orwell, complaining about the 'modern' (this was written in 1946) trends in English language. What particularly struck a cord with me, and is certainly as true today as it was then, is the point about a lack of precision. Using unnecessarily long and confusing words to create an illusion of intelligence, which generally results in the actual meaning of a piece of writing being lost entirely. Bullshitty flouncey language used to obscure the fact that the person speaking has no real understanding of what's going on themselves.<br />
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<b>"The writer either has a meaning and cannot express it, or he inadvertently says something else, or he is almost indifferent as to whether his words mean anything or not. This mixture of vagueness and sheer incompetence is the most marked characteristic of modern English prose"</b></blockquote>
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Here is his solution:<br />
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<b>I think the following rules will cover most cases:</b><br />
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><b>Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.</b></li>
</ul>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><b>Never us a long word where a short one will do.</b></li>
</ul>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><b>If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.</b></li>
</ul>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><b>Never use the passive where you can use the active.</b></li>
</ul>
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<li class="li1"><b>Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.</b></li>
</ul>
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<li class="li1"><b>Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.</b></li>
</ul>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>These rules sound elementary, and so they are, but they demand a deep change of attitude in anyone who has grown used to writing in the style now fashionable. </b></blockquote>
Evidently his advice hasn't been particularly well heeded. But this is <a href="http://www.resort.com/~prime8/Orwell/patee.html" target="_blank">well worth a read</a>.<br />
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On that same train ride, this film was my other source of entertainment:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="284" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Np-Sgz5Ra4g" width="500"></iframe><br />
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Comic-con seems to be a completely unapologetic celebration of people who are genuinely passionate about something. It's a shame that people often feel shy about the quirky hobbies that they really love. One day, I will go to Comic-Con. It just looks like buckets of fun.<br />
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On a related note, this short film is great. Settler's of Catan anyone?<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/40503001?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ff0033" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-41099763694087546252012-04-09T14:49:00.002+01:002012-04-09T14:49:48.782+01:00#157;A gang of urban explorers climbed up the nearly constructed Shard in London. <a href="http://www.silentuk.com/?p=3782" target="_blank">Check out their photos here</a> (I'd give the written account a miss, if I were you). And click on this image for a great panorama:<br />
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<a href="http://www.silentuk.com/panoramas/shard.html"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUppbPcLHbTvOWno75Wo5N0WcB-UdgBrL_-UtevQQXCxy3ccDEPXU-xKCYmnk-dJ5EjRkIgTBYKtlN_myV0M8mIb5TU1SYMDSNad_VTUou9AwKd3xJK92PaBtVW4c_VAbfiGjTkO3hDs/s400/6912155148_ab2c80580c_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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How the New York Times graphics department brings stories to life, visually:<br />
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<a href="http://exp.lore.com/post/20584734146/all-the-news-thats-fit-to-post-how-the-graphics" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">via</span></a><br />
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Best use of lego I've yet seen. This is so inventive, so efficient, so cool:<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/post/20410880396/scientists-use-lego-robots-to-grow-bones-its" target="_blank">via</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-86837453990098519002012-04-01T10:04:00.002+01:002014-01-29T22:23:02.045+00:00BPoDI used to manage <a href="http://bpod.mrc.ac.uk/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&keywords=anthony+lewis" target="_blank">BPoD - Biomedical Picture Of the Day</a>. That involved image sourcing, uploading, promotion, and occasionally writing the image summaries. I still contribute regularly.<br />
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This video, produced to celebrate BPoD's launch, was one of my first forays into the world of video editing.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/39483887?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=bb3e28" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
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<b><a href="http://bpod.mrc.ac.uk/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&keywords=anthony+lewis" target="_blank">Click here</a> to scroll through the ever-growing archive of my pieces on the BPoD website. </b><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-56809478173855060462012-03-14T20:59:00.000+00:002012-03-14T20:59:00.610+00:00#155;It's been a while. Feast on this bunch o' goodies.<br />
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Inside the creative process of a medical illustrator - wicked awesome:<br />
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<a href="http://exp.lore.com/post/19012330557/inside-the-creative-process-of-a-medical">via</a><br />
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Sticking with the illustration theme, check out <a href="http://society6.com/artist/deepspacemonkey">Thomas Sullivan</a>'s food chain illustrations:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRc3INIlnTxAb7nsCpm82PwE2al71FHQNrOH_bFFDpxlMNR1yQXJNPSAOXN_pfxeG3kEf-IrpZQQJE3fJTd7KRIuTFmDmYVU4Jp2ieTaTA3C1aDx3n8wYATporXjJLoIBHyGJ6y8F-4-g/s1600/tumblr_m0f9cuwNuq1r1w416o3_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRc3INIlnTxAb7nsCpm82PwE2al71FHQNrOH_bFFDpxlMNR1yQXJNPSAOXN_pfxeG3kEf-IrpZQQJE3fJTd7KRIuTFmDmYVU4Jp2ieTaTA3C1aDx3n8wYATporXjJLoIBHyGJ6y8F-4-g/s400/tumblr_m0f9cuwNuq1r1w416o3_500.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/post/18800912898/staceythinx-the-food-chain-as-illustrated-by">via</a></div>
