Laughing Squid
a daily dose of unique and curious things
Alpin Drums, A Sextet of Percussionists Who Play Toolboxes While Wearing Traditional Bavarian Garb
Alpin Drums is a German musical sextet who play percussion on various objects–including toolboxes in a video shot by Vimeo user malfecha–while wearing the traditional…
Beloved ‘Mad Magazine’ and Movie Poster Artist Jack Davis Announces His Retirement at Age 90
Jack Davis (previously), the legendary cartoonist whose work is most closely associated with his long run on Mad Magazine and the iconic movie posters he…
‘The Auteurs of Christmas 2’, Humorous Short Holiday Films Shot in the Style of Iconic Filmmakers
“The Auteurs of Christmas 2” is the second in a series of annual shorts by Fourgrounds Film that compiles various short and silly holiday films…
Hector, A Large Robot Based on a Stick Insect That Can Move Its Six Legs Independently
Hector is a large six-legged robot built by Axel Schneider and his team from Bielefeld University in Germany that is capable of moving each of…
Bebo Relaunches as a Messaging App With Animated Avatars After Being Bought Back by Its Founder
Bebo has been relaunched as a new feature-rich messaging app after the social networking service was bought back from AOL by founder Michael Birch for…
San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge Light Installation ‘The Bay Lights’ to Become a Permanent Installation
Today Illuminate the Arts, the organization that produced The Bay Lights (previously), a large-scale LED installation by Leo Villareal currently on the San Francisco—Oakland Bay…
‘Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea’, A Film About the Colorful Art Around the California Desert Lake
Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea is a documentary about the strange case of the Salton Sea, a manmade lake in the California desert…
Mental Floss Shares the Surprising and Festive Origins of Holiday Traditions
In a recent episode of the Mental Floss series List Show, host John Green shares the festive origins of some holiday traditions. A few of the more surprising origins include how…
Compound Interest Explains Why a Love of Brussels Sprouts May Be Genetic
UK chemistry teacher Andy Brunning of Compound Interest explains the possible genetic basis for people’s appreciation of the taste of Brussels sprouts. Sulforaphane, a compound…
MinutePhysics Explains Why Driving Backwards Is Harder Than Driving Forwards
Host Henry Reich explains why driving backwards is harder than driving forwards in a recent episode of MinutePhysics. The challenge in driving backward is due to the fact…