People, technology and great ideas

Bike papercraft - Recycled Cardboard Bicycles For $9

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 22:44:00 +0000

The last time you purchased something made entirely from cardboard, chances are it was a box to pack up your belongings. While the sturdy material is perfect for moving your stuff, an inventor Izhar Gafni from Israel has figured out a way to make cardboard move you. Using nine dollars worth of materials, bicycle enthusiast has created a bicycle primarily out of recycled cardboard that is not only strong and durable but inexpensive to make. It cost about $9-$12 to manufacture this lightweight bicycle which can withstand water and humidity. The technology makes the environmentalist's choice mode of transportation even a bit greener and easier on the wallet. While the cost to make the bicycle ranges from nine to twelve dollars, the manufacturer expects to sell the vehicle for sixty to ninety dollars depending on the optional addition of an electric motor.

The MegaBridges

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 21:02:00 +0000

World’s Longest Sea Bridge: The Qingdao Haiwan Bridge (China)

The world’s longest cross sea bridge has been revealed by China, proving once again how technology and economics are the strongest points of its economy. According to the Telegraph, the Qingdao Haiwan Bridge measures 26.4 miles (42.6 km) and links Qingdao city in China’s eastern Shandong province with the Huangdao district. Having an amazing architectural importance, the Qingdao Haiwan Bridge helps cut the distance between the two points by 30 km, a life saver in such a busy society like China’s, not to mention the touristic attraction. The 6 lane bridge is almost three miles longer than the previous record holder, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana. The major infrastructure project consisted of four years of labour and US$ 8.6 billion spent. The money went into 450,000 tons of steel, capable of withstanding a magnitude 8.0 earthquake. Built in the Jiaozhou river delta, the freshly finished remarkable structure is supposed to hold the record for only a few years, because the officials already announced they started working on another bridge, that links southern province of Guangdong with Hong Kong and Macau.

Akashi Kaikyo Suspension Bridge

Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, also called “Pearl Bridge”, is located in Japan and considered as Japan’s finest engineering feat. Akashi Kaiko Bridge is the world’s longest suspension bridge in the world with a length of 3911 meters (12,831 ft). The Akashi Kaiko Bridge acts as a link between the city of Kobe and Iwaya by crossing the Akashi strait. The construction was finished in a span of 12 years which actually begin in the year 1986 and completed in the year 1998. Akashi Kaikyo Bridge plays an important role in providing three routes across the Inland sea.

Lake Pontchartrain Causeway - world's longest overwater highway bridge

Consisting of parallel, 24-mile-long spans, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is the world's longest overwater highway bridge and one of the oldest prestressed concrete bridges built in the U.S. Engineers loaded the bridge pieces on barges and towed them to construction points on the lake. The twin bridges are supported by more than 9,500 hollow-cylinder pilings approximately 55 inches in diameter; the largest piles ever driven at the time of the first span's construction in 1955. Since the second span opened to the public in 1969, a drawbridge has been added, along with a tracking device to detect approaching barges during foggy conditions.

Rio–Antirrio bridge - World's longest multi-span cable-stayed bridge

A new era in traffic and transport started throughout Western Greece, with the completion of the work of Rion- Antirrio Bridge.
The Bridge Charilaos Trikoupis (It was named so to commemorate the first Greek politician who envisioned the project), at last it is a reality ,which changed dramatically the the geopolitical and economical data of the whole region, annihilating distances and creating new substance .
In 2004 the ambitious vision that became reality.The Bridge of Rion-Antirrion is the landmark of Greece in the 21st century, and changed rapidly the daily routine of the residents.
The Rion-Antirion is the longest cable-stayed bridge multiple exposures worldwide, by 2252 main deck measures. The foundations are located in water depth that reaches up to 65 meters. Both this and the diameter of the foundations is 90 meters world record for a bridge. However, according to the manufacturers, the best record this impressive Bridge that was built "without any serious accident, without shedding a single drop of blood”.
Nevertheless, Bridge has so far awarded by the international scientific community with nine international awards.

Old Chain of Rocks Bridge -- the world's longest pedestrian and bicycle bridge

The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge was constructed in 1929 as part of Route 66 and was financed by tolls. In 1967, a new bridge carrying I-270 was constructed over the Mississippi and the old bridge was closed. It sat, abandoned and decaying for 31 years. During this time, the bridge was featured in the 1981 movie “Escape From New York” as the 69th Street Bridge. The bridge also developed a bad reputation for crimes and violence including a rape and murder while it sat unused. In 1999, the bridge was officially reopened for bicycle and pedestrian usage after renovations and security improvements. Funding for the reopening of this bridge came from Trailnet (http://www.trailnet.org/trails.html#ocorb) and the Confluence Greenway Project (http://www.confluencegreenway.org/). At one mile in length, the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge is the world’s longest pedestrian and bicycle bridge. This bridge is located just north of St. Louis and is worth a look.

Millau Viaduct -- Tallest in the world

Tallest in the world and taller than the Eiffel Tower, slung across the valley of the river Tarn, the Viaduct de Millau (Viaduc de Millau) is the chosen solution for taking the A75 motorway from Clermont-Ferraud south to Beziers. This is cheaper than the alternative of tunnelling through the hills flanking the river, and will shorten the journey by 100 km and by up to 4 hours in the holiday season, as well as removing much traffic pollution caused by continual traffic jams for local inhabitants in Millau. The Millau Viaduct is currently the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. It has a steel deck, rather than the more usual concrete roadbed.
The bridge is now sometimes being used for extreme sports such as base jumping or rapelling.

Sydney Harbour Bridge -- the widest bridge in the world

The Sydney Harbour Bridge may not be the longest steel-arch Bridge in the world, but it is the largest and widest. At 48.8 metres (151.3 feet) wide, the Guinness Book of Records lists it as the widest long span Bridge in the world and until 1967, it was Sydney’s tallest structure.
The highest point of the arch is 134 metres (440 feet). The pylons are 89 metres (292 feet) high. The Bridge was the highest point in Sydney Australia until 1967.
The longest span of the Bridge is 503 metres (1650 feet). The total length is 1.15km (3770 feet).
It took over eight years to build the Bridge, between July 1923 and March 1932. Planning for the Bridge began as early as 1912.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is the fourth longest single-span steel arch bridge in the world, behind Bayonne Bridge in New York, The New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia and the longest which is The Lupu Bridge in Shanghai. The Bridge is 49 metres (161 feet) wide, making it the widest single-span Bridge in the world. The weight of the steel arch is 39,000 tons.
The girders are made from steel (79% imported from England and 21% from Australian sources). The pylons are made of concrete faced in granite, which was quarried near Moruya, 300km from Sydney. Around 6 million rivets and 52,800 tonnes of steelwork and 17,000 cubic metres of granite have gone into the construction of the Bridge.
The approach spans were erected first, then work began on the main arch. Two half-arches were built out from each side of the Harbour. Steel members were transported on barges into the Harbour and hauled into position with creeper cranes mounted on the arches, which built the Bridge out before them as they inched forward.
The two halves of the arch were joined on 19 August 1930, bringing a well needed smile to the face of depression-era Sydney. The road deck was then hung from the arch from the centre outwards and was in place within nine months.