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I really like the sentiment behind this rant/essay from Stephen Fry. A love of language is not the same as inane pendantry.</div>
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<a href="http://exp.lore.com/post/18904876823/stephen-frys-fantastic-essay-on-language">via</a></div>
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I think there was other good stuff to share, but it's now lost in my readers and read-laters. Just a quick reminder to finish. Check out <a href="http://bpod.mrc.ac.uk/">BPoD - Biomedical picture of the day</a> (which is one of the projects I'm working on at the moment, in my current job). Showcasing the beautiful side of biomedical research.</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-38864341131354814262012-02-11T21:01:00.001+00:002012-02-11T21:02:40.757+00:00#154; small world<i><a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/02/best-microscope-videos/">Wired</a></i> has a selection of videos from the Nikon Small World In Motion competition. Go check out all of the videos. Here's the winner - Ink injection into blood vessels:<br />
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Sticking on the micro-theme, look at these amazing photographs of insects peeled off a car's windshield. By Voker Steger<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/post/17323271748/staceythinx-weve-all-seen-macrophotography-of">VIA</a> </span></div>
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Have a look at <a href="http://myartda.com/current/c_07.html">Minjeong An's art</a>. A lovely mix of dataviz, mathematical and scientific abstractions and artistic flair.<br />
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<a href="http://www.informationisbeautifulawards.com/2012/02/dataviz-and-self-portraits/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+InformationIsBeautifulAwards+%28Information+Is+Beautiful+Awards+--+Main+Feed%29"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">VIA</span></a><br />
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I mentioned it a while ago, but I only just got around to going to the London Transport Museum's <a href="http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/displays">Painting By Number</a>s gallery. A small but brilliant selection of classic data visualisation posters from around the 1930s. The <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/visualisingdata/">visualisingdata flickr stream</a> has some images. It's well worth a visit (despite the £13 entrance fee). The best part is that after taking in the classic data posters, you move through to the "<a href="http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/events/events-calendar/362-events-sense-and-the-city">Sense and the City</a>" exhibition, that looks towards how transport will change in the future, and how we can harness movement data to improve services. This section of the museum has some stunning modern data animations, and the movement from the 1930s design to modern work is splendid.<br />
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Finally, if you only read one online article today, make it <i><a href="http://thewirecutter.com/2012/01/happiness-takes-a-little-magic/">this one</a></i> about the impact of spending too much time absorbing internet crap on our happiness. It uses as its springboard a <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy&id=2012-02084-001">study</a> that showed that excessive time online leads to reduced happiness and"social well-being" in 8-12 year old girls. While studies like that always need to be read with a significant degree of caution, this article regardless raises points about online (and, really, any consumption) that are well worth thinking about.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-56581765635835542182012-01-20T22:31:00.000+00:002012-01-20T22:31:12.229+00:00#153; VideosWatch this video. It's a trailer for "<i>Getting Up"</i>. I'm a huge fan of graffiti & street art. It's not often that that interest falls in line with amazing innovation and scientific progress, but this looks like an incredible story:<br />
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<a href="http://www.woostercollective.com/">VIA Wooster</a><br />
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While I was at university I did a research project on bird flight using video cameras strapped on pigeons' backs (you can read it all <a href="http://www.anthony-lewis.com/Content/A%20lewis%20FHS%20Project%20small%20file.pdf">here</a>, if you're that way inclined), but the jerky, grainy footage I was using didn't quite match up with what you see in this clip, from BBC's new(ish) series, Earthflight. They've managed to get some stunning footage, and although the actual series itself isn't quite as entertaining as i'd hoped, this is remarkable:<br />
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On a related note, <i>Wired</i> have a great gallery of amateur high-speed flight clips. This is my favourite, but go check out <a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/01/high-speed-animal-videos/?pid=2871">the whole gallery</a>:<br />
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Continuing the theme of beautiful videos of nature, take a look at Drew Berry's animations of the unseen beauty of biology:<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://curiositycounts.com/post/15785053706/drew-berrys-astonishing-animations-of-biologys">via</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-68846107942885007242012-01-06T23:06:00.002+00:002012-01-06T23:07:06.459+00:00#152; Pretty science stuffA sciencish post today:<br />
