The Infinite Bookmarks Page

…or catching up on about three months of internet.

Science

Technology

Dialup handshake example

Sociology (and stuff)

 A view taken from the side of one of the many lagoons at the New York World's Fair on July 7, 1939. Light brings out some of the wondrous beauty as erected at the "World of Tomorrow". The famous statue of George Washington is silhouetted against the lighted Perisphere. (AP Photo)The 1939 New York World’s Fair

Media

Supercut: 50 “four in the morning”sMuseum of Four in the Morning

Randomness

https://thumbsandammo.blogspot.co.nz/https://thumbsandammo.blogspot.co.nz/

Christ…

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Bookmarks 15/12/12

More amazing splash photography by Markus Reugels via This is Colossal

Visualising Sound

Photographer Nick Moore is in the midst of various sound experiments, recording the effects of different audio frequencies on materials and played back in slow motion. The effects can be quite hypnotic and totally cool to see in action.

This first one shows off the rythmic behaviour of match flames next to a speaker running at 60 Hz.

And then there’s this one displaying what happens to a blob of mercury, which at normal speed doesn’t seem like much, but when slowed down, forms intricate ‘dancing’ geometric shapes.

This phenomena is called Cymatics and turns out, it has been around for a significant period of history.

One figurative example is the ‘musical’ boxes of Scotland’s Rosslyn Chapel; where a sequence of 213 cubes protrude from the pillars, with each displaying a selection of geometric patterns. The meaning of these were unknown until a hypothesis in 2005 by Thomas Mitchell identified these as cymatics and correspond to the Chapel’s carved angels that are depicted playing musical instruments and each pointing to a certain note on a musical staff.

Though not upheld scientifically or historically, it sure is pretty damn cool math.

Prometheus stuff…

Alternate Prometheus poster by Midnight Maurader

So, this weeks internet appears to have been brought to you by the letter ‘Prometheus’ as pretty much every site or blog I go to has some opinion, or reference to an opinion about it.

I’m definitely a fence sitter in that I love pretty much every single technical/design aspect of the film, while finding the story and thematic concepts wholly underwhelming in contrast. I also just realised that on reflection, I could also be disappointed with the ‘science’/realism of the film (like the fact the entire plot revolves around journeying to a star formation that in all probability, has shifted position/alignment since being first painted 35,000 years ago); but now I’m slowly realising that my new understandings of physics has ruined the potential to ever fully enjoy another action (or sci-fi) film.

Anyhow, the online reactions and discussions have been quite illuminating; from literary analysis and theological allusions to simple hilarious hate, but my current favourite is probably this video where a group of friends decided to watch the entire Alien/Predator chronology of films and record their ratings before heading off the Prometheus itself. Good fun.

Must also add this short making-of featurette on the fantastic soundscape of Prometheus.