9 April 2023

Cerro de los Siete Colores - The Hill of Seven Colors

The colors could have come from the palette of a painter. Yet the Cerro de los Siete Colores (The Hill of Seven Colors) is quite real.

Millions of years of geological activity followed by erosion have created something magnificent on this Argentinian hillside.

Marine sediments combined with lake and river flows, elevated with the movement of the tectonic plates, combine to produce a dazzling array of color for the eyes to take in.

William Shakespeare Presents: Terminator the Second


I think I may have been waiting for this all my life.  An unashamed fan of The Bard – not to mention The Terminator movies this hybrid of the two combines Shakespeare and Schwarzenegger seamlessly.  In fact, William Shakespeare Presents Terminator the Second is the premiere production of the Nashville performance collective, Husky Jackal Theater. A product of nearly a year of exploration and alteration, the script tells the strange history of a boy and his cyborg guardian completely in lines and phrases taken from the works of William Shakespeare.

Each line and phrase is taken from original folios, with only proper nouns, pronouns and corresponding verb tenses subject to change. In doing so, the authors were able to accurately recreate the story of Terminator 2: Judgement Day, while remaining true to the words of Shakespeare in form, if less so in intent.

I have never really felt the need to live in, move to or even visit Nashville before now, but that is where WSP: TTS (brevity being the soul of wit as Will would say) is going to be previewed on October 22 – at the Belcourt Theater

The film above was made in front of a small audience to promote the show and received standing ovations worthy of a Springsteen-at-his-peak concert. It looks like it is all done with tongue firmly in cheek and despite being a parody, with great fondness both for the works of William and of Arnold. I guess I am just going to have to make do with this wonderful preview instead…

The Ennedi Plateau: Secret Stones of the Sahara

IMG_1216

Rising from the sands of the great Sahara Desert, the Ennedi Plateau is a revelation.  Situated in the north east of Chad and surrounded by sand on all sides, this extraordinary, other-worldly place presents vista after vista of stunning rock formations.
Ennedi is little visited – there is nothing you could realistically call a road for many miles. The plateau is frequented only by local nomads and a handful of foreign visitors in their 4x4s.

Yet even though the landscape resembles somewhere the crew of the Enterprise might find themselves on an away mission, these rocks – as you will see - hide something perhaps even more astonishing.

Welcome to London - A Short Hyperlapse Film


Take a trip around London without getting out of your chair.  This wonderful hyperlapse by Mattia Bicchi features a number of the English capital’s well-known architectural features including a stunning shot of Tower Bridge.

Hyperlapse really is a labor of love so many thanks to Mattia for this superb example of a fairly new form.

243 Titles of Animated Feature Films


If you love animated movies then this is going to be an absolute treat for you.  Put together for the first (and probably last) time are 243 titles of animated movies.  Just the titles, one after the other – so blink and you will miss them.

This uber cool compilation was put together by Irina Neustroeva – and if you want to see the whole list, click here.

Death in D Minor


Some people are taken too early.  Jones has lived to a ripe old age but resents the death of his army buddy decades earlier. He has spent the intervening years planning something of a unique defense system. When death comes knocking, he is not going to go without a fight.  This animated short by five students from The One Academy does not conclude until after the credits, so keep watching right till the end.

Makeover


Horrie is old. His wife is dead.  His dog is dead. Yet he has life in him yet and decides that perhaps it is time to date again.  He finds the woman (with dog) of his dreams in a dating magazine but soon realises that her expectations may be greater than what he has to offer.  So, Horrie embarks on a makeover of such extremes it may make you wince but I can assure you that the denouement of this funny short film, written and directed by Don Percy, will make you smile.

1 April 2023

MTO – Street Art Labor Intensity

His mother calls him Mateo but most of the world knows the mysterious street artist whose extraordinary work you see here as MTO.   French born but Berlin based, MTO’s work is characterized by incredibly detailed renditions of über cool actors and musicians with a dash of red as his signature or around his work as a signifier of its boundaries (we are guessing to allow other artists to work around him).

A visit to the Spanish city of Barcelona was the kick-start for MTO’s work on the streets.  There, the vibrancy of the city’s exterior culture inspired him to create. Yet his work, although labeled street art, goes way beyond graffiti.