Zavikon Island -- shortest international bridge in the world

Zavikon Island probably has the smallest international bridge in the world. It is only thirty-two feet long and connects a Canadian island and an American island. The boundary agreement in 1793 between the American and Canadian governments decided that no island would be split in two. Two-thirds of the islands are in Canadian territory, but the total area of the Canadian and American islands is roughly equal.
Theoretically the second island is in US, but both are considered to be part of canada. Local guides and tour operators definitely want this to be known as “shortest international bridge”

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

How to make an origami snowflake.

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 08:31:00 +0000

Recommended paper size: Hexagon with a side length of 10cm (approx. 4in)
Resulting model: Hexagon with a side length of 5cm (approx. 2in)
This video describes how to fold the origami snowflake designed by Dennis Walker. Dennis' website: http://www.origamidennis.co.uk/

Grab a square piece of paper and follow along with this video to create your own snowflake using the Japanese art of origami.

The Bullet 580 - the world's largest Airship

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Mon, 31 May 2010 21:29:00 +0000

E-Green Technologies' Bullet 580 is the world’s largest airship at 230ft (70m) long and 65ft (19.8m) diameter. Each Bullet 580 costs US$8M (€6.3M), the company plans to build eight airships to rent at US$290,000-800,000 (€230,000-630,000) a month.

Suggested applications for Bullet 580’s unique low speed and lifting capabilities include sightseeing, carrying heavy cargo and flown on high altitude remotely piloted observation missions carrying up to 2,000lbs (907kgs) at 20,000ft (6000m), or 15,000 to 2,500ft (760m).

Buoyant lift comes from seven helium filled bags with the outer Kevlar hull made rigid by pressurized air. The 35mph (56kph) cruising speed and maximum 80mph (129kph) comes from engines using algae-produced bio-diesel fuel.

The first mission to fly will take NASA and Old Dominion University crew, on a soil moisture measuring research flight. Test flights are planned to begin this summer.

Technical Specifications:

•Approximate length = 230 feet
•Specially manufactured in various lengths to meet sustained altitude and payload requirements.
•Maneuverable—vertical takeoff/descent; capable of reversing directions.
•Diesel-powered generators provide a power budget for payloads exceeding 4kw.
•Payload bays designed for easy access and modification.
•Dual-redundant flight control system for manned and unmanned operation.
•Ground Control Systems and data links provide full control during unmanned operation.
•Water Condensate Recovery System reduces need for helium replenishment.

The Oil Rocks

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:49:00 +0000

The Oil Rocks is a full town on the sea, 50km off the coast of Azerbaijan, it was the first oil platform in Azerbaijan. It was built in 1947 as an exercise of Soviet and Azeri ambition. The Oil Rocks lies 45–50 km (28–31 mi) offshore on the Caspian Sea and extracts oil from the shallow water portion of the Absheron geological trend. The most distinctive feature of the Oil Rocks is that it is actually a functional city with a population of about 5,000 and over 200 km (120 mi) of streets built on atop rocks, piles of sand and landfill. Most of the inhabitants work on shifts; a week on Oil Rocks followed by a week on the shore. The small city includes shops, school and a library. After almost 60 years the Oil Rocks is still quite unusual as Azerbaijan's first and largest oil platform. Despite the conditions, the platforms still have a combined population of about 5,000 men, who work in week-long offshore shifts, and collectively they produce over half of the total crude oil output of Azerbaijan.

The facility is poorly maintained, with miles of roads now submerged beneath the sea. Around some worker's dormitories, the waterline now stands at the second-floor windows. Although a full one-third of the Oil Rocks complex's 600 wells are inoperative or inaccessible, operations have continued without a significant increase in investment. The site, despite its imperfections, still produces over half of the total crude oil output of Azerbaijan. The government has striven to attract foreign investment into Oil Rocks, resulting in several new additions being grafted onto the existing structure.

Several action sequences in the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough are set on the Oil Rocks. , where terrorists used a giant helicopter saw to cut the oil pipes.

Sources: Wikipedia, Google Sightseeing

Electric vehicles - The Future of Cars

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:22:00 +0000

Tesla Roadster

This car has reinvigorated the EV market like no other. Tesla's Roadster is an attention magnet, and every time the car stops, someone wants to know how far it can go on a charge (240 miles, if you drive it very conservatively) or how long it takes to recharge (3.5 hours) or how much it costs ($110,000). As it speeds up, the car starts to whine; it sounds nothing like any car you hear on the roads. It's much more like the Landspeeder from Star Wars. Electric motors are very powerful, and the Tesla's 0 to 60 time is 3.9 seconds.

Lightning GT - The United Kingdom’s answer to Tesla

Electric vehicles have maximum available power at the wheels at any speed, unlike a petrol engine where maximum power is only obtained high up in the rev range. To deliver this power to the road the Lightning will use electronically controlled traction control which negates wheel spin and unbalance in the power being applied. The stunning performance of the Lightning GTS will likely surpass almost all large engine high performance sports cars in the 0-60mph range. The sensation of harnessing power and performance will be felt by the sheer exhilaration of the power pushing you back in your seat as the car accelerates. Because there is no engine, the Lightning has a maintenance-free motor with just a few parts and together with the control electronics and special batteries, will not need anywhere near the servicing of other sports cars. The Lightning's power figures are very impressive - 700 horsepower, and 4 second 0-60mph times to almost rival the Tesla's 3.7 seconds. But it's the GT's revolutionary battery technology that might give it the upper hand: Nanosafe's Li-ion cells using nano titanate structures instead of traditional graphite give the GT an incredible 250-mile range, a full recharge time of only 10 minutes, and a life expectancy of 12 to 20 years, or 15,000 charge cycles before the battery performance drops significantly.

