Eclectic junk from the four corners of the ‘Net. And pictures too!
Various news outlets are reporting that a large, and quite possibly nuclear, underground explosion happened a short time ago in North Korea. The explosion is currently estimated at only 550 tones of TNT. The U.S. Geological Survey also reports it had detected a 4.2 magnitude quake in North Korea at 10:35 local time (0135 GMT).
Now this is a great DIY project. Building this will not only give you a real cool customizable display but it shows you just how versatile a micro controller can be. The PIC ( a PICAXE 18X Microcontroller ) runs 20 diffused blue LEDs to display just about any 4×5 pattern you care to program into it. Make a bunch of them and you could build your own scrolling sign, or just one and do something like make a compass display or whatever your mind comes up with.
[via MAKE]
I hate getting the hiccups as much as the next guy. I’ve found that the ‘hold a pencil under your tongue while drinking water’ works best for me, sugar or a loud noise just never did it. As the familiar nerve spasms are not a common occurrence I don’t think I’d be in the right demographic for this particular item but it is fascinating.
Through the use of natural galvanic action, a mild ionic flow is created that initiates a sub-sensory bio-electric therapy. The liquid in the Hic-Cup is also Ionized by the galvanic action, adding to the potential for successful stimulation of the responsible nerves. It is believed that the “hiccup” nerves are “re-set” by this natural electric current that you cannot feel, and that this reliably ends the distressing spasms.
So this mean that I can cure my hiccups with a mild jolt of electricity. Well then, I know what I’ll be doing the next time I come down with a case of singultus.
[via Medgadget]
I had the happy accident of seeing a sign for the Wired Nextfest in a subway on Tuesday and made it one of the last things on the big list for NYC.
Holy crap, all the time I was there I kept thinking Roy Batty’s line from Blade Runner "I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe…’ This was stuff that I had blogged about or read of in magazines…
If you have ever seen the submarine movie "The Hunt for Red October
Anyway, this is a little project where you can experiment with this fascinating subject. Go have a look and try it for yourself. You could be having races with your mad scientist friends in no time..
This is a fascinating look into what happens when an artist is given a dose of LSD and then asked to draw portraits of the same person at various stages of his trip. Quite a mind expanding journey, I can see why this was favored by some creative types.
These 9 drawings were done by an artist under the influence of LSD — part of a test conducted by the US government during it’s dalliance with psychotomimetic drugs in the late 1950’s. The artist was given a dose of LSD 25 and free access to an activity box full of crayons and pencils. His subject is the medico that jabbed him.
First drawing is done 20 minutes after the first dose (50ug)
An attending doctor observes – Patient chooses to start drawing with charcoal.
The subject of the experiment reports – ‘Condition normal… no effect from the drug yet’
BTW, if you want to get an idea of what someonf the visual effects are like, take a look at this optical illusion.
[via neat-o-rama]