A U.S. graduate student, Clay Moulton, created a gravity powered lamp as part of his Masters thesis. The entire lamp is only 4 feet high. To light it, a user moves the weights from the bottom to the top of the lamp and into a mass sled. As the sled slowly drops down, it turns a rotor that powers the LEDs that provide the light.
The light output is roughly equivalent to a 40watt bulb, and it will stay lit for up to four hours before the weights need to be moved again.
I could easily see something like this being used in locations where electricity is very expensive or unreliable. It would also be a great tool for emergency workers or for outdoor camping. And best of all, is that the device is completely green. That is it doesn’t use any fuel at all to power it. Just gravity.
Archaeologists and Scientists alike have been puzzled by the purpose of the Antikythera machine since it’s discovery in 1900 in the wreck of a Roman cargo ship. The device was built between 100 and 150 BC. The complex gears and inner workings of the machine have made archaeologists rethink the capabilities of the Greek and Roman civilizations.
But until recently, the true purpose of the machine was a mystery. Now using sophisticated computer enhanced xray imaging, they have been able to peer inside the device with more detail than ever. Making out inscriptions and finer details of the gears and even discovering a differential gear, which was previously believed to have been invented in the 16th century.
It seems the device was an astronomical calculator. Able to predict with extreme accuracy the position of the sun, several heavenly bodies and the phases of the moon.
Well, today is Presidents day. A national holiday here in the US where we can reflect on the great leaders we’ve been blessed to have had in charge of our nation throughout our history. In honor of that, I thought the above video of people counting cash(which in the US always has former presidents on the face) was particularly appropriate. Happy Presidents day.
Found a really great video on Ted of Pamelia Kurstin playing a therimin.
Until I saw the video, I had never heard of a therimin. It a futuristic seeming instrument that is played without ever physically touching it. That’s right, you never actually touch the device. You play it entirely by moving your hands through the air.
Sounds pretty futuristic, right? Amazingly, this isn’t a new instrument. It was invented in 1919 by a Russian musician and inventor named, Léon Theremin. It was one of the earliest electronic instruments and was quite popular for a time. But fell out of use as more electronic instruments came on the scene.
The instrument has two antennas that adjust volume and pitch based on how far or close the players hands are to the antennas. So the musician literally moves his/her hands through the air in front of the instrument to produce the music. Watch the video below to see it in action.
PhysOrg has an article about a new type of wallpaper developed by Philips. The idea is to have the wallpaper contain conducting strips that could be used to power electronics. Everything from TVs to room lights and even general purpose outlets.
Since the strips are embedded in the wallpaper, the outlets could be positioned anywhere on the wall, without having to run cables inside the wall. With the prevalence of flat panel TVs that are often hung on the wall, this could be a really good way to eliminate unsightly cables.
The article also made me wonder if this same type of wallpaper might be adapted to other types of cabling. Perhaps speaker wires or network connections.
Okay, I’ll admit the video is a little odd. To say the least. But I love the song. I found it on an indie music blog called , Audio Drums.
Since I found it, I’ve been listening to it almost nonstop. Something about the song just fits. The band consists of two artists, Greg Kurstin and Inara George.
Check out the band’s MySpace page for a sampling of their other music.
A new TV ad for the Ford focus where all the music is played on instruments made from car parts. Not sure what that says about the car, but it’s cool either way.
Do you have trouble coming up with insults? Could you use some help? Well, the insult generator is here for you. Just go to the website, www.insultme.com, and get a randomly generated insult. Each insult is made up of four words with a picture for each word.
When I first saw this video I thought it was a joke. Then I found out it’s a real product. Why would you ever buy something like this? Not that I would recomend it, but you can check out the official site here.
Fogonazos has a great post about a place called The devil’s pool. It’s a naturally occurring pool at the top of Victoria Falls that at certain times of the year becomes safe to swim in.
I don’t know if I would want to get in the pool, but it really does look cool. Check out the original post for a lot more pictures of people swimming right on the edge.
Fogonazos: Swimming at the edge of Victoria Falls
A U.S. graduate student, Clay Moulton, created a gravity powered lamp as part of his Masters thesis. The entire lamp is only 4 feet high. To light it, a user moves the weights from the bottom to the top of the lamp and into a mass sled. As the sled slowly drops down, it turns a rotor that powers the LEDs that provide the light.
Found a really great video on Ted of Pamelia Kurstin playing a therimin.
