Universal robotic gripper - StumbleUpon Robert Barker/University Photography The human hand is an amazing machine that can pick up, move and place objects easily, but for a robot, this "gripping" mechanism is a vexing challenge. Opting for simple elegance, researchers from Cornell, the University of Chicago and iRobot Corp. have created a versatile gripper using everyday ground coffee and a latex party balloon, bypassing traditional designs based on the human hand and fingers. They call it a universal gripper, as it conforms to the object it's grabbing, rather than being designed for particular objects, said Hod Lipson, Cornell associate professor of mechanical engineering and computer science. The research is a collaboration between the groups of Lipson, Heinrich Jaeger at the University of Chicago, and Chris Jones at iRobot. John Amend The robotic gripper conforms to the shape of the item it is lifting. "This is one of the closest things we've ever done that could be on the market tomorrow," Lipson said.
Turning New York City INSIDE OUT: Volunteering at JR’s photo truck JR, the man behind the participatory global art project INSIDE OUT, has parked a photobooth truck in Times Square, from now until May 10. Photo: Instagram/newyorkermag On an unseasonably chilly Monday evening in Manhattan, hundreds stood in line in Times Square for up to two hours. As a city-dweller for seven years, I’ve seen queues this long for big Broadway openings or on New Year’s Eve. But this line was formed for a very different purpose — for people to have their faces and stories featured in what JR describes as “the biggest art gallery in the world.” JR: My wish: Use art to turn the world inside outIt’s been three years since TED Prize winner JR made the wish to turn the world INSIDE OUT with a global collaborative art project. When I arrived in Duffy Square (the northern triangle of Times Square), stunning rows of freshly pasted black and white portraits covered the ground. Help INSIDE OUT transform the city! The artist himself examines the portraits tiled in Times Square.
Deadly Leopard Seal Tries to Feed Live Penguins to Photographer (Video) "Bloody Hell! That's the biggest leopard seal I've ever seen!" Leopard seals are pretty scary predators, especially if you're a penguin. The Seal Saw Him as a Useless Predator Here's is a video of Nicklen explaining what happened, with many incredible photos. For more photos by Paul Nicklen, check out his website. See also: Beijing Zoo Puts their Animals on the Menu
Caltech scientists first to trap light and sound vibrations together in nano... PASADENA, Calif.—Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have created a nanoscale crystal device that, for the first time, allows scientists to confine both light and sound vibrations in the same tiny space. "This is a whole new concept," notes Oskar Painter, associate professor of applied physics at Caltech. Indeed, Painter points out, the interactions between sound and light in this device—dubbed an optomechanical crystal—can result in mechanical vibrations with frequencies as high as tens of gigahertz, or 10 billion cycles per second. "And all of this," he adds, "can be done on a silicon microchip." Optomechanical crystals focus on the most basic units—or quanta—of light and sound. What hadn't been done before was to put those two types of crystals together and see what they are capable of doing. "We now have the ability to manipulate sound and light in the same nanoplatform, and are able to interconvert energy between the two systems," says Painter.
Concerts in the Parks - Great Lawn, Central Park, Manhattan New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert began his tenure in September 2009. The first native New Yorker to hold the post, he has sought to make the Orchestra a point of pride for the city and country. “He is building a legacy that matters and is helping to change the template for what an American orchestra can be,” The New York Times praised. Mr. In the 2013–14 season Alan Gilbert conducts Mozart’s three final symphonies; the score from 2001: A Space Odyssey as the film is screened, as part of THE ART OF THE SCORE: Film Week at the Philharmonic; the U.S. Last season’s highlights included Bach’s B-minor Mass and Ives’s Fourth Symphony, and, during the EUROPE / SPRING 2013 tour, participating in the Vienna Konzerthaus’s centennial and performing Lindberg’s Kraft and Rouse’s Prospero’s Rooms at the Volkswagen Transparent Factory. High points of Mr. Mr. Visit Alan Gilbert's Official Website
How Jellyfish Work" Jellyfish are probably some of the most unusual and mysterious creatures that you'll ever encounter. With their gelatinous bodies and dangling tentacles, they look more like something from a horror movie than a real animal. But if you can get past the weirdness -- and the fact that getting too close to one results in a nasty sting -- you'll discover that jellyfish are pretty fascinating. In this article, we'll learn all about these mysterious animals and find out what to do if you do happen to get in the way of a stinging jellyfish tentacle. Marine Life Image Gallery Jellyfish live mainly in the ocean, but they aren't actually fish -- they're plankton. Jellyfish are also members of the phylum Cnidaria, (from the Greek word for "stinging nettle") and the class Scyphozoa (from the Greek word for "cup," referring to the jellyfish's body shape). Jellyfish are about 98 percent water. A jellyfish's body generally comprises six basic parts: Several dozen jellyfish larvae can hatch at once.