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If you have an iPad, download the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/releases/2011/11-044.html">NASA visualisation app</a> now, from the brains at the "scientific visualisation studio". It's lovely.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/releases/2011/11-044.html"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/images/content/574929main_ipad_carbon_670.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A new study has drawn detailed new maps of science based on online "clickstreams" to determine the links between science journal topics. <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0004803">Interesting stuff</a>.<br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://flowingdata.com/2012/01/02/high-resolution-maps-of-science/">VIA</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/psi-vid/2011/12/30/the-top-5-astounding-animal-videos-of-2011/">Scientific American's top 5 animal videos of 2011</a>. The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1eXS0o6r-Wk">gorilla video</a> is well worth a watch, but my personal favourite is this peacock spider mating dance. Unusually good music selection in this video, too, I thought:</div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/post/15036478345/the-top-5-astounding-animal-videos-of-2011-the">VIA</a></span><br />
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Finally a beautifully calming video from Malaysia:<br />
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<a href="http://coudal.com/archives/2012/01/we_were_wandere.php"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: xx-small;">VIA</span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-58777125785882501402011-12-30T10:52:00.004+00:002011-12-30T10:52:39.527+00:00#151;The London Transport Museum may not be somewhere I'm particularly well acquainted with, but I'll definitely be heading to the <a href="http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/displays#posterparadenumbers">Painting By Numbers</a> exhibition from January 6. Classic data visualisation posters:<br />
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Wired runs out the top scientific discoveries from 2011. Particularly interesting is the "Intelligent Animals and Emotional Bees" bit, but all good stuff. <a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/12/top-discoveries-2011/?pid=2733">Click here.</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/12/top-discoveries-2011/?pid=2733"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/wp-content/gallery/2011discoveries/honeybees2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Finally for now, lovely stop-motion animation music video detailing the history of the planet.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/23986237?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=01AAEA" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/post/14984179589/animator-kevin-parry-spent-six-months-making"><span style="color: #666666;">VIA</span></a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-38530263319771280642011-12-16T22:23:00.000+00:002011-12-17T11:07:10.465+00:00#150; Phwoar, FeynmanThere is nothing better you can do with the next 90 minutes of your life than watch this. It's a BBC Horizon documentary about the Nobel prize winning physicist Richard Feynman. If you're not sure who he is, or if he's worth finding out about, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRmbwczTC6E">click here and warm up with the videos from the Feynman series</a>. Then settle down and watch this. It seems to be two documentaries plonked in one video, but it's great from start to finish. Watch it.<br />
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While you're in science video mode, go check out the new video site from the Royal Institution - <a href="http://richannel.org/">RI Channel</a>. As well as a host of videos they've made themselves, including the archive of Christmas Lectures, they are developing a tasty selection of videos from around the internet. Well worth your time.<br />
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The always brilliant Big Picture has a great selection of nature photography. <a href="http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/12/50_best_photos_of_the_natural.html">Phenomenal stuff</a>.<br />
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A great little short film/animation.</div>
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Hypnotic visualisation of the planets orbits. <a href="http://www.whitevinyldesign.com/solarbeat/">Click here</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://www.whitevinyldesign.com/solarbeat/"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz42p60afOYTGO_eXBO2Wk5K00E5M8roeiAufTcIQf_XIWrciVrpEoKQs-LfeWXaICQrwl3PwSHJNiXc30nrlv_oRVyoFKm6POdNAry6naW4Q_zgln7KCfN5MgPNW8xcVd-e-u9D22zDE/s400/Screen+Shot+2011-12-17+at+11.04.39.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-31935477188646157762011-12-08T09:31:00.001+00:002011-12-11T16:35:17.558+00:00#149; Phwoar, AttenboroughFrozen Planet ended last night, and immediately after the last episode, this advert was played. I think it's fantabulous. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/16069118">Attenborough's Wonderful World</a>. Be sure to watch this in full, 1080 HD glory:<br />
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Remember those little riots in London in the summer? One feature of them was the way information, and <i>mis</i>information, spread rapidly across the internet. <i>The Guardian</i> has visualised the spread of some of these rumours in a beautiful interactive graphic. How long did people believe that a tiger had been released, and was running rampage across Primrose Hill? <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/interactive/2011/dec/07/london-riots-twitter">Go check it out</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/interactive/2011/dec/07/london-riots-twitter"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0goGQsaoc8gD-1s6qZUVSUZDZz_gb5rh_6KsHbx9_vtuy-Ea3BrsZjWg-m3bH6D2ghP0nLy7pE7pIxX3fCbFuy6QyNmyVyOB8Ry5LRTjMOAs0u8anpN8K_eWznfbjnclx9HnUrDOdYE/s400/Screen+Shot+2011-12-08+at+09.36.42.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Flying robots zooming in, taking all our jobs...</div>
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The Journey of Mankind. Ever wanted to see the path early man took to spread across the world? Well <a href="http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/journey/">take a look at this</a>. It's not the prettiest program in the world, but fascinating nonetheless.</div>
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<a href="http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/journey/"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecVkrvI3oOFmh18IQVh0DYJzLMvA1xHU_DXD5hE9p5u6L7Sygq2jReU2eVX_g9kK7OIt0pLDrml2Yu_2zHOkZjKsYFbcPyDh_pHIvWbjuMRAAHp3MF5SigFcpSUYnRsG0wSTaqiEFsD4/s400/Screen+Shot+2011-12-08+at+09.41.57.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/11/photogalleries/111128-top-ten-weird-new-species-2011/?source=link_tw20111129news-life">The 10 weirdest new species from 2011</a>. Well played, National Geographic. Check out Cyclops Shark:<br />
