Lenny’s Garage [video]

Conrad Heyer – The Earliest-Born Person To Be Photographed

According to Mental_floss –

When he sat down for this portrait in 1852, Heyer had lived a long, full life. As a young man, he fought in the Revolutionary War and crossed the Delaware River with George Washington.

By the time the daguerreotype was invented in 1839, Heyer was already an old man who had also lived to see the arrival of the steam-powered boat and the first electric streetcars. He died in 1856 at the age of 107, having witnessed both the birth of a nation and the birth of modern photography.

Continue reading HERE.

Lava Flow From Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano [video]

Forest Megaphones Amplify Sounds Of Nature

According to designboom –

a forest clearing in estonia’s võru county has been reconsidered into a space of meditation, relaxation and community engagement through the installation of three giant wooden megaphones. interior architecture students at the estonian academy of arts have conceived the idea of a forest library near RMK’s pähni nature centre, where the quiet sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves are amplified to surrounding site visitors.

Continue reading HERE.

How A Retractable Ballpoint Pen Works [video]

Exoplanet Has Been Imaged Orbiting Its Star

Gizmodo reports –

And…it’s literally six seconds of pixelated blob. But before you laugh, know this: Capturing that planetary transit you just witnessed was no easy task. You’re looking at Beta Pictoris b, a gas giant ten to twelve times the mass of Jupiter that orbits a star over 60 light years away. That’s 3.527 × 10¹⁴ miles from us, and we’re actually able to see it! If you’re still not impressed, try this on for size: Beta Pictoris b is roughly a million times dimmer than its parent star.

See video and read more HERE.

Nano Niagara Falls [video]

How Strange Were The 1904 Olympics?

The 1904 Olympics, held in St. Louis, were truly in the spirit of amateurism, or maybe, just disorganized. The US won 3 medals in Tug of War, and a one-legged man won 6 medals in gymnastics.

Read more about it HERE.

 

Grains Of Sand [pics]

Simple grains of sand take on a whole new appearance when magnified. Dr. Gary L. Greenberg has taken many such photographs and he sells prints of them on his site.

Check out the grains of sand photos HERE.

 

Never Ending Phone Call [video]

Hobo Ethical Code of 1889

At the 1889 National Hobo Convention in St. Louis, a strict ethical code was established for all hobos to follow. Here are some tips we could all use, no matter what you carry in your rucksack.

1. YOU DO YOU.

“Decide your own life, don’t let another person run or rule you.”

2. SHOW SOME RESPECT.

“When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times.”

3. DON’T BE AN OPPORTUNIST.

“Don’t take advantage of someone who is in a vulnerable situation, locals or other hobos.”

4. GET A JOB.

“Always try to find work, even if temporary, and always seek out jobs nobody wants. By doing so you not only help a business along, but ensure employment should you return to that town again.”

5. BE A SELF-STARTER.

“When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts.”

6. SET A GOOD EXAMPLE.

“Do not allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example for locals’ treatment of other hobos.”

7. BE MINDFUL OF OTHERS.

“When jungling in town, respect handouts, do not wear them out, another hobo will be coming along who will need them as badly, if not worse than you.”

8. DON’T LITTER.

“Always respect nature, do not leave garbage where you are jungling.”

9. LEND A HAND.

“If in a community jungle, always pitch in and help.”

10. PRACTICE GOOD HYGIENE.

“Try to stay clean, and boil up wherever possible.”

11. BE COURTEOUS WHEN YOU’RE RIDING THE RAILS …

“When traveling, ride your train respectfully, take no personal chances, cause no problems with the operating crew or host railroad, act like an extra crew member.”

12. … AND WHEN YOU’RE NOT.

“Do not cause problems in a train yard, another hobo will be coming along who will need passage through that yard.”

13. HELP OUT THE KIDS.

“Help all runaway children, and try to induce them to return home.”

14. SAME GOES FOR HOBOS.

“Help your fellow hobos whenever and wherever needed, you may need their help someday.”

15. LEND YOUR VOICE.

“If present at a hobo court and you have testimony, give it. Whether for or against the accused, your voice counts!”

source at mental_floss

Artisanal Firewood [video]