27 January 2010
10:30am

Gnop

This most basic game reverses the notion of Pong and is quite compelling.

Bit Battalion

21 January 2010
9:40am

The Known Universe

This excellent video by the American Museum of Natural History certainly puts our daily concerns into perspective.

The Known Universe

18 January 2010
8:30am

Would You Have Spotted the Fraud?

ATM skimmers are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Krebs on Security

17 January 2010
7:30pm

Unusual Tetris

Have some time to kill?

First Person Tetris

24 December 2009
9:00am

Dimitri Arleri - "Opera" Card Flourishes

Exceptionally skilful manipulation of playing cards. The last move is amazing.

Youtube video

24 December 2009
8:40am

Sixteen Golden Retrievers Explain Atoms

A crack team of PhD-trained golden retrievers illustrate the structure of atoms.

Youtube video

21 December 2009
8:50am

Checkerboard Illusion

Seeing is believing... isn't it?

Youtube video

5 December 2009
9:10pm

Life in a Space Station

Astronaut, Nicole Stott, tells of daily life in the International Space Station. Fascinating account.

Email from the ISS

5 December 2009
9:00pm

If Germany Had Won the War

"Next stop: Charing Kreuz..."

Map of London Underground

22 November 2009
8:30am

The Rubens Tube

Demonstrates sound waves with gas flames.

Youtube video

14 November 2009
6:10pm

A Day at the Office

I'm not sure why this amuses me, but it should serve as a warning to all those organisations that equip their employees with laptops.

Youtube video

27 October 2009
6:40pm

Elephant Birth - The Dramatic Struggle for Life

Not for the squeamish.

Youtube video

27 October 2009
6:30pm

Fire Artists

Slo-mo video of fire artists. Extraordinary stuff.

Napalm Dragon

20 October 2009
8:30pm

To a Top Scientist

Schoolboy Denis Cox sent an urgent letter to Woomera's Rocket Range in 1957, the intention being that one of the facility's top scientists would see the plans within, build the rocket ship according to the blueprint and enter Australia into the Space Race.

Letters of Note

8 October 2009
6:10pm

A Monkey on a Goat on a Cup on a Tightrope

Incredible balancing act by a goat.

Youtube video

8 October 2009
6:00pm

Image Composer

Imagine a system that composes a realistic picture from a simple freehand sketch annotated with text labels. Very clever idea.

PhotSketch: Internet Image Montage

3 October 2009
10:10am

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Sir Ken Robinson delivers an amusing but thoughtful TED lecture - one of the best of the series.

TED Talk

2 October 2009
6:20pm

Mister Camouflage

Amazing how he merges into the background. Check the last photo.

Liu Bolin: The Invisible Man

16 September 2009
3:00pm

Fonts Alive

Stop-motion homage to typography as used to open the 5th Typophile Film Festival

Typophile Film Festival 5 Opening Titles from Brent Barson on Vimeo.

15 September 2009
2:40pm

Oh, The Temptation

How much self-control do young children have when presented with a marshmallow and the promise of a second one if they don't eat the first until the assistant returns?

Oh, The Temptation from Steve V on Vimeo.

9 September 2009
12:55pm

Birds on the Wires

Using the position of birds on telegraph wires, Jarbas Agnelli composed a tune that bore some resemblance to a Kate Bush song.

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

8 September 2009
7:55pm

Amazing Shrimps

Two videos that show the amazing prey-catching powers of certain shrimps.

Pistol shrimp

Strongest Punch in the World

1 September 2009
11:52am

Almost 14,000 People Dancing to Thriller

Down Mexico way.

México rompe récord con Thriller

1 September 2009
11:47am

German Invasion of the Ukraine in Sand

Beautiful Ukrainian girl draws in sand to produce a powerful story.

Kseniya Simonova - Sand Animation

28 July 2009
8:05pm

Facade Projection

Casting images onto a blank wall has never looked so convincing.

