Posted by admin on Oct 28, 2011 in
geekery,
style 
New Era is known for their caps, producing approximately 35 million per year, and they supply all the Major League baseball teams. New Era Introducing is their global way of nurturing new talent with a competition based around created a statement using the New Era 59FIFTY caps as the starting point. They’ve just announced the inner of this years competition and there are some pretty amazing New Era hats to feast your eyes on.
Entrants came from all over the world, as the participating countries were the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Sweden, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. Students from all these nations have spent the last few months creating unusual hat designs, and now the judges have finally chosen a winner.
To be honest, I think every entrant is a winner, and not in a ‘it’s the taking part that counts’, soppy way, but more, ‘would you look at the talent these kids have?’. Two of my favourite designs are featured above, a cute teddy bear cap, designed by UK artist Matt Saunders and a geek chic typewriter hat created by Spanish artist Pol.
Read more…
Tags: Lina Al-Amoudi, New Era Introducing
Posted by admin on Oct 27, 2011 in
geekery,
style
I love it when people create work that is not only visually attractive but also makes a statement, and the Patterns of Science project by Ian Addison Hall fits this remit. Inspired by the similarities between human DNA and retro imagery, Ian created a series of pictures that used catalogues from the 50′s as a starting point. You get to see a large amount of nostalgic prints with a twist, as Addison Hall has re-imagined classic images by extending the print of the clothes to cover the whole of the models body. He says this is because ‘Using vintage catalogue imagery, each piece in this series explores the relationship between the patterns that exist in fashion and the patterns that comprise human genetic’.
The idea is that by replacing the models skin with textile prints, you get to re-imagine the models whole body as if looking at their genetic makeup, and there is a certain resemblance between DNA prints and the way that these retro flowers cover up the female forms. Read more…
Tags: Ian Addison Hall, Patterns Of Science
Posted by admin on Oct 19, 2011 in
news,
opinion
Yes, that is a nipple on top of the truck, and no, it DOES need to be there. The nipple truck- also known as The Milk Truck is a brand new feature in Pittsburgh, where it’s part feminist protest, part art installation. The premise is shockingly simple- it’s a rescue van for women in a breastfeeding crisis. Though it’s not something I’ve experienced firsthand, I imagine that breastfeeding can be pretty awkward out and about. Do you want to get your jubblies out in front of everyone- or should you use the sketchy bathroom to feed your babe? Add to that, a general lack of understanding of compassion about why a woman breastfeeds (E.g. ‘can’t she wait till she’s at home? Answer:NO) and it’s clear we need to re-educate people.
This is the modus operandi behind the Milk Truck- sick of getting stares in restaurants or ordered to the bathroom by the managers, the Milk Truck makes an in your face statement (hence the giant nipple) about breastfeeding, as well as give women a sheltered area to for their business.
To contact the truck, you simply summon the Milk Truck (you can call them by Twitter if you wish), they rock up with the neon nipple flashing, you get in and have your baby time and then you wave goodbye. During this time the restaurant owner will become very aware of the scene they have helped create by asking you to go to the bathroom/ cover up and will no doubt be less inclined to ask somebody to do so next time due to the scene.
Carnegie Mellon University art professor Jill Miller (the brains behind the project) says, ‘We are using The Milk Truck to start a conversation in our community about a basic human right: feeding a baby.When a woman finds herself in a situation where she is discouraged, harassed, or unwelcome to breastfeed her baby in public, she summons The Milk Truck. The truck arrives to the location of the woman in need and provides her with a shelter for feeding her baby. The woman feeds her child, the shopkeeper who harassed her feels like a dweeb, and the truck does what it does best – creates a spectacle.’ Read more…
Tags: breastfeeding public, Jill Miller, Kickstarter, The Milk Truck
Posted by admin on Oct 17, 2011 in
beauty,
lists,
technology 
I get very depressed each time winter rolls around, and not just because I have to put my shorts away for six months. I suffer from something called Seasonal Affective Disorder (also known as SAD) which means I have a strong reaction to the lack of light and heat in the day. Yes, I know most people prefer summer to winter, but my symptoms are significant enough for me to actually have this condition. I become incredibly lethargic, have problems sleeping and getting out of bed, and lack energy during the day and I’m snappy, irritable and tearful. People may all get these to varying degrees, but I get this so severely I have to take counter measures, so I don’t spend four months hibernating till I see sun again. The theory behind people getting SAD is that the lack of light causes an increase in Melatonin (the sleep hormone) and a reduction in Serotonin (the happy hormone*). When humans were less advanced and farmed the land, we’d all be getting enough light-even in Winter- but modern day means we’re cooped in offices or on the tube and miss out on vital sun time.
