Welcome to The Perrorist Files. Here you will find an eclectic assortment of articles and links to provide amusement and/or provoke thought.
27 January 2010 |
GnopThis most basic game reverses the notion of Pong and is quite compelling. |
21 January 2010 |
The Known UniverseThis excellent video by the American Museum of Natural History certainly puts our daily concerns into perspective. |
18 January 2010 |
Would You Have Spotted the Fraud?ATM skimmers are becoming increasingly sophisticated. |
17 January 2010 |
Unusual TetrisHave some time to kill? |
24 December 2009 |
Dimitri Arleri - "Opera" Card FlourishesExceptionally skilful manipulation of playing cards. The last move is amazing. |
24 December 2009 |
Sixteen Golden Retrievers Explain AtomsA crack team of PhD-trained golden retrievers illustrate the structure of atoms. |
21 December 2009 |
Checkerboard IllusionSeeing is believing... isn't it? |
5 December 2009 |
Life in a Space StationAstronaut, Nicole Stott, tells of daily life in the International Space Station. Fascinating account. |
5 December 2009 |
If Germany Had Won the War"Next stop: Charing Kreuz..." |
22 November 2009 |
The Rubens TubeDemonstrates sound waves with gas flames. |
14 November 2009 |
A Day at the OfficeI'm not sure why this amuses me, but it should serve as a warning to all those organisations that equip their employees with laptops. |
27 October 2009 |
Elephant Birth - The Dramatic Struggle for LifeNot for the squeamish. |
27 October 2009 |
Fire ArtistsSlo-mo video of fire artists. Extraordinary stuff. |
20 October 2009 |
To a Top ScientistSchoolboy 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. |
8 October 2009 |
A Monkey on a Goat on a Cup on a TightropeIncredible balancing act by a goat. |
8 October 2009 |
Image ComposerImagine a system that composes a realistic picture from a simple freehand sketch annotated with text labels. Very clever idea. |
3 October 2009 |
Do Schools Kill Creativity?Sir Ken Robinson delivers an amusing but thoughtful TED lecture - one of the best of the series. |
2 October 2009 |
Mister CamouflageAmazing how he merges into the background. Check the last photo. |
16 September 2009 |
Fonts AliveStop-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 |
Oh, The TemptationHow 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 |
Birds on the WiresUsing 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 |
Amazing ShrimpsTwo videos that show the amazing prey-catching powers of certain shrimps. |
1 September 2009 |
Almost 14,000 People Dancing to ThrillerDown Mexico way. |
1 September 2009 |
German Invasion of the Ukraine in SandBeautiful Ukrainian girl draws in sand to produce a powerful story. |
28 July 2009 |
Facade ProjectionCasting images onto a blank wall has never looked so convincing. |
28 July 2009 |
World's Quickest Personality TestAnother eye-opener from Richard Wiseman. |
28 July 2009 |
A Trillion Dollars VisualisedIt's HUGE. |
28 July 2009 |
The Vanishing HeadA good demonstration of how we all have visual blind spots. |
25 July 2009 |
Unusual Wedding EntranceThis completely cracked me up. I'm just glad my daughter never thought of this. |
24 July 2009 |
VS Ramachandran on Your MindHighly entertaining TED lecture showing how brain damage can help scientists understand the mind. Three fascinating delusions are discussed. |
19 July 2009 |
The Blue and the GreenAnother illusion. The blue and the green are the same colour, but you'll never believe it. |
19 July 2009 |
The Potato LadiesThe Ross Sisters are an amazingly supple trio. Stay with it until the end. It's well worth it. |
19 July 2009 |
The Hollow Mask IllusionAn illusion where the brain uses previous experience of face recognition to convince itself that what is really concave is convex. |
13 July 2009 |
Getting Ready for Work in 5 MinutesJapanese-style. |
13 July 2009 |
A Dog, a Cat, and a RatPet harmony. |
4 July 2009 |
Web Site Story"I'm on Twitter, I'm on Twitter!" Great parody of my favourite musical. Web Site Story |
4 July 2009 |
A Cat With Table MannersI think this is taking companionship way too far. |
29 June 2009 |
The Baloney Detection KitHow do we sift out misinformation and bogus claims, and get to the truth? |
25 June 2009 |
The Passionate Youth Vote Behind MousaviDisturbingly optimistic view of what was then the forthcoming Iranian election. The Persian Paradox |
22 June 2009 |
Global Air TrafficEver 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. |
18 June 2009 |
Hamster Negotiates Obstacle CourseA well-trained hamster compares favourably with a dog when challenged by an obstacle course. The sound track adds to the enjoyment. |
16 June 2009 |
Nine Extraordinary CloudsHighly unusual cloud formations, as reported by New Scientist.
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14 June 2009 |
Luck or SkillWatch for the getaway vehicle... |
13 June 2009 |
The Living CameraAfter 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. |
13 June 2009 |
Post-it Notes Stop-motion VideoAnother stop-motion video that must have taken endless days to complete. This one uses Post-it notes to great effect. |
10 June 2009 |
Hummingbird Outflies Falcons and Fighter PilotsThe 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.
