Boston Dynamics has done it again. By 'it', I mean surprising the heck out of everyone with their latest show-off of technology: Atlas, their humanoid robot, can now do parkour.
science beaches
Amazing what a mere collection of water and ice and a few rocks can turn into. Saturn's rings are one of the most incredible sights in the night sky, and in space overall. Though their make up is unremarkable, since the 1970s when the Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft visited the system and gave us our first close-up look.
What's more amazing is that unlike many other celestial bodies in our universe, that we need to physically reach in order to get a clear picture of, Saturn is close enough that we can get images like those below.
Who doesn't love a good GIF? I know I do, especially if it's jam packed with interesting things to get my mind thinking. Check out the twelve most interesting GIFs from r/damnthatsinteresting for past week and prepare to have your little brain overflow with interesting things.
The Boeing Starliner capsule, which is planning to transport people to and from the International Space Station in the near future, successfully completed an abort mission - although one of it's three parachutes failed to deploy. At the time, few photos or videos were taken of the capsule's short flight. New video footage has just emerged, and we've made some sweet GIFs so you can view it's journey in GIF form. If you want to know more about the Boeing Starliner capsule, read our comprehensive article about it. Otherwise, enjoy the GIFs!
The word 'robot' generally has negative connotations attached to it, but MIT's mini cheetah robots are absolutely adorable. MITBiomimetic Robotics students recently took the dog-sized robots out for a play on the university lawn, and the result was way cuter than we expected. The robots aren't designed to just be cute and play soccer - they were built with the purpose to save lives with elderly care, deliveries and emergency response.
The mini cheetahs can run up to 5 miles per hour, flip themselves over if fallen, and they're relatively cheap to make and repair. Controlled with remotes, the agility of these robots has not been seen in robotics before. The next hurdle for the team is to build cameras onto the robots, enabling them to walk around without being remotely controlled by humans. But for now, they're delighful to watch.
Most of us don't think twice about re-using a leftover cardboard Amazon box, and usually chuck it straight in the recycling bin. But not this guy. He makes insanely cool cardboard weapons from cardboard Amazon boxes that are inspired from video games, with a hot glue gun and some scissors. And he is inspiring us. The fact that he's making these weapons - let alone out of cardboard - is mind blowing. If you're a bit of a nerd or just like clever things, check out his amazing creations below.
I wonder where the pot of gold is in this case? Wherever it is, these visuals make up for the lost windfall. These are some absolutely incredible images of various planes from all over the world creating incredible artwork in the sky. Though conspiracy theories abound regarding contrails, it seems they are simply guilty of providing us with some amazing photographic opportunities. Michael Marston is a Brisbane-based photographer who has been posting these images to his social media, to viral acclaim.
There's no doubt that The Matrix is one of the best films ever made. Released in 1999, visual effects of such high quality were virtually unseen before. But would The Matrix be as good if it's visual effects weren't as good? After watching Studio 188's low cost version of The Matrix, we can say, YES. This low budget version of the classic is as good (or better?) than the original, purely because of the creativity that went into recreating The Matrix on a low, low budget. And it will have you crying with laughter. This will make your week.
Boston Dynamics' have finally released their latest project. After viral videos of their project BigDog, which was designed for DARPA, they went for something more the size of a small dog. This robot has become a viral sensation from its development and capability videos, and now, it can finally be yours. That's right, Boston Dynamics is selling their robotic quadruped targeted at construction areas and similar uneven terrain. From hauling wait to opening doors, this robot has an incredible range of capabilities. We present: Spot.
Do you ever see tiny things and wonder how on Earth they were made? What, did faries make them with tiny fairy hands? In the case of the Sigma fp, the world's smallest full frame camera, we have video evidence that it is not being made by fairies (although the video might just be a front... we will investigate more). The workers in these videos do have to seem nimble hands, though. If you're interested in seeing how a tiny camera is made, continue reading!
Blue Sharks are one of the most prolific shark species in the world. They are also one of the most widely spread, being found as far south as Chile, and as far north as Norway. Though they prefer cool waters, they are most often seen of the coasts of Wales, Japan, South Africa, and Canada. They are lifelong migratory creatures, traveling great distances searching for food. They are known sometimes to even migrate as far as the distance between New England all the way to South Africa. Check out some interesting facts about the species.
Emily Stevenson, co-founder of the eco-campaigners "Beach Guardian" had the incredible experience during a boat door, and described playing with them for more than 5 hours. Perfect conditions allowed them to capture the incredible situation they found themselves in.
