Print your own flute
“Cheap 3D printers can now quickly make plastic replicas of almost anything, from an insect’s wings to copies of their own parts. But now Amit Zoran and his team from the MIT Media Lab have used one to recreate the intricate design of a flute (see video above).
They started by making a digital model of the instrument based on a metal flute but with adaptations to account for the new materials used, and the level of precision possible, with 3D printing. The model was then sent to a 3D printer which constructed the flute in four parts over a period of 15 hours. It squirts out three different plastic composites developed by Objet, the company that created the printer they used. Once the printing was complete, the researchers just had to put together the four parts and manually add springs.
When tested by a flautist, the plastic flute was given the thumbs up for sound. “It sounds perfect in terms of the acoustics,” says Seth Hunter. But there are issues with the design of the mouthpiece and the keys which the team plans to improve. With the 3D printing technique, they can modify their model and create a new prototype relatively quickly and cheaply. The flute in the video is the seventh iteration of their design.
The goal, however, isn’t to create a flute that’s superior to a metal one: the challenge is to print a working flute that’s acoustically and ergonomically similar. “This project is a technical exercise, an effort to see how far we can push designs for 3D printing technologies,” says Zoran. In the future, the technology could be used to create novel instruments, like a trumpet with multiple pipes, that would be hard to make otherwise.”
Read more at New Scientist (Thanks Annette M)
Your Lying Eyes: Can This Be Happening?
“You have two eyes.
Each eye sees a slightly different world. (Put a finger in front of your face, switch from one eye open to the other and that finger will shift, just a little bit.) But rather than walk around all day seeing in double vision, your brain pulls the world back into one-ness.
Brains decide what we see. Kokichi Sugihara knows this better than anyone. He makes videos that trick your brain into seeing things that you know, you absolutely know, can’t happen.
And yet —
Obviously wooden balls cannot run up a slope. Yet they seem to. Sugihara uses no editing tricks. His props are cardboard and glue, no special effects. All he does is find the precise angle where our brain assumes an impossible act. In this case, he chooses the angle that makes down-sloping planes look like up-sloping planes.
Then he changes the angle and you see how he did it. (Or more correctly, how you did it.)
Brains, you may not realize, make arbitrary assumptions to keep our world intact. Sugihara knows exactly where those assumptions pop into place. Using simple paper and glue constructions, he creates shapes cannily designed to make us see something that isn’t happening.”
Read more at NPR (Thanks Christopher C)
Nasa captures stunning images of the far side of the moon
“These amazing pictures capture the moon’s cratered surface in the most intricate detail ever recorded.
The images, which were taken by NASA’s Lunar Reconaissance Orbiter (LRO), have boosted the resolution of images of the far side of the moon over 100 times.
Digital elevation and terrain maps based on the new data reveal the heavily cratered and bumpy surface of the moon in all its complexity.
Dr Gregory Neumann of NASA’S Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said that digital elevation and terrain maps based on the new data ‘will be a fundamental reference for future scientific and human exploration missions to the moon.’ The brilliant, iridescent green concepts, pictured here, show the topography of different hemispheres of the moon.
Dr Neumann said: ‘After about one year taking data, we already have nearly 3 billion data points from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter on board the LRO spacecraft.
‘We expect to continue to make measurements at this rate through the next two years of the science phase of the mission and beyond. Near the poles, we expect to provide near-GPS-like navigational capability as coverage is denser due to the spacecraft’s polar orbit.’”
Read more at The Daily Mail
Interplanetary pin-ups
It may / may not be too late to order for xmas – but these fantastic pin-ups by designer / artist Ross Berens are going in my xMas stocking.
Last Orders At The Store
Anyone wanting to order anything from the ART STORE or an ENIGMA poster in time for xmas will need to do so today as this is the last day available for postal orders. After this we will still be accepting orders but cannot guarantee any deliveries before xmas.
Time-lapse Video: From Birth To 10 Years Old
“A father has taken a photo of his daughter almost every day to create a classic time-lapse video.”
40 Breathtaking Closeup Photographs Of Animals
“Wildlife photography is regarded as being one of the most challenging forms of photography. It involves a thorough understanding of the behavior of animals and in addition to it, one needs to have sound technical skills, such as being able to expose in the right manner. Its all about being in the right place at the right time.
Surprisingly enough, photographing some species may require stalking skills or the use of a camouflage as well. Whilst wildlife photographs can be taken using basic equipment, successful photography of some types of wildlife requires specialist equipment, such as macro lenses for insects, long focal length lenses for birds and underwater cameras for marine life. However, since the advent of digital cameras and the never ending quest for adventures, this practice has evolved into totally new heights.
From what I’ve seen, wildlife photography is definitely one of the most dangerous forms of photography. A photographer who uses good exposure, color and blur settings along with appropriate shutter speed and focusing techniques can produce stunning photographs. One not only needs the right equipment, but also the courage and the audacity to push himself beyond his limits. As a result, wildlife photographers need to be agile and vigilant as much as possible. Even though we appreciate the end result, its definitely an understatement to say that these photographers have done a stunning job. They are absolutely marvelous and so are their photographs.”
Head over to Rich Works to see the other 49 photos (Thanks @XxLadyClaireXx)
Professor Surgically Installs Camera In Head, Starts Tracking the World Behind Him
“The New York University professor who planned to implant a camera in his head has finally done it.
About a week ago, Wafaa Bilal had a tattoo artist implant a titanium disc on the back of his head, so he can magnetically attach a small surveillance camera. He even set the whole procedure to music — check out this clip from CNN.”
Read more at PopSci (Thanks @XxLadyClaireXx)
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