Extraordinary lightning sprites discovered striking other planets, not just... By Daily Mail Reporter Updated: 17:29 GMT, 22 November 2011 It was only a couple of decades ago scientists discovered the existence of upwards lightning or ‘sprites’ 30 to 55 miles above the surface of the Earth. And now researchers at Tel Aviv University have discovered 'sprites' are not a phenomenon specific to our planet. Jupiter and Saturn experience lightning storms with flashes 1,000 or more times more powerful than those on Earth, says researcher Daria Dubrovin. Extraordinary: This sprite, or upwards lightening, was created in a bottle after recreating the conditions of Jupiter As offshoots of electric discharges caused by lightning storms, sprites are a valuable window into the composition of our atmosphere. Researchers are keen to know more about the possibility of lightning on other planets, explains Dubrovin, not only because it impacts the technological equipment used by space programs, but because it is another clue that could indicate the presence of extra-terrestrial life.
Fanfare Ciocarlia / Red Baraat / DJ sets by Joro-Boro Fanfare Ciocarlia is one of the world’s greatest live bands, their energy and ingenuity having won them fans from Melbourne to Memphis, Tokyo to Toulouse. The National Geographic has said “the music of Fanfare Ciocarlia pulls not only from the band’s homeland but also rhythms from Turkey, Bulgaria and Macedonia to make a complete Balkan stew.” The Romanian group’s breakneck speed, technical chops, ripping rhythms and sweet and sour horns is quite different from any other brass band on earth. Formed in 2008, Red Baraat is a pioneering eight-piece band from Brooklyn, New York. DJ Joro-Boro is a crunk charlatan from the Balkans, who plays and promotes etnoteck, glitch-folk and post-national bass – the dirty local side of globalization force-fed back into a party without borders detonating the conglomerated mono-culture. Rules Please do not bring alcoholic beverages, glass, bottles, coolers, pets, bicycles, rollerblades, folding chairs, beach umbrellas, video cameras or tape recorders.
New Week Nudibranch! - Blue Dragon image credit: redbubble.com image credit: nectonsub.com.br image credit: the doubtful guest image credit: | Dan | image credit: redbubble.comHabitat: around the world in temperate and tropical waters I’ve decided to start a tradition that every Monday I will post a new species of nudibranch. This particular one I’ve chosen to feature is commonly known as a Blue Dragon nudibranch. So what do you think? edit: reader Gabriele has pointed out another common name for this nudibranch – the Sea Swallow! Be sure to check out the Home page for more crazy creatures! Kilobots - tiny, collaborative robots - are leaving the nest (w/ video) (PhysOrg.com) -- The Kilobots are coming. Computer scientists and engineers at Harvard University have developed and licensed technology that will make it easy to test collective algorithms on hundreds, or even thousands, of tiny robots. Called Kilobots, the quarter-sized bug-like devices scuttle around on three toothpick-like legs, interacting and coordinating their own behavior as a team. A June 2011 Harvard Technical Report demonstrated a collective of 25 machines implementing swarming behaviors such as foraging, formation control, and synchronization. Once up and running, the machines are fully autonomous, meaning there is no need for a human to control their actions. The communicative critters were created by members of the Self-Organizing Systems Research Group led by Radhika Nagpal, the Thomas D. "Plus," he adds, "tiny robots are really cool!" So, what can you do with a thousand tiny little bots? Explore further: Can robots have social intelligence?
Concerts | Rite of Summer Music Festival | Governors Island, New York All concerts are held on Governors Island at Colonels Row, free of charge. Saturday July 13, (raindate July 14) 1 & 3 PM Bang on a Can All Stars Formed in 1992, the Bang on a Can All-Stars are recognized worldwide for their ultra-dynamic live performances and recordings of today’s most innovative music. Saturday August 10, (raindate August 11) 1 & 3 PM Celebrating Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring 1PM Ljova and Friends THE LAST RITE3PM Fireworks Ensemble THE RITE REVISITED Maverick composer, arranger, and violist Lev ‘LJOVA’ Zhurbin: Ljova’s compositions dazzle with intricate textures, odd rhythms and lilting melodies, creating music that is both fresh and timeless. An amplified chamber band known as “the bridge between the contemporary classical ensemble and the mainstream popular audience,” Fireworks has led the charge to bring a fresh perspective on chamber music to both established audiences and new generations of listeners. Sunday, September 1, Colonels Row (raindate September 2) 12-5 PM
Amazing jellyfish lake Jellyfish Lake is a marine lake located on Eil Malk island in Palau. Eil Malk is part of the Rock Islands, a group of small, rocky, mostly uninhabited islands in Palau’s Southern Lagoon, between Koror and Peleliu. It is notable for the millions of golden jellyfish which migrate horizontally across the lake daily. photo source Jellyfish Lake is connected to the ocean through fissures and tunnels in the limestone of ancient Miocene reef. photo source Two species of scyphozoan jellyfish live in Jellyfish Lake, moon jellyfish and the golden jellyfish. photo source The golden jellyfish are most closely related to the spotted jellyfish that inhabit the nearby lagoons. photo source The moon jellyfish were identified as Aurelia aurita by Hamner. photo source photo source photo source photo source