Brain Toys
So freakin' cool. Although... I can't even solve a real one - much less one that isn't visually as obvious.
-via Neatorama-
Seriously... well not about the Zombie thing. Maybe if him and his family weren't such assholes people wouldn't do this kind of thing. Well, maybe people shouldn't do this to begin with. Here's the schtick from ESPN:
In "Frozen," Larry Johnson, a former executive at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation in Scottsdale, Ariz., writes that Williams' head, which had been severed and frozen for storage, was abused at the facility. Johnson claims a technician took baseball-like swings at Williams' frozen head with a monkey wrench.
Seriously... look what they did to his head!
There are many brain fitness software products available these days so when I was offered a copy of Core Learning's program Mind Builder, I agreed to check it out. It offers a series of test questions similar to America's SAT, while Mind Builder Pro is a fuller package that also incorporates IQ, career and aptitude tests intended to be "fun mental exercises." Unlike some similarly-marketed software there were no unproven claims of preventing age-related cognitive decline or improving processing speed. There were vague promises like "get smart, stay smart" and "build brain power" - whatever…
Not so much walking as rocking and rolling, a brain moves along a desk in a supremely pointless amateur video. Watch the shadow on the wall behind the brain...
In other news about brain-shaped toys, here's the Walking Brain. Wind it up and, yes, it walks. The really stupid thing, though, is that someone's created a 15 second video of it waddling across a blank screen that they think people will pay to download (you can watch it for free), while the toy costs way less than the video.
Check out this sweet sweet purse made to resemble a brain:
I think it's an obvious idea since brains combined with anything is sweet, but you might wonder about who the heck came up with this idea:
Known for stretching the fashion limits with his avant garde design for the label Undercover, Jun Takashi recently came out with this Brain Bag. An intricate knit of wool resembling the three-pound jelly structure encapsulated by the skull, it's playful but also looks mature and sophisticated and holds its own among other designer handbags.
-via boingboing-
Ahh Halloween - when neuroscientists find all sorts of fake brains for sale and recipes to create them. This is our yearly reposting of the greatest brain recipe of all time.
This recipe was inspired by the one Alton Brown did a few years back. I liked the idea but wasn't thrilled with the recipe, so I came up with my own. By the way, I would suggest getting this mold - it looks a lot more lifelike.
Panna Cotta (brain style) with Pomegranite Sauce
Get the recipe below the fold!
1 cup milk
5 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
4 cups heavy cream
1 cup + 1 Tb sugar, divided
pinch salt
2 Tablespoons…
Via The Neurocritic.
brainscannr by Ken Yasumoto-Nicolson. Try it with your name. Hot! :)
Artist Katelyn Sack emailed me earlier to clarify some info. She shares truth:
The post you link to incorrectly states the series is composed of fridge magnets. While I can make prints, magnets, T-shirts, and even baby bubbles featuring any of my artwork, 'Baby, Be A Brain Surgeon!' as featured on The Science Creative Quarterly this Tues., Sept. 11 is oil paint on 4.25" x 4.25" ceramic tiles. You can see my original blog post on the artwork here, and I also list it for sale on my website here.
In her original post, she describes the vision behind her designs. Nursery room decor for a…
A group funded by the Royal College of art has created an ice cream dispenser named Dr. Whippy. The good doctor will dispense a prescription for ice cream if you sound sufficiently miserable. It is based on a voice-stress analysis of various answers to questions it asks. Check it out, the more miserable you are the more ice cream it dispenses:
I would have given everyone the same amount of ice cream but inserted different amounts of Prozac. But hey - thats just me!
-via boingboing-
A music video, a crowdsourced homecast cultural expression ... Brain Tamer by Peter Johnson.
Brain Tamer
Growing up I used to read Omni magazine and would always see all sorts of devices that supposedly could induce lucid dreams or tapes that had subliminal messages recorded along with Bach to create special brain states where you'd be particularly receptive to messages like - "you will be psychic... you can lift objects with your mind...you will be rich and successful... you will quit smoking crack...etc etc etc" Let me tell you - I'm not psychic or rich! Although...I never did take up smoking crack so maybe the tapes did work! I eventually forgot about these tapes and devices for many years…
An interesting youtube video from the Discovery Channel featuring the research of Chance Spalding. The video features a monkey who can control a robotic arm with the implanted electrodes in its brain.
via boingboing
ClinkShrink from Shrink Rap sent me these great (anatomically correct) brain treats last fall. If anyone wants to get me a Valentines Day present, this would be it. ;)
[edit by Sandra - I need a chocolate brain too, but only to replace the one in my head that doesn't work very well. Also, what's up with Steve and ClinkShrink, hmm?]
Here's a working brain - mine. I took it out of my skull and recorded it.
Produced, Written, Filmed, Edited, and Directed by me! I should go into Hollywood! Isn't it the most amazing movie you've ever seen?!?!
you know... this brain is broken! it is supposed to open its mouth (which is pretty creepy and cool) at the end while it's growling - I'll post my improved brain after I make it into the office.
Another classic...
So I was watching Mythbusters the other night and they were testing a number of "mind contol" devices - they used EEG, etc. They even decided that a couple methods were "plausible."
I decided what I could find out there on the internet...
The first place I looked was EBay - they really do sell everything (I once almost got an antique proctologists uhh.."probe" - it was going to be a gift .. i promise), but anyway - this picture popped up. Only $799.99!
Control people's minds with this amazingly simple technology. The Mind Control Machine converts your voice into something…
You need to get over to eBay and bid on this guy's brain before eBay takes it down ;)
Since I guess it's against their terms of service to sell body parts..haha..
I really want to get a brain in a jar! Where does one go about legally getting one?
Here's the description of the brain for sale:
Near mint condition fully working Creative mind for hire. This Scouse/Argentinian mind comes with both left brain and right brain thinking, making it extremely versatile. At 25 years of age and with 2 years experience, this mind is no stranger to conceptual thinking, after brief stints at: BBH, TBWA,…