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archiemcphee:

Artist My Dog Sighs uses crushed cans he finds on the street as canvases for his awesome Canman series. First the bottom of each can receives a coat of stony grey paint which serves as skin tone. After that the former pieces of litter reveal their own unique personalities as My Dog Sighs creates their facial expressions. Some cans are happy, some sad, some human, some animal, some dapper (check out the sweet mustache and monocle can!). The round ends of the cans sometimes appear to be portholes through which the Canmen peer out at us.

Once completed, the Canmen are prominently placed back on the street where they wait patiently to be discovered and perhaps even taken home by observant pedestrians. Absolutely wonderful. 

Visit My Modern Metropolis to view more photos from the delightful Canman series.

Talk about keeping things green! We’d be so stoked if we found one of these near the office… *hint hint*

offfocus:

#05 - won’t get fooled again by nadir’s big chance (project)

(via lookatthislittlething)

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Want to see more photos? Browse pictures tagged #bonfire and #northernireland.

12 July Bonfires in Northern Ireland

At midnight tonight, enormous bonfires will be lit in Northern Ireland for 12 July celebrations. These bonfires can be up to six stories high and are built of tire and thousands of wooden pallets. They often take weeks to build and days to burn.

The bonfires commemorate the Battle of the Boyne which was fought in July of 1690 between the Catholic King James and the Protestant King William. William won the battle which proved to be a turning point in James’ unsuccessful campaign to regain the crown. The Battle remains a controversial topic today and celebrations have often been marked with confrontations between unionists and nationalists.

(via spiderwolve)

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Science and Photography

The Wellcome Trust — a London-based medical research charity — has just announced the winners of its 2012 image competition, and they are positively stunning.

1. Moth fly (Psychodidae)

This false-coloured scanning electron micrograph shows a moth fly (Psychodidae), also known as a drain fly. As its name suggests, the fly’s larvae commonly live and grow in domestic drains; the adult fly emerges near sinks, baths and lavatories. The moth flies’ bodies and wings are covered in hairs, which gives them a ‘fuzzy’, moth-like appearance. The fly is 4-5 mm long, and each eye is approximately 100 microns wide.

2. Lavender leaf

This false-coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) shows a lavender leaf (Lavandula) imaged at 200 microns. Lavender, which is native to the Mediterranean region, is an evergreen shrub that grows to about three feet high and has small blue or purple flowers and narrow grey leaves. Lavender yields an essential oil with sweet overtones, which can be used in balms, salves, perfumes, cosmetics and topical applications. It is also used to aid sleep, to relax and to alleviate anxiety.

3. Xenopus laevis oocytes

This confocal micrograph shows stage V-VI oocytes (800-1000 micron diameter) of an African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis), a model organism used in cell and developmental biology research. Each oocyte is surrounded by thousands of follicle cells, shown in the image by staining DNA blue. Blood vessels, which provide oxygen to the oocyte and follicle cells, are shown in red. The ovary of each adult female Xenopus laevis contains up to 20 000 oocytes. Mature oocytes are approximately 1.2 mm in diameter, much larger than the eggs of many other species.

4. Caffeine crystals

This false-coloured scanning electron micrograph shows caffeine crystals. Caffeine is a bitter, crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a stimulant drug. In plants, caffeine functions as a defence mechanism. Found in varying quantities in the seeds, leaves and fruit of some plants, caffeine acts as a natural pesticide that paralyses and kills certain insects feeding on the plant. The main crystals of caffeine were 400-500 microns long; however, this crystal group formed on the end of the larger crystal and measures around 40 microns in length.

Purty. Creepy. 

designcube:

Slice of Tea

(via designcube)

architizer:

The Falkirk Wheel

Designed by Scottish architecture firm, RMJM, the Falkirk Wheel is boat lift in central Scotland that connects two canals. Previously 11 locks were required to connect the canals which differ in height by 24 meters. The inner rings rotate at the same speed as the larger axis in order to keep the boat and water from tipping over. The Wheel can make a full rotation in eight minutes.

architizer:

Lensing Caused by a Black Hole

Animated simulation of gravitational lensing caused by a Schwarzchild black hole going past a background galaxy. A secondary image of the galaxy can be seen within the black hole Einstein ring on the opposite direction of that of the galaxy. The secondary image grows as the primary image approaches the black hole. The surface brightness of the two images remain constant, but their angular size vary, hence producing an amplification of the galaxy luminosity as seen from a distant observer. The maximum amplification occurs when the background galaxy is exactly behind the black hole. (via WikiCommons)

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natendo:

My friend Chad just made this shirt of armor and it’s for sale! Hit him up for the details!

Get out your Nerf sword and prepare to be pwned.

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Coldplay gave everyone at their concert an LED wristband, and the results were predictably awesome.

Via Mashable.

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wired:

Hey baby, what’s your sign?

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