Ethereal Macro Photos of Snowflakes in the Moments Before They Disappear Russian photographer Andrew Osokin is a master of winter macro photography. His photo collection is chock full of gorgeous super-close-up photographs of insects, flowers, snow, and frost. Among his most impressive shots are photographs of individual snowflakes that have fallen upon the ground and are in the process of melting away. The shots are so detailed and so perfectly framed that you might suspect them of being computer-generated fabrications. They’re not though. You can enjoy many more of Osokin’s impressive photographs (16 pages worth, at the moment) over on his LensArt.ru website. Andrew Osokin Photography [LensArt via The Curious Brain via Colossal] Image credits: Photographs by Andrew Osokin and used with permission
37signals Earns Millions Each Year. Its CEO's Model? His Cleaning Lady Jason Fried is a founder and CEO of 37signals, a software company based in Chicago. Fried also treats 37signals as something of a laboratory for innovative workplace practices–such as a recent experiment in shortening the summer workweek to just four days. We caught up with Fried to learn how employees are like fossil fuels, how a business can be like a cancer, and how one of the entrepreneurs he admires most is his cleaning lady. FAST COMPANY: You have your employees only work four-day weeks in the summer. JASON FRIED: Sometimes people are not really used to working just four days and actually want to stay to get more work done. You’re saying you have people who actually want to stay the fifth day? How many employees would stay to work Fridays? Because you weren’t there! As CEO, wouldn’t it simply be rational to let people work the fifth day for you if they wanted? Are we reaching “peak people”? So you think there’s a slash-and-burn mentality in the tech world?
Do you want your video to look like film? — Cinema Advanced Cinema Advanced I’m sure you’ve been poking about on the internet and come across many differnent forums. Have you noticed that everyone is talking about this mysterious thing called “film look”? I’m sure you have. The way people talk about it, it seems like making your video look like film is the holy grail. I’m sure in your mind this has raised many questions. The truth about ‘film look’ If you float around the message boards long enough…you’ll probably be really confused as to what this whole concept is about. Let’s talk about the “why” aspect first. Why make your video look like film Many people just assume film is better so it only makes sense to try and make your video look like film. The real reason to strive to make video look like film is because audiences are used to the look of film when watching a movie. Ultimately though, you have to shoot with what you have. Film look demystified There are a variety of components that make film look different than digital video.
What crazy national day falls on your birthday? Christmas is great and all but it's so boring - EVERYONE celebrates Christmas. So we decided to have a look at some unconventional & weird days we could fill the calendar with. First stop, the internet. Unsurprisingly we were not disappointed. Though some of these may be a little obscure (give them a quick Google if you're unsure), they are all genuine national days somewhere in the world. Which one falls on your birthday? We've just launched our Student Beans ID iOS app! Remember, if you're a student, to add these things to your life - huge student discounts - freebies - brilliant student articles like this - all for FREE. Sign up to studentbeans.com right now Don't wait until later, you know you'll forget! 1… Emma M.
"What Does Love Mean?" See How 4-8 Year-Old Kids Describe Love Article By:Ladan Lashkari A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds: "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think... "When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. Rebecca - age 8 "When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. Billy - age 4 "Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." Terri - age 4 "Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." Danny - age 7 "Love is when you kiss all the time. Emily - age 8 "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." Bobby - age 7 (Wow!) "If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate." Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
Spectacular Moleskine Doodles Explode with Energy Philippines-based illustrator Kerby Rosanes proves that doodling can be so much more than scratching unintelligible scribbles on paper. Through his Sketchy Stories blog, Rosanes shares his wonderful world of doodling in a simple Moleskine sketchbook. Equipped with an ordinary Moleskine, a few Uni Pin drawing pens, and his innate gift for drawing, the artist is able to transport viewers to a world where tiny, cartoonish creatures explode with gusto to make up larger entities. Each of the illustrator's complex and crowded sketches are filled with minute details that allow the eye to wander and discover new characters and designs at every turn. The portraits are immediately mesmerizing, but even more spectacular when looked upon closely. Rosanes says that he's on a bit of an illustration high from merging animals with his "crazy doodle monsters" but admits, "I’m liking the results of every fusion." Kerby Rosanes websiteKerby Rosanes on deviantART via [Gaks]
Buddhism and the God-idea Do Buddhists believe in a god? No, we do not. There are several reasons for this. The Buddha, like modern sociologists and psychologists, believed that religious ideas and especially the god idea have their origins in fear. The Buddha says: Gripped by fear people go to sacred mountains, sacred groves, sacred trees and shrines. Primitive humans found selves in a dangerous and hostile world, the fear of wild animals, of not being able to find enough food, of injury or disease, and of natural phenomena like thunder, lightning and volcanoes were constantly with them. The second reason the Buddha did not believe in a god is because there does not seem to be any evidence to support this idea. The third reason the Buddha did not believe in a god is that the belief is not necessary. But if there are no gods how did the universe get here? All religions have myths and stories which attempt to answer this question. What does the Buddha say about the origin of the universe? Not so.
Hanging String Balls Whattya need? BalloonStringScissorsGlueJar How do I make glue string balls? Step 1: Hang inflated balloon from ceiling. Step 2: Put string and glue in the jar with a hole in the lid. Step 3: Wait until dry (try to contain yourself). Created by Dane Holweger