These genius “Solar Sunflowers” can generate 60 times more energy than typical solar panels
This is the Solar Sunflower, a Swiss-made array that could be the future of solar energy. Looking like a huge, mirrored satellite dish, it combines photovoltaic solar power and concentrated solar thermal power to harness the sun’s energy at an efficiency of roughly 80% — a staggering amount. They’re promising but not without complications.
I’m always a slut for fossil fuel alternatives
^same
same
(sim, eu tive que dividir o nome no título porque não serviu)
Cara, quanto tempo esse cara ensaiou pra dizer isso? Meu Deus, promovam esse homem agora!
Mikael Takacs hand paints blurry portraits, distorted by a paper marbling effect. The outline of the portraits are clean and clear. From far, what’s inside the shapes seems messy and confusing but if we take a closer look it appears structured, almost forming a pattern. There’s a fine line between Mikael Takacs’ paintings and digital rendering. The diamond shaped patterns and the perfectly balanced and harmonized colors lead to confusion.
The artist applies acrylic painting onto an horizontal canvas with droppers to prevent the liquid from overflowing. He then painstakingly drags paint with small tools like sticks and combs in order to distort the portrait. The intricate work creates regular lines and shapes. If we look closely, we can see feathers, spirals and regular waves. The colors used are a blend of dark turquoise, camel and fuchsia. A color scheme that makes the series identifiable.
Mikael Takacs knows all the people he is depicting. He prefers to blur the lines and to present an abstract artwork. According to him, abstract art makes the dialogue between the viewer and the piece of art more interesting. The artist paints just enough for us to begin to have a idea of what we are looking at and leaves us halfway. To follow our imagination and introspect is the purpose of these paintings as they can lead to a million different interpretations.
Mikael Takacs’ work will be exhibited at Galleri Ramfjord in Oslo, Norway, in spring 2016. (via Hi Fructose).
The post Mikael Takacs Creates Superb Blurred Portraits Using Paper Marbling Techniques appeared first on Beautiful/Decay.
TadeuSo long and thanks for all the tabs, Chrome.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Hovertext: You can't jail me! I'm just a character in a sleeping man's dream!
Maybe using the word “astonishing” as an adjective for the following artificial limbs was not the smartest choice, since when a person has an artificial limb usually implies that he or she was involved in an unfortunate event.
But if we manage to take the best from the worst situation, these artificial limbs are definitely pieces of art that will bring a drop of joy in the life of suffering people.
The designer of these limbs is Scott Summit, a designer with 20 years old experience in the field.
He used 3D printing technology to create one of a kind artificial limbs for each of the patients. Even more, he allows each patient to bring their own ideas on how they can customize the shape or the design of the prosthetics.
More on freeyork
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
TadeuExcept that does not look like a real gaussian curve.
Calculus: A word that triggers involuntary fear spams in the best of us. But the days of slogging through tedious textbook derivatives are over, if you want them to be. For the past few years, people across the world have studied calculus for free online, by exploring a set of gorgeous, dynamic animations.
Avoid Humans is a new web app that helps users avoid other people using Foursquare and Instagram check-in data to identify crowded places. The app puts locations into nightlife, food, coffee, and refuge categories and uses simple icons to show how crowded a place is.
images via Avoid Humans
via reddit
No one loves Netflix’s original scripted drama slate more than Netflix itself. So far the service has renewed every drama it’s premiered, and as of today that includes Narcos. The drug trafficking saga just been confirmed to return for a second season, under Adam Fierro as the new showrunner. More details on the Narcos renewal after the jump.
The Narcos renewal news doesn’t come as a big surprise. According to THR, the show began preparing for Season 2 all the way back in April, beefing up its writers room. Fierro replaces Chris Brancato, who has left to join ABC’s Of Kings and Prophets. Brancato joined Narcos midway through production on Season 1, and will continue to be credited as a co-creator in Season 2. Fierro is a TV vet who previously worked on 24, The Shield, Dexter, and The Walking Dead.
So far, Netflix has renewed dramas House of Cards, Hemlock Grove, Orange Is the New Black, Marco Polo, Bloodline, Daredevil, Between, and Sense8, as well as comedies BoJack Horseman and Grace and Frankie. (The only reason Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt isn’t on that list is because it started out with a two-season order.) Club de Cuervos, which premiered last month, is the only drama that has yet to be renewed, but it hasn’t been cancelled, either.
Narcos chronicles the rise of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) and his Medellín Cartel in the 1980s. Boyd Holbrook and Pedro Pascal also star, as two DEA agents trying to take Escobar down. The 10-episode first season hit Netflix August 28. Reviews have been mostly, though not unanimously, positive. Moura in particular has attracted a lot of praise for his performance as the criminal icon.
As of yet, there’s no word on when Narcos Season 2 will premiere. Most of Netflix’s returning shows seem to put out about a season per year, though, so our best guess is that Narcos will debut new episodes in 2016.
The post Netflix Renews ‘Narcos’ for Season 2 appeared first on /Film.
