10.30.2013 | Gadgetry
Backaches, neck pain, anxiety, nausea? Some recent research is showing your gadgets might be making you sick. Last week Apple was forced to do an upgrade because people complained on queasiness caused by the screen of their smartphone. Constantly leaning downward to check your Facebook status might be damaging your back. They’re also saying 66% of people experience anxiety when their phone is not present.
These are just a few of the symptoms modern gadget lovers are experiencing. All of this combined with an overall lack of exercise spells disaster, especially for children. Like all things in life, it’s about balance. I think the key is to set strict ground rules about disconnecting, getting outside (without the gadgets), and developing a lifestyle where physical activity is part of daily family life. If not, you might find yourself at the doctor a lot more than you’d want.
To check out the entire article click here. ![]()
10.29.2013 | Movie Reviews
One of my favorite movies of all time is Gattaca with Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. I’m always surprised at the number of people who have never heard about it and what an awesome movie it is. If you haven’t seen it, do it as soon as you can, it is excellent.
Gattaca tells the story of a future where one’s genetic makeup determines everything about his future career, opportunities and in general life. There are many examples where a person’s DNA is the subject of illegal scrutiny when applying for a job, insurance and yes, even a potential mate. Gattaca was released in 1997, and here were are only a few years later, we are starting to see glimpses of cheap, and relatively quick genetic screening.
WIthout going into the details of how this works, the gist of it is, there are databases of which genetic codes control produce which genes, which in turn may or may not show itself as an actual characteristic. If you have a match for a gene that may make you more susceptible to lets say a certain type of cancer, you may be able to pre-emptively prevent it. Think Angelina Jolie here.
23AndMe.com is offering a genetic screening kit for 250 different genes and while that isn’t a lot compared to the number of genes a human has (ballpark in ~20,000-25,000) this screening can give you some very interesting insights to what exactly makes you up genetic wise.
Think of it as taking a peek at the genetic “set of cards you have been dealt”.
Highly controversial for many reasons, I personally believe the benefits outweigh the risks, so I have already sent my sample in. For $100, it could be one of the better medical investments you make, but that remains to be seen when I get my results back.
This is what the kit looks like:
And a sample of the report (this isnt mine, but it gives you an idea).
Ill follow up when I get mine back. Im actually a little excited to see what it says.
Here is a success story / video from their website:
23 And Me![]()
10.28.2013 | Video
Painting with light is a photography technique where a hand-held light source is used to illuminate specific areas within your picture. You can also create your own “drawing” with the light. It’s one of my favorite techniques. The results can be very impressive.
I’d never heard of light painting artist Darren Pearson until I came across this article on PetaPixel. I checked out Darren’s site and I have to say his light paintings are incredible. What’s really got everyone’s attention is the incredible light painting stop motion video he released a few days ago. It really does speak for itself so check it out below.
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10.28.2013 | Video
The Japanese band Sour used Kickstarter and GreenFunding to raise the money to make their music video. They’ve reached their goals and the result is a really cool video in which they used the phenakistoscope technique. Phenakistoscope is an early animation technique using varying drawings on a spinning disc to imply motion. The band Sour used their CD’s as the spinning discs which will also be available for purchase by fans. The band thought they would require over 300 CD’s in the process but actually ended up only using 189.
Check out the video below.
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10.28.2013 | Photography
Photographer Richard Renaldi has put a new twist on street photography. He poses complete strangers together. In some of the photos breaking the barrier of personal space is apparent. Two men trying their best to not physically touch one another. In others you would never even know the people involved were absolute strangers.
The message behind this project becomes clear when you view the photos with the understanding that theses people don’t know one another. In our daily lives it’s easy to forget that we’re all capable of connecting with one another on some level. Even if it’s just for a moment. We’re all in this together. These pictures display that connection quite beautifully.
You can check out the video below or read the article by clicking here.
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