Travel Photo of the Week

Nice, France

Open Source, 3D-Printed AirEnergy3D Wind Turbines

The AirEnergy3D is an open source, 3D-printed, portable wind turbine prototype expected to be able to generate up to 300 watts of power. Designed to be assembled and disassembled without tools, it will be compact enough to be taken on camping trips and anywhere there is a breeze and no access to the electric grid.

Most of the parts can be 3D printed and those that are not are provided in the basic kit along with assembly instructions.

Of course, there is a Kickstarter campaign.

Disney Simplifies Animatronics With Software And 3D Printable Parts

This video shows some of the research Disney has been doing with Columbia University to simplify animatronic mechanisms. With the aid of this software users can create an object, design the desired movement path, and then automatically reduce the amount of motors required to create that movement.

You can learn more on the Disney website and download the full study, Computational Design of Linkage-Based Characters, to see the complete process. This should be of special interest to puppet builders and puppeteers.

Three Treehouses Linked By Bridges

These treehouses were designed by architect Peter Bahouth. The are linked by bridges and are intended to be a kind of fort for grown ups. Found on Colossal.

Fun Time! Teenage Slang Explained By Clueless Adults!

A LEGO Cyborg Arm

Dave "Diavo" Voltaggio has built himself a functional robotic arm from LEGOS.

Kevin Breel: Confessions Of A Depressed Comic

Travel Photo of the Week

Lisbon Riviera, Algarve, Madeira

Thanks For Making Us Laugh, Wish You Could've Stayed

You Are Now Less Dumb

You are probably a participant in and victim of "pluralistic ignorance". What is that you ask? Pluralistic ignorance is the erroneous belief that the majority of humanity is acting in a way that matches its internal philosophies, and that you are one of a small number of people who feel differently, when in reality the majority probably agrees with you on the inside but is afraid to admit it outright or act on that belief.

Never fear, there is help. David McRaney (who authored another great self-help book "You Are Not So Smart") has delivered another keen observation on the human condition and how we might rise above it, "You Are Now Less Dumb". Here's a quote from the book on our situation.

"Your kind seems the absolute pinnacle of what evolution can produce, maybe even the apex and final beautiful result of the universe unfolding itself. It is a delectable idea to entertain. Even before we had roller skates and Salvador Dalí, it was a conviction in which great thinkers liked to wallow. Of course, as soon as you settle into that thought, you’ll accidentally send an e-mail to your boss meant for your proctologist, or you’ll read a news story about how hot dog-stuffed pizza is now the most popular food in the country. It’s always true that whenever you look at the human condition and get a case of the smugs, a nice heaping helping of ridiculousness plops in your lap and remedies the matter."

He goes on to lay out a framework of our intellectual foibles when it comes to fooling ourselves. The greatest obstruction? Ourselves.

"Anxiety over being ostracized, over being an outsider, has driven the behavior of billions for millions of years."

I won't ruin the rest of it for you, but if you believe there's safety in numbers, you need to read this book.