Laughing Squid
a daily dose of unique and curious things
The Tallest Concert Grand Piano in the World
Great Big Story visited with master piano builder David Klavins at his studio in Vác, Hungary. Klavins, who has worked as a technician, concert tuner…
Why Train Wheels Require a Rigid Conical Shape
A researcher from the Civil Engineering Department at RWTH Aachen University in Aachen, Germany visually demonstrates scenarios in which different wheels are tested on a…
A Giant Colored Pencil Made Out of Colored Pencils
Woodworker Nick Zammeti cleverly built a giant colored pencil made out of many, many boxes of colored pencils. This very meta idea came to Zammeti…
Popping a Champagne Cork With a Champagne Flute
While attending a friend’s party at the Hotel d’Angleterre in Copenhagen, Denmark, champagne enthusiast Nikolaj Makar quite elegantly removed the cork from an ice cold…
How the Rock Opera ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ Reinterpreted Judas Iscariot as Sympathetic Character
Music essayist Noah LeFevre of Polyphonic took a look at the classic Andrew Lloyd Weber/Tim Rice collaboration Jesus Christ Superstar. LeFevre first notes that the…
Ghost Box, A Touch-Controlled Interactive Sound Sculpture Modeled After WWII-era Shortwave Radio
Ghost Box by artist/musician Steve Parker, is a remarkable interactive sound sculpture modeled after a World War II-era shortwave radio and allows listeners to change…
Signman, A 42 Year Retrospective of Work by San Francisco Underground Artist and Prankster John Law
photo by John Beherens Pro Arts Gallery in Oakland is presenting Signman, a three month long retrospective spanning 42 years of work by legendary San…
Using One Finger on One String to Play Ten Iconic Riffs
Musician Dave Rucci took a wire cutter and snipped off all but one string (G) on his guitar. He then proceeded to play ten different…
The Genetically Modified Paradise, Oddly Misshapen Beings Lurking Near The Little Mermaid of Copenhagen
In 2000 Danish sculptor Bjørn Nørgaard created “The Genetically Modified Paradise”, a surreal series of oddly misshapen beings, including “The Genetically Modified Little Mermaid”, a…
Krzywy Domek, The Crooked Little House of Sopot, Poland That Sports a Distorted Illusory Front Facade
In 2004, the Polish architecture firm Szotynski & Zaleski built a wonderfully illusory building in Sopot, Poland that doesn’t quite look real. The design was…