With almost 500 million of its citizens now online, China is in the process of a massive social media revolution: in fact, a full quarter of all social network users in the world are now Chinese. How is this quick change shaping up for the many new computer users in the country and what are they able to see with the governments now famous “Great Firewall of China” in place? This graphic from G+, a community for professionals, academics and entrepreneurs to connect, explores the firewall, platforms Chinese are using to connect, what’s driving the quick adoption of social media, why it’s important to the republic and how the country’s digital consumption stacks up compared to the rest of us. It’s an exciting and quickly changing time in the social media world. [Read more...]
Like us, wasps don’t forget a face
Paper wasps have brains that are less than a millionth the size of the human brain, yet new research shows they have a similar ability to recognize and remember a familiar face. [Read more...]
VISUAL BITS #115 > Hipster Harry Potter
Stroll through your daily links after the jump!
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ART PROJECT BEAUTIFIES URBAN SAN JOSE
Few people can imagine a positive change in their minds and then pursue the steps necessary to make it happen. Tina Morrill is one such innovator. While taking classes at San Jose State for public administration, Morrill had an idea that would change the look of downtown San Jose. [Read more...]
Freight Farms: Grow Fresh Food In Any Environment
At the moment we face a food dilemma in western cultures: a society accustomed to the all-year availability of fresh produce and the rising cost of transport, both environmental and financial. Much of our fresh produce, especially in colder climates like the eastern United States, comes from far off places like southern California and Chile, traveling many freight miles before it reaches the market and finally our tables; but is there a better option for getting fresh cucumbers, peppers and lettuce in the winter? [Read more...]
Möbius Ship: An Un-Ending Sculptural Tribute
With a title and form that wittily plays on the puzzling and unending surface of a Möbius strip, artist Tim Hawkinson has created a bizarrely continuous model in the likeness of ship-in-bottle hobbyists. His hanging sculpture takes it’s inspiration from the story of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, interpreting Captain Ahab’s consuming passion of chasing the illusive white whale by creating a ship that chases itself in an impossible loop. [Read more...]
Massive black holes shatter record
An international team of astronomers has discovered two gigantic black holes with masses about 10 billion times the mass of our sun. These black holes have a mass more than 50 percent greater than any other previously measured. [Read more...]
SNOW-FREE SKIING, ANYONE?
Talk about “making do” with what you have! Avid Austrian skiers don’t let a little thing like lack of snow stop them from practicing their beloved sport! No, they just find a nice steep, rocky hill, haul their skis to the top and then “ski” down the rocks. Photographer, Dominic Ebenbichler has caught this daring sport on camera. He follows the skiers as they trek up the rocky slope, then shoots action shots of them sliding down the rocks on their skis. I’m not sure this looks like much fun – what with the bumpy nature of rocks and the dust flying up behind them? How these daredevils manage to not kill themselves amazes me! These skiers must be quite experienced at their sport, not to mention brave (or a little crazy?!) It definitely gives us amateurs something fascinating to watch, even if we could never fathom attempting it ourselves! [Read more...]
The Other Mythbusters: The Truth on Old Assumptions
The Discovery Show ‘Mythbusters’ has done much to explore a host of commonly held assumptions – and some less common – finding out the real truth behind the story. Adam and Jamie have tested everything from whether a daddy longlegs spider can kill a human with its venom, to whether a car will pole vault on its drive shaft. They’re not the only one busting myths though: this new graphic from OnlinePHD.org looks at some unusual new findings about old assumptions, from whether men constantly think about sex to why your fingers really get wrinkly in water. The results on some of these are so surprising you’ll be scoring points sharing them with everybody you meet. [Read more...]
VISUAL BITS #114 > Cookie Time
Stroll through your daily links after the jump!
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