With our attempts to cultivate nature, humankind causes the rising of a next nature, which is wild and unpredictable as ever. Wild systems, genetic surprises, autonomous machinery and splendidly beautiful black flowers. Nature changes along with us.
With an optical trick, this German bottle of water is trying to prove its effectiveness for the body. Though drinking water is a necessity for life, the downside of this product is, that it takes approximately 8 litres of virtual water to produce 1 litre of bottled water. Drinking water may look good on the body… The carbon footprint is BIG AND FAT.
Are we creating the penicillin or the asbestos of the 21st century? In the months preceding our Nano Supermarket Project, we share some speculative nanotech products with you. Here’s the first in the Nano Supermarket Products series: Pharmaceutical Sushi. Taking medicine becomes a social activity. And it tastes pretty good!
The symbolic power of animals has always appealed to people. There are numerous examples throughout human history where representations of animals play a significant role in the cycle in which meanings are determined: from the animal-gods of the ancient egyptians via the lamb of god to more recent examples like Mickey Mouse and the eagle – a symbol of power in both the USA and nazi Germany.
The American Eagle and the Nazi Adler, here both featured on a coin.
Above: artist impression 2003 | below: Nasa January 2010
When developers launched the globe project just off Dubai’s coast in 2003, they hoped that the rich and famous would land there to populate the 300 islands.
Within five years Nakheel Properties leveled up 11 billion cubic feet of sand and 47 million tons of rock. However, a year ago (2009) the work stopped and now it looks like the project will never be completed. While officially the project has just been delayed, the obvious conclusion would be that it is the economic recession causing the islands to gradually wash back into the sea.
An earlier post on Next Nature learned that The Good People behind Webwill provide us with a service to extend our lives on social networks after our physical death. But what if you wake up one day and realize that your physical life is too short to be spent tweeting, liking and friending people you could also hang around with in real life? What if you don’t want to be part of these social network tribes anymore? The answer: commit web 2.0 suicide!
Mobile phones are nextnature: Twenty years ago they didn’t exist, now everyone has one and when you leave your house without it, you feel amputated. Like you are missing a limb and you quickly run back to your house to get your ‘fifth limb’.
Telecom shops already seem to be growing phones in infinite variations. Nonetheless, students of the University of Dundee managed to find an original twist by creating a series of extremely specialized phones that communicate music, communicate nearness, or give you a massage when you get a message. I especially like the ‘tribal’ design of the series of devices. Although the wood style is somewhat illustrative, it is well chosen to provoke a debate about the tribal communication technology penetrating our everyday lives.
Related posts: Handset gets taken to the grave, Anybody else hear that Ringing?, Phone Tooth, CrackBerry Addicts, Cellphone Treemasts.
Rather than trying to delay or avoid a flue infection, why not plan it? The INFLU flu collector mask helps you to get sick when you want to.
The INFLU mask is outfitted with a battery driven micro-fan on the inhalation valve that increases the intake of viruses in ambient air through the respiratory system. Wear it to plan your sickness, develop antibodies for the flu and strengthen your immune system the natural way.
According to its creators, Michel Bussien and Erik Sjödin, the comfortable and convenient mask can be worn in everyday situations – such as while commuting to and from work – and increases the prospect of getting the Swine flu (H1N1) as well as the regular seasonal flu with several hundred percent.
With the emergence of mobile phones, classical phone booths are used less and less. Seems like the Dutch telecoms operator KPN is re-tooling its phone booths to function as smoking booths? Well, so far it is just a witty design proposal by graphic designer Simone de Graef. Unsure if the telecoms companies are actually planning on this.
Nonetheless, it is kind of fascinating that ‘calling’, which used to be constrained in fixed lines and locations, is now entirely mobile and it is now socially acceptable to call almost everywhere: restaurant, train, toilet, airplanes, operahouse, etc. While smoking, which used to be mobile and done everywhere, is becoming increasingly limited to designated locations.
Apparently, every generation has its own sort of legalized drugs.
Thanks Ton.
No silly. Of course sneakers can’t be grown from transforming Koi Karpers. This is merely an fictional piece by Yoske Nishiumi. But then again, do you have any idea where your sneakers where born?
Think about it for a second: How many of the clothes, jewellery or gadgets you are wearing at this very moment, of which you have no idea where and by whom they were made? Contrary to what some shopping malls want you to believe, they certainly didn’t grow on trees. More like this.
Via Hypebeast, via Virtualshoe Museum. Related: Where shoes come from, Flesh Nike, How to grow your own toaster, Shopping Tree, Modern Fossils, Some kids don’t like chicken, but they love dinosaur. Thanks Ehsan.
You wouldn’t give it to her but Barbie is already over 50 years old. The doll made her debut at the American International Toy Fair in 1959 and has been a young girls (and gays) beauty icon for decades. Just image what Barbie would have looked like today if only she wasn’t so utterly plastic fantastic by nature. Still a pretty woman, stylish too! Peculiar image of the week (creator unknown: let us know).
Related: Beauty kit for little girls, Virtual Miss, Photoshop Beauties, Objects of desire, Real Mario, Software that ranks female beauty.
Recently were introduced, the OOMouse…
…and the Magic Mouse. Both tools are developed to browse the ones and zeros more easily.
It almost seems unfair to compare them, so I won’t. But what I would like to compare instead is both companies’ mission statements:
Open Office: Our mission statement is to create, as a community, the leading international office suite that will run on all major platforms and provide access to all functionality and data through open-component based APIs and an XML-based file format.
Apple: Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.
The first reads in one word: “community” (building and sharing together). The second reads: “ego” (look how good I am). Now look again at their mices.
Image: A. Sidorov
Have you ever fantasized about creatures which carry the biggest smile? Or creatures which are so deeply covered with fur that you wish they were real? Good news, soon you’ll be able to watch your favorite animal become alive!
While the average consumer is still happy with laser printer technologies the first 3D printer which uses organic materials is on its way. Currently we already manage to print cell structures of about 2 inches high. Once finished these devices will be used for noble purposes like printing organs, victimless meat or other food. However, the real fun starts some years later, when they are cheap enough to buy one yourself.
