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Random Stuff

Giant Inflatable Turd Terrorises Swiss Town

Posted by Sean Fallon at 9:00 AM on August 13, 2008

Flash! An inflatable catastrophe second only to the Hindenburg disaster has occurred in Bern Switzerland at the Paul Klee Centre art museum. A house-sized inflatable turd designed by American artist Paul McCarthy broke free from its moorings in high winds after the security system designed to deflate the installation failed.

Gadgets

Toilet Paper Puzzle Makes Pooping Even More Frustrating

Posted by Adam Frucci at 12:45 AM on July 30, 2008

Nothing says hilarity like forcing the more dim-witted of your friends to endure skidmarks and dingleberries by putting a puzzle on your toilet paper roll. Boy, you sure are a jokester! You really have an eye for when puzzles and trickery are appropriate and for when they clearly aren't! A toast, to you! [Product Page via NerdApproved]

Science

Scientists Create Bacteria That Poops Out Petrol

Posted by Nick Broughall at 8:40 AM on June 16, 2008

If Hollywood has taught us anything at all, it's that playing around with DNA leads to disaster. Wonderful, entertaining disaster. In the real world, things aren't so clear cut, but the prospect of creating super-bugs that will either turn humans into zombies or just kill us outright hasn't stopped some Silicon Valley entrepreneurs from LS9 from creating a bacteria that essentially just shits crude oil.

The bacteria start out as either industrial yeast or nonpathogenic strains of E. coli. They then have a little bit of DNA-grade surgery done to them, before being fed "feedstock" which is essentially any substance that can be broken down to sugars, like wheat, corn or woodchips. The bacteria have a mad party where they eat and drink too much, then spend the following day on a single-cell organism-sized toilet where they poop out crude oil, which is collected by people in white suits and sold for $150 a barrel. Or something like that, anyway.

Science

This Renewable Energy is Bullshit

Posted by Adam Frucci at 3:07 AM on March 8, 2008

On Tuesday, California energy company PG&E started generating energy from a rather unusual source: cow manure. Yes, cow poop emits methane as it decomposes. And while usually that's a bad thing, with methane being a potent greenhouse gas and all, it can be captured and turned into a renewable source of energy.

Gadgets

Energy Generating Turbine Toilet: Poop Saves the Planet

Posted by Sean Fallon at 11:00 AM on March 7, 2008

If the Benkatine Turbine by Leviathan Energy finds its way into homes, your bowel movements can help generate free electricity. Using the same technology found in other hydroelectric devices, the Benkatine turbine uses the water that passes through the pipes in your home to produce power. According to the company, that means you could make use of the water flowing from any number of sources—including your gutter drains. It is a simple idea, but simple ideas are often the most useful. Plus, you pass off your excessive drinking and overeating as your little way of helping the environment. [Wired via Inhabitat via DVICE]

Gadgets

Thirty-Foot Trebuchet Fires Chicken Poop at Potential Thieves

Posted by Addy Dugdale at 3:15 AM on March 6, 2008

A businessman in the UK has come up with a novel way to deal with potential thieves: firing chickenshit at them from a 30-foot catapult. Joe Watson-Webb, a retired showman, had the iron trebuchet left over from his days as a showman, and gets his avian ammo from the farm next door. Local cops have said that they will prosecute Watson-Webb if he uses the catapult to defend his property against arsonists and robbers—but what would they think about the other weapon he has up his sleeve? Watson-Webb is also the proud owner of a 20-foot-long cannon, out of which he used to fire his wife!