When a wing section of a Boeing 777 washed up on the Indian Ocean island of La Réunion last month, the Malaysian government quickly ascribed the part to missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. But an ongoing investigation has failed to verify this claim, and the story just keeps getting weirder.
Hovertext: Parsimony is for wimps.
Yes indeed! And we've already sold half the tickets for BAHFest East, so please buy soon to lock a spot!
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TadeuRead the book before
We’re well past the midpoint of the year, and we’ve already delivered our list of the Top 10 Films of 2015 So Far. And as we reach the end of the summer, the movie business starts slowing down, giving a little calm before the storm that is awards season. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t still tons of movies to look forward to before the end of the year.
That’s why we’ve collected a list of 30 Movies to Be Excited for Before the End of 2015. And since there are so many great movies coming up before the end of the year, this is the Blockbuster and Studio Edition of the list, and next week we’ll deliver a completely different list for independent movies. But until then, here’s a list of movies we think you won’t want to miss over the next four months.
Note: While this is the Blockbuster and Studio Edition of fall/winter 2015 movies we’re excited to see, you’ll still find some lower key releases that may have once been indies, but have since been picked up for distribution by major studios. But otherwise, we really tried to keep this list to the major releases with well-known actors, actresses and filmmakers in front of and behind the camera. So without further adieu, here we go!
Release Date: September 11th (limited)
Why You Should Be Excited: I’ve seen what this romantic comedy from Leslye Headland has to offer, and it’s a When Harry Met Sally for a new generation. It’s raunchy, hilarious, authentic and boasts some truly great comedic talent. Not only do Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie prove their talents as a leading gentleman and lady, but Amanda Peet, Adam Scott, Natasha Lyonne, and Jason Mantzoukas round out the cast in a great way. Watch the trailer right here.
Release Date: September 18th
Why You Should Be Excited: It’s been awhile since we’ve seen Johnny Depp deliver a performance that can truly be called great. He’s been treading water for far too long as Captain Jack Sparrow, and his work with frequent collaborator Tim Burton over the past decade (with the exception of The Corpse Bride) has been fairly lackluster. But his turn as real life Boston crime kingpin Whitey Bulger looks like a stirring, stellar performance that just might get Depp back on track. Plus, Benedict Cumberbatch, Joel Edgerton, Kevin Bacon, Dakota Johnson and plenty more also star in the film. Watch the trailer right here.
Release Date: September 18th (limited)
Why You Should Be Excited: It’s been a while since we’ve had a really good mountain climbing thriller, and this one takes an incredible cast, including Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes and Jake Gyllenhaal, to the most dangerous mountain on the planet. Man has always tried to dominate nature, and there’s a chance nature might win this battle against a majority of these climbers, and it should be quite a sight to see on an IMAX screen this fall. Watch the latest trailer right here.
Release Date: September 18th (limited)
Why You Should Be Excited: You already know that Emily Blunt can be quite the badass thanks to Edge of Tomorrow. But this time she doesn’t need Tom Cruise to hog the spotlight as she takes the lead in this intense crime thriller from Denis Villeneuve, the director of Prisoners and Enemy. The trailer shows a drug war that looks to escalate quickly, putting Blunt and her team at great risk. Benicio del Toro, Jon Bernthal and Josh Brolin also star in the film to sweeten the deal. Watch the trailer here.
Release Date: September 30th on IMAX, October 9th everywhere
Why You Should Be Excited: Despite the fact that Joseph Gordon-Levitt puts on quite a heavy French accent to play Phillipe Petit, the story of the only man to walk on a high wire strung between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center should be enough to pique your interest. It’s like a heist movie where no one is getting stolen from, and this might be one of the times when the 3D filmmaking will actually be worth seeing on the big screen. Watch the trailer right here.
Release Date: October 2nd
Why You Should Be Excited: I haven’t heard a bad word about Andy Weir‘s book, upon which Ridley Scott‘s latest sci-fi drama is based, so seeing it brought to life on the big screen should make for an entertaining ride. Matt Damon stars in the movie that feels like Cast Away meets Apollo 13 as he plays an astronaut stranded on Mars. There, he’s forced to figure out how to survive on the planet for several years before his crew can come back to get him. This one could be great. Watch the trailer right here.
The post 30 Movies to Be Excited for Before the End of 2015: Blockbuster and Studio Edition appeared first on /Film.
From the entrancing Micro Universe Tumblr: a bacterium on a diatom on an amphipod.
Visit our Flickr gallery featuring photos of active and dormant volcanoes throughout the world, as well as lava formations and crater lakes. Be sure to leave your comments! Here is a preview. Enjoy!
Artist's vision of a colony on Mars
NASA Ames Research Center
It’s a popular sci-fi plot: Earth sets up colonies on Mars; Mars colonies grow, developing their own technologies and culture; Mars colonies rebel against overbearing Earth government, demanding independence. It happens in Total Recall, in Babylon 5, in Red Mars.
