Jul 13 2009 Robotic Workers Being Laid Off In Japan
Finally, some good news. Thanks to the current global economic crisis, many robots in Japan are finding themselves out of work. And, hopefully, oil. Rust and die you dirty bastards!
Japan's legions of robots, the world's largest fleet of mechanized workers, are being idled as the country suffers its deepest recession in more than a generation as consumers worldwide cut spending on cars and gadgets.
At a large Yaskawa Electric factory on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, where robots once churned out more robots, a lone robotic worker with steely arms twisted and turned, testing its motors for the day new orders return. Its immobile co-workers stood silent in rows, many with arms frozen in midair.They could be out of work for a long time. Japanese industrial production has plummeted almost 40 percent and with it, the demand for robots.
As pumped as I am to hear about out-of-work robots, the whole economic crisis thing kind of puts a damper on my excitation. I have feelings, you know? Also, a powerful green laser. Call me.
In Japan, Machines for Work and Play Are Idle [nytimes]
Thanks to patrick, who once stole a robots job AND its girlfriend. Good lookin', Patrick.
Jun 21 2009 NYC Billboard Tracks Greenhouse Gases
Deutsche Bank put up a billboard in Madison Square Garden that allegedly displays almost real-time data on the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. And I, for one, can't read that number.
Kevin Parker, global head of Deutsche Bank's Asset Management division, said of the counter at its unveiling: "It will be a huge task to bring global emissions under control and my hope is that putting this data in public view will spur both governments and markets to move us more quickly to a low-carbon economy."
The counter increases at around 800 tons a second, which, if you are good at the maths, you know translates into, um, a lot per day. At least half of which is my roommate. Seriously, dude's so gassy the walls in his bedroom are turning brown.
World's first real-time carbon emissions counter adds a chilling 800 tons a second [dvice]
Nov 26 2008 Rubber Duckies To Solve Global Warming
No, not really. But the yellow buggers are helping scientists track the speed of melting glaciers. Whee?
Should Greenland's 2.17 million square miles of ice ever melt completely, the water could raise sea level world-wide by 24 feet, swamping coastal cities that are home to millions of people. As Dr. Behar at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory soon discovered, though, there isn't much money for global-warming experiments in Greenland.
Consequently, Dr. Behar and his colleagues at the University of Colorado this past August released 90 yellow rubber ducks into the melt water flowing down a chasm in the largest of Greenland's 200 glaciers -- the Jakobshavn Isbrae -- which has been thinning rapidly since 1997.Each duck was imprinted with an e-mail address and, in three languages, the offer of a reward.
Geez, what shameless litterbugs. Wait, did that say reward? What do you think it is, $100? Okay, now what's $100 times 90 -- $900,000 right? Let's charter a boat!
Rubber Duckies to Help Track Speed of Melting Glaciers [foxnews]
Thanks to Sam, who doesn't play with toys in the bath anymore.
Sep 12 2008 It's A Sign!: Global Warming Is Real, Phallic
Finally, photographic evidence that proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the North Pole has melted and Santa's penis floated out to sea.
Hit it for the uncensored ice junx.
Continue Reading " It's A Sign!: Global Warming Is Real, Phallic "
Aug 20 2008 More Dubai Photos: Now With More Island!
Back by popular demand, more stunning Dubai photography from David Hobcote. This batch includes several photos of the main city, along with some of the progress on The World Islands. Just stunning -- really makes me want to take a helicopter up and see what my town looks like from above.
UPDATE: Lots of cows. Oh, and a train. So, yeah, suck on that Dubai. CHOO CHOO, bitches, CHOO CHOO!
Hit the jump for several more, including the first house completed on the World Islands.
Continue Reading " More Dubai Photos: Now With More Island! "
Aug 15 2008 Some Maroons Still Believe The Earth Is Flat
Idiots in the Flat Earth Society are still convinced the world is flat and lead-based paint is part of a well-balanced diet.
People are definitely prejudiced against flat-Earthers," Tennessee-based computer scientist and society member John Davis tells the BBC. "Many use the term 'flat-Earther' as a term of abuse, and with connotations that imply blind faith, ignorance or even anti-intellectualism."
Don't breed!
"The Earth is, more or less, a disc," states James McIntyre, a Briton who helps run the Flat Earth Society's Web site. "Obviously it isn't perfectly flat, thanks to geological phenomena like hills and valleys. It is around 24,900 miles in diameter.""The North Pole is central, and Antarctica comprises the entire circumference of the Earth," explains McIntyre. "Circumnavigation is a case of traveling in a very broad circle across the surface of the Earth."
Flat Earthers also believe the moon landing and photos of earth from space were faked, which is only true in the case of the moon landing. But what I don't get is: if Antarctica surrounds the entire circumference of the earth, what's on the other side of that? Is it all ice? Is it candy land? Is it the dark side of the earth? Does my doppelgänger live there? Do you think he blogs too? If I meet him will I really die? Can I dig a hole to the other side and find out? Will you help? Come on, I'll show you my tits.
Believers In Flat Earth Not About to Change Minds [foxnews]
Thanks to Sam, who's smart enough to know the world is a cone.