Nissan Leaf electric car

Nissan Leaf designed as a four-to-five seat, front-drive C-segment hatchback, Nissan says the Leaf is not just for use as a specialty urban runabout, but rather, it was designed as an everyday vehicle – a "real car" whose 160-kilometer+ (100 mile) range meets the needs of 70% of the world's motorists. In the case of U.S. consumers, Nissan says that fully 80% of drivers travel less than 100km per day (62 miles), making the Leaf a solid fit for America's motoring majority, even taking into account power-sapping external factors like hilly terrain, accessory draw, and extreme temperatures. Powered by a unique array of thin, laminated lithium ion cells capable of delivering over 90 kW of power, the Leaf's front-mounted electric motor delivers 80 kW (107 horsepower) and a healthy 280 Nm of torque (208 pound-feet), and it promises brisk and silent off-the-line power, with acceleration from a stop comparable to that of the company's Infiniti G35. And the Leaf has a top speed of over 140 km/h (87 mph). More impressive is the battery pack's 50 kW AC fast-charge capability, which is capable of accepting an 80% charge in less than 30 minutes, or an extra 50 km (31 miles) worth of range in about 10 minutes.

GEM electric car

GEM battery-electric vehicles are classified as low-speed vehicles, or neighborhood electric vehicles, and are street legal in nearly all 50 states on public roads posted at 35 mph or less. With a top speed of 25 mph, GEM cars have a range of up to 30 miles on a charge and are great for traveling around city centers, gated communities, resorts, sports stadiums, job sites, or neighborhoods. GEM vehicles are battery-electric, operate on a 72-volt battery system and plug into a standard 110-volt outlet. What makes GEM vehicles so unique is that they can be recharged anytime, anywhere a 110-volt outlet is available and recharge in approximately six to eight hours.

GEM cars are available in a choice of six models: the GEM e2 two-passenger, the GEM e4 four-passenger, the GEM e6 six-passenger, the GEM eS two-passenger with a short-back bed, the GEM eL two-passenger with a long-back bed, and the GEM eL XD two-passenger extra duty with a long-back bed.

From its high profile to its command-style seating the GEM e2 two-passenger vehicle is ideal for those short trips you make every day. Its standard six 12-volt flooded electrolyte batteries provide a range of up to 35 miles on a charge and the many vehicle options offer you great versatility. Visit the Standard Features section for more information on the features that make the GEM e2 a vehicle you will enjoy driving.

Chevrolet Volt

Volt is an electric car that can create its own electricity. Plug it in, let it charge overnight, and it’s ready to run on a pure electric charge for up to 40 miles(3) — gas and emissions free. After that, Volt keeps going, even if you can’t plug it in. Volt uses a range-extending gas generator that produces enough energy to power it for hundreds of miles on a single tank of gas.

Electricity is an extremely affordable way to power a car — the average American pays less than 12 cents per kilowatt hour. If the average American drives less than 40 miles, it will cost about a dollar a day for electricity. That's about the same annual cost as running a common household appliance.

Phoenix SUT

The four-passenger, advanced battery electric, zero-emission SUT that can travel at freeway speed. Equipped with a revolutionary lithium titanate battery, this SUT (sport utility truck) will travel over 100 miles on a single 10-minute charge (Off-Board High-Power 250kW Charger required for 10-minute charge). Designed with a sophisticated chassis and regenerative braking, this fully electric vehicle is not only powerful, it’s practical and really cool. Phoenix is initially selling to fleets because that’s where the math works out. Since it’s a certified EV, the State of California provides some pretty massive incentives...enough to make it possible to sell a vehicle with $75,000 worth of batteries for $45,000

REVA

The NXR's high torque motor delivers a top speed of 104 km/h. The NXR offers both Normal and Fast Charge options. While Normal Charge is ideal for overnight charging, the optional external Fast Charge station gives you 40 km (25 miles) in just 15 minutes. With a range of 160 km, the REVA is good for 97% of all journeys you'll ever make. In addition to mechanical braking, the REVA's regenerative braking, extends your range by putting energy back into your batteries, every time you slow down. For the price of a couple of tanks of petrol, you can commute all year long. Leave fuel costs in the past, where they belong. A proprietary Intelligent Energy Management System with integrated thermal battery management provides enhanced efficiency and reliability. The NXR has a turning radius of just 3.9 meters. Completely automatic, it is just as easy to park as it is to carve through city traffic.

Coda

Coda - a four door, five passenger sedan with an all-electric drive train. The car was originally designed by one Miles Rubin, and he's remaining an integral part of the launch. The electric family car includes enough battery power to travel between 90 and 120 miles on a full charge, and it can regain 40 miles of range with just two hours of charging. It supports energy from any 110 or 220V socket, and a full charge (from 0% to 100%) can be accomplished in as little as six hours. The cost of the car is expected to be around $45,000, but the actual cost of ownership will dip much lower after a $7,500 federal credit along with other incentives. Coda Automotive estimates that it will cost less than $3 (on average) to drive 100 miles, whereas a comparable gas-powered sedan would eat up around $17 in fuel costs to drive that same distance. Amenities are everywhere as well, with the factory list of equipment including navigation, Bluetooth, AM/FM/XM radio, USB connectivity and aluminum wheels. The car's even backed by a 3-year, 36,000 mile warranty.

Venturi Fetish - World's first electric sportscar

The folks at Monaco-based Venturi Automobiles have used two strategies to overcome the problems of producing a high-performance, all-electric luxury sportscar: manufacture only 25 units per year, and charge $400,000 for each one. The Venturi Fetish, described by the company as “the first production electric sports car in automobile history,” can bolt from zero to 60 in 4.3 seconds, and reach a maximum speed of 105 mph. The physics behind this level of performance: 330 horsepower pushing a carbon-fiber vehicle weighing only 2,425 pounds.
When the vehicle’s 100 li-on battery packs are topped off, Venturi claims the Fetish can go 220 miles before needing a recharge. A rapid battery charge is available, yielding about one mile of driving for every minute of juice. Venturi has taken the guesswork out of knowing how much charge is left by teaming up with Intel to create a wireless information system to remotely monitor the energy storage status, as well as other critical data. Before writing a check for a deposit, you might consider that the vehicle has yet to meet U.S. guidelines to become certified for American roads. Customers take delivery in Monaco and are responsible for transport to the United States… or anywhere else, for that matter. Orders are being taken, with a production and delivery timeline of approximately one year.