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<a href="http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/417/overrides/one-eyed-cyclops-shark-pup-holding-face_41775_600x450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/417/overrides/one-eyed-cyclops-shark-pup-holding-face_41775_600x450.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I'm not sure where I found all of the links this time around, but if you're looking for the sources, the "Links I Love" on the right is a good place to start.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-82688250373261378362011-11-28T09:51:00.001+00:002011-11-28T10:05:16.080+00:00#148; David Mitchell and SnailsDavid Mitchell narrates 6 lovely animated "Adventures in Thought". Entertaining and informative. Tasty:<br />
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<a href="http://jtotheizzoe.tumblr.com/post/13330365956/thedailywhat-this-is-informative-you-should"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: xx-small;">VIA</span></a><br />
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Take a picture of the sky every 10 seconds for a year. What do you get? This awesome time-lapse grid thing.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://flowingdata.com/2011/11/21/history-of-the-sky/">VIA</a></span><br />
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For some visual bio-porn check out the <a href="http://www.olympusbioscapes.com/gallery/2011/">BioScapes gallery</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BRXSM5mlRHuFE-vunQ5vXmV77uioi6H8JAnhCsN9nDlGB6rFgeZDlTG9aNRiRBSPH-HmPg8Ana2S04vECTDNyoQXUZEdAOQXJ45WPIxvzPtYCf1x0zOsHL7HdjV7eLNXqRk3qN7kzHU/s1600/2011-6-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BRXSM5mlRHuFE-vunQ5vXmV77uioi6H8JAnhCsN9nDlGB6rFgeZDlTG9aNRiRBSPH-HmPg8Ana2S04vECTDNyoQXUZEdAOQXJ45WPIxvzPtYCf1x0zOsHL7HdjV7eLNXqRk3qN7kzHU/s400/2011-6-large.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And finally some shelly fun. As <a href="http://youtu.be/Ta9K22D0o5Q">Marcel The Shell With Shoes On returns to our lives</a>, I stumbled across this sweet snail advert. Heh.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/30723760?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe></div>
<a href="http://vimeo.com/30723760">Sequoia Snail - Les Andy's - WIZZprod</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/wizz">WIZZprod°</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://animade.tv/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: xx-small;">VIA</span></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-90042432798473924072011-11-15T10:30:00.001+00:002011-11-15T10:58:34.983+00:00#147; lots of videos, & some other stuffWazzup?<br />
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<i>The Atlantic</i> has an incredible selection of photos from the National Geographic Photo Contest 2011. <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/11/national-geographic-photo-contest-2011/100187/">Click here to take a look at all the images in their full size - it's a brilliant collection</a>.<br />
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A tree enveloped in spiders webs, as spiders fled the floods in Pakistan.<br />
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and I love this portrait:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://kottke.org/11/11/2011-national-geographic-photo-contest-submissions">Via</a></span></div>
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This is a stunning video of an epic operation by the WWF to relocate Black Rhinos in South Africa. </div>
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/31836285">Flying Rhinos</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/greenrenaissance">Green Renaissance</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Another amazing video. This super-slow-mo film shows how hummingbirds stay dry in the rain - a deceptively crucial skill when you weigh just a few grams, and the careful balance of hovering is essential to your continued survival. This video shows a hummingbird shaking water off itself like a dog, while hovering. For more detail, <a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/11/dry-hummingbirds/">click here (Wired)</a>.</div>
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Take 5 minutes, click on the HD option, and go fullscreen for this incredible time-lapse view of the earth from space.</div>
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/32001208">Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/michaelkoenig">Michael König</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Got even <i>more</i> time to waste? Watch this video, showing how the Dutch National Ballet created the awesome TedX Amsterdam poster image:</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://jtotheizzoe.tumblr.com/post/12704942781/voraciousbrain-about-the-video-its-the-dutch">via</a></span></div>
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Beautifully filmed clips of skyliners. Also, if it's your kind of thing, for one of the most impressive base jumping videos I've seen in a while, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdA1nPINVZw&feature=player_embedded">click here</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/31240369">I Believe I can Fly ( flight of the frenchies). Trailer</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/chamonix">sebastien montaz-rosset</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://curiositycounts.com/post/12687101278/teaser-for-i-believe-i-can-fly-a-fascinating"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">via</span></a></div>
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And to end on some fantastic frivolity, a great collection of dweeby-sexy illustrations. "Nerdy Dirty". <a href="http://society6.com/NerdyDirty">Fantastic</a>:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEpY3RZzf43c8kBGo9MkjMeFOXOhAnB6uUKtC3YyyWnGMYPfj6CzlpU9n4t4roFIf_6YfIi5lHpg3E8D-vzyKoppdvA2I40W3iaiktOobnGtnLjIRadePEej9w7Dg9udcEY6rkU-08RY/s1600/292296_10024341_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEpY3RZzf43c8kBGo9MkjMeFOXOhAnB6uUKtC3YyyWnGMYPfj6CzlpU9n4t4roFIf_6YfIi5lHpg3E8D-vzyKoppdvA2I40W3iaiktOobnGtnLjIRadePEej9w7Dg9udcEY6rkU-08RY/s400/292296_10024341_b.jpg" width="313" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR86mnCy7KZ3SepjWzfnhFlnd6dnzuI1FBAZ3rqBIgfSt38ZxKwO6KX7Iq4qaa4K7EhqIpTGRWmaqDxDog_llky6bjZJlrfaqKHbHmsvCcKNstSGkXzdWxnW21ZF77KknF42UuQxhsrLc/s1600/297606_1509554_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR86mnCy7KZ3SepjWzfnhFlnd6dnzuI1FBAZ3rqBIgfSt38ZxKwO6KX7Iq4qaa4K7EhqIpTGRWmaqDxDog_llky6bjZJlrfaqKHbHmsvCcKNstSGkXzdWxnW21ZF77KknF42UuQxhsrLc/s400/297606_1509554_b.jpg" width="313" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://jtotheizzoe.tumblr.com/post/12738328419/cwnl-nerdy-dirty-prints-by-nicole-martinez">via</a>(again)</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-79451257045018955752011-11-05T13:01:00.003+00:002011-11-08T10:51:15.259+00:00#146; Silver liningI'm ill. Truth be told, I don't respond well to being sick. I pretty much crumble at the first hint of a sniffle, and I'm now suffering from a full-on case of the snuffles. Bad times, I assure you, but if there's any positive news to take from my near-death condition, it's that I've finally got round to absorbing a few things on my "to-watch" list. Here are some gems that have risen out of my snot-filled misery:<br />
