Mystery Item Number Nine

Here we go again!

Try and guess what this is an image of. Click for a closer view.
I'll put the answer in the comments tomorrow!

Be specific!

Previous Mysterious Guessing Items: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

The Science and Evolution of Color Vision

Clive Maxfield sent me a link to this essay on color vision that he posted on diycalculator.com.

Lots of great info on how color is formed, how our eyes detect it, and how our brains interpret it.

I always thought that our eyes had red, blue, and green color receptors, but, apparently, we can only detect blues, greens, and yellows. Our brain somehow "fills in" the color red, by detecting the difference between bluish-green and yellowish-green. Pretty crazy stuff!

He also makes a reference to my castle illusion. (thanks Clive!)

Cool Little 3-D Computer Graphics Sketches

Thre's some really great little images on Boring3D. Looks like they've been making them for a few years, but I've never run into them before.
The image on the right is called "Sunday Fluff XVI."

Which one is your favorite?

(…check out the store!)

Weird 4-D Display

It's called the Khronos Projector. You put your hand through it and it changes what's on its 3-D display, simulating a warping of space and time.

It makes for an extremely cool demo, but really, what would you use it for?

Here's a video.

Bad Gods — Archive

Lore Sjöberg's Bad Gods has an archive page so you can make sure you've seen all the episodes. If you haven't checked it out before, start at the bottom and watch them all, they are very funny!

Happy Golgi Apparatus Day

This image of a cell structure (the Golgi apparatus) is enjoyable by itself as a work of art.

But here's more info if you want it.

Liquid Webtoy

Liquid Webtoy is a fun little sandbox-like toy to play with. Make colorful animated designs using different shades of water, clouds, and magma. Draw walls to stop the flow and pour in some different colors of paint. Throw in some bombs. Oh, and drop in a duck or two too, to liven things up.

Two too to, did I just write that?

via jayisgames.com

Crazy — Inkblot Video

This video for Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" is really well done. Simple and cool. Good song too!

Princeton's 2006 Art of Science Competition

I had to wait to post this so I wouldn't give away the last mystery item.

This year's Art of Science Competition has a lot of very nice images. And some very strange ones. This one is really freaky.

"The practices of science and art both involve the single-minded pursuit of those moments of discovery when what one perceives suddenly becomes more than the sum of its parts. Each piece in this exhibition is, in its own way, a record of such a moment. They range from the image that validates years of research, to the epiphany of beauty in the trash after a long day at the lab, to a painter's meditation on the meaning of biological life."

The Eighth Item of Mystery

This one might be really easy, or really hard, I'm not sure. It's something on something.

Can you figure out what it is?

I'll post the answer in the comments tomorrow!


Previous Mysterious Guessing Items: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

Birthday Boy — by Ween

Here's a live acoustic version of one of Ween's older songs, Birthday Boy, from GodWeenSatan.
It's a simple, melancholy little song, with a strange blend of lyrics that evoke some complicated emotions.

Right-click HERE to download Birthday Boy, by Ween!

By the way.... according to their website, Ween's just about done with their new album. Looks like about 40 (!!!) new songs are on the way!

New Painting: "The Burgeoning"

I've been doing too much blogging and too little painting.

Here's the latest work, The Burgeoning, acrylic on canvas.

Nanotech Pac-Man Eats Red Blood Cells

Ah, modern technology. This little machine (1/3 third the width of a human hair) has tiny chompy jaws to bite down on red blood cells pumped through it.

The jaws, which open and close very rapidly, deform captured cells, and then, in less than the blink of an eye and almost playfully, let the little things loose. The blood cells travel on, regain their former shape and appear unharmed.

The device, because of its constant munching, bears a strong resemblance to the computer game hero Pac-Man, which also munched creatures travelling along small channels. In this case, the “upper” teeth of the microdevices slide back and forth in piston-like action across the microchannel to momentarily trap individual red blood cells against the lower teeth.

Get it? Me either. But the large image looks like a nice abstract artwork.

Another Volcano, as Seen from Space

This image of a volcano erupting in Peru is stunning.

