Fifteen years ago, biologist and Cohen brothers fan Ingi Agnarsson christened two newly-discovered spiders Anelosimus dude and Anelosimus thebiglebowski (includes a spider photo). Why? Most spiders will be aggressive toward their own, but for these two…
Mechanisms at Play: The Audio-Kinetic Sculptures of George Rhoads
May I interest you in a moment of mechanical joy? George Rhoads, the man who designed delightful kinetic sculptures made of twists and turns and gears and track, died on July 9, 2021. His audio-kinetic ball machines can be found across the United State…
Color Your Worlds
Sharpen your Cosmic Latte colored pencil and explore the universe with the Exoplanet Travel Bureau Coloring Book. (Bonus: NASA coloring pages for kids.)
Gonna Make You Sweat
Sure, that piece of technical gear breathes, wicks, or insulates. But how do garment and gear manufacturers back up those claims? By testing the pieces on a sweating thermal manikin (YT). Meet Newton, Liz, and Baby Ruth, several members of a growing fa…
Never try to hold lava in your hands, especially not in the real world.
A handy guide to the rocks and minerals of Minecraft. (SL labor of love from Jolyon Ralph of Mindat.org, “the world’s largest open database of minerals, rocks, meteorites and the localities they come from.”)