Humanoid robotocs or robot dogs are cool and all but soft robotics really think outside the box (or rigid 6 sided structures rather). Fun story from Motherboard on YouTube:
We dive into the exploding field of soft robotics, zooming in on “robotic textiles.” These fabrics might one day enable anything from shape-changing smart clothes to strength-enhancing exosuits.
Every Wednesday is Wearable Wednesday here at Adafruit! We’re bringing you the blinkiest, most fashionable, innovative, and useful wearables from around the web and in our own original projects featuring our wearable Arduino-compatible platform, FLORA. Be sure to post up your wearables projects in the forums or send us a link and you might be featured here on Wearable Wednesday!
Humanoid robotocs or robot dogs are cool and all but soft robotics really think outside the box (or rigid 6 sided structures rather). Fun story from Motherboard on YouTube:
We dive into the exploding field of soft robotics, zooming in on “robotic textiles.” These fabrics might one day enable anything from shape-changing smart clothes to strength-enhancing exosuits.
Every Wednesday is Wearable Wednesday here at Adafruit! We’re bringing you the blinkiest, most fashionable, innovative, and useful wearables from around the web and in our own original projects featuring our wearable Arduino-compatible platform, FLORA. Be sure to post up your wearables projects in the forums or send us a link and you might be featured here on Wearable Wednesday!
Create a custom Color Class in a separate module to streamline your code in CircuitPython!
Learn more about CircuitPython
Create a custom Color Class in a separate module to streamline your code in CircuitPython!
Learn more about CircuitPython
It may look like an LED but the phototransistor is used to detect light, not produce it.
It may look like an LED but the phototransistor is used to detect light, not produce it.
via TechXplore
Oregon State University researchers have developed a secure computation protocol that’s 25% more efficient than what had been thought the best possible, meaning future savings in time and energy costs for groups needing to team up on computations while keeping their individual data private.
Mike Rosulek, associate professor of computer science in the OSU College of Engineering, and graduate student Lance Roy presented their findings at this month’s virtual 41st annual International Cryptology Conference, or Crytpo 2021. The conference is organized by the International Association for Cryptologic Research.
via TechXplore
Oregon State University researchers have developed a secure computation protocol that’s 25% more efficient than what had been thought the best possible, meaning future savings in time and energy costs for groups needing to team up on computations while keeping their individual data private.
Mike Rosulek, associate professor of computer science in the OSU College of Engineering, and graduate student Lance Roy presented their findings at this month’s virtual 41st annual International Cryptology Conference, or Crytpo 2021. The conference is organized by the International Association for Cryptologic Research.
Happy Manufacturing Monday
Advancing a feeder to bring the first component in the tape to the front. If you work with pick ‘n place machines, you do this a lot.
Happy Manufacturing Monday
Advancing a feeder to bring the first component in the tape to the front. If you work with pick ‘n place machines, you do this a lot.
A simple relationship of components you’ll see again & again – the voltage divider.
A simple relationship of components you’ll see again & again – the voltage divider.
AI as in artificial intelligence, not the great Allen Iverson.
via TED
Today, artificial intelligence helps doctors diagnose patients, pilots fly commercial aircraft, and city planners predict traffic. These AIs are often self-taught, working off a simple set of instructions to create a unique array of rules and strategies. So how exactly does a machine learn? Briana Brownell digs into the three basic ways machines investigate, negotiate, and communicate.
AI as in artificial intelligence, not the great Allen Iverson.
via TED
Today, artificial intelligence helps doctors diagnose patients, pilots fly commercial aircraft, and city planners predict traffic. These AIs are often self-taught, working off a simple set of instructions to create a unique array of rules and strategies. So how exactly does a machine learn? Briana Brownell digs into the three basic ways machines investigate, negotiate, and communicate.
Great insight into a specific aspect of prop making and managing for movies and tv, from Movies Insider on YouTube.
