You Can Hide but You Can’t Run - The Brockley Cone Caper

 
My walk to work takes me through Brockley, in South East London. It’s quite a pleasant walk and I often notice the birds, the trees and the gentle turning of the seasons (OK, perhaps not so gentle these days).  However today, atop of the bus stop pictured above I noticed not one, two or three, but four traffic cones.  Perhaps they had heard that the Cone Catchers of Catford were making run-ins to their post code, and knowing full well that their ability to run was somewhat limited, decided to hide.  They say there is safety in numbers, after all.

Enough of the visual metaphor. Far more likely, perhaps, is that some local teeny mandem (I suspect they were probably male and had perhaps been squiffing or sniffing things not quite legal for their age) placed them there.  Now, I think the odds of chucking four traffic cones on top of a bus stop and all of them landing perfectly straight is slim.  So, I think that this coney caper must have involved one or more inebriate youngers climbing on top of the bus stop and having the cones passed up to them, proceeding to them arrange them in a rectangular pattern (milord).  However it was done, it must have taken some organisation and perhaps some kind of artistic statement is being made, after all?  Whoever planned and executed this installation have, I hope, done well in their GCSEs, as this shows initiative, spatial awareness, and a commendable commitment to seeing a project through to completion.

Now, of course, I am wondering how long they will be up there for!  I would place my bet on 30 days.

The Web of Science: How Great Discoveries Build on Earlier Ideas

I suppose now we’re very used to the idea of the World Wide Web, that creating a title like that doesn’t demand a huge leap of the imagination, but the interconnectedness of ideas, theories and developments in science is something that could be overlooked, with the giants of science sometimes being considered as – metaphorically – isolated islands of genius with nothing coming before their great breakthroughs.  This couldn’t be further from the truth – without Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, and Johannes Kepler, for example, it would have been very difficult for Einstein to come up with his theories all on his own.

This fascinating video delves into this idea and shows – with some remarkable graphics – how four major Nobel Prize-winning scientific breakthroughs were connected to what went before. The video starts with Isaac Newton, whose idea that it was the same force that made apples fall and planets move was built on the works of the three gentlemen I mentioned previously.  And it builds from there.  The video examines carbon dating, the photoelectric effect, x-ray crystallography and microwaves.  That’s quite a lot to get through in eight minutes, so fasten your seatbelt and watch the video (a coproduction between the BBC and Nobel Prize Outreach) below.  It is narrated by Natashe Peach and written by Carol Olona. The outstanding motion design and SFX is by Kako Abraham 

Amirchik’s “Kyrgyzstan”: The Kyrgyz Pop Hit Celebrating Independence Day

If you have ever wondered what popular music sounds like in Kyrgyzstan, then look no further.  This track is called КЫРГЫЗСТАН, which is written in Kyrgyz and means – yes, you’ve guessed it – Kyrgyzstan.  It is sung by Amirchik, the stage name of Amirkhan Batabayev, a singer from the country who became immensely popular through TikTok and later with his hit song "Эта любовь" ("This Love"). He was born near Bishkek in 2003 and has gained fans across Central Asia and parts of Southeast Asia.  Perhaps it’s now his turn to appeal to countries much further west of Kyrgyzstan too.

The song was written to celebrate Kyrgyzstan’s Independence Day (31 August) as well as its people, national pride, and the artist's personal connection to the place where he grew up. The production involved a large team, including professional choreographers, dancers, and a dedicated filming crew, all working together to bring this creative vision to life.  To make it even more awesome, it is set against the backdrop of  Kyrgyzstan’s magnificent mountains. Like much of the contemporary Kyrgyz pop scene, the music blends upbeat rhythms and synthesized production with the emotional resonance of Kyrgyz oral musical traditions. This certainly allows the song to remain accessible to a global audience while maintaining a distinct local identity.  Happy Independence Day!

The Frida Kahlo Story: Joy, Pain, Colour and Courage

This animation, telling the life of artist Frida Kahlo, was created by Tate Kids for young viewers, but I love the way that it gets the story across without patronage – so making it ideal for viewers of all ages. Born in 1907, Frida Kahlo collected plants while her father painted.  Her mother taught her about Mexican indigenous culture.  When she was six, she contracted polio and although she recovered, her classmates teased her because she had one leg longer than another.  Her solution was to invent an imaginary friend and, encouraged by her father, she took on several sports to help in her recovery from the disease.

She got into one of the best schools in Mexico.  However, something terrible happened when she was 18 – resulting in a fractured spine and a plaster cast.  Learn more about Frida’s recovery and how her art developed because of the accident.  Kahlo would have over 30 operations over the course of her life, but painting stayed with her throughout.  Out of every evil some great good must come and we have her art forever – Frida continues to inspire artist and art lovers to this day.  Watch this rather lovely video below.

The Spiders That Decorate Their Own Webs

Spider webs – possibly the most beautiful and intricate animal structures of the natural world. However, some spiders are not content with a simple web. They go one step further.  They decorate their own webs and today they are featured on the Ark in Space.

