Weird Science - Towel Folding Robot

Judging by the huge response to what I thought was a fairly large and obscure post about a tiny coincidence, the Hitchhiker's Guide and cutting-edge science is obviously a winning combination.

So here is a super special Douglas Adams bonus, a robot folding towels! Okay so that's a bit of a stretch, but it is still quite cool.

Note that this video has been speeded up 50x, in real time it took the robot over an hour and a half to complete this one task. Perhaps it was feeling a little depressed?

Posted By: Dumbfounded - Sat Apr 17, 2010 - Comments (25)
Category: Boredom, Futurism, Inventions, Robots, Science, Experiments, Technology

Have a Few Laughs

Feeling down? Have you noticed that you haven't been laughing much lately? Worry no more, because laughing is now a keystroke away! Featuring 26 distinct laughs for every occasion. Brought to you by the French.

http://hahahaha.fr/

Posted By: mdb777 - Wed Jun 17, 2009 - Comments (0)
Category: Boredom, Humor

Hayseed Dixie: Bluegrass tribute to AC/DC

The music itself is weird enough on its own, but add the Final Fantasy video and the weirdness just overflows.

Posted By: fyshstyxx - Wed May 20, 2009 - Comments (3)
Category: Art, Boredom, Music

Dead Weird

In what can only be described as going beyond the spirit of friendly competition, undertaker David Wood stole the keys from a business rival's hearse, when the vehicle was - how you say - "occupied". The funeral of Patricia Thorburn was immediately disrupted as the car she had requested to be carried in, a 1968 Rolls Royce Phantom, was too heavy to push. Finally the car's owner, funeral director Joel Kerr, resorted to tearing out the walnut dashboard and hot-wiring the engine (BBC News).

Also in the UK, life-long bike fan Stuart McIntyre got his last wish in April, when friends built him a special "side-car hearse" so that he could take his final journey in the manner he had taken so many previous ones (Craven Herald).

Apparently, bike hearses are all the rage right now. Jay Howard of "Hometown Hearse" in Battle Creek has also recently added one to his line-up (WZZM13).

In fact, hearses seem to be so popular nowadays some people can't wait for the inevitable to take a ride in one. Certainly Sammy Townsley of Perthshire in Scotland was in a bit of a hurry, having stolen the hearse in the early morning hours, Townsley lost control of the car at high speed minutes later and crashed it into a telegraph pole (Perthshire Advertiser).

Finally, if you're up that way, the Montreal "Musée de Château Dufresne" is hosting an exhibition on the subject of death, funerals and their accoutrements; surely the perfect family day out. Called Celebrating the Dead: A Living Heritage, the exhibition is there till the end of August (Château Dufresne).

Posted By: Dumbfounded - Thu May 14, 2009 - Comments (11)
Category: Boredom, Death, Museums, Stupid Criminals

Breaking the Ice

Back in 1917, Railroad workers in Alaska who were bored during a long winter, set up a betting pool in which the winner determined the date and time that the ice on the Tanana River would break. Since then the event has grown to become the Nenana Ice Classic which attracts thousands. This year's jackpot is $283,723.00. But the neatest part is how they mark when the ice has broken. A wooden tripod is set up on the ice and wired to a clock in a tower along the shore. The winning time is determined when the ice moves enough to tighten the wire and trip the clock.

Posted By: Nethie - Mon May 11, 2009 - Comments (2)
Category: Boredom, Contests, Races and Other Competitions, History, Nature

Midwest Division’s Friday Feast

Turtle Huntin’; Batesville, Ind.: Turtle Huntin’ offers you “the ultimate outdoor adventure,” through guided turtle hunting instruction and hunts. You can read all about turtle hunting at their website, but for a “minor charge” you too can turtle hunt like the pros. Turtle Huntin' Link fixed 2333 May, 9, 2009.

Garbage Clocks; Evanston, Ill: An Evanston man has been featured by CBS Sunday Morning and Thrillist for his clocks made out of garage sale junk. His clocks are available for purchase on Etsy. Thrillist

131 Years of Prayer; La Crosse, Wisc: At the Adoration Chapel of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in La Crosse, Wisconsin; the Sisters have prayed at a consecrated host, the Holy Eucharist, for the past 131 years. Since 1878 the Sisters have prayed at the Holy Eucharist in shifts around the clock. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

11 Year Old Steals Car; St. Cloud, Minn.: An 11 year old was arrested in St. Cloud Minnesota for stealing a car in Waite Park, Minnesota and driving it to the next town. Charges are pending. WCCO

Shoplifter Wrote Address On Job App; Dayton, Ohio: A man shoplifting at a clothing store filled out a job application with his real address before he left and set off the alarms. Chicago Tribune via the Associated Press.

Another BB Gun Robbery, Deadly; Chicago Ill: Ernesto Garcia decided to use a BB gun to rob a gas station. The weapon looked like a real handgun. So, one can assume that the police thought it was real when he refused to put it down. Garcia was shot eight times by the Chicago Police Officer. Garcia was a suspect in 25 other robberies. Chicago Tribune

Posted By: chris_cantwell - Fri May 08, 2009 - Comments (3)
Category: Boredom, Cops, Crime, Death, Guns, Religion

Lightsabers on a Segway

So, I guess this is for the lazier Jedi.



Apparently, Star Wars fan videos never get old.

Posted By: mdb777 - Tue May 05, 2009 - Comments (0)
Category: Boredom, Fads, Geeks, Nerds and Pointdexters

iSerenity

iSerenity offers "a relaxing web-based experience that delivers soothing sounds and images designed to reduce stress and calm nerves. Use iSerenity while at work or at home. You can even leave it running in the background while you work on your computer."

Nice idea, but their Library Lullaby sounds like it was recorded inside a parking structure. Pencil Parade would drive me insane in minutes; and why would anyone want to relax to Vacuum Vibrations?

Posted By: Alex - Mon Nov 24, 2008 - Comments (2)
Category: Boredom

TeacherTube

How could I have been ignorant prior to now of the glories of TeacherTube, which hosts such stimulating videos as this one?

The fun never stops!

Posted By: Paul - Sat Sep 20, 2008 - Comments (5)
Category: Boredom, Education, Video

Why Study Science?

Has science ever looked duller than in this video?

Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 19, 2008 - Comments (4)
Category: Boredom, Education, Family, Children, Parents, Futurism, Pop Culture, Science, Technology, Video, 1950s, Yesterday’s Tomorrows