Jun 20 2008 Here Grandma, I Got You A Pretty Snow Globe
Snow globes are glass spheres filled with little scenes and some plastic snow that whirls around when you shake the thing. These ones just happen to be filled with very unusual scenes. Like, well, a police officer putting a bullet in some dude's melon. There's a shit-ton more after the jump, which I suggest you peruse because I just spent like thirty hundred billion hour-years editing them and posting them for you. They were all made by artists Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz and are part of a limited edition of 250 pieces. Each goes for about $750.
These two artists have been working together since 1993. They sculpt miniature figures set in snowy outside scenes that depict sometimes horrible situations. Each snow globe tells a story and it's up to the viewer to fill in the blanks of those stories. Some of these miniature people seem trapped in a fairy-tale like story.
So what's the story behind the scene in that globe? My guess is an officer is practicing his close range shooting skills on the back of some guy's head while another copper watches and, quite possibly, gets aroused. Freaking classic, just like mom used to read me before bed.
Hit the jump for a ton more (men throwing kids down a well, gun toting grandmas, etc.) and feel free to fill in the stories if you want.
Continue Reading " Here Grandma, I Got You A Pretty Snow Globe "
Dec 24 2007 Luxury Airship Filled With Helium, Rich People
The 'Manned Cloud' airship is being produced, and could be operational by next year. The helium filled craft is going to have 60 hotel rooms, cruise at 173mph, and travel the globe on non-stop 3 day journeys. No word on how much a trip will be, but I imagine in the ‘expensive as hell’ range. Not that I'd ever get on that thing. Helium, while an inert gas, still scares the shit out of me. I mean think what it does to your voice. You want to ride an airship filled with the gas that makes you talk like you just got kicked in the nuts? I think not. If there's one thing I learned in high school chemistry it's this: eyebrows take forever to grow back.
'Manned Cloud' Airship, Around the World in Three Days [gizmodo]
Dec 20 2007 Eco-Boat Powered By Human Fat: Grody
The world's fastest eco-boat is going to make an attempt at breaking the round the world speed record using human fat based fuel with a zero carbon footprint. The boat is owned by Pete Bethune, who mortgaged his house and sold all he and his wife's belongings to make it happen. The lunatic even had liposuction to donate some of his own fuel for the project - about 100ml worth. Two other much larger patrons contributed 10 liters in total. This made about 7 liters of fuel and will get the boat about 15 km (~9 miles) out of their 44,000+ km (28,000+ mile) journey.
The current record for the journey is 75 days, and Bethune hopes to do it in around 65. The boat cost about $3 million to build, carries 3,000 gallons of fuel, and weighs 23 tons when full. No word if they intend on filling all 3,000 gallons with human-fat fuel, or a combo of that and other bio-fuel If they do plan on going all human fat, they need to get in contact with my wife. She could definitely fill that thing up. Or if they get low during the trip she could just float out and top them off. She's huge folks, it's gross.
Check out a bunch more pictures after the jump, included one of Bethune, and one of the route.
Dec 7 2007 Solar Taxi To Drive Around The Whole World
Swiss teacher Louis Palmer has a dream. While it's not the same one I have about the threesome with two models, it's still a dream. He wants to drive his solar taxi around the world. He started the trip from his homeland in July and has already traveled through Europe, the Middle East, and India, for a total of about 9,000 miles. His three-wheeled taxi tows a solar panel trailer behind it, for a total of 65 square feet of sun guzzling goodness. It's considered a taxi because he'll pick you up and let you ride with him for awhile if you want. Although I can't guarantee he won't try to touch your leg or anything. I don't know the guy. He's allegedly going to be in the U.S. sometime in early 2008. But I have news for you Louis. You can't drive here from there. This ain't no damn Pangaea. There's this thing called water between us, and you can't drive on it. Someone better tell the poor bastard that before he drives his car into the ocean and drowns.
A five minute video after the sinking, if you're really not trying to work today.
Continue Reading " Solar Taxi To Drive Around The Whole World "
Oct 26 2007 Make The World The Way You Want It
The Blackboard Globe from MUJI is exactly what it sounds like, sort of. It's actually just a spherical blackboard (blackball?) with a wooden stand. You're supposed to draw the planet on it. No word on how big it is, but they cost about $14 and come with chalk. I actually want one. Geekologieland would pretty much take up the whole thing, and include all my favorite landmarks -- Cleavage Canyon to the north, the River of Bourbon to the east, the Stripper Sea to the west, and my personal favorite, Vagina Island, just a hair to the south.
Jul 27 2007 Levitating Desktop Globes
Who knew there was such a big market for levitating globes? This one isn't nearly as cool though since it needs a top and bottom magnet.
A magnetic field sensor continually measures the height at which the globes are suspended. This sensor feeds that data into a micro computer in the base of the unit. This computer then calibrates the electronic magnets at the top of the frame based on the distance between the globes and the top magnet to keep the globes correctly positioned.
There's a 4" and 8" version which sell for $39.99 and $74.99 respectively. Or a 443,520" version which I'm selling for $1 million. It floats in space and circles the sun and doesn't even need a stupid magnet.
Product Page [Think Geek]
