Robo-starfish

Cornell researchers develop a robotic design that "self determines" its shape and locomotion. Nice use of A-Life in R-Life.

New Gengap

I like the explanation of the new generation gap over at New York Magazine. Motivates me just a little to try out second life, facebook, and all that other "trendy web stuff". Might just have to start a blog....

Distance Transforms...

Paul Rosens Salience Distance Transform.

Spears everywhere!!!

I like spears, they are round, right? They have a gabillion at the CGSpear Gallery. I am going to make all of my Graphics II students do one. Hurray.

Neat new musical instrument

Created in 2000, the Hang (pronounced "hung") is one of the younger musical instruments. It comes from Bern, Switzerland, and was created by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer OF THE PANArt Company. It was the result of many years of research on the steel pan and many other resonating percussion instruments from around the world: Gong, Gamelan, Ghatam, drums, cowbells, MUSICAL Saw...

Link to some good demos of its sound. I particularly like the one with GiDDA and MUM. Word has it that the company, PANArt, produces very few of these. Might be a little hard to get ahold of, especially in the US.

Surreal Holland: Femke Himestra Illustration

Link!

The sound of art

Cognitive scientists at the University College London are conducting research on the intimate connection between art and sound. ( Link to press release.) Jamie Ward's research investigates the relationship between the perception of color, shape, and sound. Specifically, he is interested in a condition known as Synaesthesia, where sensory experiences such as sound, color, and touch combine.
( Link to collection of Synaesthesia research.) Sadly, the recent article is not (yet?) available on the web.