SpaceChem is Now Free For Schools

SpaceChem, the indi puzzle game of combining elements to make molecules, is now Free For Schools. I think this is cool because in the advanced levels, you need to use the game's periodic table to make the target compound. SpaceChem comes with a level editor, so educators can create class specific levels to accomplish learning objective.



I find this exciting because it is this kind of thing that will be part of the future of education.

More Musical Tesla Coil Action

Musical Tesla Coil Hat

A guy made a Tesla Coil Hat that plays the mortal Combat theme tune. The video doesn't show the hat itself very well, so checkout The Guy's Blog.

Using Your Old Graphics Card To Run As A Dedicated PhysX Processor

I am currently upgrading from a Nvidia 9800GTX to a Nvidia 580GTX and with the current SLI technology can't have them running together because the GPUs and graphics memory is different on both cards. But a configuration that is supported, is using my old card as a Dedicated PhysX Processor.

I wondered wither this would be better than just letting the 580GTX do all the graphics rendering and physics work. And I found this video when I Googled:



In the video he is using a 8600GTS which isn't as powerful as my 9800GTX, but it is interesting to see that the benchmark scores higher when the 580GTX is allowed to do all the work. I don't think it can be stated strongly enough that the results will change from benchmark to benchmark. But as on overall indicator I don't think I will keep my 9800GTX as even if it could conceivably provides a little extra performance if my 580GTX is under extreme graphics load, the extra heat and power consumption required to keep my 9800GTX makes the whole thing not worth it.

Full Immersion Battlefield 3 Rig

One of the challenges that The Gadget Show set themselves recently; was to create a fully immersive Battlefield 3 playing experience. What they created is rather impressive and makes me wonder why I can't pay to get this kind of experience at somekind of gaming center.



I think one improvement that they could make would be to use electric shock pads, instead of the paintball guns. Not sure if that would work commercially, but would provide better feedback.

Heidi Klum's Halloween Costume

It isn't often that I care about celebrity news, but the Daily Mail did an article on Her Costume At Her Annual Halloween Party. And wow it was impressive.

Happy Halloween

I love this guy's house videos.

Epic Anime Adobe After Effects Fights

One of the things I love about computing is the upward trend towards everything becoming cheaper, faster and more accessible. Where as once computer special effects where for the privileged few, now we are seeing a growing number of independents using them in their film projects. And One of the things I love about martial arts is the rewards you get for time invested. The below videos combine both of these things to good effect.

Cover Up Makeup Advert

This is an advert for Dermablend Pro a skin concealer for scars, tattoos and blemishes for makeup people to use on models, tv people etc.



I love this advert, firstly because of Rick, but mostly because it is a very good advert that has style and demonstrates the product very well.

Japanese Anti-Piracy Advert

In Japan, this is played before every film.

Mercury Arc Rectifiers

The Mercury Arc Rectifier was used in the days before semiconductors to convert high voltage mains current to CD current for train lines. My favorite thing about this is that they are rather complex pieces of glass that wouldn't look out of place on a TARDIS.

First World Problems

The third world has problems like starvation, war, finding drinkable water and lots of other fundamental problems. The first world has problems like, waiting for more than ten minutes on hold when trying to pay a bill and, being unable to find the correct remote control for the TV. The funniest one I have heard is that someone had to see Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows in 3D because the 2D showings had sold out.

Reddit has a subgrop called FirstWorldProblems which is full of these although a lot could be argued to be problems for everyone.
Zach who has a channel on youtube called Funnyz did a rap called first world problems.

Breaking up the Monopoly with Modern Board Game Design

Scott Nicholson is currently on sabbatical at MIT where he is infusing everyone with boardgame enthusiasm. His main research focus while at MIT is to create a toolkit for allowing groups of students to use a boardgame toolkit and simple parameters to develop their own boardgame to learn about a subject.

A few weeks ago he did an open talk about himself, boardgames and what he is doing at MIT and his research focus. He is an excellent lecturer so it is worth a watch.

The Euthanasia Roller Coaster

Euthanasia is an interesting subject, both the ethical side, and the mechanism. How would one kill themselves in a nice way?

Julijonas Urbonas at the Royal College of Art has created the Euthanasia Coaster. This is a Roller coaster where the rider is subjected to a negative ten gforce for one minute resulting in the brain being starved of oxygen and the death of the riders. I am not sure wither one minute is enough to kill someone, but I am sure Julijonas has done his research. The riders would experience a feeling of euphoria as their brains are starved of oxygen. And I think this is a very interesting art project. Roller coasters try to terrify riders with sirens and warning singes as they queue for a ride, but here we have one that I am sure most of us wouldn't want to take, but it's design is simple and elegant. And I am sure if it was built, it would be ridden.

Video Link

DragonCon 2011 Cosplay Montage

I want to do some cosplay, but I have no idea what to go as. I am held back by my indecision because of the time it will take me to put a reasonable costume together.

The US Military's Don't Ask Don't Tell Is No More

Don't Ask Don't tell was a compromise between throwing gay service people out of the military and allowing them to service. Gays where allowed to serve as long as they where closeted. Some seen this as an evil policy against gays, but the policy has now been repealed. I hope this goes some way to promoting equal rights in the US as I believe that most straight people assume that everyone around is strait except for the rare few. We know that more than 7% of the world's population is gay and that means that if you are in a room with fifteen other people, then there is a good chance that one of them is gay.

I thought the news of DADT would be met with quiet applause, but many gays in the military have been coming out and have been celebrating with a flurry of YouTube videos. AreYouSuprised has been doing videos anonymously on YouTube about being gay and in the military. The first video where we get to see his face, was posted two days ago where he comes out to his Dad.

Random Fact

There isn't a video on YouTube of someone popping a pimple.

LED Viking Mohawk

I just thought this was really cool.

George Did It AGAIN!

I have mostly been on the fence about some of the changes George Lucas has made to Star Wars over the years. Some I have liked like the removal of the black boarders around some of the special effects and the updated Wampa Feading Scene. And others I am very much on the fence about like the updated Sarlacc Pit. However now with the BluRay Release Of Star Wars, Lucas is adding some extra dialogue to the scene where Darth Vader kills Emperor Palatine. This scene was perfect before, the silent defiance was all that was needed, but now Lucas has Darth Vader saying "No!"

There has been some leaked audio of the 'NO!' and WideAsleepFilm has edited it together with a copy of the scene. I think it's a crime against good cinema and something that shouldn't have been changed, but see for yourself.

[Source: Ain't It Cool News]

Random Fact

The G-spot is named after Ernst Gräfenberg.