Here are five ways to help keep your SAD under control- they help, not heal, as there is no one stop cure, it’s more of an improved sense of well being due to managing lifestyle factors.
Botox for a better mood
It may sound odd, but having Botox just before winter could actively improve your SAD symptoms. Why is this the case? Some researchers believe that paralyzing the muscles between the eyebrows has a significant reduction on people diagnosed with depression.
Dr Eric Finzi started studying the effects of Botox injections on depressive disorder in 2006. He found that after 2 months all subjects had markedly improved in temperament. Her argues this wasn’t due to increased body image, it was because “if you inhibit the ability of this muscle to contract, you’re actually going to feel less sadness and anger. You’re actually going to have more difficulty feeling the emotion because feelings are not just something that’s happening in the brain.”
Richard Alleyne, science writer for the Telegraph says that, ‘The anti-wrinkle drug can make people feel better because it stops them frowning when they are unhappy which feeds back to the brain reducing the intensity of the feeling.’
Another study- this one by the US Association for Psychological Science found tested a group of 40 people with Botox. They were asked to read out a series of statements ranging in tone from positive to negative, before and after treatment. They discovered a small time delay on the negative statements occurring after treatment, which researcher David Havas finds significant because it suggests the brain takes longer to process the emotion behind the statements. Read more…
Tags: Botox for depression, Lumie, SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder
Posted by admin on Oct 13, 2011 in
geekery,
technology 
Every year thousands of students undertake Ph.D’s. They tend to create rather long and weighty tomes about particular topics, all very well explained, educationally pleasing and generally very VERY detailed. Now as much as it’s great to get recognition from your academic peers it might be nice if the general public (also known as Mum and Dad) had some idea about what you’ve actually spent your time doing, and this is where the ‘Dance Your Ph.D’ contest comes into play.
Essentially, it’s exactly how it sounds- you have a couple of minutes to display the whole of your thesis and forethought behind your PhD in dance. From choreographed balletic pieces to modern dance histrionics, how you perform is up to you, the only rules that exist are that your PhD is in a science related field and that you upload your video to Vimeo (they’re a sponsor).
I think this is a fantastic idea- it makes the fields of science so much more accessible, it allows students to evolve their creative side, and it gives the general public something to watch that entertains and educates. I have a friend who has entered this years contest and suddenly I actually feel attuned to her project, rather than it being something complicated and distant.
There are four categories in total; Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Social Sciences, and all dances are scored on 3 scales; scientific merit, artistic merit, and creative combination of the science and art. You’re also encouraged to fully explain the nature of your project in the description area below your video (in case it’s very off the wall and you need a guiding post). There will be a winner in each category and an overall winner that gets flown to Brussels for the TEDx conference and a nice wad of cash. Read more…
Tags: Dance your PHd, Gonzolabs
Posted by admin on Oct 7, 2011 in
Design and Home,
geekery 
The idea of escaping urban life and going to live in the jungle is not an uncommon dream, but one that rarely gets taken up (think bugs, lack of water etc). Bubble Tree are offering the idea of uncluttered space for those of a more dreamy nature, and their vision of utopia comes with all modern conveniences.
There are two types of ‘bubbles’ you can choose from, the Bubble Room which has a few sheltered areas and the Cristal Bubble which Crystal Maze style allows passers by a 360 degree view of your activities. You get to enjoy an approximately 13 foot living area which encapsulates a sleeping and sitting area and looks something like a plastic igloo. Inflated by an electric turbine, you’ll be protected from the majority of the elements, though a tornado might shake up your home a little. The bubble is coated with a special UV filter that is designed to regulate the temperature and keep you free from bugs and y’know, actual nature. You do get to see what’s going on, but you’ll be protected from the harshness of everyday environment through the lovely bubble screen. Read more…
Tags: Bubble Tree