Here's another one you may enjoy.

Steve's a Very Brave Guy

Steve at The Sneeze tries a variety of foods, from infected corn to "bacon" pet strips.
The image on the right is silkworm pupas.

It's impossible to stop reading, but when you're done, you'll feel pretty sick to your stomach!

The 7th Mystery Item

Number 6 was too easy.
This one is more of challenge, hopefully.

Try and guess what this is. Click the image for a closer view.

I'll post the answer in the comments tomorrow!

Previous Mysterious Guessing Items: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Guess the Mystery Item Number 6

This one is probably way too easy.
See if you can guess what it is, I'll post the answer in the comments tomorrow!

Previous Things To Guess: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Comb Jellies

Comb Jellies, or ctenophores, are eerie iridescent sea creatures that come in many shapes and sizes. They look a lot like jellyfish, but actually they aren't related.

This one looks like a ghost tooth! Look at that little guy swimming along.

Random Image That Makes No Sense

Why is Pac Man so angry at the blue Pac Man with the sign stuck in his head? Why do the red Pac Men look so devilish? Why are they all hanging out in somebody's intestinal tract?

I don't think I want to find out...

Google Maps Flight Sim!

Amazing and fun! Goggles is a top-down flight sim that uses Google Maps' satellite views as the backdrop. Use the arrow keys. Left and right steer your plane; up and down make your plane go ... up and down!

Update: My son just pointed out that you can hit the spacebar to shoot little missles!

Lime Time

Australian finger limes look kind of freaky, like some human/fruit genetic experiment gone astray.

There are several varieties available, but some of them are named inappropriately.

Guess the Thing of Mystery - No. 5

You know the drill.
Try and guess what this mystery object is,
I'll post the answer in the comments tomorrow.

Good luck, and no betting!

Previous Mysterious Things of Mystery: 1, 2, 3, 4.

Mmmmm.... Sludge Cake!

Click the image to find out what the Sludge Mate™ can do for you!

Update: I didn't realize this was a .mov file, so if you don't have a Mac, you may be out of luck. Sorry!

Update 2: Actually here's the movie for all you Windows users. Wouldn't want to leave you out in cold.

Entertain your Pests

Finally, technology has evolved to the point where we can create amusing rides for microscopic creatures.

Here are some more little guys running around on high-tech playgrounds.

Walking Building

This photo looks like it's a building that came to life and started wandering around.

But it's actually a coal sloop falling over.

Lime Juice?

This ad is pretty funny but I'm not sure I would want to drink that.

Lil' Vandals

Now who would do that to a perfectly good bike?

Click here, and just keep scrolling down.

I don't think you'll be able to help yourself — these are some truly, morbidly fascinating photos!

Mystery Fun Guessing Item #4

Here we go again.

Try to figure out what this image is. Click the image to see a bigger version.

I'll post the answer in the comments tomorrow!

Music is Good

I made an iMix.

This is all good stuff. You will like it.

Click here to go check it out. You will need iTunes installed. If the link doesn't work, open iTunes, click iMix, and search for johnsadowski.

Here's the playlist:

1. Pali Gap — Jimi Hendrix
2. You're the Reason I'm Leaving — Franz Ferdinand
3. The Stallion Pt. 4 — Ween
4. The Candidate — Urge Overkill
5. Stand Together — Beastie Boys
6. You Only Live Once — The Strokes
7. Gabirelle — Ween
8. Spanish Castle Magic — Jimi Hendrix
9. The Rift — Ween
10. Starfield Road — Sonic Youth
11. This Boy — Franz Ferdinand
12. Demon Sweat — Ween
13. What is Artane? — Urge Overkill
14. 15000 — Gibby Haynes
15. A Tear for Eddie — Ween
16. Darts of Pleasure — Franz Ferdinand
17. Motorway to Roswell — Pixies
18. Don't Sweat It — Ween
19. Pork Roll Egg and Cheese — Ween
20. Angel — Jimi Hendrix

If anyone has any suggestions for similar music I might enjoy, leave it in the comments. I will greatly appreciate it!