But what if we gave Mars its independence right from the get-go? Rather than giving future colonies to governments or corporations, Jacob Haqq-Misra thinks we should let Martian colonists develop their own values, governments, and technologies, with minimal interference from Earth. Haqq-Misra is an astrobiologist at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, a non-profit organization that promotes international unity in space.
Not only would Haqq-Misra's strategy preclude any Martian wars for independence, but cultural independence could help Martians think differently enough to solve problems that Earth continues to struggle with—such as working together to fight global environmental problems, or making long-term plans for the future of humanity.
Instead of getting divided by nations or plundered by industry, says Haqq-Misra, “maybe Mars is more valuable in trying to seed the second incidence of civilization.”
The plan that he lays out in an essay in New Space has five main provisions:
Humans who leave Earth to permanently settle on Mars relinquish their planetary citizenship as Earthlings and claim a planetary citizenship as Martians.
Governments, corporations, and individuals of Earth cannot engage in commerce with Mars and cannot interfere with the political, cultural, economic, or social development of Martian civilization.
Scientific exploration may continue as long as it does not interfere with the development of civilization on Mars. Sharing of research and information between Mars and Earth is permitted only to pursue mutual scientific or educational goals.
The use of land on Mars will be determined exclusively by the citizens of Mars. No Earthlings may own or otherwise lay claim to land on Mars.
Any technology, resources, or other objects brought from Earth to Mars become permanent fixtures of the Martian civilization. Earthlings may not make any demands for resources on Mars.
There is some legal precedent. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which 103 nations (including the U.S. and Russia) are party to, prohibits any nation from claiming territory in space. The treaty “makes very clear that a colony on Mars could never become a colony in the classical legal sense of the word, like the U.S. was originally a colony of the U.K.,” says Frans von der Dunk, a space law professor at the University of Nebraska.
Screenshot from 'The Martian' official trailer
The Martian, which hits theaters in October, is a great reminder of all the things that can go wrong on another planet.
Nevertheless, under the current legal system, von der Dunk says American colonists on Mars would still probably fall under U.S. jurisdiction.
Sailors in international waters are expected to follow the rules of their ship's flag, and astronauts must do the same. The rules even hold when they're not on board the ship—for example, when the Apollo astronauts roamed around the moon, or when astronauts on the International Space Station do spacewalks, they're still subject to U.S. laws.
But what about when the excursion is longer than a few hours? On the ISS, where astronauts spend months at a time, participating countries have worked up their own quasi legal system, which is pretty similar to Earth's. If an American astronaut were to hit a Russian astronaut over the head, for example, first the U.S. would have the right to determine whether a criminal act was committed. If the U.S. doesn't take action, then he could be tried under Russian jurisdiction.
The rules could be different when we're talking about pioneers who venture to another planet with no intention of returning home. Still, says von der Dunk, “You cannot simply say 'I'm no longer a citizen of the U.S.' It's not for you to decide.”
Illustration Showing a Mars Colony with Living Quarters and Solar Panels
Mars One
He thinks that if Americans are able to set up self-sustaining communities on Mars, they'll consider themselves Americans and abide by U.S. laws—at least at first. “At some point in time, they will not like that anymore,” says von der Dunk. “They won't feel like they are American or Russian or wherever they come from, they'll feel like they are Martian. They will say, 'Listen, we don't want to pay taxes anymore, and we want to develop our own legal system.'”
Cultural evolution is inevitable in small populations that splinter off from Earth. A lot of Earthly traditions just won't apply, and the Martians will develop their own jokes, rules, and customs. Haqq-Misra's suggestion of limiting contact with Earth would simply speed up that transition.
Von der Dunk thinks it would be difficult to set up a colony as a blank slate, as Haqq-Misra proposes. Mars colonists would carry with them a lot of legal and cultural baggage that biases their ideas about how society should work. But over time, Martian culture could change dramatically. "It's hard to think outside the box there, but one could think that because Mars is so different from Earth, that when they tear themselves away from traditional legal structures, they could develop something very new," says von der Dunk. "This is all very hypothetical."
There are other potential problems. Getting to Mars ain’t easy, and there are a lot of ways to die once you get there. Unfortunately, Earth's help won’t come cheap: these days it costs about $10,000 to send one pound of supplies to the space station, and that's a much closer, easier trip than Mars. Without the financial incentives of Martian communities, resources, and/or business, nations and private companies aren’t likely to rally around the Free Mars idea. Haqq-Misra’s plan relies on either extremely thorough planning to make sure the colonies are completely self-sufficient, or generous donations to send resupply missions to Mars.
Haqq-Misra says he’s not holding his breath for anyone to jump on this idea. Still, he says, since everyone from NASA to SpaceX and Mars One has their sights set on visiting or colonizing Mars in the coming decades, it's important to think about.
“Hopefully it’s going to instigate people to have a longer-term vision for whatever we do on Mars.”
Expanded from 
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![Eyjafjallajökull [ Explored ]](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5256/5395424942_59f9d657c1_b.jpg)