Tango

The revolutionary Tango combines the speed and agility of a motorcycle with the security of a high-performance sports car.
The Tango's ability to maneuver through traffic is second to none. Being 5" narrower than many motorcycles, it can get through traffic like no other car in history. Where lane splitting is permitted (i.e., driving between lanes of stopped or slow-moving traffic), the advantage can be staggering. In extremely heavy traffic, a Tango or motorcycle can travel in 20 seconds the distance that cars travel in 20 minutes.
The Tango can fit in a 6-foot half-lane with more clearance than a truck has in a full 12-foot freeway lane. This virtual doubling of lane capacity can make the traffic jam a fading memory. It can also park perpendicularly to the curb like a motorcycle, allowing up to four Tangos in one parallel parking space.
With over 1,000 ft-lbs of torque starting at zero rpm and a 600 kW (805 hp) motor controller, the Tango accelerates from 0-60 mph in under four seconds, finishes the standing 1/4 mile in about 12 seconds at over 100 mph, and can reach over 130 mph with no gear shifting.

Range from 40 to 200 miles of freeway driving is available, depending on battery selection and your planned driving habits. It is recommended that, at least twice the range of your typical daily trips between charges be purchased.

sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

Bund Tourist Tunnel - The Most Impressive Bund Sightseeing Tunnel in Shanghai

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:55:00 +0000

Tourist Tunnel is perhaps the most interesting activities that can be found all over Shanghai. Its psychedelic light show will make you groan, but this is exactly what makes it so funny. Kids love it, adults quite puzzled his strangeness. Nevertheless, it remains the great way to get across the river from the Podung side to the Bund. The good thing is that it is very convenient, the entrance is right by the bund and it leaves you just a block away from the oriental pearl tower. The entrance can be a little difficult to find. On the West bank of the river at the northern end of the Bund, you will see a sign for him over the stairs that go under the street. On the eastern side of the river, you will find the tourist tunnel entrance in front of the entrance door to the convention center hotel (Riverside building shaped as a globe).
The two trip ticket is a lot cheaper than a one way. The ride goes slowly so you don't need to even sit down. The accompanying light show is part Disney, part psychedelic, complete with flashing strobes, blowing tinsel, and swirling hallucinogenic images projected on the concrete walls. The five-minute ride will make your head spin.

Wooden Large Hadron Collider by N.Polissky

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Tue, 12 May 2009 19:52:00 +0000

Nikolay Polissky is the only land-artist in modern Russian Art. Starting 2000th he was creating most his works in the settlement Nikola Lenivets, Russia, four hours from Moscow. His art may be called Utopian, both in art and social sense. And moreover, this Utopia is materialized Utopia. In social determination, Polissky succeeded in reviving and depicting a semi-abandoned village, with help of Art turning it into a real cultural center (an international festival of landscape architecture “ArchStoyanie” has been passing here since 2003) and making its inhabitants real participants of a constructive process.

"Large Hadron Collider" is a work from a new project, made-up by Nikolay Polissky. Now the unpuddled mirror of people's conscience must reflect not classic inheritance of the World Architecture, but the latest scientific achievements. Strictly speaking, there was a work of this kind by Polissky – “Baykonur”, 2005: a huge installation consisting of models of rockets and launching systems entwined of twig. First exhibited in the yard of the Tretyakov’s gallery during the First Moscow Biennale of Modern Art, this installation was then transferred to Nikola Lenivets, where later it was burnt in the course of traditional Shrovetide fest. It was already there when science could have been read through prism of ritual and magic. Flame made the interlink between space rockets and their twigged copies. And the outflow to extraterrestrial space turned into burning bringing to memory funeral pyres that provide the dead to pass to the afterworld.

The "Hadron Collider" by Polissky and his co-authors, first of all interests with that half-mystical aureole mantling modern science. Contemporary scientists for Polissky are kind of oracles, privy to secrets of universe hidden for ordinary people, and maybe even capable to influence forces ruling the world. And that is not that far from truth: few of us can really explain how the Large Hadron Collider is constructed and what purposes it serves. Scientific world view, same as magical or religious world view may only be taken for granted. The "Large Hadron Collider" by Polissky and co-authors is a simulated implementation of that very machine, from which God may emerge.

Large Hadron Collider by N.Polissky from Ivan Polissky on Vimeo.

source

Gömböc

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:07:00 +0000

An interesting mathematical curiosity: the Gömböc (pronounced "gəmbəts"). This is an intriguing object, devised by Hungarian mathematicians Gábor Domokos and Péter Várkonyi, that has the property of self-righting to a single stable position despite being homogeneous, completely convex and not being obviously "flat" or "thin".
As with many other shapes with useful mechanical properties, this self-righting behaviour has already been achieved in nature in animals such as the Indian Star Tortoise. More on this at the Mathematical Intelligencer article Mono-monostatic bodies: the answer to Arnold's question (PDF). The question of whether it is possible to construct a three dimensional body which is mono-monostatic but also homogeneous and convex was raised by the by Russian mathematician Vladimir Arnold. This is of interest because it is known to be impossible in two dimensions.
A gömböc is, incidentally, Hungarian for a round thing, which may apply to dumplings or the sinister pork haggis in the Hungarian folktale A kis gömböc that hangs in a cottage attic and eats a family.

Compare the rattleback or celt, an object of no discernable application, but one also with unusual dynamic properties: in its case, a preferred direction of spin.

source Apothecary's Drawer Weblog

Russia’s Aqua Star: An Original Underwater scooter

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:31:00 +0000

The Aqua Star is an underwater motorcycle that permits the user to go underwater without any special equipment. The way it works is simple. The body of the motorcycle rider stays in the water and the head is encased in a sort of helmet (integrated into the Aqua Star’s body) that serves as a diving bell equipped with an air-supplying system. The controls operate like a bike – just twist the handlebars.
The electronic motor on the Aqua Star permits movement in all directions underwater. The Russian developers of the Aqua Bike came up with several fascinating innovations. For one thing, they used even glass for the helmet instead of the usual spherical glass that distorts the diver’s visibility and makes the eyes get tired.
Developers of the Aqua Star claim their motorcycle can be used at a depth of up to 12 meters (about 42 feet) and ride with 7km/h speed (about 4 miles per hour). The Aqua Star should be ready for market by next summer but the price is still a mystery. The brothers are pushing forward with their newest design, a two-seat motorcycle.

