Luckiest Guys Ever!

A compilation put together of some of the luckiest guys caught on tape.
[via eGuiders]

Gigapan: Obama's Inauguration Photo

This is pretty amazing. I mean it is from a weird side angle and I'm not exactly sure the point of it, but it's cool. Make sure you do lots of zooming so you experience how crisp and detailed the photo really is. Here's what the site says:

I made this Gigapan image from the north press platform during President Obama's inaugural address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on January 20, 2009. It's made up of 220 images and the final image size is 59,783 X 24,658 pixels or 1,474 megapixels.

** UPDATE 1/25/09 -- Thank you for the overwhelming enthusiasm for this photo. I am happy to announce that high quality prints will be available shortly. To be notified, send a blank email to: pano@davidbergman.net

Gigapan of Obama's Inauguration

By the way, here's what a Gigapan is:

GigaPan consists of three technological developments: a robotic camera mount for capturing very high-resolution (gigapixel and up) panoramic images using a standard digital camera; custom software for constructing very high-resolution gigapixel panoramas; and, a new type of website for exploring, sharing and commenting on gigapixel panoramas and the detail our users will discover within them. The GigaPan website allows hosting and sharing all kinds of panoramas, and so the robotic GigaPan mount is recommended but is certainly not required to be part of this community.

Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak

Well it seems like everyone has been talking about Kanye West in the last few weeks with the release of his album 808s & Heartbreak. I've posted about some singles off this cd a few times but I just wanted to share a few good songs. I think the beginning of the album is very solid. The songs all flow together and it seems like the first 5 or 6 songs could all be singles. The album weakens towards the end as it becomes a little too monotonous. Overall, I think its another really creative and impressive album from Kanye West.

Track 1 - Say You Will


Track 2 - Welcome to Heartbreak


Track 3 - Heartless


Track 4 - Amazing


Track 5 - Love Lockdown

Track 6 - Paranoid


Track 10 - See You In My Nightmares



Related Links:
Kanye West on the AMAs
Kanye West - Heartless Music Video
Love Lockdown Video

Top 10 Amazing Biology Videos...i'm a science nerd

So I'm a science nerd; I think biology is fascinating (probably the reason I studied it for 4 years). If you are not similar minded and think its terribly boring, this post will put you to sleep. Anyway, check this out, I found it on Wired.com.

Cyborgs, stem cells, glowing mice, and hilarious music videos are great reasons to be excited about biology. Here are some of our favorite clips from the life sciences.

10. Immune Cell Chasing a Bacterium
It may look like the predecessor to Pac Man, but this vintage clip shows a neutrophil wending its way through a crowd of red blood cells to destroy its bacterial nemesis.

9. How High Speed Gene Sequencing Works
Within the next few years, Helicos BioSciences may be able to read an entire human genome for under one thousand dollars. This video explains the science behind their amazing technology.

8. Shrimp Jogging on a Treadmill
While comparing the stamina of sick shrimp to their healthy brethren, David Scholnick filmed this video of a cute little crustacean running on a treadmill. He had no idea that it would be come an internet sensation.

7. El Corazón
An unusual music video about the heart, in Spanish, with English subtitles.

6. The PCR Song
Biochemists often use the polymerase chain reaction to copy DNA molecules. This hilarious music video, tells the history of that technology and makes some jokes about its many uses, including paternity testing.

5. Glowing Mice Shed Some Light on Stem Cells
This year, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to three scientists who studied a fluorescent protein from jellyfish. It has become a tremendously important tool for scientific research, because biologists can use it to understand what is going on inside of cells. An experiment with glowing mice led to a major discovery about stem cells.

4. DNA Origami
Using a mix of chemistry, biology, and computer tricks, Paul Rothemund can design DNA molecules that fold up into complicated two-dimensional shapes. In this TED talk, he explains some of the logic behind his work, and how living things operate.

3. Cyborg Monkey Controls Robot Arm
By implanting an array of electrodes directly into the motor area of a monkey's brain, researchers can read some of its thoughts. Their interface is so good that the animal can take control of a robot arm and use it to feed itself. Someday, these brain-computer interfaces could be used to help paralyzed people live normal lives.

2. Evolution and Human Ancestry
Genetic tests are becoming an important part of medicine, but can also tell us about our ancestry. This charming cartoon, made by 23andMe, offers a fantastic overview of how humans evolved.

1. Building Body Parts from Scratch
Last week, regenerative medicine researchers announced that they have grown a new windpipe for a woman who was crippled by tuberculosis. Years ago, other scientists were able to make bladders, from scratch, and implant them in children with malformed urinary tracts. This video shows some amazing footage from two tissue engineering labs.

[taken from Wired Science]

Woman Can Do Anything on This Bike!

This is incredible...