Before everyone had a cell phone and the capacity to record video on the fly, a police beat down was, by sheer chance, caught on tape in Los Angeles on March 3, 1991. Public fury about racism and police brutality erupted when a portion of the video showing several LAPD officers Tasering, kicking, stomping and […]
Continue reading“In the theatre there are 1,500 cameras rolling at the same time- in the cinema, only one,” as quoted by Orson Welles, the prolific director of the most studied film of all time, Citizen Kane. Within the last century cinema has grown from pioneering silent films into orchestrated musicals, “spaghetti westerns” and has taken us […]
Continue readingThe 20th century was a time of great change, with devastating wars, the rise of two superpowers, and the fall of one. Demonstrations have been used throughout history to change the world, both peacefully and violently, but in the 20th century activism came into its own in an age of protest. 10. March on Washington […]
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Those who are inspired by a model other than Nature, a mistress above all masters, are laboring in vain. – Leonardo Da Vinci Biomimicry – The practice of developing sustainable human technologies inspired by nature. Sometimes called Biomimetics or Bionics, it’s basically biologically inspired engineering. 1. Velcro The most famous example of biomimicry was the […]
Continue readingGenetic Algorithm: A heuristic search technique used in computing and Artificial Intelligence to find optimized solutions to search problems using techniques inspired by evolutionary biology: mutation, selection, reproduction [inheritance] and recombination. 1. Automotive Design Using Genetic Algorithms [GAs] to both design composite materials and aerodynamic shapes for race cars and regular means of transportation (including […]
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…For answer Holmes clapped the hat upon his head. It came right over the forehead and settled upon the bridge of his nose. "It is a question of cubic capacity, " said he; "a man with so large a brain must have something in it. " … Sherlock Holmes – The Adventure of the Blue […]
Continue readingEver since the term ‘subliminal advertising’ was coined in the 1950s, the idea of advertisements with hidden messages that can influence us without our conscious understanding has captivated the popular imagination. If adverts can steer us toward a particular product through surreptitiously placed words or images designed to be absorbed at a subconscious level, how […]
Continue readingI never understood why more guys don’t cook. Food is delicious. You can make it yourself. Why in the world would you not do it? There are legions of easy recipes that make food that is mind-bogglingly badass, cheap and tasty, yet many just won’t do it. In my mind, that makes them losers. Here […]
Continue readingMost people find board games to be a boring pursuit, especially when compared with the vast array of multimedia entertainment available today. Board games actually have a ton to offer however, especially when you get beyond the board games that everyone is used to playing from childhood. Most board games (like Monopoly) we are familiar […]
Continue readingAtheism is generating quite a lot of attention these days. Prominent atheists are getting the word out about their views in increasing numbers and generating lots of public debate on the proper place of religion in governments and societies in the modern world. And now more than ever, atheists have been able to network together […]
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