Nuttin Else Matters


When all you have on your mind is your next nut the last thing you want is to be captured by a nutty human girl who is intent on dressing you up as her heroes.  However, such is life for this poor squirrel in this funny animated short by Sebastian Pfeifer.

This animation features ‘appearances’ by Marilyn Monroe, Bruce Lee, Arielle, Alien, Hulk, Rambo, Wonderwoman, Darth Vader, Jason, Mary Poppins, Dr. Evil, King Kong, the Terminator, Psycho, Edward Sscissorhands and Raoul Duke.  It’s nuts.

Cooped


When you’re a house-dog you don’t get to go out much, perhaps not at all if your human is a workaholic who can’t keep his eyes open most of the time. So for this dog, the discovery that there is a world outside of his cooped-up four walls is a revelation which creates an insatiable thirst in him to travel.  This entertaining not to mention thought-provoking animation was written, animated and directed by Mike A Smith.

What are the Advantages of RFID Chips?


Radio Frequency Identification chips embed processor in to everyday objects but what are their advantages? Here we take a look at 8 advantages in a short video I put together for my students (I’m a teacher in the ‘real’ world).  This is aimed at Level 2 BTEC students so is more of an introduction than an in-depth look and works towards their Online World exam.

 Although there are also many disadvantages to RFID (which I hope to go in to in another video as people get truly het up about these things!) this only puts one side of the story across!

25 March 2023

The Future of Learning: Embracing Technology in the Classroom

computers students classroom

Discover the benefits and challenges of using technology in the classroom with our informative guide. Learn how technology is transforming the educational landscape, and explore the latest trends and innovations in edtech.

The Implementation of Technology in the Classroom: Is It Effective?

Technology has become an inevitable part of our everyday life. It can be seen in every sphere of human activity. The educational sector is no exception. It has utilized the creations of the industry for many decades and regularly enjoys success. Technology in the classroom seems to be utterly efficient. Nonetheless, is it really so?

We must confess that using technology in the classroom isn’t always successful for learners. There are many cases when it serves as a source of distractions and even some problems with health. Yet, it’s a mighty weapon if it is implemented and utilized correctly. Our article focuses on such situations. Let’s discover the main benefits of technology in the classroom right now!

Improved Time Management

Various kinds of technology in classrooms offer a great variety of advantages. one of them is a sufficient boost of time management. Merely every task or action you need to complete can be sped up. Let’s check how it is possible by reviewing a few examples.

  • Example #1. You can find any data you need in a blink of an eye. Just open your browser, specify the search combo, and see the results that appear in a second.

  • Example #2. Use a grammar checker to scan your text in 15 seconds. Check the underlined mistakes, click to see how your app suggests correcting them, and click if you agree. Everything is done instantly.

Access to Any Data

We guess the most valuable advantage of utilizing technology in classroom is the possibility to access whatever data a learner may require. Of course, we mean the all-mighty Internet. As we have mentioned right above, you can instantly find any data you may need. Just use the right search combo, familiarize yourself with the search results, and use what can help you to do your assignments.

One of the possible options is to use a reliable and affordable essay writing service where experts know how to do research, write a top-notch paper, or how to make an essay longer . We guess you know that such platforms can do everything instead of students. We don’t say that you should use them for this purpose. Yet, such platforms can be used just to learn the right tips and tricks on writing, editing, proofreading, citing, etc. They offer:

  • Online consultations
  • Prepaid samples (copyrighted)
  • Free blog posts and articles

You can find the required tips and answers by using any of these forms of support.

Boosted Creativity

If you know how to use technology in the classroom, you know how to fulfill tasks creatively. Various apps and software provide learners with amazing possibilities, which were impossible some 20 years ago. Thanks to new options, youngsters can complete their assignments originally, and every learner can find a completely different method compared to his or her peers. It’s a great benefit, and all teachers welcome it.

Incredible Flexibility

The use of technology in the classroom maintains flexibility for learners and educators. Everything runs much faster because the exchange of data is carried out via instant messages, links, and helpful videos. A teacher can send the right materials to pupils. Youngsters can also access the Internet and share their results with classmates. Afterward, every pupil is able to fulfill his/her tasks quickly and in a convenient way according to one’s talents.

Engagement in the Process

The statistic says that lessons with technology attract students more than similar ones without it. This is surely true, and you can check it yourself by visiting a few lessons. Young minds are attracted by the unique and captivating capabilities offered by technology. They can even turn the execution of their assignments into some kind of interactive fun.

