tech@vedella

The specific strain of the bacteria Yersinia pestis that was responsible for the Black Death in Europe is probably now extinct, according to a new study. The bacterial DNA extracted from historic samples doesn't match modern Y. pestis. This could … Continue reading →

Leroy Leutscher, 86, of Arizona, slipped and fell on a pair of pruning shears that went right through his eye and down his neck. Amazingly, he's doing pretty well given the circumstances. From The Telegraph: Luetscher was rushed to the … Continue reading →

[video link] The Atavist is a platform for publishing and selling short nonfiction, what they call "cinematic journalism," for mobile devices. The full pieces are $2.99/each for iOS devices (with Android coming soon) and stripped-down versions for the Kindle are … Continue reading →

This gorgeous spiral staircase is from the lighthouse at Sand Island, Wisconsin, leading from the basement fuel room to the lighthouse room at the top of the house, with stops at the two floors of living space along the way. … Continue reading →

I snapped this photo in an elevator at the Holiday Inn Express in Mérida, Mexico. There are two sets of buttons in the elevator, one "for exclusive use of guests" and another "for exclusive use of staff." I made sure … Continue reading →

Psi-fi painter Chris Reccardi has a show of new work up at Melbourne, Australia's Outre Gallery. Chris's roots are in the animation industry, having contributed to modern classics like The Ren & Stimpy Show, The Powerpuff Girls, and Samurai Jack … Continue reading →

From Neil Bowdler at the BBC: A Glasgow-based company has installed its first commercial "alkaline hydrolysis" unit at a Florida funeral home. The unit by Resomation Ltd is billed as a green alternative to cremation and works by dissolving the … Continue reading →

I went back to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore last weekend for a short vacation. One of my goals was to get out to Sand Island. This particular one of the 22 Apostles (Official story behind the name: Jesuit missionaries … Continue reading →

The only thing that could make Philip Govedare's curious landscape paintings better is if we had found them buried on Mars in an airtight cylinder, with a copy of the March 12, 1888 edition of the London Times, a locket … Continue reading →

It was very hot in Studio City on Sunday, so I went to Venice Beach with my wife and kids to cool off. It wasn't much cooler, but we had fun. The highlight of my day was this cartoony octopus … Continue reading →

When Simon Glik recorded Boston Suffolk County police doing something they shouldn't, he was threatened and ultimately arrested by a crackpot cop who boasted, "I've been doing this for thirty years and there's nothing you can hold over my head." … Continue reading →

Gweek is Boing Boing’s podcast about comic books, science fiction and fantasy, video games, board games, tools, gadgets, apps and other neat stuff. Rob and I are happy to have as our returning guest Ruben Bolling, creator of Tom the … Continue reading →

Good morning from a sustainable cattle ranch in Montana's Centennial Valley. Here is a snapshot I just took on my phone of one of the residents. I am here with PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles O'Brien, and PBS NewsHour producer … Continue reading →

Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick's Feynman is an affectionate and inspiring comic biography of the legendary iconoclastic physicist Richard Feynman. I've reviewed Ottaviani before (I really liked T-Minus, a history of the Apollo program, as well as his Dignifying Science: … Continue reading →

Photo: Reuters My friend Susannah Breslin, a periodic guest contributor to Boing Boing, has written a piece for the Atlantic about her experience as a survivor of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. When I did return to New Orleans, the … Continue reading →

Forget the GoPro and its expensive ilk: the real fun is clearly to be had with cheap, nasty, hackable spycams such as the 808 Car Keys Micro. Made to resemble a remote entry fob, the gadget records audio, shoots serviceable … Continue reading →

Huang Nubo is China's 16th richest person. The self described "poet and adventurer" has offered $100 million to buy 300 square kilometres of Icelandic wilderness to develop a golf course and tourist destination resort. Opponents have questioned why such a … Continue reading →

[Video Link] Scott Beale says: "Cornell Creative Machines Lab wanted to see what would happend if two Cleverbot AI ChatBots had a conversation with each other." I think I've just seen the beginning of the end. Two AI ChatBots Attempt … Continue reading →

Ben Purdy made this "real life" Minecraft block. Very cool! Now that I’m working on projection mapping it was only a matter of time before this happened. Thanks to my brother for the inspiration, he mentioned that one of the … Continue reading →

Three cheers for Ryan Homes in Plain Township, OH. They sell houses with shrubbery planted in front of the garage doors to discourage car ownership. Plus, every house comes with a goat and a cart to transport occupants to the … Continue reading →