The Human Canvas On Full Display
Most people’s bodies would be buried when they die. Not Tim Steiner’s, though, or at least not the skin on his back. You see, he sold that body part to controversial Belgian artist Wim Delvoye, perhaps best known for his work tattooing pigs. Delvoye then sold the work to a German collector for $182,000.
So, when Steiner breathes his last breath, his back and the crowned Madonna etched on it would be framed as art. For now, he spends his time shirtless and sitting on display at galleries as a literal human canvas. In return, he got a third of the earnings made from the piece.
Genesis “Invades” China With 3,281 Drones
Talk about making a grand entrance. In April 2021, the luxury car brand Genesis “invaded” the Chinese market, one of the biggest ones in the automotive industry, with a stunning display. Taking over the Shanghai skyline for one night, the brand dazzled everybody with an unbelievable light show courtesy of over 3,200 drones.
The flying devices were choreographed to create outlines of Genesis’ new offerings, including the G80 and the GV80. Of course, the drones also displayed the company’s winged logo, as seen in this photo. If catching people’s attention was the goal, whoever thought of this exhibition got the job done with flying colors.
Buy A Japanese Pen, Get A Parasitic Worm For Free!
Now, here’s a pen designed only for the brave. See that white thing slithering inside this fountain pen’s transparent tank? Yeah, that’s a real Anisakis, a parasitic nematode that can cause an infection in a person’s intestines. The pen reportedly retails for $8.70. As for its exact target market, we’re not sure about that one yet.
The strange invention was thought up by entrepreneurs from Japan’s Kochi Prefecture, known for its coastline and fishing culture. In case you didn’t know, Anisakis is typically found in raw fish. It seems like a counterproductive way to advertise one’s hometown, don’t you think?
Masterpieces You Can Edit In Real-Time
Gone are the days when you could only see masterpieces in a just-look-no-touch setting. Neil Mendoza, an artist, specializing in the humorous and absurd, made sure of that when he created Mechanical Masterpieces for the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. And this is definitely the kind of exhibit you’d have to put your phone down for you to enjoy.
Using an array of strings and mechanical hijinks, he reimagined famous works by artists like Vincent van Gogh and Norman Rockwell as paintings people can interact with by “editing.” Pull one string, poke the person inside the painting. Pull another, add a disco ball to a masterpiece, all in real-time.
The Oregon Forests Are Alive, With A Giant Smiley Face
When Julie Andrews sang about the hills coming alive with the sound of music, she never thought that nature would actually come alive in this way. In the forest hillsides of Polk County, Oregon, there’s a giant smiley face that comes back at the same spot each year.
According to reports, the smiley formation is created by trees planted in 2011. Their leaves change colors with the seasons making the smiling face shape more obvious around fall. That said, we’re just glad they chose an adorable design over something like a Halloween mask, which is pretty much a theme for autumn, too.
The Entire Town Of Whittier, Alaska In One Picture
Living in a small town is one thing. Living under one roof with everyone in your town is another. That’s the exact living arrangements the 200 or so residents of Whittier, Alaska, have. Of course, their roof covers a property that’s much grander than a typical house, though.
They live in this 14-story building, which happens to have everything from a grocery store to a post office to a police station. And if that doesn’t impress you, the town building also houses its church in the basement! The town went viral in 2021 when one of its residents shared about its unconventional setup on TikTok and got millions of views.
The Impossible Tattoo Made Possible By 5G Technology
The work that tattoo artists do is among the services that people thought can’t be offered remotely. Not anymore. T-Mobile Netherlands partnered with ink artist Wes Thomas and technologist Noel Drew to use 5G to power a robotics machine learning system to tattoo clients.
That was how Thomas was able to make the impossible tattoo a reality in 2020. The work was done on Dutch actress Stijn Fransen, who volunteered to have the first-ever remote tattoo drawn on her arm. The project demonstrated just how much data can be processed through 5G and opened new doors for tattoo artists to meet clients from across the world.
A Visit To The Doll Doctor
Lisbon, Portugal, is known for its old-world charm and pastel-colored buildings. But sandwiched between those is something not many travelers explore: Hospital de Bonecas. The place, which has been in operation since the 1830s, is dubbed the oldest of its kind in the world.
There, experts restore, heal, and fix a variety of dolls so they could get a new lease on life. Their skills are so sought among collector circles and people seeking to preserve a doll with sentimental value that waiting lists could even be as long as a couple of months.
Nothing As American As Deep-Fried Water
There’s a stereotype that Americans will deep-fry just about any food they get their hands on. And by any, we really mean ANY. In fact, someone has already tried and successfully deep-fried water, too. American YouTuber Jonathan Marcus answered the question not many dared to ask in 2016.
Using panko crumbs, flour, and eggs, which can be eliminated if you follow a vegan diet, he coated globules of water and cooked them in peanut oil. The results? Well, they’re surprisingly what you would’ve expected. Be warned against trying the recipe at home, though, since water and hot oil can be dangerous when they get in contact with each other.
Old CDs Get A New Purpose...Sort Of
Here’s another tale of people trying out things they probably shouldn’t. See those old piles of CDs gathering dust in your room? You could blow bubbles off of those. We’re not sure you would want to, but we’re telling you that you could.