The Ability to Learn from AI

One of the most unbelievable benefits of using technology in the classroom is the chance to learn from artificial intelligence (AI). There are many ways this process is fulfilled. We’ll check some of them.

  • Example #1. One of them is how AI gathers Big Data. It analyzes all the requests done from every corner of the globe. When it happens, AI divides all of them into logical categories. Thus, users enjoy the search results they really need.

  • Example #2. Robo-chats mimic human behavior almost 100%. You may hardly distinguish when AI and a human answer. AI learns from our common answers, reactions, decisions, etc.

  • Example #3. When you use a grammar checker or editor, you get feedback on your mistakes. The app offers corrections as well. Thus, you can quickly fix what’s wrong and memorize the right variants. You learn from the machine!

Virtual Reality

Many modern schools and colleges use tech in the classroom to provide learners with real-time experiences when they are supposed to be deprived of them. One of the greatest methodologies is the use of virtual reality (VR). It can easily take you into ancient centuries or conduct a laser operation in another part of the globe. Such experiences make all the experiments and tasks real. Students are involved in them with great interest and can feel how it works in reality.

Summing Up

The use of technology in the classroom is utterly beneficial to all its participants, especially learners. One can quickly find out how to make an essay longer, speed up, make the text unique, etc., just by making a few clicks and using the right tool. It seems to be a miracle, but it’s a pleasant reality! Just be sure you’re using technology wisely.

Image credit
Image credit

5 March 2023

The Art of the Japanese Manhole

manhole cover japan art

The Japanese have a wonderful relationship with their manhole covers: they treat them as art. Here is a selection of the ornate, the artistic and the slightly bizarre.

4 February 2023

Urbex – The Art of Urban Exploration

Most of us now live in towns and cities and you might assume that these areas are fully mapped out and known to all. However, some places become unseen or out of bounds and, left to their own devices, become almost geographical blind spots. Join us as some of these off-limits areas are infiltrated – with some startling photographic results.

The Strange Life Cycle of the Ladybug

Over at the Ark in Space, there is an excellent article about the strange - no, bizarre - life cycle of the ladybug. What you can see above is what they look like before they become those ravishing little dots of red and black in your garden.

These insects are the favorite of many children but behind the pretty exterior lies an eating machine of devastating proportions which will stop at nothing to get at its next meal and involves itself in some quite ghastly goings on in the shrubbery, even involving intraguild predation (cannibalism, basically).

Altogether it is quite a remarkable life cycle, going on right under our noses.

Take a look


Image Credit: Giles San Martin

Wojtek - The Polish Soldier Bear

During the Second World War a bear was adopted by a group of Polish soldiers and quickly became accustomed to the rigors of army life. He spent years with the Polish Free Army and survived the war yet his ultimate fate was bitter-sweet to say the least. Here is his story, animated by Marianna Rackin as graduation project from Shenkar College of Engineering and Design.

The Embroidered Zoetrope


We have featured any number of zoetropes, those amazing devices that produce the illusion of motion by displaying a sequence of drawings or photographs showing progressive phases of that motion, on Kuriositas.  Now thanks to animator Elliot Schultz we can make good on that omission.  The zoetropes featured were made for Elliot’s degree project at the ANU School of Art in 2013.  I suspect he may have been awarded a high grade.

Yesterday's Tomorrow - A Portland Journey


In “Yesterday’s Tomorrow,” Uncage the Soul Productions brought their cameras to the same position and angles of their favorite Portland historic images. We wondered, what’s changed? What’s remained the same?  This is not quite the ‘then and now’ video you might expect however – what makes it different is the fact that it is done through motion – plus there is a wonderful narration.

The Test of Time


When Time and Space enter the ring for the title of ‘Fourth Dimension’ who can say who is going to win?  This very entertaining animated extended metaphor (I think) is cleverly scripted and put together – not sure if I got all the references but I think I did!

The Test of Time was the graduation thesis film for Ringling College of Art and Design student Michael Ropple.

15 January 2023

Elephant Trunk Hill – Guilin’s Legendary Protector

Tramping through the hills around Guilin in China is busy work, so at the end of the day an elephant gets thirsty. There’s nothing like dipping your trunk in to the river to cool off and taking a long, thirst quenching drink. Yet when you’re made of stone you might be there for quite a long time.

