SlugWire

The otherworldly fortresses that are Bulgaria's Socialist monuments

These stark socialist sculptures in Bulgaria have an almost Zardoz-like aesthetic about them. You half expect a coterie of post-apocalyptic stormtroopers to come piling out, armed with laser-axes designed to crush the edifice of bourgeois oppression.

The Economist ponders the future of the internet.

Only in Japan, Real Men Go to a Hotel With Virtual Girlfriends: Dating-Simulation Game a Last Resort For Honeymoon Town and Its Lonely Guests. "Some devoted fans will go so far as to pay twice the rate—most hotels in Japan charge per guest not per room—to indulge the fantasy that they are not there alone. A night's stay, at most, can cost $500 though many rooms are cheaper. In Atami, the Love Plus+ fans—mostly men in their twenties and thirties—stand out. Unlike the deeply tanned beach crowd wearing very little, they are often pasty and overdressed for the heat in heavy jeans and button-down shirts."

Scenes from a 3-D, augmented reality metropolis

Keiichi Matsuda creates incredible short films that depict an augmented reality city where synthetic information clouds are grafted onto brick'n'mortar material spaces. Here are two of his futureshock videos.

Young Caucasian Jackie Chan wannabes jumping around like they can't afford skateboards. Their multiple compound fractures and lifelong disabilities and pain conditions (not pictured) are your two minutes of reasonable amusement. [СЛЙТ]

Megazords Of My Youth: How Power Rangers toys made me a science fiction fan

I have a terrible confession to make - I watched Power Rangers for a long, long time, well past the age when I knew better. Why couldn't I quit this obviously terrible show? The toys were just too damn cool.

While controversy erupts again over the corrupting influence of video games, some developers are working on projects it is very hard to get angry about. Chime, an XBox game to be released for PC tomorrow, is one such project.

Nathalie Miebach translates scientific data related to meteorology and ecology into woven sculptures and musical scores. She discusses her work in an interview with the Peabody Essex Museum. (via Mira y Calla)

Congratulations to the 2010 Hugo Award Winners!

The 2010 Hugo Award Winners were presented today at Aussiecon 4, the 68th World Science Fiction Convention, in Melbourne, Australia, Who were among the big winners? China Miéville, Paolo Bacigalupi, and Moon.

Modern Book Sizes Are Based on Sheep

Most printed books come in certain standard sizes which have been used for hundreds of years. Even the dimensions of Kindles and other eReaders are derived from these norms of printing. And where did these standards come from? According to medieval scholar Carl Pyrdum, they’re based on the size of a sheep: The [...]

How Business Can Lead us Beyond Fossil Fuels: a Techonomy presentation by Amory Lovins, followed by comments from Chevron CTO John McDonald and audience questions.

The oldest living things in the world are over 2000 years old. Some are hundreds of thousands of years old and still going. Rachel Sussman explains.

A simple tale of the biggest bank heist in U.S. history.

Let us pray

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Moscow drivers see 'zebras’ crossing

Russian police trying to make motorists respect pedestrians on zebra crossings thought of drafting in exotic zebras to halt Moscow traffic.

Angry grandma allegedly knifed 12-year-old over jigsaw puzzle

A grandmother has been charged after allegedly taking a knife to her granddaughter's ear when a fight broke out over a jigsaw puzzle. According to a criminal complaint filed in Dakota County District Court (Minnesota), Parbati Kalicharan, 64, was chopping peppers when she became angry with her 12-year-old granddaughter for saying "shut up."

Hospital releases embarrassing rap song about cleaning hands

An NHS hospital has launched a cringeworthy initiative to improve cleanliness – a rap song about hand washing complete with its own dance routine. Bosses at Milton Keynes Hospital, Bucks., have come up with the ‘Clean Hands Rap’ to help doctors and nurses learn proper hand washing technique. The song – which includes the lyrics ”Now to clean between your fingers, Just in case the bad bug lingers” – also has its own video with nurses dressed in ‘hip hop’ style clothing.

Teen sues after playground accident 'left her unable to make friends'

A teenager is suing a council for £100,000 after claiming an accident in her school playground 11 years ago left her with a personality disorder which means she is unable to make friends. Natasha Caley-Winborne was just six years-old when she hit her head after tripping on an allegedly uneven grass bank at St Peters Primary School in the village of Ardingly, East Sussex. Now a 17 year-old college student, she claimed the incident had left her with a catalogue of health problems including violent mood swings, severe headaches, post traumatic amnesia and difficulty forming friendships.

Car thief runs in terror as naked owner jumps in passenger seat

A car thief ran away in terror after the owner of the vehicle jumped into the passenger seat naked and said: "Where we going then?" Russell Stuart was fast asleep in his bed when he was woken up by the sound of his own car starting in the middle of the night. Without a second's thought, he jumped up and hurtled down the stairs of his Dymchurch home and saw someone was attempting to steal his Peugeot 405.

Motorcycle with camera on it crashes into truck (rider OK)

It looks like fun until the last two seconds, and then it becomes nightmarish. (Via Arbroath)...