Some objects, like paper bags, ice cubes, and pool balls, make an unexpected amount of noise. This can be a big problem on set, as any of these unwanted sounds can get in the way of dialogue. To ensure the sound team gets the best sound possible, the prop team will create silent versions of real products. Prop master Scott Reeder replaced loud pool balls with much quieter painted racquetballs for bar scenes in shows like “Friday Night Lights.” Meanwhile, Tim Schultz of Prop TRX uses vinyl and fabric to make quieter versions of grocery bags, sandwich bags, and cellophane, as seen on “Entourage,” “Mike & Molly,” and “The Kominsky Method.” Reeder and Schultz showed us how they found quiet alternatives to some of the loudest props out there.
Great insight into a specific aspect of prop making and managing for movies and tv, from Movies Insider on YouTube.
Some objects, like paper bags, ice cubes, and pool balls, make an unexpected amount of noise. This can be a big problem on set, as any of these unwanted sounds can get in the way of dialogue. To ensure the sound team gets the best sound possible, the prop team will create silent versions of real products. Prop master Scott Reeder replaced loud pool balls with much quieter painted racquetballs for bar scenes in shows like “Friday Night Lights.” Meanwhile, Tim Schultz of Prop TRX uses vinyl and fabric to make quieter versions of grocery bags, sandwich bags, and cellophane, as seen on “Entourage,” “Mike & Molly,” and “The Kominsky Method.” Reeder and Schultz showed us how they found quiet alternatives to some of the loudest props out there.
If you’ve ever heard drone or dark ambient, or, in some lonely moment, sound your head held by enormous headphones, as the sound of Sun 0))) takes you into its rewarding black heart. Well, harpist Emily Hopkins sure has. And she’s responded in kind, outfitting her lever harp with the heaviest distortion pedal she can find. Here’s more from Emily Hopkins:
If you’ve ever heard drone or dark ambient, or, in some lonely moment, sound your head held by enormous headphones, as the sound of Sun 0))) takes you into its rewarding black heart. Well, harpist Emily Hopkins sure has. And she’s responded in kind, outfitting her lever harp with the heaviest distortion pedal she can find. Here’s more from Emily Hopkins:
UPS is using cold chain packaging for drones to delivery COVID-19 vaccines! From UPS:
According to UPS Flight Forward, this is the first COVID-19 vaccine drone delivery in the U.S. and is an extension of current work for Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. UPS’s drone airline received a first-of-kind approval from the FAA to carry alkaline and lithium batteries, which are needed to power temperature monitoring devices required by the CDC for COVID-19 vaccine transport.
Read more and see more on Twitter
Welcome to drone day on the Adafruit blog. Every Monday we deliver the latest news, products and more from the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), quadcopter and drone communities. Drones can be used for video & photography (dronies), civil applications, policing, farming, firefighting, military and non-military security work, such as surveillance of pipelines. Previous posts can be found via the #drone tag and our drone / UAV categories.
UPS is using cold chain packaging for drones to delivery COVID-19 vaccines! From UPS:
According to UPS Flight Forward, this is the first COVID-19 vaccine drone delivery in the U.S. and is an extension of current work for Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. UPS’s drone airline received a first-of-kind approval from the FAA to carry alkaline and lithium batteries, which are needed to power temperature monitoring devices required by the CDC for COVID-19 vaccine transport.
Read more and see more on Twitter
Welcome to drone day on the Adafruit blog. Every Monday we deliver the latest news, products and more from the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), quadcopter and drone communities. Drones can be used for video & photography (dronies), civil applications, policing, farming, firefighting, military and non-military security work, such as surveillance of pipelines. Previous posts can be found via the #drone tag and our drone / UAV categories.
Lovely story from Atlas Obscura about a comic-scrapbook hybrid that also gives us a glimpse into life during the great depression. The book sounds like sort of a more low-key, American version of Walter Benjamin’s Arcades Project (perhaps without the overt influence of political philosophy and academia).