Vimeo video

28 July 2009
8:00pm

World's Quickest Personality Test

Another eye-opener from Richard Wiseman.

Quirky Psychology

28 July 2009
8:00pm

A Trillion Dollars Visualised

It's HUGE.

The New Billion

28 July 2009
7:55pm

The Vanishing Head

A good demonstration of how we all have visual blind spots.

New Scientist video

25 July 2009
6:40pm

Unusual Wedding Entrance

This completely cracked me up. I'm just glad my daughter never thought of this.

JK Wedding Entrance Dance

24 July 2009
11:30am

VS Ramachandran on Your Mind

Highly entertaining TED lecture showing how brain damage can help scientists understand the mind. Three fascinating delusions are discussed.

TED Talk

19 July 2009
8:25pm

The Blue and the Green

Another illusion. The blue and the green are the same colour, but you'll never believe it.

Discover magazine article

19 July 2009
8:15pm

The Potato Ladies

The Ross Sisters are an amazingly supple trio. Stay with it until the end. It's well worth it.

Amazing Dance Moves

19 July 2009
7:45pm

The Hollow Mask Illusion

An illusion where the brain uses previous experience of face recognition to convince itself that what is really concave is convex.

YouTube video

13 July 2009
3:45pm

Getting Ready for Work in 5 Minutes

Japanese-style.

YouTube video

13 July 2009
3:05pm

A Dog, a Cat, and a Rat

Pet harmony.

YouTube video

4 July 2009
9:05pm

Web Site Story

"I'm on Twitter, I'm on Twitter!" Great parody of my favourite musical.

4 July 2009
8:55pm

A Cat With Table Manners

I think this is taking companionship way too far.

YouTube video

29 June 2009
6:35pm

The Baloney Detection Kit

How do we sift out misinformation and bogus claims, and get to the truth?

Michael Shermer

25 June 2009
6:05pm

The Passionate Youth Vote Behind Mousavi

Disturbingly optimistic view of what was then the forthcoming Iranian election.

22 June 2009
10:05am

Global Air Traffic

Ever wondered how many flights occur in a 24-hour period? This 1:12 minute video follows the sun across the globe and shows how much activity goes on.

Air traffic in 24 hours

18 June 2009
5:45pm

Hamster Negotiates Obstacle Course

A well-trained hamster compares favourably with a dog when challenged by an obstacle course. The sound track adds to the enjoyment.

Smart hamster

16 June 2009
8:28pm

Nine Extraordinary Clouds

Highly unusual cloud formations, as reported by New Scientist.

14 June 2009
7:45pm

Luck or Skill

Watch for the getaway vehicle...

Compilation of chance makes and near misses

13 June 2009
6:20pm

The Living Camera

After a 45-minute helicopter flight over Rome, Stephen Wiltshire, an autistic savant, was able to draw a 5-metres (5½ yards) detailed panoramic picture of what he saw.

Camera Man

13 June 2009
2:15pm

Post-it Notes Stop-motion Video

Another stop-motion video that must have taken endless days to complete. This one uses Post-it notes to great effect.

Deadline

10 June 2009
6:18pm

Hummingbird Outflies Falcons and Fighter Pilots

The tiny 7cm (< 3ins) bird reaches a top speed of 60mph and at the fastest point of the dive, it covers 385 times its own body length every second. For its size, Anna's Hummingbird's aerial manoeuvre is the fastest performed by any bird.

7 June 2009
09:55am

The Advent of Bike Wheel Advertising?

Using full-colour persistence to create images on moving bike wheels, MonkeyLectric has provided another outlet for advertising, albeit only when it's dark.

MonkeyLectric Video Pro bike wheel light display

29 May 2009
12:35pm

Bach Played by Dancers on a Giant Keyboard

Two women dance on a giant keyboard to play Bach.