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First, the latest fantastic nature programme, Frozen Planet. The whole thing is brilliant, and this clip here is the perfect example. Frozen Planet has more comedy than most sitcoms and far more drama than Eastenders - brilliant.<br />
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Next, if you have an hour to spare, watch this talk from the co-creator of <a href="http://www.good.is/">GOOD</a>, Casey Caplowe. GOOD is my absolute favourite website, and a great magazine, that fuses engaging and educational information with actionable endeavours to improve the world. This talk outlines the thinking behind the organisation. Particularly interesting is the part where he talks about profit; GOOD isn't a charity, and it is trying to make a profit. I love the philosophy that making money and doing good don't have to be enemies. Anyway, although Caplowe has that unforgivable problem of lifting his voice at the end of every sentence, making each statement a half-question, it's all interesting stuff, and the opening mantra of "love it or fix it" is brilliant.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://curiositycounts.com/">VIA here</a></span><br />
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This video is just awesome. Watch a dam being breached, and a reservoir drained. Amazing footage:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/31305629?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/31305629">Explosive Breach of Condit Dam</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/andymaser">Andy Maser</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://kottke.org/">VIA here</a></span><br />
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A short documentary about Dreamworks animators. This fills me with admiration, inspiration, and furious jealousy.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/29200097?byline=0&portrait=0&color=a3a3a3" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/29200097">Moonshine : Artists after dark</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/alexiswanneroy">alexis wanneroy</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Finally, check out these brilliant images from the new book, <a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/11/04/science-ink-carl-zimmer/">Science Ink</a>. If I was ever to get a tattoo, it might well be one of these:<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-14995777690678993112011-11-03T11:55:00.000+00:002014-01-29T22:19:27.490+00:00The Periscope PostHere are a few samples of writing done for online news and opinion site, <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/">The Periscope Post</a></i>. I've written over 70 articles for the site, so if the selection here isn't enough for you, let me know and I'll point you at more, covering everything from football to the Occupy movement, and internet hackers to viral videos.<br />
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<b>--UPDATE: The Periscope Post seems to have changed hands and evolved, and these links no longer work. Such is the ever-changing nature of the internet. These articles were great, though. Honest.-- </b><br />
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<i><b>World News</b></i></div>
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<li><a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/population-explosion-can-the-planet-cope-with-15-billion-humans/">Population Explosion</a> - Can the planet cope with 15 billion humans?</li>
<li><a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/arab-spring-domino-effect-gaddafi-is-gone-will-syrias-al-assad-be-the-next-arab-autocrat-toppled/">Gadaffi is dead</a> - What does the Libyan dictator's death mean for the Middle East & Arab Spring?</li>
<li><a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/eurozone-rescue-deal-is-this-really-the-solution-or-more-hollow-rhetoric/">Eurozone rescue deal: the backlash</a> - Not everyone is convinced by the eurozone rescue deal.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/alleged-iranian-assassination-plot-heats-up-middle-eastern-cold-war/">Alleged Iranian assassination attempt</a> - Gangsters, ambassadors, assassinations - what does this accusation mean for global relations?</li>
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<b><i>Science & Health</i></b></div>
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<li><a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/new-malaria-vaccine-is-far-from-perfect-but-could-save-millions/">New malaria vaccine</a> - Far from perfect, but could save millions of lives</li>
<li><a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/climate-change-study-by-global-warming-sceptics-confirms-that-global-temperatures-are-rising/">The planet <i>is</i> warming</a> - Study by climate change sceptics confirms that temperatures are rising, but does it really show anything new?</li>
<li><a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/mobile-phones-dont-cause-cancer-after-all-says-danish-study/">Mobile phones don't cause cancer, after all</a> - no link found between phone use and tumour development.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/arctic-ozone-layer-hole-in-sudden-expansion/">Arctic ozone hole in sudden expansion</a> - Time to ready the evacuation rockets?</li>
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<b><i>Technology </i></b></div>
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<li><a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/google-and-samsung-release-ice-cream-sandwich-and-galaxy-nexus-is-this-the-iphone-killer/">Ice Cream Sandwich unveiled</a> - Can the new Google Phone compete with the iPhone?</li>
