Thursday, April 4, 2019

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Uninami Strandbeest - Theo Jansen




A new design that hearkens to Theo Jansen‘s original kinetic structures from the early 1990s, the PVC tube-constructed Uminami Strandbeest doesn’t get sand into its joints and requires no lubrication to move smoothly. Watch as it speeds across the sand on a beach, presumably not far from Ypenburg in The Netherlands where Jansen lives and works.
Desktop-sized Strandbeests are fun for all ages to build and play with. Kits are available from Elenco on Amazon or from Jansen’s site. You can build your own version or 3D print your own. Jansen has also created a 3D printed model that doesn’t require assembly.

Monday, April 1, 2019

Thursday, March 21, 2019

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Hip-Hop Produces Funky Cheese/Music Affects Aging Cheese Flavor - Smithsonian

Hip Hop Cheese

From the Smithsonian Magazine:

The creation of good cheese involves a complex dance between milk and bacteria. In a quite literal sense, playing the right tune while this dance unfolds changes the final product’s taste, a new study shows. Denis Balibouse and Cecile Mantovani at Reuters report that hip-hop, for example, gave the cheese an especially funky flavor, while cheese that rocked out to Led Zeppelin or relaxed with Mozart had milder zests.

Read the rest of the article HERE.

Friday, March 15, 2019

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Dinosaur Stamps Incoming!



I'm so excited for these new stamps!


There will be a total of 16 stamps available, the U.S. Postal Service said. 
"'The “Nation’s T. rex,' the young adult depicted on two of the stamps, was discovered on federal land in Montana and is one of the most studied and important specimens ever found," postal service officials said in a release earlier this week. 



Saturday, February 16, 2019

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Old Flip Flops Recycled into Art - Ocean Sole



Ocean Sole turns millions of discarded flip-flops into art pieces and other useful products in an effort to promote ocean conservation and reuse beach pollution from along the East African coast. See how these Kenyan flip flop artists collect, wash, sort, cut, glue, carve, and sand this waste material into colorful lions, elephants, whales, giraffes, pandas, dinosaurs and other animals—and how smaller pieces are used for beads and kids’ playground padding—in this BBC video
Learn more about their work at oceansole.co.ke and follow Ocean Sole on InstagramTwitter, and Facebook.

Saturday, February 9, 2019

Female Illustrators in Natural History Coloring Book (2019) - Biodiversity Heritage Library

Find the Coloring Book HERE

Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, v. 143 (1917) - Matilda Smith


The Cactaceae, v. 1 (1919) - Mary Emily Eaton


A Synopsis of the Birds of Australia (1837) - Elizabeth Gould



Illustrations of British Mycology, ser.1 (1847) - Frances Reed

Indigenous Flowers of the Hawaiian Islands (1885) - Isabella McHutcheson Sinclair



Poems on Conchology and Botany (1831) - Sarah Hoare

Title: Poissons Provenant des Campagnes du Yacht Princesse-Alice (1911) - Emma Kissling



The Mammals of Australia (1871) - Harriet Scott Morgan

The Snakes of Australia (1869) - Helena Scott Forde


Beiträge zu der Insekten-Geschichte (1790-93) - Maria Eleonora Hochecker

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Friday, January 18, 2019

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Auld Lang Syne, Explained - Vox




After the ball drops in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, the crowd cheers, couples kiss, confetti flies and the song you hear is “Auld Lang Syne.” For Americans this song is associated with another year passing, but it means something else entirely in other cultures. Since the Scottish poet Robert Burns first published the words to the song in the 18th century, the melody has been adapted as a soccer ballad in the Netherlands, a graduation song in Japan, and more.
So, how did Auld Lang Syne, a Scottish folk tune, become America’s go-to song for New Year’s Eve celebrations? It’s all for old time’s sake and remembering friends. Also: Guy LombardoVox explores the history and usage of this song in The New Year’s Eve song, explained.
Further reading on Scotland.org: The history and words of Auld Lang Syne.
Here is a copy of the melody in sheet music form:

Auld Lang Syne (Easy Piano) - Print Sheet Music Now

Here are the full lyrics:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne.


Chorus:

For auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne,


And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp!

And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.


Chorus

We twa hae run about the braes

And pu'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin auld lang syne.


Chorus

We twa hae paidl'd i' the burn,

Frae mornin' sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.


Chorus

And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!

And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right guid willy waught,
For auld lang syne.


Chorus

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And long, long ago.


Chorus

And for long, long ago, my dear

For long, long ago,
We'll take a cup of kindness yet,
For long, long ago

And surely youll buy your pint-jug!
And surely I'll buy mine!
And we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
For long, long ago.


Chorus

We two have run about the hills

And pulled the daisies fine;
But we've wandered manys the weary foot
Since long, long ago.


Chorus

We two have paddled in the stream,

From morning sun till dine;
But seas between us broad have roared
Since long, long ago.


Chorus

And there's a hand, my trusty friend!

And give us a hand of yours!
And we'll take a deep draught of good-will
For long, long ago.


Chorus

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Sunfish in the Galapagos - BBC Earth




In this exciting moment from the BBC’s Mission Galápagos, Liz Bonnin joins marine biologist Tierney Thys and MV Alucia submersible pilot Mark ‘Buck’ Taylor in what looks like a Triton 3300/3 submersible. At 82 meters (269 feet) below the water’s surface, they spot a gentle giant: The Mola Mola.
mola mola
The ocean sunfish or common mola (Mola mola) is the heaviest known bony fish in the world. Adults typically weigh between 247 and 1,000 kg (545–2,205 lb). The species is native to tropical and temperate waters around the globe. It resembles a fish head with a tail, and its main body is flattened laterally. Sunfish can be as tall as they are long when their dorsal and ventral fins are extended…
Many of the sunfish’s various names allude to its flattened shape. Its specific name, mola, is Latin for “millstone”, which the fish resembles because of its gray color, rough texture, and rounded body. Its common English name, sunfish, refers to the animal’s habit of sunbathing at the surface of the water.