Bach's Toccata & Fugue in D minor

28 May 2009
7:41am

Brian & Eileen's Wedding Music Video

When all the guests are gathered for a wedding, rope them in for a music video...

25 May 2009
5:59pm

Slumdog Price is Right

Come on down...Jamal!

Slumdog

25 May 2009
5:35pm

Tight Fit

Why would a cat squeeze into an empty goldfish bowl?

Cat in goldfish bowl

25 May 2009
3:51pm

Sorry I'm Late

Stop-motion film shot from the ceiling. It must have taken a lot of patience to film but the result is well worth watching.

Sorry I'm Late

19 May 2009
1:57pm

Advanced Cat Yodelling

All you need is a compliant cat or two...

Paul Klusman video

18 May 2009
5:51pm

The Break of the Curveball

"In baseball, a curveball creates a physical effect and a perceptual puzzle. The physical effect (the curve) arises because the ball's rotation leads to a deflection in the ball's path. The perceptual puzzle arises because the deflection is actually gradual but is often perceived as an abrupt change in direction (the break)."

Fascinating demonstration of the way in which our visual system switches from central to peripheral perception.

5 May 2009
9:01pm

The Amazing Hand Art of Guido Daniele

Beautifully rendered paintings of animals using the hands and arms of models.

5 May 2009
7:31am

Play the Game for Science

A computer game with a difference: you help scientists understand more about protein folding, an essential feature of cell processing. Imagine playing a computer game and feeling virtuous about it...

22 April 2009
3:37pm

Palindromic Video

Play it forwards, play it backwards, makes no difference.

Dan & naD - a palindromic sketch

14 April 2009
4:23pm

200 Dancers in Antwerp Central Station

Two hundred dancers were organised to arrive at Antwerp Central Station at a specified time for an improv-style event. The result is a delight to watch.

Antwerp Central Station Dance

12 April 2009
4:36pm

Two Short Cat Videos

The videos are short, not the cats.

Cat with an ear for music

Parkour cat

8 April 2009
3:51pm

Le Grand Sommeil (The Big Sleep)

An unusual French short film that is both amusing and charming.

8 April 2009
3:46pm

A Sixties View of the Future of Telecommunications

Made in 1969 at the UK Post Office Research Station, this eight minute film tries to predict how communications might look in the nineties. I couldn't help chuckling at some of the ideas.

1 April 2009
10:16am

Would Walt Have Approved?

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves going harder, better, faster, ...smaller.

20 March 2009
3:22pm

Political Instability Index

Compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

19 March 2009
12:40pm

Sweet, Sexy, Cute, Funny...

How evolution affects perception.

16 March 2009
10:16am

Office Grand Prix

Watch till the end.

14 March 2009
3:20am

Watch the World Deteriorate

A real-time simulation showing each country's CO2 emissions, birth rate, and death rate. Move your cursor across the map to see who's doing what. Well presented and worth seeing.

13 March 2009
9:40am

What Does One Trillion Dollars Look Like?

Represented by a collection of $100 bills.

7 March 2009
8:01pm

Travel Back Through Time

Upload a photo and find out how you might have looked as an early hominid.

7 March 2009
7:56pm

Hudson River Plane Landing

Re-creation of the near-disastrous landing of a passenger plane in the Hudon River, with audio of traffic control exchanges.

26 February 2009
4:40pm

The Thatcher Effect

An intriguing illusion. Enough to make your head spin.

25 February 2009
8:06pm

Driving into a Dust Storm

A couple drive into a dust storm between Wilcania and Broken Hill in New South Wales, Australia.

21 February 2009
9:26am

Canada Goose Terrorises Man and Dog

A man and his dog are in a fishing boat when a Ganada goose takes exception to their presence...

18 February 2009
8:09pm

The Crisis of Wisdom

We admire brilliance, but wisdom is in short supply. In this TED lecture, Barry Schwartz explains why a society gone mad with bureaucracy is in need of practical wisdom.