<li><a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/nokia-bounces-back-with-new-lumia-windows-phones-could-this-be-the-iphone-killer/">Nokia reveal new Lumia Phones</a> - Is Nokia's latest Windows Phone any good?</li>
<li><a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/apple-iphone-4ss-siri-personal-assistant-is-it-a-game-changer-or-gimmick/">iPhone 4S</a> - Is Siri a game-changer or gimmick?</li>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-51748405675384873062011-11-02T23:01:00.000+00:002011-11-02T23:01:34.056+00:00#145; words, flying balls, dinosaursA dearth of recent posts is a sign of how busy I've been lately, but with a bit more free time comes a new post, and some morsels of interestingness and fascination for you.<div>
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First up, a clever little table reminding scientists what some of their terms mean to the public. Original paper <a href="http://physicstoday.org/resource/1/phtoad/v64/i10/p48_s1?bypassSSO=1">here</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj93QF163ntFq7-v75KQPmW77sH94gDWoZH6Ovo3jUoTZomnz664b8Ws3I1ov9CRlDWIEzSemi-LzKIqkoAmZ4fTmbVMM4JREa8Ct8uDejZbhBVbN5QTfYVjkrL3HWBIUwdwveIVoU-S4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-11-02+at+22.44.44.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj93QF163ntFq7-v75KQPmW77sH94gDWoZH6Ovo3jUoTZomnz664b8Ws3I1ov9CRlDWIEzSemi-LzKIqkoAmZ4fTmbVMM4JREa8Ct8uDejZbhBVbN5QTfYVjkrL3HWBIUwdwveIVoU-S4/s400/Screen+Shot+2011-11-02+at+22.44.44.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://nicefigure.org/">VIA nice figure.</a></span></div>
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Microsoft have unveiled a little prophetic view into the future, showing the form they believe technology of the coming decades will take. I love this sort of video, although it makes me feel somewhat insecure about my feeble blackberry and iPad...</div>
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There's been a huge amount of excitement and pomp surrounding the news that there are now (or there will soon be) 7 billion people cluttering up the planet. One of the most interesting interpretations is from the Guardian's data blog. Click <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/datablog/interactive/2011/oct/26/un-world-population-growth">HERE</a> for their nice interactive visualisation showing how the population is expected to grow in the coming years.</div>
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<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/datablog/interactive/2011/oct/26/un-world-population-growth"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2X4__v3eGt-lXRzfpQ_1B6v6X1nmzdkSjzkCBCPCPlDhUn-U64JOYoc3cGkyEZCokuFB81go-Z78IU9OtHs0PVcoNaVvcKgUieILCYTikSS0M5kPChkcBfAhFbOO6swmQTL7ywCIoF7U/s400/Screen+Shot+2011-11-02+at+22.52.35.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next up a mesmerising visualisation of a bit of Bach. This gets even better when you check out <a href="http://www.baroque.me/">the full website</a>, which lets you play with the visualisation yourself.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/31179423?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe></div>
<a href="http://vimeo.com/31179423">Baroque.me: J.S. Bach - Cello Suite No. 1 - Prelude</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/alexanderchen">Alexander Chen</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://curiositycounts.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: xx-small;">VIA curiosity counts</span></a></div>
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Now for a flying ball from Japan. This is incredibly alien-seeming (I assume it also represents a substantial achievement). ooohhh:</div>
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<a href="http://jtotheizzoe.tumblr.com/post/11951514105/australian-comedian-interviews-mocks-notorious"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: xx-small;">VIA It's okay to be smart</span></a></div>
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And finally a brilliant new Aardman short. Pythagasaurus. Watch it. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2011/october/new-aardman-short-pythagasaurus">VIA creative review</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-33139922247759779842011-10-16T10:38:00.000+01:002011-10-16T10:38:06.988+01:00#144; videosNo science, just frivolous visual treats today. Perfect for a lazy sunday morning.<br />
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I love this - little monsters of the forest:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="170" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/30302943?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/30302943">HAERSKOGEN</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/davidluepschen">David Luepschen</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Really nice fan-made intro titles for tintin:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/30402976?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/30402976">The Adventures of Tintin</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2129442">James Curran</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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And this is a fascinating video about photojournalism. A photographer puts those dramatic, shocking conflict images into perspective:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/29280708?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/29280708">Photojournalism Behind the Scenes [ITA-ENG subs]</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/rubensalvadori">Ruben Salvadori</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-44003717843676694842011-10-09T12:25:00.001+01:002011-10-09T12:30:31.764+01:00#143; VisualisationSome links for your Sunday viewing pleasure:<br />
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First up, for the dweeby design-lovers of you, <a href="http://nicefigure.org/">nicefigure.org</a>. "A roundup of the nicest figures recently published in scientific journals." Simple concept, but really highlights just how good some of the visualisation in science are:<br />
On visualising the predictive accurace of a breast cancer screening test:<br />
