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Alpine lakes, 14,000 foot mountains, Giant Sequoias and grassy meadows? The 60-mile High Sierra Trail has it all and literally passes through Valhalla. We did it last week. For many, the 210 mile-long John Muir Trail (which runs North-South through the Sierra Nevada) represents the quintessential thru-hike. However, it’s not always easy to leave life…
When the Missouri River spilled over its banks in a catastrophic 2011 flood, we could have seen it coming—from space, that is. There’s more to the story than meets the eye: the satellites don’t take photos of snowpacks or rivers, but rather, they detect tiny changes in gravity over the Earth’s surface to track water.…
I want someone to do these stop-motion videos of objects being sanded down one layer at a time using every solid thing in existence. They are like destructive magnetic resonance scans. So cool. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us on Facebook
Solar-powered factories, hovercraft apartments, glass towers topped with helipads: No, these are not concept drawings for EPCOT circa 1981. These are ideas for the future of North Korean cities, designed by North Korean architects in 2014. Currently on view at the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale, these visions were curated by Nick Bonner,…
The Minnesota Twins’ Target Field will be one of the first sports venues in the country to introduce DraftServ’s beer vending machines, which will reduce the long lines at concession stands, help regulate alcohol consumption, and give attendees more choice when it comes to what they’re drinking. Customers first need to visit a manned register…
It’s been almost four years since 33 Chilean miners were trapped below the surface of the earth for 69 days. A story published this week by The New Yorker reveals some additional stunning details about their harrowing rescue, and some astounding new information about the mine itself. As part of his forthcoming book Deep Down…
Injecting fluid into the Earth can trigger earthquakes, but not every injection well is related to fracking. While the controversial process has brought a particular method of resource extraction into our day-to-day vocabulary, other types of injection wells can be just as guilty of triggering unintended consequences. Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) well site in Colorado. Photography…
This tip has been floating around the Web for a while, but not everyone has caught on—if you’re using a Google app such as Chrome or Maps while holding your phone or tablet with one hand, you can double-tap then move your finger up or down to zoom out or in. Keep your finger or…
TorrentFreak reportsthat in recent days some 30,000 fake copyright infringement notices demanding cash settlements have been circulating in Germany. In addition to defrauding unwitting folks out of cash, the notices also come bundled with malicious software designed to steal personal info. According to the report, which originates with a posting from the German law firm…
Well, this is disconcerting. According to an announcement today from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), vials of the smallpox virus were found in a lab in Maryland that was not only unapproved to be handling the live pathogens—it was unequipped. Though we’ve eradicated smallpox, the disease is so wildly infectious that it qualifies as…
Otto A. Silha, was a pretty forward-thinking guy — especially in an industry that we think of today as tremendously resistant to change. Silha was the publisher of the Minneapolis Star and Tribune newspapers, and he was known for embracing new technologies in the publishing business. He was enthusiastic about computers, networking, and the tools…
You can never really have too many Bluetooth speakers, and there are several great options available today. The Jambox of course is iconic, but the GOgroove is unique looking, and has fantastic battery life. You can’t go wrong with either one. Refurb Original Jawbone Jambox Bluetooth Rechargeable Portable Speaker ($50) | eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/131235811366 GOgroove Portable…
Designer Jake Rich has come up with a better design for the microwave that no longer requires a permanent parking spot on your kitchen counter. His Mediumwave concept has a footprint about the size of a dinner plate, and the traditional metal box form factor of microwaves of old has been improved with a removable…
Some Android users are starting to see a cool new Google Now capability pop up: If you’ve got the update, you can use “OK Google” to fast forward to the next track or pause playback. Small update, but very handy. YouTuber MO Jams shows the feature in action above, and Android Police predicts that this…
Even though they’re lacking the ability to notify you when a text message arrives, traditional mechanical watches still cost thousands of dollars more than the smartwatches released this year. And if you’ve always wondered why they’re so expensive, this 3D-printed over-sized model of one of the components that makes them tick will help explain why.…
As far as contraception innovation goes, for the past several years, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundationhas been leading the pack. Next on the list? Revolutionizing actual bodily implants. Say hello to wireless birth control. Of course, implantable birth control itself isn’t anything new, but most current models are only good for about three years.…
Sweden doesn’t readily spring to mind when discussing global military powerhouses, but the European nation is far from being a pushover. In fact, the Swedish military—working in conjunction with a cadre of marquee manufacturers and five other European nations—is nearing completion on the world’s first and only air-to-air missile that can strike targets on the…
A new and final extended trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy is out in the UK, full of Rocket Raccoon, new scene peeks, and new characters in this seemingly-ever-expanding space opera. The soundtrack—full of classics including David Bowie’s Moonage Dream—is also available for stream in Spotify. Check it out. People, these trailers keep increasing in…
A petition with tens of thousands of signatures. Protestors in the streets. Fiery op-eds. All this public unrest in Tokyo isn’t over an election or divisive political issue. It’s about the design of the city’s 2020 Olympic Stadium. And the people are winning. After a year of public protests against the design for a new…
The world’s tallest water slide is located at the Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City, and also in my nightmares. It’s called Verrückt—which means “insane” in German—with good reason: At 168 feet and 7 inches, it’s taller than the Statue of Liberty, Niagara Falls, and 23 Shaquille O’Neals stacked on top of each other. We…
