Being a native Texas I have always wanted to be able to look up in the sky and see a large piece floating in the sky, always looking down at me, like a large piece of fruit on the sky. Thanks to Cesar Saez, from Quebec Canada, this "artwork" may one day be a reality for folks living in Texas. Cesar is head of the Geostationary Banana Over Texas project. The plan is to launch a banana-shaped airship over the state of Texas in the August of 2008.




Since the projects conception in 2005, the team of designers has been verifying the technical and legal aspects of this unique airship. Now in 2008 the art project is ready for production. The feasibilty of the project has been confirmed, and the 1000ft helium filled banana will hover in a near space-altitude. The technology involved actually seems really sophisticated and complcated, at least for a banana. I for one welcome our new banana overlords.



via The artists' website, and Wikipedia

Mel Waters purchased land near Ellensburg Washington, and on this land is a supposed bottomless hole that displays paranormal properties. People would come from around Mel's community and dump everything from old tires to dead livestock into the hole, and would listen carefully, never to hear their garbage hit the bottom. The hole is nine feet in diameter, with a retaining wall around it, and it did not taper in any way, it was a straight hole. Out of curiosity, Mel decided to find out just how deep his hole really is, he discovered that the hole was in excess of 15 miles (~80,000ft) deep, a figure which he is said to have reached after spooling out 18 reels of 20 lb test fishing line, tied end on end, into the hole.

Mel decided to tell his story to the whole world on an interview with Art Bell on Coast to Coast AM on February 21st, 1997. After the interview, Mel returns home to find the the US Government had confiscated his land and the hole. From that point on, all satellite images taken of this land had large white blocks covering the area that Mel's Hole was in (see below). This whole amazing story can be heard by downloading the recorded rebroadcast of Mel's interview on Coast to Coast AM:

Mel's Hole - Part 1
Mel's Hole - Part 2
Mel's Hole - Part 3
Mel's Hole - Part 4
Mel's Hole - Part 5
Mel's Hole - Part 6
Mel's Hole - Part 7
Mel's Hole - Part 8

The original TerraServer image, you can see a white square that covers the hole and much of the are around it:


In newer images the area is now viewable. What could this mean?


Their are groups that are dedicated to finding the hole. Even a few who think they have found it. A college short film, and Rod Serling had a similiar hole in a movie.


To me the story seems to get a little too bizarre as it goes on. Some of it I could be believable, but some of it not so much. It is still fun to listen to though though, listen for yourself, and draw your own conclusion.

...cannot be unseen. Like the FedEx logo arrow, or the clouds being the same as bushes in Super Mario Brothers. Once I saw the following image floating around the net, I knew I would never see a map the same way again...

South America + Africa = T-REX? Behold....

Click for fullsized expanded view.

To me it looks more like Carnotaurus:

Phoenix Lander has been on Mars for:


8-01-08: Water has been found! After several Earth months of hard digging, the Phoenix Lander has scooped up ice water. Maybe next it will find some life?

UPDATE: The Lander has landed! The first part of the mission was a success! Check the links below for the latest info, and pictures received from mars.

The University of Arizona, in collaboration with NASA, built the Phoenix Mars Lander. Launched in August 2007 the Phoenix is designed to study the history of water and habitability potential in the Martian arctic's ice-rich soil. Phoenix has the potential to answer many of the questions we have about Mars, its history of life, and water. This mission could make 2008 a very exciting year in space news

Watch the events unfold live on NASA TV, and up to the minute information.

For much more information: Official Phoenix Mission, NASA'a Phoenix Site, Wikipedia

On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the moon, he was then shortly after joined by 'Buzz' Aldrin. The maps below show the coverage area of the first Apollo 11 moon mission.
After travelling hundreds of thousands of miles, the landing crew of the Apollo 11 lunar mission barely covered an area the size of a soccer field.


Click for fullsize.

Maybe you feel more comfortable with the Baseball Diamond version?

Click for fullsize.

via NASA history division

A bit of information: "Powers of Ten explores the relative size of things from the microscopic to the cosmic. The 1977 film travels from an aerial view of a man in a Chicago park to the outer limits of the universe directly above him and back down into the microscopic world contained in the man's hand. Powers of Ten illustrates the universe as an arena of both continuity and change, of everyday picnics and cosmic mystery. The film also demonstrates the Eameses' ability to make science both fascinating and accessible."

This video is pretty old, so it has probably been seen by many people who frequent the net. It seems to circulate on just about every video site and blog out there. But everytime I watch, I am amazed.



And of course, The Simpsons made a version:

Yes, the Watterson of Calvin & Hobbes. The name invokes wonderful thoughts of Calvin and Hobbes, possibly the funniest comic strip of all time. He has had so many fights for the integrity of his strip and he was so abused for it, I think he wishes he had never done it. It is tragic. While I wish for all that merchandise that could have been made for Calvin and Hobbes, I wonder at the same time if it would have really detracted from the strip's virtuous nature.

PlatypusComix has a great collection of Watterson's scarecest material. "The Complete Calvin and Hobbes" wasn't completely complete. Most of what you're about to see, you've never seen before...

UPDATE:
Even more of Bill Watterson's work has turned up. Check out the Calvin and Hobbes: Magic on Paper website.

It was this week 30 years ago that Ohio State's Big Ear radiotelescope captured a very strong, anomalous signal as it scanned the cosmos. Whatever it was, it so surprised astronomer Jerry Ehman that he wrote "Wow!" on the data printout. Many wonder if this was our first encounter with intelligent extraterrestrial life.



via MSNBC
More at: Damn Interesting