A Short Film Celebrating the Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher

INSPIRATIONS from Cristóbal Vila on Vimeo.

The beautiful art of M.C. Escher and its mathematical significance.

#SayYesKatie

So I just noticed that a guy I follow on Twitter, @LenKendall, posted the tweet you see pictured here.

When I see the words "stay calm," in a tweet it makes me click over to the other person (In this case, @hollandersauce) to see what they're tweeting about. If Katie Holland knows that her boyfriend Len has proposed via BuzzFeed in "Help Me Convince Katie to Say Yes," then as of the time of this writing she has not yet let on.


This meme is either the ultimate in nerd romance or an alarming new dimension in mass scale pressure to "convince" someone to commit her existence to another human being. In his Twitter bio, Len says that the internet is his box of Lego blocks. He's using it to build his real life, which I admire, even if I'm a little worried for a total stranger named Katie Hollander right now.

Time will tell when Katie herself chimes in on the #SayYesKatie thread. I hope she makes the right decision, whatever it may be!

The Fantastic Pen and Ink Art of Mr. Mead.

Mr Meads Captain James McWolfson. from tom mead on Vimeo.

UK Artist Mr. Mead is my new favorite discovery. His pen-and-ink drawings blend anthropomorphized animalia with a post-apocalyptic sensibility. The above video documents his artistic process creating the art for Captain James McWolfson, which is intriguing in scale and inspiring in beauty.

Mr. Mead sells limited edition prints on his website. In fact, I just bought one. Can you guess which one?

One of his intriguing creations is a re-imagined deck of cards, screenshot below.

Via @Zouchmagazine

Qui Sont Les Josettes Noires?

Marcia Baila qui dépote à Lyon - Janvier 2010 by lesjosettesnoires

For your post-Carnaval, post-Mardi Gras day, we offer you France's "Le Josettes Noires!"

Rare 1968 Radio Interview with Carlos Castaneda

Here is a rare, edited 1968 radio interview with author and anthropologist Carlos Castaneda shortly after the release of his first book, "The Teachings of Don Juan." The interview is particularly interesting in that it was given before Castaneda was catapulted into best-seller stardom and launched his career as one of the pre-eminent spiritual authors of the late 20th Century.

Beautiful Mash-Up Music Video of Found Sounds

This 2006 video by UK collaborative Coldcut and Hexstatic, of audio and video footage of mechanical objects like saws, stitched together into a techno-electronic wall of sound, is credited, in some ways, setting the standard for found audio/video mash-ups.
Via @neb

"No Ordinary Genius," BBC Documentary About Richard Feynman Now Free Online

The BBC's sublime 1993 documentary about renown physicist Richard Feynman is now online in its entirety.
Among the many insights of the film are Feynman's fascination with the intersection (and contrast) of art and physics. And his effort to understand it by becoming a portrait artist. Be sure and watch to the end for historic clips of Feyman's public hearing investigation into the failure of the Shuttle Challenger.
"The game I play," says Feynman, "is Imagination with very strict limits."
The bittersweet ending about his own reflections on his impending death after a diagnosis of cancer, are poignant and moving.
Via @Brainpicker.
As a bonus. Here is Feynman from the same archival footage, discussing his philosophy on God.

"Stunning New 3-D Moon Map Made From Lunar Data"

Wired.com's Dave Mosher has written about a new Kickstarter project to create a 3D version of the moon using new NASA data.

[Wired: "Stunning New 3-D Moon Map Made From Lunar Data" ]

Hoon Chung's experimental 3D printed heels

We can print shoes now! Hallelujah! HC1 are my favorites.

Thanks, @scimomof2!

Needing/Getting

Another spectacular video from OKGO.

Some robots in your not-so-distant tomorrow

Students at the University of Pennsylvania have developed flying nano-robot helicopters that can fly in formation.

Take a few moments to contemplate the possibilities.

Paulo Coelho on how he balances Twitter and Writing

Documented@Davos: Paulo Coehlo, Author from Michelle Laird on Vimeo.

Brazilian Lyricist and Novelist Paulo Coelho was recently interviewed by The New York Times while in Davos. The interview is a real gem. Coelho discusses his thoughts on the future of the publishing industry (books aren't dead but the publishing industry is adrift); why he loves ebooks (they're lighter -- he's reading a 1,000 page tome on his kindle); Why he loves his kindle more than his iPad; and finally, how he writes, why he loves Twitter, his and how he manages his Twitter interactions with his 3 million followers while still being a productive writer.

It's a rich little vignette of an interview.