The Strandbeests of 2018 are from the very greatest of timelines

Cory Doctorow 10:01 am Wed Aug 8, 2018

For more than 15 years, we've been writing about the strandbeests, Theo Jansen's incredibly, multilegged windwalking machines that clatter their way along in eerily lifelike fashion (I even wrote them into my fiction).

The Strandbeests are lifelike in more ways that was initially obvious: as well as walking, they are able to evolve. The most beautiful and hypnotic variations capture additional ecosystem resources (in the form of human imagination, ingenuity and labor) and that means that every year, the beests get cooler, more hypnotic, more wonderful.

The sizzle reel of 2018's strandbeests makes me want to live on their planet.

(via Beyond the Beyond)

Postcards for Democracy: Mark Mothersbaugh and Beatie Wolfe challenge you to make mail art

Visionaries Mark Mothersbaugh and Beatie Wolfe have a request: Please send hand-decorated postcards STAT. Their mail-art challenge, Postcards for Democracy, is described as "a demonstration to support the 225 yr old U.S. Postal Service & the right to VOTE." It's easy to play: Just make & mail your original postcard creations (you can also recycle… READ THE REST
Robot-fronted band Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra's latest: "Sea Anemones (aka Shark Wigs)"

Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra is what happens when a band is fronted by a robot, named SPO-20, and is backed by a mad scientist (ie. a human). San Diego-based Professor B. Miller is that mad scientist and he is giving Happy Mutants the opportunity to view the music video for band's latest single first. "Sea Anemones… READ THE REST
Why is there a crashed space capsule in Winganon, Oklahoma?

In the late 1950s, a truck carrying a cement mixer crashed on E300 Road between Talala and Winganon, Oklahoma. Apparently too heavy for anyone to deal with, the mixer sat for decades where it was occasionally graffitied or whimsically decorated. In 2011, artists Heather and Barry Thomas celebrated their wedding anniversary by transforming the drum… READ THE REST
These 20 apps are on sale at Cyber Monday prices right now for an extra 40% off

We know you've had plenty on your mind the last few months, but…have you thought about your holiday shopping yet? Yeah, probably not. With everything going on, it's probably easy to forget that even though the holidays are bound to look a lot different this year, the shopping will still need to happen regardless. With… READ THE REST
Save an additional 60% off these best-selling online training courses and bundles

Learning never stops. Not if you're doing it right, anyway. Whether you're trying to add to your professional resume or just pick up a new skill or two to tinker with on the side, there's undoubtedly an online learning package to help you achieve your mission. And you shouldn't have to pay a lot of… READ THE REST
Here are 20 fun, cool, mind-expanding DIY projects that are all on sale at Cyber Monday prices

With everything going on in the world right now, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of it all. With some many forces threatening to cast a shadow over you, your family and your day-to-day life, sometimes it pays to just take a short step back from it. Rather than letting world events… READ THE REST