So begins the inscription on the spine of a hulking tome that was once a source of idle amusement for clients at the Bungalow, a barbershop in Fredonia, Kansas. In 1928, the barber, I.A. Persinger, began compiling this collection of “Wash Tubbs” comics, a well-loved daily newspaper strip by artist Roy Crane, whose adventure graphics popularized the visual sound effects—Bam! Pow!—we know so well today. Soon, though, the scrapbook expanded with handwritten insights from Persinger and his customers on life during the Great Depression.
Lovely story from Atlas Obscura about a comic-scrapbook hybrid that also gives us a glimpse into life during the great depression. The book sounds like sort of a more low-key, American version of Walter Benjamin’s Arcades Project (perhaps without the overt influence of political philosophy and academia).
So begins the inscription on the spine of a hulking tome that was once a source of idle amusement for clients at the Bungalow, a barbershop in Fredonia, Kansas. In 1928, the barber, I.A. Persinger, began compiling this collection of “Wash Tubbs” comics, a well-loved daily newspaper strip by artist Roy Crane, whose adventure graphics popularized the visual sound effects—Bam! Pow!—we know so well today. Soon, though, the scrapbook expanded with handwritten insights from Persinger and his customers on life during the Great Depression.
Thoroughly enjoyed watching this video from corenpuzzle on YouTube, but ooof, we’re still trying to wrap our brains around trying to solve this best. via Gizmodo:
The design of the puzzle was inspired by Matt’s yottaminx and Oskar’s 17×17. The biggest change I made to the floating anchor mechanism was to change the direction of the “hooks” each part has. That allowed for the parts to be printed in an orientation that minimized the need for support material in FDM printing. I also added a kind of foot to 25% of the center pieces that prevents them from twisting in place and also helps with sorting.
Thoroughly enjoyed watching this video from corenpuzzle on YouTube, but ooof, we’re still trying to wrap our brains around trying to solve this best. via Gizmodo:
The design of the puzzle was inspired by Matt’s yottaminx and Oskar’s 17×17. The biggest change I made to the floating anchor mechanism was to change the direction of the “hooks” each part has. That allowed for the parts to be printed in an orientation that minimized the need for support material in FDM printing. I also added a kind of foot to 25% of the center pieces that prevents them from twisting in place and also helps with sorting.
How can we apply this research to current day climate concerns?
via Smithsonian
Marine geologic records show that before 34 million years ago Earth was in a balmy greenhouse state. There were no icesheets or glaciers on any continents. Then, there was a sudden cooling.
“Geologically speaking, it happened pretty fast. Antarctica hadn’t been glacial before that for a very long time,” said David Naafs, an organic geochemist at the University of Bristol’s Organic Geochemistry Unit and co-author of the paper.
How can we apply this research to current day climate concerns?
via Smithsonian
Marine geologic records show that before 34 million years ago Earth was in a balmy greenhouse state. There were no icesheets or glaciers on any continents. Then, there was a sudden cooling.
“Geologically speaking, it happened pretty fast. Antarctica hadn’t been glacial before that for a very long time,” said David Naafs, an organic geochemist at the University of Bristol’s Organic Geochemistry Unit and co-author of the paper.
via SyFy
A planetary system just 35 light years from Earth hosts four and possibly five planets. This includes one (if it exists) that’s squarely in its star’s habitable zone, and another that’s the lightest-weight planet ever found using the radial velocity method: It has only 40% of Earth’s mass. That’s pretty cool.
The host star is a red dwarf called L98-59, which is substantially smaller, cooler, and dimmer than the Sun, shining only 1% as bright as our own star. Three planets were already known to orbit it, discovered using the transit method: Watching the star dim by a fraction as a planet passes directly in front of it. This only works for systems that are almost exactly edge-on as seen from Earth.
via SyFy
A planetary system just 35 light years from Earth hosts four and possibly five planets. This includes one (if it exists) that’s squarely in its star’s habitable zone, and another that’s the lightest-weight planet ever found using the radial velocity method: It has only 40% of Earth’s mass. That’s pretty cool.
The host star is a red dwarf called L98-59, which is substantially smaller, cooler, and dimmer than the Sun, shining only 1% as bright as our own star. Three planets were already known to orbit it, discovered using the transit method: Watching the star dim by a fraction as a planet passes directly in front of it. This only works for systems that are almost exactly edge-on as seen from Earth.