Unusual bridges – water bridges

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:23:00 +0000

Magdeburg Water Bridge

Ships usually sail under bridges - here, however, they sail over one! The Magdeburg Canal Bridge, sometimes referred to as the Magdeburg Water Bridge connects the Mittellandkanal and Elbe-Havel-Kanal waterways, traversing the River Elbe in the process. The bridge can carry trains of barges propelled from the rear by high-power tugs (so-called "push-tows"), and large inland cargo vessels. All this is made possible by a gigantic steel trough. Completed in December 2003, the bridge is 918 meters long and has been modestly described as "a giant, kilometer-long concrete bathtub."

View Larger Map

Minden canal bridge

Central buildings of the Wasserstraßenkreuzes Minden are the old Trogbrücke and the parallel new Trogbrücke. Both lead the Midland Canal over the Weser. With the 83 m long lock and the new canal bridge that was taken into service also in 1998. The usual traffic only uses the new bridge. The 370 m long bridge is the second largest in Europe.

View Larger Map

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Top 25 ads of 2008

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:45:00 +0000

The Top 25 ads of 2008 featuring gems such as Nike Football ad and Budweiser's Wassup reworked for Obama

Stride Gum: Dancing Matt

This is Matt. He quit his job to dance around the world. 14 months in the making, 42 countries, and a cast of thousands. Check out all the places he traveled to this time around.

And, be sure to keep an eye out for more to come from Matt.

Nike Football: Take it to the next level (FULL 2 MINUTES VERSION)

Wassup 2008

+ old original version

Tan Hong Ming in love

Ad by Leo Burnett Malaysia for Petronas. Cannes Gold in TV
Tan Hong Ming
This ad adresses the race problem in Malaysia... The boy, Tan Hong Ming, is of chinese origin, the girl is not. This doesn't keep them from being a "couple".

Amnesty International: Crazy Leaders

GQ: Ideal man

Volkswagen Polo: Dog confidence

Allan Gray long term investment: Beautiful

Hovis bread: Go On Lad

Orange TV: Rewind City

VW Golf: Enjoy for everyday

Awareness test

Monster: Stork

Sony Ericsson Walkman W890: Enjoy The Silence

Crest: Bulldozer

Levi's: Guys Backflip into Jeans

Coca-Cola: It's Mine

Pantene Chrysalis: A deaf girl learns to play violin

Chupa Chups: Girlfriend

Discovery: I Love The World

Omo: Roboboy (Dirt is good!)

Trident soft gum: Mess With Your Head

Schweppes: Burst

Lucchetti soups: Blender

Montana Meth: Sister

Best Photos of 2008

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:54:00 +0000

TIME Pictures of the Year 2008

MSNBC 2008 Year in Pictures

Natures Best Photography 2008 Award

Best Photos of 2008 by Agency France Press

Reuters Best Pictures of the Year 2008

Associate Press Best of 2008

Best Pictures of Microscopic Life, 2008

Best Science Images of 2008

LA Times: Best of 2008

Homemade Cristmas Decorations

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 23:51:00 +0000

Christmas Decorations and Gifts Kids Can Make

Fun Christmas decorations that your kids can make for your home or to give to family and friends.

How to make Christmas ornaments

How to Make Christmas Ornaments From Pine Cones

Make a Christmas ornament from a pine cone by wrapping the top with wire, applying hot glue to the edges and sprinkling glitter over the entire thing for a winter effect.

How to Make an Angel Christmas Ornament

To make an angel Christmas ornament, use pre-made wings or simply white feathers as a base, glue a looped pipe cleaner down as the halo and then attach a body and head out of colored poms. Create an angel ornament, using another ornament as the body, with instructions from an experienced craftswoman in this free video on Christmas crafts

How to Make Christmas Candy Wreaths

Making a Christmas candy wreath requires arranging red and green peppermints in a circle, gluing them together and then attaching a ribbon bow to the top. Create a wreath out of candy, attaching them to a paper plate for extra support, with instructions from an experienced craftswoman in this free video

How to Create a Warm & Inviting Entryway for Christmas : How to Use Christmas Decorations to Create a Warm Entryway

Slow-Motion Videos

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 21:44:00 +0000

High-Speed Camera of a Bullet

Lighter

Car Explosion

Drop in Slow Motion

Husqvarna's Automower Solar Hybrid

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 22:17:00 +0000

Husqvarna’s Automower Solar Powered Automower is the world's first fully automatic lawn mower that is partly powered by the sun light. The Automower uses considerably less energy than any conventional mower. That's because in addition to a charging station, it comes with a large integrated solar panel. When there is daylight available, the solar cells enable the mower to extend its cutting periods before it needs recharging. That means a cut lawn in a shorter time, even lower power consumption and an extended battery life. So now it takes even less energy to mow the lawn. Suitable for lawns up to 2,100 square metres, depending on light conditions.

sources 1, 2

Free Wallpapers: Patterns in Nature

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 22:38:00 +0000

Neglected eighty-eight butterfly | Palau Islands

Rainbow Over Baobab Tree | Fresh Cherries

The American Flag free wallpapers

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:09:00 +0000

The American Flag free wallpapers - National Geographic magazine

World's smallest gadgets

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:57:00 +0000

Worlds Smallest Bluetooth Headset - ARGARD M10 Titanium Bluetooth Headset

The ARGARD M10 is an ultra small bluetooth headset designed for thoses who choose only extreme devices.

Features:
- Light, small, cutting edge design
- In-ear Design, fits completely inear.
- comes with extra earpieces (larger andsmaller sizes) for perfect fit.
- Design to be wearable on the left orright ear
- Easy to use: only 3 buttons and one clearindicator light
- Battery will last all day long

Specifications:
- Weigh: 5 grams
- Size: 23 mm x 22 mm x 31.5 mm
- Talk time: up to 3 hours
- Standby time: up to 100 hours
- Bluetooth version: 1.2 class 2

Zrad Smallest and Lightest Gum Shaped Camera Recorder High Resolution 640*480, 2gb

Zrad Smallest and Lightest Gum Shaped Camera Recorder

Features:
* Resolution: 640*480
* Memory: Built-in 2GB
* Lens: 1/4" CMOS
* Video format: 3GP
* Video recording speed: 20MB-35MB per minute
* Video recording mode: continuous recording till the memory card is full of storage or stop recording
* Battery: Built-in Lithium battery
* Power supply: Li-on rechargeable battery, charge by USB bus.
* Recording time: 4~6hours
* Charging time: 2~3hours
* Dimension:73*20*11mm
* Weight: 18g

Instapark Wireless Hidden Pinhole Spy Camera Nanny Cam with Microphone

A Complete Wireless Spy Camera Kit System are included: Wireless color pinhole camera Camera metal bracket Stand for easy installation Camera Signal Receiver DC + 12V/500mA power adapter for receiver DC + 8V/200mA power adapter for camera AV Cable Battery Clip Connector Receiver antenna Manual
This New Model 2007 High Power Wireless Pinhole Surveillence Color Camera that can provides up to 500ft range and better picture quality. All cables & adapters are included so it can be easily installed in a few minutes to your tv, vcr or computer that has tv tuner or capture card.

