These have probably been deemed too dangerous for kids, but back in the day a sparking wheel was all the entertainment we needed. The sound and the feel were just as delightful as the colorful sparks they emitted.
We were not allowed to play with ours in the barn for obvious reasons, and when we got tired of pushing the plunger, we could always play Jarts.
Image: YouTube / retroplanet
Unlike many shows, the classic sitcom Sanford & Son only had one version of Fred Sanford's vintage 1952 Ford F-1 Pickup. Jordan takes viewers on a detailed tour, including all the places where the show's stars signed it. It's still used for parades and other events.
Fun fact: it was a UK import originally titled Steptoe & Son:
As a reminder, the US show had one of the greatest theme songs in history, "The Streetbeater" by Quincy Jones.
Image: YouTube / Daze with Jordan the Lion
This fun animated short by Jalil Sadool and Adam Meyer was created as a pitch piece for a series. Follow Kent and C-LA as they search for food flavorings thought lost to time:
A century ago, Earth was destroyed, and humans now live among alien species spread throughout space. Kent is among them, and as a struggling chef, he just had his cookbook rejected from a publisher. But now he is on a quest: he wants to discover the culinary secrets of his ancestors. With the help of his cyborg sidekick, C-LA, and his ship The Serrano, Kent hunts down rare spices throughout the galaxy, trying to find them before they disappear from human knowledge entirely. But when Kent pays a visit to an abandoned space aquarium in search of sea salt, he discovers something much bigger — and more momentous — than he thought.
Image: YouTube / Omeleto
It's easy to feel as if things are hopeless right now, but "Rising" reminds us of the connections we all share, as well as the power of taking difficult but necessary steps to change things. Via the director GRIZZLY:
RISING is a tribute to the relentless resilience of the human spirit. During this global pandemic we have collaborated with an international array of 14 cinematographers to create this inspiring message of hope. In a time when the issues of the world would have us divided, this film demonstrates what can be achieved when we work together. RISING shows the beauty of the world that surrounds us and the power of unity and human connection.
Image: Vimeo / GRIZZLY
MIchigan-based retoucher Mike Campau has done a third version in his series of dynamic images:
I wanted to revisit my original "Motion in Air" series and give it a modern twist with vibrant pastels and neon glows. Using CGI and stock photography, I created a new technique that blends the two mediums seamlessly in a single render. Enjoy!
Check out his site for the earlier series and other great work!
Image: Instagram / mikecampau
Pygmalion Karatzas shared his "Unearthed" series of images showing construction of Metro tunnels in Athens and Thessaloniki. Via the photographer:
Commissioned by Attiko Metro and the Hellenic Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, 'Unearthed' is a new series of images taken at the construction sites of the underground metro stations in Athens and Thessaloniki in Greece during July 2020… 'Tunnel Vision' is a series of abstract images with in-camera motion blur during the moving locomotive in the tunnels.
See the full set on Behance and check out his Instagram for other cool projects.
Image: pygmalionkaratzas.com
Dutch photographer Robert Peek has a new series of flower photos where they are are submerged in milky liquids of varying consistency. The result, as shown with the Kniphofia above, is something vaguely familiar, yet haunting.
You can find more on his website or Instagram:
Image: Instagram / robertpeek
For Infrared Valley, Paolo Pettigiani added Kolari Vision's infrared Chrome filter to his Mavic with remarkable effect:
For this projects I used digital Infrared photography. This technique enables the full sensitivity of the camera's sensor, making it sensitive to UV, visible, and IR light. Elements with chlorophyll, such as grass, leaves and trees, strongly reflect IR light on the invisible wavelength.
Looking forward to more on this new channel!
Image: YouTube / Paolo Pettigiani
If you swirl a narrow-necked container to get the liquid inside moving in a vortex, the liquid will pour out much faster. The vortex allows air to flow in as liquid flows out, avoiding that inefficient glug-glug of alternating air and water.
Image: YouTube / Mad Russian Scientist
The Brick Experiment Channel put a couple of LEGO motors through their paces to create various sized vortices in a clear bucket. When he supplements the contraption with a DC power supply, things get impressively strong, displacing more than half the water in the container.
YouTube / Brick Experiment Channel
Back in my day, if the bait shop wasn't an option, you could always get some fishing worms by going grunting with a notched stick. The pros take it to the next level:
The Cadillac of prefab worm grunting for personal use is the Worm Gitter, demonstrated below by Duke:
Image: YouTube / Catfish and Carp
Wade Rogers shares footage of a controlled avalanche event taken from a helicopter. It's amazing to see how an avalanche flows like liquid water. Via Wade:
After a heavy snowfall in Juneau, Alaska, the State's Dept. of Transportation conducted a controlled avalanche drill on the side of Mt. Roberts, using a helicopter and explosives that are dropped from a dispenser that's slung under the chopper. There are 3 avalanches in this video, beginning with the largest and longest. During the first avalanche, the snow continued to slide down the chute for a couple of minutes after the powder reached sea level, so it takes a couple of minutes to get the full scale of this avalanche. It's likely that several hundred thousand tons of snow was moved during just the first event. I shot this at 1080p using a 4K Sony video camera with an internal 3 axis gimbal, mounted to a monopod, while at Sandy Beach in Douglas, Alaska.
Here's another good example out of Washington State:
Image: YouTube / Wade Rogers
A Utah couple orders so much pizza that they request delivery from Derlin Newey by name. After posting clips of the friendly 89-year-old on TikTok, their followers raised a $12,000 tip for the affable driver.
While mainstream media is presenting this as a feel-good story (which it is), it might also be worth taking a step back and asking why an 89-year-old has to supplement his retirement benefits by delivering pizzas.
Image: YouTube / Caters
William Osman put real bones in a hand moulded from ballistic gel, then demonstrated what happens when said hand goes into a garbage disposal. Spoiler alert: nothing good.
The banana demonstration up front is actually more effective, and a lot easier and cheaper to replicate at home.
Image: YouTube / William Osman
Veritasium takes a deep dive into Kepler and Penrose to examine the infinite pattern that never repeats. The overlay at about 9 minutes in is especially cool.
His videos are always good, but this is one of his very best in terms of introducing a complex concept to a general audience.
Image: YouTube / Veritasium
YouTuber bycloud takes viewers through Microsoft's new AI for repairing old photos, which he says "is probably the best physical damage restoration for images I've ever seen." The supporting academic paper is Bringing Old Photos Back to Life. Results still have a significant range of quality, but some of the best ones are quite impressive.
For those interested in trying it out, he also made a GitHub tutorial:
Image: YouTube / bycloud