A few weeks ago, I watched a video on Bill Making Stuff about how to create BeadBots. Just as it sounds, this is making little robot figures using craft beads as the main building material.
This inspired me to make a beadbot with my 4 year old granddaughter.
On the Andy Mecha YouTube channel, Andy shows how to create another type of scratch-built bot, a PipeBot.
Coffee connoisseur James Hoffman recently got a 3D Printer. In this video he starts down the rabbit hole of Thingiverse and printing coffee accessories. Via YouTube:
Links to the 3D prints featured:
1. Wall-mounted portafilter holder by jimhigson: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:253…
2. 9 prong espresso distribution tool WDT by jkim_makes: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:481…
3. Bialetti moka stand by Jayuk: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:132…
4. Espresso dosing ring by theblankness: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:460…
5. Niche Zero portafilter holder by schubes: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:395… as well as a newer version improved for the Decent Espresso portafilter
A few weeks ago, I watched a video on Bill Making Stuff about how to create BeadBots. Just as it sounds, this is making little robot figures using craft beads as the main building material.
This inspired me to make a beadbot with my 4 year old granddaughter.
On the Andy Mecha YouTube channel, Andy shows how to create another type of scratch-built bot, a PipeBot.
Coffee connoisseur James Hoffman recently got a 3D Printer. In this video he starts down the rabbit hole of Thingiverse and printing coffee accessories. Via YouTube:
Links to the 3D prints featured:
1. Wall-mounted portafilter holder by jimhigson: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:253…
2. 9 prong espresso distribution tool WDT by jkim_makes: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:481…
3. Bialetti moka stand by Jayuk: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:132…
4. Espresso dosing ring by theblankness: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:460…
5. Niche Zero portafilter holder by schubes: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:395… as well as a newer version improved for the Decent Espresso portafilter
The stegosaurus is objectively the best dinosaur. Okay, that’s not how the word “objectively” works, but it is true that the stegosaurus is one of the all-time post popular dinosaurs. It’s big and weird and has both big plates and spikey spikes. And we know surprisingly little about it. Here’s more from Science Focus:
“Although they are iconic, stegosaurs are quite poorly-known as fossils,” says Dr Susannah Maidment, a palaeontologist at the museum. “Before [the NHM] specimen was discovered, we didn’t have a specimen that preserved all of the plates and spines in the correct place along the back, so we didn’t know how many there were. We didn’t even know how many vertebrae there were in the back or tail – so we could really only guess how long stegosaurs were.”
..
Stegosaurus is known for the two rows of pointed plates that line its back and tail. Palaeontologists are still debating what these features were actually used for. They were embedded in the animal’s skin as opposed to being attached to its skeleton, so they may have been more useful in warding predators off than offering a robust defence against sharp teeth and claws.
The stegosaurus is objectively the best dinosaur. Okay, that’s not how the word “objectively” works, but it is true that the stegosaurus is one of the all-time post popular dinosaurs. It’s big and weird and has both big plates and spikey spikes. And we know surprisingly little about it. Here’s more from Science Focus:
“Although they are iconic, stegosaurs are quite poorly-known as fossils,” says Dr Susannah Maidment, a palaeontologist at the museum. “Before [the NHM] specimen was discovered, we didn’t have a specimen that preserved all of the plates and spines in the correct place along the back, so we didn’t know how many there were. We didn’t even know how many vertebrae there were in the back or tail – so we could really only guess how long stegosaurs were.”
..
Stegosaurus is known for the two rows of pointed plates that line its back and tail. Palaeontologists are still debating what these features were actually used for. They were embedded in the animal’s skin as opposed to being attached to its skeleton, so they may have been more useful in warding predators off than offering a robust defence against sharp teeth and claws.
