Hydrogen-powered robot jellyfish generates fuel from surrounding water | The Verge
I envy its creators. The act of physically creating artificial life must be so very addictive - to get closer and closer creating something beautiful and seemingly alive using your hands.
I’m only a lottery-win and a PhD away from becoming Dr Frankenstein.
(Source: youtube.com)
This is fascinating for a number of reasons, not least of which is Karl Lagerfield’s life, but I do love his meandering style of thought. It sounds dictated rather than written (which would tally with the life of butler-secretaries he talks about) and as if he’s half-musing out a lot of his own plans. I especially love the end of this paragraph.
[…] My dressing room is so full that I can only wear what I see on top of all the racks. I still have all my clothes from 10 years ago from Dior, but I think I will give them back to Dior for the museum. I have pieces that are unique pieces that I will never wear again, because life is different now, you know. I used to fax a lot, but people don’t have faxes anymore.
[…]
And the paragraph just ends there.
It was circular and black and about the size of a small side plate. Its top and its bottom were smoothly convex so that it resembled a small lightweight throwing discus.
Its surfaces seemed to be completely smooth, unbroken and featureless.
It was doing nothing.
Then Ford noticed that there was something written on it. Strange. There hadn’t been anything written on it a moment ago and now suddenly there was. There just didn’t seem to have been any observable transition between the two states.
All it said, in small, alarming letters was a single word:
PANIC
A moment ago there hadn’t been any marks or cracks in its surface. Now there were. They were growing.
Panic, the Guide Mk II said.
- “Mostly Harmless” by Douglas Adams.
The Lumineers - Ho Hey
Reading the transcript of the conversation between Ira Glass and Mikey Daisey (page 13 onwards) during the retraction episode of This American Life (backstory), I can’t help but feel sorry for Mike Daisey. It seems clear that the guy has huge validation and self-esteem issues.
I also feel a deep, deep respect for Ira Glass for not simply absolutely losing it when the guy admits he lied, continuously and brazenly, on his radio show.
I do not think I would have that self-control.
Keep it classy, Android app-store.
Anonymous asked: I've been living in London, but unfortunately my soon to expire visa means I have to leave: What would you suggest to be the top 5 things, in your opinion, one should experience?
I can’t pick 5, let alone order them.
Walk along the South Bank early on a Saturday morning. There’s usually a guy selling old books out of long trays and kids skateboarding and people eating Thai food. Sometimes there’s parkour. From there, walk down to the Tate Modern, stand on the cool cement floor, and take in the size of a hall that used to be a power station. See the free exhibits. Have a cup of tea up on the 4th floor, overlooking the Thames.
Visit Camden market. See the goths and punks. Get drunk in Camden. The World’s End Pub or The Lock are good.
Go on the London Eye. Try to aim for dusk, when the city starts to light up, beautiful and busy.
Go for a long, long walk in Richmond Park. See the deer.
Go to a blues bar in Soho.
Get a train out to the country somewhere. If you can get to Cambridge, for the love of God do. Doesn’t have to be that far though. You can escape London in an hour. Up north a little is nice. Pick a village. Make a day of it.
There’s a Japanese Garden in Holland Park. It’s beautiful. I wish I’d gone more.
Go to Harrods or Hamleys.
Eat a curry in Brick Lane. Walk around Shoreditch. The graffiti there is beautiful. Ignore the hipsters.
Have a Sunday lunch in a good, old pub - a real Sunday lunch, with gravy and yorkshire pudding and sticky toffee pudding for dessert.
I miss London.
girl-detective asked: I seem to recall that we once had some sort of exchange where you mentioned The Castle was your second favourite pub in London. I'm going back in a few weeks, so I must know: If The Castle only ranks at 2, what's #1?
There’s a few.
One is the Betjeman Arms - a pub inside St Pancras station. It’s not a spectacular pub, by any means - the food’s a little expensive and it’s generally filled with business-types - but the architecture is spectacular and the there’s no way to beat being able to watch the trains come and go 50 meters away. (There’s also a champagne bar even closer to the trains, if you’re feeling fancy.)
Another is Marquis of Granby near Tottenham Court Road. For one thing, it’s a stone’s throw from Soho and Carneby street, not to mention Covent Garden, so it’s the perfect place to retire after shopping but before a night out. It’s also not too far from China town. Oddly, despite the fact it’s in the hub of these places, it’s never that packed. Standing outside makes for great people-watching and they also sell one of my favourite pints of beer, Doombar.
The Toucan is great for one of the best pints of Guinness you’ll get in London and has great basement-pub atmostphere.
But right now? The Champion - a short walk from Hyde Park, a small-but-great backyard garden and pavement on the edge of Oxford street, a great selection of beers and ciders - it’s is exactly where I’d wish to be, now, on the cusp of Spring.
(Source: eoporto)
