Get Off the Earth!

Link Scroll down for today's pictures & links. Get Off the Earth! In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11’s moon landing, National Geographic Channel will be featuring "Naked Science: Living on the Moon" on Sunday, July 19. Watch this exclusive video preview "Moon Colony" – Humans are colonizers, and the Moon is ripe for populating. url "Man has always dreamed of living on the moon, and now a team of NASA scientists is proving that dream could be achieved in our lifetime. We take viewers inside Constellation, the space program's plan to establish a human outpost on the moon by 2020. Take a closer look at the plans under way, from upgraded space suits to housing modules and moon vehicles, and examine the challenges ahead, such as finding water, making oxygen, growing food and protecting residents from deadly radiation. Then, using 3-D animation, we'll visualize how the remarkable outpost will take shape." Also don't miss this video that discusses water on the Moon. Today's pictures & links: Clock Made from a Computer Hard Drive This idea is not entirely fresh, but quite nicely executed in this example (and easily purchased from this website) (images credit: PixelThis) ------------ Divine vs. Natural Zapped!!... perhaps with some enlightening consequences. (original unknown) Shown above is Kazan' Church in Romanovo-Borisoglebsk, close to Yaroslavl, Russia. ------------ These Eyes... (original unknown) ------------ Screw-driven tractor spotted in Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska: Our reader Jason Kray took pictures of this fascinating mechanical dinosaur (maybe an aged Decepticon): (images courtesy Jason Kray) Detroit Arctic Expedition "January 1926: Three snow motor tractors were brought to Alaska for towing sleds filled with aviation fuel and oil, radio equipment and gas... This was to support the Wilkins-Eielson's first attempt of a Transpolar flight North America to Europe. The tractors proved to be unsatisfactory... they were basically modified Fordson tractors with the spiral threaded cylinders that provided the propulsion. They were built by Snow Motor Co. of Detroit." (info Pioneer Air Museum, watch video of one in action) ------------ Look into the "jaws" of... manta ray! "Manta rays in the Maldives gather for a roiling, whirling feast"... National Geographic has more pictures, click here. (image credit: Thomas P. Peschak, National Geographic) On a related note... Have you hugged a shark today? If not, see this surprising video. ------------ Mixed fresh links for today: The world's first fantasy magazine covers - [vintage, some nsfw] The Dark Side of Disney - [collection of facts] Brilliant and Bizarre Bookcases - [design] Visualizing a Petabyte: a comparison - [chart info] Girls on Aircraft Noses - [vintage, some nsfw] Collection of really weird-looking homes - [architecture] Robot Parkour... how can we not post this? - [cool video] The Beatles : Rock Band Animated Trailer - [neat video] Industrial Light & Magic animated short - [cool video] Make stunning Flash websites for free! - [promotion] ------------ Dispatch Work, Amsterdam Jan Vormann answers the urgent appeal to repair Amsterdam!.. with LEGO blocks. This project was commissioned by Arne Hendriks from Platform 21more info and images here and helped by a dozen of enthusiastic students from the Institute for Architecture in Amsterdam. (images credit: Jan Vormann) ------------ Shshsh... quiet please!.. (original unknown) ------------ Italian "Wall-E": robot trash collector A very cute "DustCart" on the narrow streets of Peccioli, a small Tuscan town. More info and pictures are here Unrelated: This beautiful, adorable, little car was found somewhere in Russia - ------------ Make an extra room using an airplane Great idea for renovation - literally thinking out of the box! See a lot more aviation-inspired and recycled-airplane houses in our article Aircraft and Boat House Conversions (images credit: Victor Danilchenko) This used IL-18 airplane was used to expand the space of an official 'flight enthusiasts" youth club of Susuman, small town in Magadan area, Siberia, Russia. ------------ What's Up?!? (original unknown) ------------ Covered (original unknown) Any details of this particular event? Seems like the similar accident was described in Chicago Tribune: "An aging railroad drawbridge collapsed Friday night on a Cypriot freighter as the ship passed under it on the Calumet River..." UPDATE: Here is the page with more info about this incident. This happened in China, near the eastern seaport of Ningbo, Zhejiang province (see the video) ------------ A couple of cool contests First, an good offering from America's National Parks Foundation - click here - film your adventure in one of the national parks and win a groovy digital camera. For those readers of Dark Roasted Blend from Canada, here is an interesting contest from Guinness that promises to send lucky winners to: ... space... bottom of an ocean... to hang out with the Black Eyed Peas... more info also on their Facebook page ------------ Approaching Jupiter Wonderful animated gif, made from photographs of the Voyager 1 probe flyby: READ THE PREVIOUS ISSUE -> Permanent Link......+StumbleUpon ...+Facebook