Art restoration is one of these processes that might as well be controlled, patient magic and we are totally here for it. Especially when it means the world gets to see a restored Vermeer Cupid. From Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister via The Art Newspaper:
Since 2017, this early masterpiece by Vermeer has been undergoing restoration following careful scientific investigation. Recent research has shown that the extensive area of overpainting in the background was not done by Vermeer himself. Removal of this overpainting has revealed a depiction of a standing Cupid (god of love) as a “painting within the painting” on the rear wall of the room, thus radically changing the overall appearance of the work. The spectacular result of the restoration will give viewers a different perspective on the painting.
Read more and see more from YouTube
Art restoration is one of these processes that might as well be controlled, patient magic and we are totally here for it. Especially when it means the world gets to see a restored Vermeer Cupid. From Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister via The Art Newspaper:
Since 2017, this early masterpiece by Vermeer has been undergoing restoration following careful scientific investigation. Recent research has shown that the extensive area of overpainting in the background was not done by Vermeer himself. Removal of this overpainting has revealed a depiction of a standing Cupid (god of love) as a “painting within the painting” on the rear wall of the room, thus radically changing the overall appearance of the work. The spectacular result of the restoration will give viewers a different perspective on the painting.
Read more and see more from YouTube
I’m a sucker for a literary round-up — I think the experience of scrolling through one is the perfect blend of ego and anticipation; patting myself on the back for seeing a book I’ve read and feeling true excitement for future-me who now has so many fun books ahead. This now updated list from NPR is definitely a good one. I must personally applaud the inclusion of Zamyatin’s We, which, published in 1924, offers one of the earliest and best examples of sci-fi world building
Way back in the dawn of time — by which I mean 2011 — we ran our original science fiction and fantasy poll and came up with a list of 100 favorite science fiction and fantasy books. The process was broadly similar to the way we do it today: Readers voted, and a panel of judges argued about which books did and didn’t meet the critera they’d laid out.
There are a lot of hard-to-argue-with classics on that list: Tolkien, Gaiman, Orwell, Bradbury, Adams, Atwood, Le Guin and many more. But there are just as many now-shocking omissions. No Octavia Butler? No writers of color at all? Only a handful of women?
You can see the brand-sparkly-new poll, celebrating all the supernova-amazing changes in SF/F since 2011, here — but we also thought it would be worth pulling together a few of the books that, with our 2021 hindsight, seem like they should have been on that original list.
I’m a sucker for a literary round-up — I think the experience of scrolling through one is the perfect blend of ego and anticipation; patting myself on the back for seeing a book I’ve read and feeling true excitement for future-me who now has so many fun books ahead. This now updated list from NPR is definitely a good one. I must personally applaud the inclusion of Zamyatin’s We, which, published in 1924, offers one of the earliest and best examples of sci-fi world building
Way back in the dawn of time — by which I mean 2011 — we ran our original science fiction and fantasy poll and came up with a list of 100 favorite science fiction and fantasy books. The process was broadly similar to the way we do it today: Readers voted, and a panel of judges argued about which books did and didn’t meet the critera they’d laid out.
There are a lot of hard-to-argue-with classics on that list: Tolkien, Gaiman, Orwell, Bradbury, Adams, Atwood, Le Guin and many more. But there are just as many now-shocking omissions. No Octavia Butler? No writers of color at all? Only a handful of women?
You can see the brand-sparkly-new poll, celebrating all the supernova-amazing changes in SF/F since 2011, here — but we also thought it would be worth pulling together a few of the books that, with our 2021 hindsight, seem like they should have been on that original list.
Days are still long but getting shorter, with yet another seasonal change on the horizon. It seems like the change in daylight hours is one of those topics we can’t stop discussing year after year. Our obsession with how long the sun is around each day is something SF authors have been tuning into for decades. Check out this fun list from Tor.com.
Earth is blessed with a day neither of extraordinary length nor of extreme brevity. Currently it is about twenty-four hours long. A quick glance at planets like Mercury and Venus shows us that worlds can have days much longer than Earth’s; bodies like Haumea suggest that days could be much shorter.
SF authors have notice this and written books about planets/planetesimals with different day lengths. Consider these five vintage works.