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and recurrent mutations in leukemia. Nice website.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcUu8ePVs7s9cYmb7XyjrJNu7s08QwhEw7EIFlliZ_GheaBHAznEXsJgqyK8-B2I8rWn2YoLPjBnctEXNRuni9kupW7tDku5pX0OkBw2daWwa5dgAyEPRtoqWxoHTe7EPDCH9hxlVakw/s1600/tumblr_lsbc7gyr301r3jpzko1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcUu8ePVs7s9cYmb7XyjrJNu7s08QwhEw7EIFlliZ_GheaBHAznEXsJgqyK8-B2I8rWn2YoLPjBnctEXNRuni9kupW7tDku5pX0OkBw2daWwa5dgAyEPRtoqWxoHTe7EPDCH9hxlVakw/s400/tumblr_lsbc7gyr301r3jpzko1_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc; font-size: xx-small;">VIA <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/m_wall">@m_wal</a>l, <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/tomstafford">VIA</a></span></div>
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Next up: a bizarrely interesting collection of letterheads. Sounds boring, but it's strangely absorbing. <a href="http://www.letterheady.com/">Letterheady.com</a> </div>
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You are not so smart. This is a very well made promo. I love the animation, the ideas are interesting, and the phrasing is all very nice. Future Me and Now Me never get along. This is why:</div>
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Finally, the definitive guide to <a href="http://www.brelson.com/2011/10/sit-down-on-overground-prepare-for-war/">getting a seat on the train</a>. Vital life skills:</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-weight: 300; line-height: 26px;">The Overground train arrives and dazed commuters spill on to the platform. Everyone stands aside to let them pass. But this act of kindness is the exception, not the rule. Once you all step into the carriage the competition for seats begins. You are now in a theatre of war.</span></blockquote>
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And don't forget to keep checking out the goings on at <a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/">The Periscope Post</a> - my latest nuggets of news have been on the "world-changing" <a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/apple-iphone-4ss-siri-personal-assistant-is-it-a-game-changer-or-gimmick/">Siri</a> & iPhone 4S, <a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/performing-oral-sex-can-cause-throat-cancer-indicates-new-research/">cancerous blowjobs</a>, Denmark's "<a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/denmark-has-introduced-a-fat-tax-the-uk-could-be-next-to-tax-fatties/">fat tax</a>", and the delightful <a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/the-human-centipede-2-will-now-screen-in-the-uk-after-bbfc-classification-u-turn/">Human Centipede 2</a>, as well as some James Bond rumours, a Johnny English review, a heap of Steve Jobs stuff and a bunch of other things. Go have a nibble on on the best "<a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/">viewspaper</a>" around.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-42657443574812278332011-10-04T20:55:00.002+01:002011-10-04T20:56:32.024+01:00#142; Get your headphones out.Set aside the next 10-15 minutes, plug your headphones in, hit full screen, and watch these three videos. Great images, beautifully arranged, and one of those voices you just can't help but trust and be inspired by. I love this shit:<br />
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Beauty<br />
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Honours<br />
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Curiosity<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://kottke.org/">via</a>)</span><br />
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Then go and watch the <a href="http://saganseries.com/">Sagan videos</a>, too, because they're even better.<br />
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On a more personal and less interesting note, I'm interning at <a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/">The Periscope Post</a> at the moment, which means lots and lots of rapid writing and subbing. Some of the work so far has been on the new <a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/arctic-ozone-layer-hole-in-sudden-expansion/">ozone hole</a>, the <a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/the-ig-nobel-awards-recognise-surreal-silly-science-discoveries-like-beetles-sexual-lust-for-bottles/">Ig Nobels</a> (which I think are a fantastic thing) and the real <a href="http://www.periscopepost.com/2011/10/nobel-prize-winner-ralph-steinman-dies-three-days-before-award-presentation/">Nobels</a>. Eventually I'll put up a full list of all the articles, but for now I'm posting them on my <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/AntDLewis">twitter</a> as I go. Go check it out if you're interested.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-44501098156365891592011-09-29T19:11:00.000+01:002011-09-30T09:34:24.222+01:00#141: Trolls - a species profile.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">This piece has also been published over on the new science communication site, <a href="http://scientifickitty.wordpress.com/">Scientific Kitty</a>. </span></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/trollhunter/">Troll Hunter</a> is the documentary that exposes the existence of trolls in the Norwegian mountains. I cast a biologist's eye over these elusive giants. (May contain spoilers)</i></div>
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With their 1000-year lifespan, rock eating tendencies, and slight aversion to light, Øvredal’s trolls are the most unlikely of creatures. But it turns out that they do exist, and have just been hiding in the mountains of Norway. So let’s suspend our disbelief and take at look at the biology of these beasts.<br />
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Fundamentally, there are two types of troll, which constitute at least two unique species – the mountain and forest dwellers. Where the troll species line is drawn, however, is unclear, with a variety of sub-types of troll within each general group. Trolls are fiercely territorial mammals, living either as lone individuals or in close social groups. They “eat, shit, mate with and devour everything around them.” Mostly rocks.<br />
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<b><i>Evolution</i></b><br />
A major question that arises as we consider the trolls’ existence is their evolution. With an incredibly slow lifecycle and very low
reproductive output (<i>lifespan: 1000-1200
years, average offspring produced: 1</i>), adaptation will have been an
incredibly slow process. Their life history falls at the extreme “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-selected">k-selected</a>”
end of the spectrum, and their adaptation to environmental and situational
changes will have been very slow.