Smallest and Slimmest DVD Player

CinePlayer PDP100, the smallest and slimmest DVD player on earth, is merely 18 mm height with state-of-the-art design. This stylish CinePlayer is not only easily portable but also user friendly with slot-in loading type, which provides the perfect stability and silence.

Technical Details:
- Dimensions: 16.3 x 15 x 1.8 ca, 280g weight
- Supports DivX, MPEG4 , MP3 and Jepg format
- UK/US/AU/EU 4 Types adapter cords included
- YPbPr and SPDIF (optical) supported

PQI 8GB Intelligent Stick USB Flash Drive i810 Plus. Smallest USB flash drive in the world, waterproof and dust-proof characteristics

The Intelligent Stick mini is a PQI patented technology. It combines characteristics of a flash card and a USB flash drive. It does not need a card reader to read from or write to thus making it the perfect storage medium for all types of digital devices. PQI's Intelligent Stick consumes minimum power and its mini dimension makes it easy to store. For added value, it also comes with data security, my favorite and PC lock applications.
Main Features Overview
1. Ultra transfer rate: Read up to 27MB/sec
2. PQI s patented Intelligent Stick interface USB 2.0 compatible
3. Multimedia or Data Storage
4. Hot swappable, USB Plug & Play compatible
5. Low power consumption
6. Its small size marking it easy to carry and store
7. Cell phone decoration, easy to carry.
8. Useful utility software down load available.
9. Support Windows Vista Ready Boost

KingMax 8GB World's Tiniest Super Stick

The world's lightest, thinnest and only water-resistant and heat-resistant USB flash drive is now 50% FASTER with Vista Boost Certified!. The Super Stick is convenient enough for consumers to carry anywhere, and its trendy design makes it a great mobile phone strap accessory, necklace or keychain. It can even be stored in a wallet. The Super Stick is so small that it measures and weights about the size of a paper clip. It works with USB 2.0, allowing for the high-speed transfer of documents and data in your day-to-day work. The Super Stick is made to last using a patented packaging technology that is stronger than plastic or aluminum casing. In fact there is no casing; it is built directly into the sealed substrate making it resistant to water, heat and shock, virtually indestructible. Plus no snap-on cap is needed. Hate those bulky flash drives that end up losing or forgetting. Finally an USB flash drive that you can hold onto with no hassle. Revolutionary size and an amazing price make the Super Stick the ultimate buy for a USB flash drive.

Furniture in a Box: home and office collection

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:52:00 +0000

I-TRUNK. The pocket office

Trunk in wood and leather, jewelry in nickeled massive brass.

SOPRANO. Music maestro

The Soprano Music Trunk. Genuinely not sure how to describe this one. It’s a leather covered trunk in which you can store your music CDs or whatever else you fancy, and which contains a full blown B&O stereo system.

MOVIE TRUNK

The Pinel Pinel's Movie trunk is a fold out home theatre system. It includes highly acclaimed Bang & Olufsen Beolab 6000 subwoofer, two Beolab 3 speakers, BeoVision 6-26 television, and the DVD1 DVD/CD player. This fold out home theatre system is covered in an assortment of 51 vibrant leathers with nickel plated brass hardware and 3 drawers to store 48 DVD’s.

Pic Nic Trunk

The Pic Nic Trunk. Rather mythically subtitled "Trunk Of Happiness," this should please anybody out there on a quest for the ultimate picnic hamper. Whilst it may not be the solution to all your problems, it certainly won't hamper a good picnic. Once again, this product is available in a choice of 51 colours and is of wood and leather structure with brass detail. This particular trunk includes "11 drawers in which all the must-have accessories for a champagne picnic has been placed." A compartmentalists dream and surely a must for those in the upper echelons of society who like to shoot, eat and leave.

Kibako - "The Green Trunk."

The company which provides the option of bespoke crocodile as standard show their nature-loving side once more with the Kibako. Structurally as above, this particular product lets the green fingered folk out there get their trunk on. With two drawers which function as collecting trays, Osram 80w horticultural light and a selection of bonzai maintenance tools, you'll be good to grow in no time.

BABY TRUNK

I-CASE

sources: 1, 2, 3

Steampunk phone by Arthur Schmitt

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:04:00 +0000

This steampunk phone is a conceptual prototype by designer Arthur Schmitt, and it tickles all the right spots from a design standpoint. It's got a heavy wire cover over the earpiece, gauges, visible screws, a rugged brown scheme, a spinning number-counter — oh, how we could go on. Best of all, it uses punch cards and binary phone numbers to control your phone's features and make calls, so getting someone on the line is charmingly unwieldy. Schmitt designed the Steampunk Phone for European cell provider o2, as part of a study on whether or not non-traditional cell phones could be marketed to more unusual focus groups: in this case, role-playing gamers.

source: tart2000

Large Hadron Collider (LHC) wallpapers and photos

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:21:00 +0000

The Globe of Science and Innovation at night. The wooden globe is a structure originally built for Switzerland's national exhibition, Expo'02, and is 40 meters wide, 27 meters tall. This wooden building was given to CERN in 2004 as a gift from the Swiss Confederation to mark 50 years since the Organization's foundation.

View of the CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid) experiment Tracker Outer Barrel (TOB) in the cleaning room. The Compact Muon Solenoid is one of two general-purpose Large Hadron Collider experiments designed to explore the physics of the Terascale, the energy region where physicists believe they will find answers to the central questions at the heart of 21st-century particle physics.

The first ATLAS Inner Detector End-Cap after complete insertion within the Liquid Argon Cryostat.