All you need is a CD, a lighter, and a couple of minutes to kill. Heat your CD with the lighter until the plastic begins to soften. Then, hold that section and blow into it as hard as you can. Done right, a bubble will form on the other side. There you go. We guess that’s a way to repurpose an outdated device like CDs for you.
A Vintage Coke Suspended In Time
Coke is mostly sold in cans these days. But there was a time when you can drink the popular soft drink straight from a glass bottle. As it turns out, some people simply love the vintage look of the classic Coca-Cola container, French artist Andres Camous included.
In fact, he even created art out of it. He encased an old-school bottle of Coke in epoxy resin, and this is the result. Suspended in clear plastic, the familiar dark liquid also seems suspended in time, making it a great home decor for people who want to reminisce about the good old days.
A Car Sport That Almost Was
Dare we say Top Gear is truly peak entertainment for vehicle enthusiasts? Yes, especially because the show introduced the world to the sport of car soccer. As its name implies, it is played like a regular game of soccer. But instead of people running around in a field, it’s teams of four-wheeled automobiles chasing after one giant ball.
Sounds like a ton of fun, huh? Too bad the sport never took off and became a professional sports league. Still, gearheads in some corners of the world carry on what Top Gear helped make popular. For now, though, it will be remembered as the sport that almost was.
Mobula Rays Are The Birds Of The Sea
Stingrays have a bad rap in the media after one of them killed beloved wildlife expert Steve Irwin. But it looks like their high-flying cousins, the Mobula rays, are bound to redeem their reputation. Thanks to their winglike fins, they’ve enthralled people with their ability to jump out of the water at a great height.
It almost looks like the animal is flying whenever they break the water’s surface. But like birds, rays don’t really jump for fun but survival. Experts believe that they do so as a means of escaping underwater predators. See this in action the next time you visit the aquarium at your local zoo.
Millions Of Red Crabs Leaving Christmas Before Christmas
You see a horde of red crabs running full speed at you; what do you do? Well, hopefully, get your camera out because witnessing one of nature’s most spectacular events. Every year, before the Christmas season hits, millions of red crabs migrate out of Australia’s Christmas Island and into the ocean.
This seasonal event has become a huge tourist draw for the island, where people flock to witness the crabs fill the roads and beaches. Not everyone gets the chance to see them this close, though, so bask at the new perspective this stunning photograph gives you.
A Race Between A Sprinter And The Wind
Seeing these screenshots from Italian sprinter Marcell Jacobs’s intense training session, you’re probably confused. When running, there’s a thing called wind resistance. Simply put, this phenomenon occurs when a runner runs against the wind and slows down because of it.
This is Jacobs’s way of reducing that. If he could run as fast as the car ahead of him and get inside the transparent box, it’d be like he’s running in a vacuum. In a way, he needs to race and beat the wind first to face other sprinters on the track when the day of the official match comes.
The Squirrel’s “Flying” Aussie Lookalike
Searching for your new exotic pet? Then we’re pleased to introduce you to the sugar glider, the squirrel’s marsupial lookalikes from the land down under. Although not as widely known as other domesticated animals, they are becoming more popular among American pet owners.
If you’re thinking about getting one, be warned that they aren’t as easy to care for as dogs or cats. They eat a specific diet of insects, fruits, and small rodents, for starters. Then there’s the fact they’re nocturnal animals that get stressed out when woken up in the daytime. Still, it’s fascinating to see them “fly” from tree to tree using their gliding membrane.
The Obscure Company You've Never Heard Of
Before Joby Aviation announced its stock market debut via a SPAC in 2021, not many people knew of the electric aviation company. It's a shame, really, since it’s shaping up to be the future ruler of the airways with its vision of taking the ride-hailing experience to the skies.
The company, which has also acquired Uber’s air taxi business, is headed by inventor JoeBen Bevirt. He operated it in relative obscurity for years before raising $100 million from backers like Toyota and Intel. That said, here’s your first look at Joby’s electric aircraft in action. Commit this image to memory because you might see it more in the years to come.
The Greatest Dane That Never Existed
The Great Dane is aptly named because of its majestic size. But even the largest known member of the breed, Zeus, is no match against this good boy. Meet the Greatest Dane that never existed, a lifelike dog sculpture that’s about as enormous as a small horse.
The art piece appeared at the 2013 exhibition of the conceptual artist Peter Coffin at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. The unnamed dog, which was displayed floating slightly from the ground, was made by a taxidermist for Coffin and came complete with a real coat of shiny hair.
Man’s Future Best Friend?
The New York Police Department has been using man’s best friend to help in their law enforcement duties for decades. They took things to a whole new level, though, when they purchased a robot dog made by Boston Dynamics to join their ranks. The invention was mostly used as a camera for potentially hostile situations.
Unfortunately, the dog was fired from its job in 2021 after backlash from critics. Some saw the acquisition of the device as wasteful spending, while some lamented the dystopian nature of its existence. We guess robot dogs won’t be replacing real dogs as man’s future best friend after all.