Furthermore, small population sizes (and associated low genetic
diversity) caused by very large territories, and a constant vulnerability to
basic elements (light), mean that their evolution is almost miraculous. It is
likely that they expanded into their current lifestyle and size around the
early Cenozoic period, following the demise of the dinosaurs.</div>
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The trolls’ greatest asset, that has undoubtedly been a
primary reason for their survival despite the evolutionary constraints of their
slow life cycles, is their nutritional versatility. That is, “when you eat
rocks, it isn’t hard to survive”. Of course above all, the major barrier this
fascinating species has had to overcome is their susceptibility to explosion
when exposed to light. They therefore have an obligate nocturnal behavioural
pattern, and this may in fact have allowed them to exploit night-time resources
and avoid conflict with other megafauna during their early evolution. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Being confined to darkness has lead to a strong reliance on
a powerful sense of smell, as can be seen by their capacity for sniffing out
the scent of people of certain beliefs (although it is as yet unclear whether
this penchant for religious folk extends beyond just Christianity – further
research is needed). Trolls are not, however, totally blind, and the extra
heads grown by certain troll variants reveal the importance of visual
communication in social situations. These “protrusions” (for they are not fully
functioning heads) primarily play a role in mating rituals and intra-specific
conflict, and are likely to have evolved along a similar evolutionary pathway
as that of the peacock train and battle cries of <a href="http://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/zoostaff/larg/pages/RumPapers/Reby05_ProcSocB_stagvocalisations.pdf">red deer stags</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Living underground and deep inside mountains means that trolls are likely to share certain characteristics with burrow
dwelling rodents. Living in enclosed environments brings problems of temperature
control and oxygen access, and as such they will have specialised respiratory
physiology.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One defining feature of the troll life history is likely to
be a huge amount of parental investment, both before and after birth. With a
gestation period of 10-15 years, the parental investment is huge, and given
that most trolls reproduce only once in their lifetime, the expenditure
afforded on offspring is large. Parents will defend their offspring with
violent determinism, and likely prioritise the life of their child above their
own, with young trolls likely only becoming fully self sufficient after a few
hundred years. The role that social interactions in communal dens may play in
parental care is unclear, although given the species characteristics,
cohabiting groups are likely to have a high degree of relatedness and hence
altruistic care of offspring is not unlikely. <o:p></o:p></div>
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These trolls present a truly unique case of evolution, and
require a great deal of study to see how they managed to overcome the problems
of their lifestyle. It is unclear where their closest extant relations are, and
whether they are more closely related to the bears or primates, or a
monophyletic taxa unto themselves. The benefits of being huge and able to eat
almost anything seem to have outweighed the issues they face. It is hard to see
how their fragile lifestyle ruled by an inability to deal with vitamin D has
allowed them to flourish, but seemingly it has. <o:p></o:p></div>
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On a worrisome note, however, I fear that the trolls face a
troubled future. As mentioned above, they will adapt very slowly to large
changes in the environment, and as global warming rapidly alters their habitat,
it is hard to know if they will be able to amend their behaviour to fit with
the new landscape. They’re unlikely to take up sunbathing and bask in the joy
of a warmer world. If ever there was a good reason to curb emissions and think
about the planet, this is it. Save the trolls, before it’s too late. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Troll hunter is in cinemas now, and provides a witty, original and entertaining break from the norm. Go check it out. </i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2766394203087546968.post-49774416322167376832011-09-25T10:27:00.002+01:002011-09-25T10:42:08.991+01:00#140; New website and some linksFirst things first - new colour scheme, and layout. This is to match the <a href="http://anthony-lewis.com/">update to my website</a>. It's now got a couple of pieces of writing (hopefully a few more pieces will be going up in the next couple of weeks), a bit more about me, and a link to a gallery of my graphic design work all in a shiny new layout. Go <a href="http://anthony-lewis.com/">check it out</a>, amigos.<br />
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Want some brain food from around the internets? First up, let your mind be totally confuzzled by this "audiovisual illusion". Amazing how the brain tries to reconcile conflicting info from the eyes and ears:<br />
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Next up, a nice complement to <a href="http://blog.anthony-lewis.com/2011/06/mind-control.html">my ramblings about mind control</a>, understanding the brain, and harnessing it's power. Researchers have been able to reconstruct an image you're seeing by reading your mind with a working "brain probe". More <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/gallantlabucb/publications/nishimoto-et-al-2011">here</a>.<br />
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If you've got a few minutes to spare, there's a fascinating piece focused on an autistic man, <a href="http://www.justincanhaart.com/">Justin Canha</a>, in the New York Times. Particularly good are the links within to the art and images of Justin, and the video content. Great, personal journalism. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/us/autistic-and-seeking-a-place-in-an-adult-world.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all">Read it here</a>.<br />
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Finally, go look at <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/111901425213768112631/albums/5654055509127305937">this gallery</a> of early internet images. Amazing how it's changed, and how the sites we know today started:<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8