12 February 2009
2:46pm

What News Anchors Do During Commercial Breaks

WGN News anchors Robert Jordan and Jackie Bange have been together for many years. They've devised this sit-down dance routine to kill time during the breaks. It's good.

5 Febuary 2009
1:27am

The Great Office War

An epic encounter.

1 February 2009
08:46am

Stop-motion Music Video

Wonderfully conceived Oren Lavie music video.

30 January 2009
10:28am

Mexican Wrestling

You won't see this at the Olympics:

30 January 2009
7:59am

London From the Sky at Night

Some remarkable pictures taken from a Eurocopter by photographer Jason Hawkes.

29 January 2009
12:58pm

Online Newspapers in 1981?

This 1981 news report has early home computer users reading their morning newspapers online - before the Internet began. How Times have changed...

26 January 2009
8:08pm

Cat Solves Printer Problem

A cat's approach to problem solving.

25 January 2009
6:38pm

Morphing US Presidents

All 44 US presidents morphing in succession. Intriguing.

25 January 2009
2:05pm

Amazing Inauguration Day Panorama

To quote the photographer, David Bergman:

"I made a panoramic image showing the nearly two million people who watched President Obama's inaugural address. To do so, I clamped a Gigapan Imager to the railing on the north media platform about six feet from my photo position. The Gigapan is a robotic camera mount that allows me to take multiple images and stitch them together, creating a massive image file.

My final photo is made up of 220 Canon G10 images and the file is 59,783 X 24,658 pixels or 1,474 megapixels. It took more than six and a half hours for the Gigapan software to put together all of the images on my Macbook Pro and the completed TIF file is almost 2 gigabytes.

Use the controls to zoom and pan around the photo. You can also double click to zoom in and double click again to get even closer."

Full screen version.

How it was done.

23 January 2009
8:06pm

Early 20th Century Film of London Street Life

Fascinating glimpses of life from a hundred years ago.

22 January 2009
1:17pm

Inauguration Day Crowds

This satellite view of the National Mall between the Capitol and the Washington Monument gives an idea of how large the crowds were.

21 January 2009
7:39am

Folding the Yoshimoto Cube

The Yoshimoto cube, invented by Japanese Naoki Yoshimoto, consists of up of eight interconnected cubes. It unfolds itself in a continuing cycle. Remarkable stuff.

20 January 2009
12:22pm

When someone says, "Let's have a drink..."

20 January 2009
12:17pm

The Global Corporate Network

A visual representation of corporate ownership around the world:

13 January 2009
3:49pm

One man choral group performs the Legend of Zelda theme

And he plays the violin. This is his own rendition of the themes from the Legend of Zelda game composed by Koji Kondo.

10 January 2009
8:42pm

Songsmith

Songsmith generates musical accompaniment to match a singer's voice. Just choose a musical style, sing into your PC's microphone, and Songsmith will create backing music for you. Download a trial from Microsoft:

7 January 2009
3:15pm

Wingsuit Base Jumping

As if there weren't enough scary sports, now comes base jumping in specially designed suits that allow the wearer to soar like an eagle. Heart-stopping to watch these guys.

4 January 2009
7:10am

Breakup of the USA

Russian professor Igor Panarin predicts the breakup of the US in the year 2010. Here's how he thinks it will end up. (Note to Sarah Palin: Instead of just seeing Russia from your window, it looks like you'll be standing in it.)

3 January 2009
1:36pm

The Real Difference Between Liberals and Conservatives

Jonathan Haidt studies how -- and why -- we evolved to be moral. Here he shows us in an entertaining way the five moral values that form the basis of our political choices, whether we're left, right, or centre.

Learn about your own morality while contributing to scientific research on moral psychology:

2 January 2009
6:43pm

Amazing Animal Videos

Three to choose from:

2 January 2009
6:38pm

Ennio Marchetto Theatre Trailer

The Living Cartoon, the world famous quick change comedian.