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7 June 2009 |
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. |
29 May 2009 |
Bach Played by Dancers on a Giant KeyboardTwo women dance on a giant keyboard to play Bach. |
28 May 2009 |
Brian & Eileen's Wedding Music VideoWhen all the guests are gathered for a wedding, rope them in for a music video... Vimeo |
25 May 2009 |
Slumdog Price is RightCome on down...Jamal! |
25 May 2009 |
Tight FitWhy would a cat squeeze into an empty goldfish bowl? |
25 May 2009 |
Sorry I'm LateStop-motion film shot from the ceiling. It must have taken a lot of patience to film but the result is well worth watching. |
19 May 2009 |
Advanced Cat YodellingAll you need is a compliant cat or two... |
18 May 2009 |
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)." |
5 May 2009 |
The Amazing Hand Art of Guido DanieleBeautifully rendered paintings of animals using the hands and arms of models. Hand art. |
5 May 2009 |
Play the Game for ScienceA 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... Fold it. |
22 April 2009 |
Palindromic VideoPlay it forwards, play it backwards, makes no difference. |
14 April 2009 |
200 Dancers in Antwerp Central StationTwo 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. |
12 April 2009 |
Two Short Cat VideosThe videos are short, not the cats. |
8 April 2009 |
Le Grand Sommeil (The Big Sleep)An unusual French short film that is both amusing and charming. Le Grand Sommeil |
8 April 2009 |
A Sixties View of the Future of TelecommunicationsMade 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. Telecommunications Services for the 1990s |
1 April 2009 |
Would Walt Have Approved?Snow White and the Seven Dwarves going harder, better, faster, ...smaller. Dwarves Gettin' Down |
20 March 2009 |
Political Instability Index
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19 March 2009 |
Sweet, Sexy, Cute, Funny...How evolution affects perception. |
16 March 2009 |
Office Grand PrixWatch till the end. Lewis Hamilton and the RC Office Grand Prix |
14 March 2009 |
Watch the World DeteriorateA 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. Earthwatch. |
13 March 2009 |
What Does One Trillion Dollars Look Like?Represented by a collection of $100 bills. Page Tutor. |
7 March 2009 |
Travel Back Through TimeUpload a photo and find out how you might have looked as an early hominid. Devolve Me. |
7 March 2009 |
Hudson River Plane LandingRe-creation of the near-disastrous landing of a passenger plane in the Hudon River, with audio of traffic control exchanges. Hudson River plane landing |
26 February 2009 |
The Thatcher EffectAn intriguing illusion. Enough to make your head spin. Thatcher Effect |
25 February 2009 |
Driving into a Dust StormA couple drive into a dust storm between Wilcania and Broken Hill in New South Wales, Australia. Australian Dust Storm |
21 February 2009 |
Canada Goose Terrorises Man and DogA man and his dog are in a fishing boat when a Ganada goose takes exception to their presence... What a Goose! |
18 February 2009 |
The Crisis of WisdomWe 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. Barry Schwartz: The real crisis? We stopped being wise. |
12 February 2009 |
What News Anchors Do During Commercial BreaksWGN 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. News Anchors Routine |
5 Febuary 2009 |
The Great Office WarAn epic encounter. The Great Office War from Runawaybox on Vimeo |
1 February 2009 |
Stop-motion Music VideoWonderfully conceived Oren Lavie music video. Her Morning Elegance |
30 January 2009 |
Mexican WrestlingYou won't see this at the Olympics: Mascarita Dorada |
30 January 2009 |
London From the Sky at NightSome remarkable pictures taken from a Eurocopter by photographer Jason Hawkes. London from above, at night. |
29 January 2009 |
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... KRON news report |
26 January 2009 |
Cat Solves Printer ProblemA cat's approach to problem solving. Cat versus printer |
25 January 2009 |
Morphing US PresidentsAll 44 US presidents morphing in succession. Intriguing. 44 US Presidents - George Washington to Barack Obama |
25 January 2009 |
Amazing Inauguration Day PanoramaTo 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." |
23 January 2009 |
Early 20th Century Film of London Street LifeFascinating glimpses of life from a hundred years ago. National Film and Sound Archive. |
22 January 2009 |
Inauguration Day CrowdsThis satellite view of the National Mall between the Capitol and the Washington Monument gives an idea of how large the crowds were. Popular Science photo. |
21 January 2009 |
Folding the Yoshimoto CubeThe Yoshimoto cube, invented by Japanese Naoki Yoshimoto, consists of up of eight interconnected cubes. It unfolds itself in a continuing cycle. Remarkable stuff. Folding the Yoshimoto Cube |
20 January 2009 |
When someone says, "Let's have a drink..."
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20 January 2009 |
The Global Corporate NetworkA visual representation of corporate ownership around the world: Flickr image. |
13 January 2009 |
One man choral group performs the Legend of Zelda themeAnd he plays the violin. This is his own rendition of the themes from the Legend of Zelda game composed by Koji Kondo. Legend of Zelda medley |
10 January 2009 |
SongsmithSongsmith 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: Microsoft Songsmith. |
7 January 2009 |
Wingsuit Base JumpingAs 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. Vimeo video. |
4 January 2009 |
Breakup of the USARussian 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.) USA Breakup |
3 January 2009 |
The Real Difference Between Liberals and ConservativesJonathan 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. TED lectureLearn about your own morality while contributing to scientific research on moral psychology: Your Morals |
2 January 2009 |
Amazing Animal VideosThree to choose from: Crow and Kitten are FriendsSwans Feeding Koi Carp Beagle Escape |
2 January 2009 |
Ennio Marchetto Theatre TrailerThe Living Cartoon, the world famous quick change comedian. YouTube video |