Assembly and installation of the ATLAS Hadronic endcap Liquid Argon Calorimeter. The ATLAS detector contains a series of ever-larger concentric cylinders around the central interaction point where the LHC's proton beams collide.

All Photos © CERN

More Large Hadron Collider (LHC) wallpapers and photos at CERN Document Server

How to make homemade weapons (video)

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:34:00 +0000

How to make 2 home made weapons with easy to find stuff

Worlds Simplist & Most Powerful homemade Skewer Gun

homemade Alcohol Gun

homemade weapons - crossbow

home made rocket launcher

Easily Make A Taser From An Electronic Fly Swater!

cool and easy to make homemade dart gun with easy to find items around your house.

10 Youngest Professionals of The World

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 01:35:00 +0000

Arfa Karim Randhawa

Born: 1995

Current Age: 13

Arfa Karim Randhawa is the youngest person ever to become a Microsoft certified professional at the ripe old age of 9 years, 9 months and 6 hours to be precise. Her interest in computers began early when she passed by a computer lab in her school in Pakistan. From that point on she possessed an amazing curiosity and aptitude in using and creating Microsoft programs. At the age of 10 she travelled to the United States with her father to meet Microsoft founder, Bill Gates and also had the privilege of meeting Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf.

Suhas Gopinath, CEO of Globals Inc.

Born: 1986

Current Age: 22

Most of us worry about finishing class assignments on time or who to take to the latest Abhishek Bachchan flick. Suhas Gopinath has bigger things on his mind. Although he wasn’t old enough to drive in some countries or sign legal documents, he took over as CEO of his own multi-national corporation at age 17. Gopinath dreamed of becoming a vet as a kid, but at 14 he became fascinated by the Internet. His interest started with the creation of his own Web page but soon turned to the development of a new company. In 2000, Gopinath started Globals Inc., an IT service company that now boasts 11 offices worldwide, more than 400 employees and profits of more than $1 million a year.

Gopinath’s talents gave him global recognition because he is not only the youngest CEO in the world but also one of the most innovative. He often speaks at conferences to people twice his age (or older!) offering tips on how to run their businesses. Recently, he initiated a programme for other young people interested in business called “Building Entrepreneurship Skills in Youngsters”, which was applauded by the Hon’able President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Gopinath did all this while working on his BE in information science at the MS Ramaiah Institute of Information Technology!

Not only forward-thinking in business, Gopinath has a lot to say about social issues as well. He spoke at a young leaders’ conference last year about the importance of viewing the world as a global community without political borders. Gopinath is just as passionate about animal rights. He recently sat down with petaDishoom to discuss his views on business, animal rights and what young people can do to revolutionise both.

Victor M. De Leon III, Professional Gamer

Born: May 6, 1998

Current Age: 10

LiL Poison is the Youngest Pro Gamer in the World!.
He started video gaming at the age of two years old! LiL Poison started competing at the age of 4 years old at a local New York Halo Tournament.
At the age of six MLG recruiters signed LiL Poison as a Pro Gamer and officially made LiL Poison the youngest signed professional gamer in the world. At 7 years old LiL Poison proved to the world that his title of, professional gamer wasn’t just a fluke. At the largest free-for-all competition ever held, he placed 2nd out of 550 other contestants.
At the age of 9 years old LiL Poison competed in a 1vs1 Boost Mobile Challenge and qualified for the Championships in Las Vegas. He entered the event seated 1st place out of over 3500 gamers. He placed 3rd place overall. Besides the Boost Challenge LiL Poison has participated in three one verses one challenges in 2007 and was unbeaten at every event in which over 200 challengers participated.

Marla Olmstead

Born: 1999

Current Age: 8

Marla Olmstead made her first abstract painting while still in diapers, crouching on her parents' dining-room table. She was not yet 2. Her big break came when she was 3, and a family friend hung her paintings in a coffee shop in her hometown of Binghamton, N.Y. By the time she was 4, she was scarfing down cookies at the packed opening of her first solo gallery show. A local reporter covered the story, and the New York Times picked it up. Soon, news crews from all over were rushing to report on the adorable blond moppet and her colorful canvases, calling her a "budding Picasso," a "pint-sized Pollock." Within a few months, she sold more than $300,000 worth of paintings. And then, just short of her 5th birthday, the bubble burst. In February 2005, 60 Minutes aired a report by Charlie Rose implying that Marla's father, a night-shift manager at a Frito-Lay plant and an amateur painter himself, was guiding her compositions. Sales of the paintings quickly dried up, the family was barraged with hate mail, and the New York Post gleefully piled on the puns, reporting that "the juvenile Jackson Pollock may actually be a full-fledged Willem de Frauding."

Ruth Lawrence

Born: 1972

Current Age: 36

Child prodigy Ruth Lawrence has achieved a starred first in Mathematics at Oxford University.

The 13-year-old is the youngest British person ever to earn a first-class degree and the youngest known graduate of Oxford University.

As well as being the only student to attain that grade this year she is also one of two students to be awarded a prize and special commendation for the degree she has completed in two years instead of the usual three.

The teenager - who never went to school and was tutored by her father Harry Lawrence - said that the result was much as she had expected.

Mr Lawrence has been his daughter's constant companion and attended all of her lectures and tutorials at university.

They arrived at the Examination School together on a tandem bicycle to see her results posted on a board.

Impressive figures

Ruth, from Huddersfield, told Sue Cook on Breakfast Time that she intends to stay in Oxford for the next three years doing some sort of research.

She does not yet know which branch of mathematics she will specialise in or what she would ultimately like to achieve, but because of the broad range of options she has taken - including pure and applied maths - says she "can go off in virtually any direction".

By the age of nine Ruth had already entered the record books by achieving a grade A in her Pure Mathematics A-level.

Ruth intends to spend the Ј100 prize she won from Oxford University on new maths books for her 14th birthday next month.

Facts

In 1981 Ruth Lawrence became the youngest person ever to pass the Oxford entrance exam.

She gained her PhD in 1989 and went to work at Harvard in the US. Her father went with her.

From 1993, in her mid-twenties, Ruth was an assistant professor, then professor, at the University of Michigan studying knot theory.

Gregory Robert Smith

Born: June 9, 1989

Current Age: 19

Gregory Robert Smith was born in Reading Pennsylvania, and is the founder of International Youth Advocates. Gregory graduated from high school at the age of 10, and later graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and minors in history and biology from Randolph- Macron College.

