NASA’s Stunning Tour of the Moon

in Astronomy, Science, Video - Science | April 2nd, 2012


On 18 June 2009, NASA launched the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) from Cape Canaveral to conduct investigations that would pave the way for future lunar exploration. The main objectives? To scout for safe and productive landing sites, locate potential resources (with special attention to the possibility of water ice) and characterize the effects of prolonged exposure to lunar radiation. All along, the LRO has collected scientific data about the moon’s topography and composition, resulting in some of the most spectacular images ever taken of the moon. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center has assembled some of these images into a wonderful animated tour of the moon. A high-resolution version can be downloaded here.

Bonus: Click through the images from the LRO camera or follow the LRO on Twitter.

By profession, Matthias Rascher teaches English and History at a High School in northern Bavaria, Germany. In his free time he scours the web for good links and posts the best finds on Twitter.

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Address is Approximate: A Lovely Animated Film Made with Google Maps

in Animation, Maps, Video - Arts & Culture | November 28th, 2011

Next up: a lovely film about a lonely desk toy that longs for adventure. Observing the space around him, a robot finds a toy car and heads off on a road trip across the United States, guided only by Google Maps Street View. We start on the Brooklyn Bridge and finish on the Pacific Coast Highway in California. Parts of the video look like sequences from a Pixar film, they are so well made. In reality, the film was produced, animated, filmed, lit, edited and graded by one person: Tom Jenkins.

A great treat to start the week.

via Flowing Data

Eugene Buchko is a blogger and photographer living in Atlanta, GA. He maintains a photoblog, Erudite Expressions, and writes about what he reads on his reading blog.

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Crossing El Camino del Rey, the Most Dangerous Hike in the World

in Random | October 17th, 2011

El Caminito del Rey (The King’s Little Path), often abbreviated to El Camino del Rey, is a walkway that winds its way along the walls of El Chorro, a gorge in southern Spain near the village of Álora. It is generally considered one of the most dangerous hikes in the world. The construction of the walkway was finished in 1905, and after King Alfonso XIII crossed it in 1921, it became known by its current name. In recent decades, large parts of the concrete resting on steel rails have deteriorated so badly that it has become a life-threatening endeavor to traverse the camino. After several fatal accidents, authorities officially closed the path in 2000. But there are still daring hikers who manage to get around the barriers and make their way across the gorge. The video above shows in impressive detail how dangerous the camino is.

If you feel an inner urge to walk the camino, there are two important things to keep in mind:

  1. It really is insanely dangerous. Matador has some life-saving tips if you want to trek the camino.
  2. If you want to get the true camino experience, you have to hurry up. The walkway will be restored for 9 million euros between 2011 and 2015.

Bonus material: The Cheap Route has a first-person account and some fantastic photos of a camino hike.

By profession, Matthias Rascher teaches English and History at a High School in northern Bavaria, Germany. In his free time he scours the web for good links and posts the best finds on Twitter.

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Name That Painting!

in Art, History, Music | July 14th, 2011

In February 2010, the Paris-based band Hold Your Horses! released a music video to go with their song “70 Million,” which became an immediate success. In the video, the band members recreated famous paintings, taking the viewer on an entertaining tour through art history. Try to identify as many paintings as possible, then compare your results with the list of the actual paintings below the jump. Enjoy – and let us know your scores! And, of course, Happy Bastille Day.

(more…)

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Teens Ponder Meaning of Contemporary Art

in Art, Video - Arts & Culture | March 14th, 2011

In 2009, Tate Liverpool displayed four works of contemporary art in different locations around the city. Acclaimed film director Mike Figgis was asked to turn the reactions of Liverpoodlians to these sculptures into short films. The video above shows teenagers discussing Jeff Koons’s “Three Ball Total Equilibrium Tank.” Another short film captures the views of students when one of Dan Flavin’s installations called “Untitled” was displayed at their school for one day.

By profession, Matthias Rascher teaches English and History at a High School in northern Bavaria, Germany. In his free time he scours the web for good links and posts the best finds on Twitter.

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