My blueberry pancakes looked very similar to Stimpy. Hopefully when they come out the other end, they will look like Ren.
Here’s an assortment of shadow wizardry to delight and entertain. From hand shadow puppetry to shadow art with sand to full group shadow dancing.
In Evolution, an online Flash app, you simulate the principles of evolution (well, some of them). You start out with a screen of a few different amoeba-like creatures, each with their own genetic code and characteristics. You designate food zones and the rate at which food is generated. The creatures each seek out food and move toward it as fast as their genetic code will allow them. When they eat, they reproduce (asexually, no she-bang bang going on, so perverts can go elsewhere).
You can draw lines in the sand that trap the creatures in certain areas of the screen and then just test out different scenarios. What will happen if food is dropped plentifully on one side of the stream and not the other? What happens if you bump up the mutation percentage? Will you get different creatures? And will they be able to survive? This simulation is similar to many other simulations online, but it is fun to play around with and serves as an interesting screen saver as well.
Drag queens are hilarious. And Chick-fil-A can bite me. The two together are internet magic.
This music video by Airship uses kinetic text and animated cutout effects to create a trippy colorful video to their catchy song, Algebra.
This bizarre Israely film examines the particles in objects and the pieces of time in a truly unique manner. A little part Guy Maddin, a dash of Forbidden Zone, a sprinkling of Eames “Powers of Ten” and mixed with a healthy dose of 50′s propaganda film. That’s the recipe for this short film.
This is a mechanical suitcase that has a button labeled “ON”. When you push it, the case opens and a hand pops out and pushes the button “OFF” and the case closes. It’s the perfect binary machine and kinda creepy too.
In this educational Flash-based experiment, you will explore all sorts of neatly designed illusions and optical tricks and will get an explanation of how your brain works to perceive spatial relationships, 3D imagery, color and relationships between objects. It’s not extremely new stuff. You can find optical illusions all over the place, but the presentation is very well-done and hands-on. And it actually explains things to you, rather than just showing you an optical illusion.
It takes about 40 minutes to get through all four modules, but kids and adults would enjoy the experience. I did.
The Universe is huge, we can all agree on that. You and I are both just tiny little insignificant specks in the cosmos. So maybe it’s time you adjust your attitude and get the Hell over yourself. You’re no better than I in the grand scheme of things. To put things into perspective I’ve compiled a list of online apps and videos that will demonstrate to you how small you really are. Maybe after you’ve had a chance to look at a few of them, you will quit lording over the Fourth of July neighborhood picnic like you’re King Tut and finally return my lawn mower.
1
The Scale of the Universe
In this flash app, designed by the twins Cary and Michael Huang, you slide a slider to the left to view objects that are smaller than a human being and to the right to view objects larger. You can zoom down to the smallest Planck all the way up to the entire known universe in just a moment. But you will want to take your time and compare the thousands of objects that float by. If you are an optimist, this app will make you feel like a supreme being–larger than life. If you’re a pessimist, you’ll find out how small you really are.
There are a few alternate versions of this app as well including a swirly version which will send you spiraling in either direction and a “wrong” version which randomly generates the objects, so you can actually be smaller than the width of a credit card and larger than Pluto at the same time. Trippy. There is also a sequel, but don’t jump the gun yet. Read on.
If you aren’t prone to epileptic seizures, you gotta do this. A series of flashing shapes and dual binary beats combine to almost hypnotize you into some trippy dream-like hallucinations. Also good for relaxing. Best with headphones and a large computer screen. Again, do go pschitzing out on me.
Funky little Devil. Cosmo Jarvis gives us a fun song and a fun video.
This video from The Family Bones uses sticky notes in a dazzling display of creativity. The song is “If You Ever Need Someone”. Stick around long enough to watch it.
