Laughing Squid
a daily dose of unique and curious things
How South American Male Hummingbirds Use Their Evolved Beaks as Swords to Attack Their Rivals
In a surprising episode of The New York Times series Science Take, host James Gorman talks about the dangerous side of hummingbirds. While this species…
An Interactive Light Installation That Shows Where the Future Sea Level Will Reach in a Scottish Coastal Town
Finnish artists Pekka Niittyvirta and Timo Aho have created “Lines (57° 59′ N, 7° 16′ W)”, an prescient, site-specific interactive installation that uses LED lights…
A Fascinating Map Showing What Current International Borders Might Look Like in 250 Million Years
A map that shows what international borders might look like if the supercontinent of Pangaea Ultima develops over the next 250 million years.
A Retrospective Look at Electric Lady Studios Nearly Half a Century After Jimi Hendrix’s Tragic Death
In February 2019, CBS took a retrospective look at Electric Lady Studios, the legendary New York City recording studio built specifically for rock royalty Jimi…
An Elegantly Melodic Introduction to the Peculiar Looking Baroque Woodwind Instrument Oboe da Caccia
Musician Katharina Spreckelsen of The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment offers a wonderfully melodic demonstration of the incredibly elegantly sounding, oddly shaped Oboe da…
Turkish Artist Brews Up Amazing 3D Illustrations Using Diluted Coffee as His Paint
Turkish artist Ekrem Pala brews up some absolutely amazing 3D illustrations whenever he takes a coffee break. Pala first sketches an outline in pencil before…
Very Clever Illustrations Created From of Shadows Cast by Items Less Commonly Found Around the House
In 2016, we wrote about Belgian artist and filmmaker Vincent Bal and his very clever series of ingenious illustrations created from shadows cast by sunlit…
A LEGO Recreation of ‘Central Perk’, The Beloved Coffee Shop Featured on ‘Friends’
LEGO aficionado Fievet Aymeric submitted his LEGO Ideas design for “Central Perk”, a LEGO version the beloved coffee shop featured on Friends. Aymeric was sure…
Humanoid Figures Formed Out of Colorful Wire
Iranian artist Salman Koshroo creates brilliant, anthropomorphic, humanoid figures out of ENT electrical wire. Each starts off as a basic wireframe onto which Koshroo winds…
A Heartbreaking Parade Float Featuring a Giant Whale Choking on Trash at the Viareggio Carnevale in Italy
The floats of the Viareggio Festival, which takes place in Viareggio, Tuscany, Italy, have historically had a sardonic, political bent to them and the floats…