Image Credit Flickr User Archer10

The Tortoise Beetle - Amazing Metallic Arthropods

Things that make you go mmm, number 976.  This little guy is for real.  It is a golden tortoise beetle and it is featured on Ark in Space today.  They don’t just come in gold either- there’s a silver variety as well other species which come in a number of hues all with an amazing metallic sheen.  Plus they have this amazing outer covering (known as a cuticle) which is often transparent. Altogether they look like insects from planet steampunk.  Read about them over at our sibling site, The Ark in Space.

Image Credit Wikimedia

Dublin Time Lapse

dublin timelapse panoramic

Take a look at the Fair City in a different way. This time lapse by Richard Twomey (his first, believe it or not) captures the capital of Ireland beautifully.

The feeling of depth in many of the shots such as via clouds and stationary objects in the city shots paired with the camera movement is wonderful.

Although this will entrance you if you live in Ireland perhaps it is only fitting that we dedicate this to the Irish diaspora.

Wherever you are in the world I think this may fill you with homesickness.

A Twirling Day


Someone’s spotted the zeitgeist. A Twirling Day is the latest short by ModernEye (a creative studio / director duo based in London) and it captures very well the sense of absurdity many people feel in this day and age about the decisions they have to take.

You know the ones, the ones which we have to make even though we know there isn’t really any possibility of us having any control over them whatsoever; the kind of decision that just seems to be fate playing another one of her practical jokes on you.

Directed by Jon Uriarte, and starring Alberto Rolan as the Everyman figure, A Twirling Day is not guaranteed to lighten your mood but I think a number of you may recognise yourself somewhere in here.

The Ballad of Thaddeus Lowe


Have you ever heard of Thaddeus Lowe? No, I hadn’t but a quick check on Wikipedia verified that he did actually live and everything that you see here actually happened.  It tells the little known story of Lowe - aeronaut, scientist and inventor who came to prominence during the American Civil War when he performed aerial reconnaissance on the Confederate troops on behalf of the Union Army – in a balloon. Unfortunately his endeavors were not too well received and he had to resign in 1863.

This very amusing animated short was written, directed, animated and narrated by Kelly Jones who also wrote the accompanying song which is probably going to be in my head all day now – for which I don’t know whether to thank Ms Jones or invoice her. 

If Lowe’s civil war activities were not widely appreciated then a later invention was.  He conceived the water gas process by which large amounts of hydrogen gas could be manufactured from steam and charcoal – his patents and ice making machines associated with this process made him a millionaire.  Unfortunately he invested unwisely later in life and died without much to his name – financially speaking at least.  We, of course, will always remember him for his services to his country as an aeronaut – not to mention his ballad… “Oh Thaddeus, Thaddeus Lowe… it’s too bad you’re still unknown”.

28 December 2022

Gedi – Kenya’s Hidden History Revealed

The thirteenth century was one of turmoil. The crusades were in full swing, the Mongol empire under Ghengis Khan swept forever westwards while Marco Polo turned his own eyes towards the east.

Meanwhile in Kenya, East Africa, a group of enterprising people began to build a settlement which would endure for over three hundred years. Gedi, a sophisticated coral-brick built town belies the perception many have about this part of Africa - and its architecture - before the arrival of Europeans. Take a look at Kenya's hidden history revealed.

Birdboy


A terrible industrial accident changes little Dinki’s life forever.  Now Dinki’s fate may ride on the wings of her eccentric friend, Birdboy, a misfit who hides in the dead forest lost in his own fantasies.

This is very grown up, allegorical animation and was written and directed by Pedro Rivero and Alberto Vázquez. Birdboy is strange, more than a little morose but quite compulsive - I am sure you will feel the need to see what happens to Dinki and Birdboy. It is a film basically about decisions.  Can you identify with a character who dreams about learning how to fly rather than actually doing it? Perhaps, and so can many film festival goers who have given this film numerous awards.  In fact after winning the Foyle Film Festival in Ireland last year it made the Academy Award short list.

Birdboy is based on a comic entitled Psiconautas written by Alberto Vázquez and published by Bilbao publishing house Astiberri.

Allow the use of cookies in this browser?

Kuriositas uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyse traffic. Learn more about cookies and how they are used.
Allow cookies Cookies settings