flies
Random Stuff
Watch These Real Flies Carrying Real Ad Banners
10:40AM Jesus Diaz | Someone thought that the best way to promote their company was by attaching paper ad banners to real flies. I tried this at school to pass notes to a pretty girl called Carla. It ended in pain. More »
Science
Scientists Use Lasers To Create False Memories In Flies
10:30AM Dan Nosowitz | A team of researchers experimented with fruit flies and found that by genetically engineering some flies, they were able to give those flies the “memory” of pain that they never actually experienced. It’s kind of complicated and kind of creepy. More »
Design
CDs Team With Insect World To Battle MP3 Threat
1:10AM Mark Wilson | We hoped it wouldn’t come to this. In a moment of passion, a series of AutoCAD templates has converted various optical media into a (deadly?) swarm of flies. May God have mercy on us all. [CNC Forum via MAKE] More »
Gadgets
Fly-Goodbye Bug-Sucking Rifle
9:00AM Sean Fallon | Fly-Goodbye says “hello to my little friend” when it comes to eradicating flying pests. It’s kind of like a Super Soaker of doom. More »
Robots
Housefly-Driven Robot Arm Artist Makes Art Like You’d Imagine
12:15AM Kit Eaton | Picture tracing a housefly’s skittering, random path as it dots about your home with a trail of ink: That’s kind of what this cooky art installation evokes. It’s a robot arm connected to a sensor chamber that has some kind of fly-enticing power. When a fly is inside the chamber, the arm jerks spasmodically in time to the fly’s movements, and traces a beautifully chaotic drawing on a huge reel of paper. When the fly leaves, the paper scrolls, so the artwork is constantly evolving. It’s clever stuff by artist David Bowen, and if you’re having difficulty envisioning it, check the link for a video. [DWBowen] More »
Science
High-Speed Digital Imaging Shows Why Flies Outsmart You
6:00AM Jesus Diaz | Scientist at Caltech have discovered why oh why one of the most basic artifacts on earth, the looming swatter, fails against its winged nemesis, the fly. In fact, using high-resolution, high-speed digital imaging, they have found out what’s the secret to the fly’s 100 milliseconds evasive manoeuvring. Which is why I hate them so much, and fully explains why my favourite videos are the ones of the wingless fly and the legless fly trying to escape (which I guess makes me some kind of a psycho). More »
Gadgets
Bug Bat Swats Flies With Endless Love, Electricity
12:00PM Gizmodo US Edition | The scenario has happened countless times before. A pesky fly interrupts a dinner party. Brad, the club’s resident tennis pro and notorious alcoholic, takes to his feet, Prince racket in hand, and smites the beast violently into a wall with a few tottering swings. OK, so it doesn’t happen exactly like that, but you get the idea. Fly swatter, tennis racket or bare hands, the end result is the same. Boring. Enter the misnamed, but nevertheless brilliant, Bug Bat. More »
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