Nguyen Ngoc Truong

Born: February 23, 1990

Current Age: 18

At 14, Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son became the second-youngest player in the world to earn an international chess grandmaster title, giving Vietnam a name in the international chess arena.
Born in Feb. 23, 1990, Son was dubbed Vietnam’s child prodigy by international media after becoming the country’s youngest international grandmaster - the highest-level title achieved in chess. Before Son, no other Vietnamese chess player had gained such quick success.

With his inborn ability and early training, Son quickly developed his skills and diverse playing styles. Soon he was able to beat any other global player his age, including the most talented from powerhouse chess countries.

Son won a gold medal at the International U-10 Chess Championship as well as several other medals.

He also inspired a chess movement in his hometown of Mekong Delta’s Kien Giang province.

But, Son probably wouldn’t have gotten to where he is today without the help of the leaders in Kien Giang’s Sport Department. The department carried out a special program to develop young talented chess players by sending them to a two-year training program at the renowned Hungarian Chesscom Center.

After 20 months at Chesscom, Son improved significantly and impressed the chess circle in Hungary.

According to Hoang Minh Chuong, founder of Chesscom, Son now needs to compete at more major international competitions to gain experience and become a professional player. This means Son needs to sacrifice winning medals at smaller tournaments with players his age, said Mr. Chuong.

In addition, the chess star needs more financial support and training to enter bigger chess playgrounds, he said.

In a talk with Thanh Nien, Trinh Hoang Cuong, a chess coach from Kien Giang said the province, which manages finances for Son’s training, currently faced difficulties finding an appropriate training school for Son.

But, he said that many people and leaders in the province believed in Son’s talent and would do everything to help him develop his gift. In return, the province hopes Son will be one of the top 20 world chess players in the next few years, he said.

Meanwhile as the Lunar New Year approaches, Son said he wanted to become a world famous player and would do his best to fulfill his dream

Ethan Ong

Born: 1999

Current Age: 8

Ethan Ong, born in the United States of America, raised in Singapore and currently staying in China, was attracting huge crowds of admirers when at the tender of age of 5 years old he became Singapore's Youngest Busker, receiving high TV, Radio and newspaper attention, which led to a special 30 minute TV documentary "Superkid - Singapore's Drum Prodigy" and then later a Cable TV documentary entitled "Child Extraordinaire." Ethan also participated in the Singapore Drum Festival Competition last year and clinched the championship honors in the Junior Category. He was recognized as the "undisputed winner" by the judges in this inaugural drum event held in Asia Pacific.
Ethan has received open recognition and compliments from Chris Brien and his favourite Artist Akira Jimbo:
Ethan says "I think it's super cool to be a Zildjian Artist, just like my all-time favourite Drum Maestro Akira Jimbo. It is encouraging and exciting to be able to represent Zildjian at 9 years old! I simply love the sound of Zildjian cymbals!"

Abigail Sin

Born: 1992

Current Age: 16

Since her debut solo recital at the age of 9, Abigail Sin has appeared in concerts across the globe, including major venues in London, Manchester, Hamburg, Bucharest, Kivrograd, Kaunas, Baltimore, Denver, Richmond, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Singapore. These performances included a seven-concert tour of Ukraine, Lithuania and Germany in 2006. Ms Sin’s performances have also been recorded and broadcast over national radio and television in Romania, the United States, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Ms Sin has performed with various orchestras including the London Soloists Chamber Orchestra, Lamont Symphony Orchestra, Kaunas Symphony Orchestra, Dnipropetrovsk Philharmonic Orchestra, Singapore Festival Orchestra and Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Last year she gave the Singapore premiere of Rodion Shchedrin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 at the Singapore Arts Festival.

One month after the Shchedrin premiere, Ms Sin met Rodion Shchedrin himself in Verbier, Switzerland, where she was the youngest pianist selected to take part in the Verbier Festival and Academy. During the festival she studied with eminent artists such as Claude Frank, Emile Naoumoff and Gabor Takacs-Nagy, and gave numerous solo and chamber music performances.

Ms Sin has also attended the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Gold Country Piano Institute and the International Festival of Young Musicians in Lithuania. She has participated in master classes with Earl Wild, Julian Martin, Yong Hi Moon, Jerome Lowenthal and Dmitri Alexeev. For the Fall 2007 semester, she was an exchange student at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

In September Abigail won 1st prize at the Viardo International Piano Competition in Dallas. She has also won 1st prizes at the Virginia Waring (USA), Ibiza (Spain) and Independent Music Competition (Ukraine), as well as 2nd prizes at the Schimmel (USA), Krainev (Ukraine) and ASEAN Chopin (Kuala Lumpur) International Piano Competitions. In Europe she was awarded “Most Outstanding Performer” at the International Festival of Young Musicians (Lithuania). Earlier in her studies Abigail was also awarded the HSBC Youth Excellence Award for Musical Excellence (Singapore).

Ms Sin, 16, began studying under the direction of Dr. Thomas Hecht at the age of eleven and is currently a 3rd year piano performance major at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore.

Sho Timothy Yano

Born: October 22, 1989

Current Age: 19

Yano reportedly played Chopin on the piano at age 3. He went to the Mirman School as a child. After scoring 1500 out of 1600 on the SAT at age 8, he entered Loyola University Chicago at age 9, graduating summa cum laude at age 12, and now attends the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago in the MSTP (Medical Scientist Training Program), which is designed for those seeking to earn an MD and PhD. According to him, he owes much of his success to his mother, who noticed his superior intellectual capabilities at an early age and helped encourage and motivate him through rigorous academic enrichment. He also attributes his educational and intellectual accomplishments to his inheritance of superior genes which, combined with his strenuous effort and training, resulted in superior intelligence. His mom also homeschooled him through the 12th grade, saying she felt other students his age wouldn't be as interested in their studies. .

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Photo sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Foldaway Rooms

noreply@blogger.com (miljokes) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 23:14:00 +0000

No room at home to work? No room for a kitchen? No room for mother-in-law to stay?

No problem, thanks to the slightly odd, very Japanese and super space efficient creations of Architect Toshihiko Suzuki and his ‘Architectural Furniture’.

His three designs, a foldaway guest room, mobile kitchen and office offer a neat solution to limited space, or as the website suggests in charming Engrish: “We positions the infill as an immediate adaptive method to fit changes”. But of course. Confused? Watch the video:

source Treehugger