Category:
Technology
Technology
Circuit Bending
Nick sent us a bunch of youtube links about the art of circuit bending. He writes:there is a hobby that nobody talks about called circuit bending. It's great fun, I've done it a few times and I've got a few friends that are really into it. Circuit bending is the act of cracking open a musical toy,radio, tape machine, cd player, walkie-talkie etc. and hapazardly/randomly poking around the ciruit board with a couple of wires to get unique sounds out of whatever you're "bending". You then solder the wire at the points you want and voila, you have a brand new musical insrument. Some people get really crazy with it and add new parts like light sensors, switches, buttons etc. and get some really wild effects.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6Pbyg_kcEk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjO5PtxaNuA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmr9rpv4XoA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKXecfkne38
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hcaW1TvVzE
This reminds me of a dream I've had for years. I want to hack into one of those Big Mouth Billy Bass animatronic toys and make it sing "Let the Eagle Soar" by John Ashcroft. It would be the ultimate piece of kitsch. I guess that makes me a would-be circuit bender. But I don't have the skills to make it happen. Also, I doubt my wife would allow me to keep it in the house.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Sep 02, 2008 -
Comments (2)
Category: Art, Music, Technology
Third Eye Camera
4”x5” camera made from Aluminium, Titanium, Brass, Silver, Gem Stones and a 150 year old skull of a 13 year old girl. Light and time enters at the third eye, exposing the film in the middle of the skull.
But does it come with a tripod?
Posted By: Alex - Thu Aug 21, 2008 -
Comments (1)
Category: Art, Photography and Photographers, Technology
Sonic Boom Simulation Chamber
I like the juxtaposition of the prim-and-proper woman and the massive audio system. Unfortunately there aren't any pictures of what she looked like after being repeatedly blasted with simulated sonic booms.
The image comes from NASA Contractor Report CR-1192, "Relative Annoyance and Loudness Judgments of Various Simulated Sonic Boom Waveforms."
Posted By: Alex - Wed Aug 20, 2008 -
Comments (2)
Category: Science, Experiments, Technology
13 Things That Don’t Make Sense
Posted By: Paul - Sun Aug 10, 2008 -
Comments (3)
Category: Science, Technology, Unsolved Mysteries, Books
Telemegaphone Dale
Telemegaphone Dale stands seven metres tall on top of the Bergskletten mountain overlooking the idyllic Dalsfjord in Western Norway.
When you dial the Telemegaphone’s phone number the sound of your voice is projected out across the fjord, the valley and the village of Dale below.
When you dial the Telemegaphone’s phone number the sound of your voice is projected out across the fjord, the valley and the village of Dale below.
I wonder how many collect calls it receives?
Posted By: Alex - Fri Aug 08, 2008 -
Comments (1)
Category: Buildings and Other Structures, Technology
Robotic and Redneck Stonehenge
Steve Norris has built a Stonehenge Robotic Digital Clock. I don't think it would work so well as a bedside timepiece (the whirring of it might keep you up at night), but it would definitely be something you could show off to your friends. It would be even cooler if a version of this were built that was the actual size of Stonehenge. (via OhGizmo!)
Posted By: Alex - Tue Aug 05, 2008 -
Comments (0)
Category: Buildings and Other Structures, Inventions, Technology, Video
Riding the Rails
My local newspaper has a great article about a fellow who restored the vehicle pictured to the right.
I imagine a Farelly Brothers movie in which the hero confounds the bad guys by making his unpredictable escape in such a vehicle--at a whopping 5 MPH!
Posted By: Paul - Mon Aug 04, 2008 -
Comments (2)
Category: Eccentrics, Collectors, History, Inventions, Technology, Travel, Transportation, 1950s, Cars
Gamucci Electronic Cigarettes
Gamucci is a rechargeable electronic cigarette. It is a completely non-flammable product that uses state of the art sophisticated micro-electronic technology to provide users a real smoking experience without the tobacco and tar found in real cigarettes. It looks like, feels like and tastes like a real cigarette, yet it isn't. It is so much more. It is truly a healthier and satisfying alternative. Join the Revolution today!
So basically it's a miniaturized fog gun that you hold in your mouth. Sounds like a swell way to join the revolution!
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jul 29, 2008 -
Comments (3)
Category: Technology, Products
Jetpack Dreams
That most silly and pointless and inutile, yet much desired of flight mechanisms, the jetpack, is back in the news. You can read a New York Times piece about the latest model here.And a review copy of this book recently arrived in my mailbox, portending lots of fun.
Yet such mechanisms pale before the magnificently insane accomplishment of Yves Rossy, who, a couple of years ago, basically turned himself into Iron Man. Watch his jet-powered flight below.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jul 29, 2008 -
Comments (4)
Category: Eccentrics, Flight, Inventions, Literature, Science Fiction, Movies, Obsessions, Pop Culture, Technology, Travel, Yesterday’s Tomorrows
Robotic Writing Monk
The relentless march of progress continues. Now monks have been automated, thanks to The Bible Scribe.The installation 'bios [bible]' consists of an industrial robot, which writes down the bible on rolls of paper. The machine draws the calligraphic lines with high precision. Like a monk in the scriptorium it creates step by step the text. Starting with the old testament and the books of Moses bios [bible]’ produces within seven month continuously the whole book. All 66 books of the bible are written on rolls and then retained and presented in the library of the installation.
Start looking for a new job, Brother.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jul 23, 2008 -
Comments (0)
Category: Art, Religion, Technology, AI, Robots and Other Automatons, Books
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |