Laughing Squid
a daily dose of unique and curious things
‘Einstein’s Telescope’, A Brief Explanation of Gravitational Lensing as Theorized by Albert Einstein
“Einstein’s Telescope” is the latest episode of the New York Times astronomy series Out There. The episode provides a brief explanation of gravitational lensing, which was first…
Art Prints Featuring the Unique Grill Designs of Major Automobile Manufacturers’ Iconic Vehicles Throughout History
Chicago-based architect and designer Jerome Daksiewicz of NOMO Design has created a collection of serigraph art prints featuring the unique grill designs of major automobile…
An Experiment Demonstrating What Happens When a Roll of Toilet Paper Is Rolled Out on an Airplane and Then Flushed
Mark Malkoff performs an experiment to see what happens when a roll of toilet paper is rolled down the aisle of an airplane and then flushed.
First-Person Video of a BMX Cyclist Riding Down Several Escalators in a Race Inside of a Packed Shopping Mall
In a video posted in 2013, Austrian BMX cyclist Slavik Hannes takes on a series of escalators as he races through the Arkady Downmall event…
Doxie Flip, An Extremely Portable Flatbed Scanner Designed for Digitizing Photos on the Go
The Doxie Flip is a small, ultra-portable flatbed scanner created by hardware maker Apparent that is designed for digitizing photos, sketches, and other small papers…
Homer Simpson Nearly Calculated the Mass of the Higgs Boson ‘God Particle’ Years Before It Was Discovered
In his book The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets, author Simon Singh claims that in the 1998 episode of The Simpsons titled “The Wizard of Evergreen…
Lightors, Reusable AA and AAA Batteries That Can Be Recharged Via a Built-In Micro-USB Port
Lightors are standard-sized reusable AA and AAA batteries that have a built-in micro-USB port, letting users refill their charge up to 500 times using a…
A Look at the High-Intensity Workouts Firefighters Use to Stay Fit in the Line of Duty
The New York Times takes a look at 555 Fitness, a charity organization designed to help keep firefighters in shape. At present, four-fifths of American…
How to Make Smoke Rings Using a Plastic Bottle, a Balloon, and Incense Sticks
Dave Hax (previously) demonstrates how to make smoke rings using a plastic bottle, a balloon, and incense sticks. After building his clever contraption, Hax squeezes…
New Research by NASA Says Mars Once Had More Water Than the Earth’s Arctic Ocean, But Lost Most of It to Space
Mars once had an ocean that held more water than the Earth’s Arctic Ocean, but lost most of that water to space says new research…