New Seniors » Fascinating

Hummingbirds in Alaska – Wonderful!

Your Neighbors — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 04:48:13 +0000

Imagine a bunch of hummingbirds sipping nectar out of your bare hand! That’s exactly what this incredible short film is about.

Robot dogs – no kidding!

Your Neighbors — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:44:57 +0000

Robots are no longer the stuff of imagination. These robot dogs are real and they are nothing less than amazing – and a little bit terrifying at the same time!

Boston Dynamics BIGDOG Robot

BigDog is the alpha male of the Boston Dynamics family of robots. It is a quadruped robot that walks, runs, and climbs on rough terrain and carries heavy loads. BigDog is powered by a gasoline engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system. BigDog’s legs are articulated like an animal’s, and have compliant elements that absorb shock and recycle energy from one step to the next. BigDog is the size of a large dog or small mule, measuring 1 meter long, 0.7 meters tall and 75 kg weight. 

USC’s LittleDog Robot

This robot was created by the University of Southern California. The robot is completely autonomous and trained by machine learning algorithms. The video is real-time, i.e., not sped up.

Amazing humans! Watch and be amazed!

Your Neighbors — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 06:22:05 +0000

It is truly amazing to see the things humans can do!

Psycho-optical illusion – Crazy stuff!

Your Neighbors — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 03:00:02 +0000

This is a special kind of optical illusion that temporarily alters your perception. Stare closely at the center of the image and keep your eyes still for the minute and a half that the animation runs. The video will tell you when to look away – and that’s when the illusion begins. It’s absolutely crazy!

For the best effect, click on the “MENU” button at the bottom of the video window and choose “Full Screen.”

Do the spider dance! – Amazing!

Your Neighbors — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 03:14:03 +0000

The male jumping spider (Salticidae) dances and makes music to woo the female of the species. Turn up your speakers and prepare to be amazed. The sounds are coming from Mr. Spider!

Amazing animated optical illusions

Your Neighbors — Mon, 23 May 2011 05:51:50 +0000

Watch and wonder!

Symmetry – a fascinating short film about duality

Your Neighbors — Mon, 16 May 2011 03:09:07 +0000

Some things just go together! And sometimes in surprising ways!

Young elk has a good ole time playing in a puddle!

Your Neighbors — Mon, 09 May 2011 02:15:37 +0000

We’re not sure which is more amazing: the fact that this young elk is playing in a puddle or the fact that someone got it on video!

Stop what you are doing and take a wonder break!

Your Neighbors — Fri, 06 May 2011 18:05:00 +0000

Giant bubbles at Stinson Beach, CA will amaze and delight!

Something new and mind-blowing: 3D Projection Mapping

Your Neighbors — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 01:07:07 +0000

Those of us here in the neighborhood were astonished by this video. The building in the video is real. The effects are achieved by projecting images in precise registration with the 3-dimensional shape of the building. You have to see it to believe it – but be prepared to have some serious tricks played on your perception!

3D Projection Mapping, as it is called, has started appearing all around the world. Look for it in your neighborhood soon! This video was shot at a recent festival in Portugal.