These stabilimenta were the source of inspiration for EB White, who was struggling to come up with ideas for his second novel.  One day he noticed the additional decorations on the web of a Banded Garden Spider.  It was from this natural inspiration that he would come up with the idea of a writing spider and would go on to write one of the world’s most cherished children’s books, Charlotte’s Web.   Pop over to the Ark in Space for the full story of the spiders that decorate their own webs together with some amazing pictures.

Jurassic Ward: What Happens When a Sick Kid Gets a Real Dinosaur?

Just as old people who vociferously demand respect should never, ever receive it, so poorly children who expects the impossible from harassed employees of the Wishes Come True Foundation should never, ever get what they have wished for.  Or should they?  This very funny (although I did wince once or twice!) animated short features a sick kid who wants a dinosaur and despite being 66 million years too late will not take no for an answer.  Cue a quick suspension of disbelief and the harassed employee returns with a full-grown Utahraptor called Alan (in a sly nod to Dr Alan Grant from Jurassic Park).

Except – of course – the dinosaur isn’t going to behave.  Now if you are a little squeamish or offended by (a lot of) cartoon violence, I wouldn’t really, honestly, truly press the play button below. If, on the other hand, you can laugh out loud at blood, guts and the idea of therapy animals being eaten by a dinosaur, then definitely press that button.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you!  If Wednesday Addams went to animation school, this is the type of thing we might expect...

This most amusing animated short was created in 2026 by Amber Bellomio for her thesis project at Ringling College of art and Design.  Although I may be a little late to this particular party (this has been on YouTube since May and whatever algorithm shapes my feed failed to point this little gem out to me!), I’m very happy I finally made it.

Portugal’s Gate to Heaven

Porto Covo is a small coastal village, nestled in Portugal’s Alentejo region.  As well as its beautiful, whitewashed houses, little sandy coves and dramatic cliffs, it also has a gate to heaven (and as Michael Cane would probably say, not a lot of people know that).  The portas do ceu, as it is known in Portuguese, is a small wooden gate set into the coastal landscape.  You can reach it by a little stone path, but once through it you will quickly find it goes nowhere.  That’s why it is called the gate of heaven because it is the only possible place that the path (and gate) can possibly lead.  Of course, the combination of gate, flowers and the sweeping horizon above give it that particular “gateway to heaven” appearance. 

It could just as easily be seen as simply a piece of art. And since it has no call to be here, the art lies in the fact that it is here.  Image

half•alive’s Brilliant New EP Video (Billions, The Wolf, The Wonder) Is a Surreal Triptych of Music, Dance and Art

The American indie-pop band half•alive ( h•a to their friends) are not a band that you just simply listen to.  You really must watch them as well.  The video for their new EP (people still make them? Yay!) is a point in case.  The songs are Billions, The Wolf and The Wonder.  I was afraid that the sound on my device was malfunctioning to begin with, because the visuals of four office workers didn’t quite match up with the “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” intro, but we segue elegantly into the heart of the first song Billions very quickly.  I love the dynamic movements here – a little reminiscent of Gener8ion’s Storm in the office scenes (that might just be me) but it was almost as if some of the boys from Storm had grown up (a little) and got themselves jobs!  Regardless, this is intensely clever choreography.

The YouTube commenters love it. From jokes about the choreography requiring the sacrifice of “several childhood core memories” to comparisons with Severance after a questionable trip to the bathroom, the reactions are overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Fans praise half•alive as much for their visual storytelling as their music, while newcomers are discovering the band for the first time. One longtime fan summed it up perfectly: “Three things are for certain. Death, taxes and half-alive consistently blowing us away.”

I’m pretty sure that someone is channelling a few Caravaggio paintings in here too – but make your own mind up by watching the video below.  The bonkers decision to place an ad in the middle of the song almost worked as part of the whole performance (if you see what I mean). The video was directed and produced by Josh Taylor & Courtney Coker with choreography by the JA Collective (with a nod or two to Philippe Decouflé?), performed by Anthony Dessables, Avery Jerome, J Tyler Johnson, Josh Taylor. Experimentally mainstream (or vice versa), this triptych is a real trip.

Enjoy!

China’s Gold-Winning Aerobic Gymnastics Trio Is Pure Joy to Watch

If you have an ever so slightly twisted younger sibling, then you will understand the relationship between the World Games and the Olympics.  They are a little different and certainly less conventional – and include sports such as tug-of-war, wushu and billiards – as well as the Aerobic Gymnastics Trio event.  I know that we don’t often feature sports on Kuriositas, but the AGT event is as camp as a row of tents.  Not only that, it has a joie de vivre to it that cannot fail to put a smile on the face of even the most po-faced gymnastics judge (surely?). 

Last held in the Summer of 2025, China romped home as the gold medal winner of the Aerobic Gymnastics Trio event.  It’s not hard to see why after watching the exuberant performance of Fan Siwei, Zhang Qingzhou, and Wang Zhenhao.  I loved the way that they are absolutely in their element from beginning to end – not to mention the technical brilliance of their performance.  Take a look and walk away a sports fan.

Darwin’s Final Thoughts on the Origin of Life: From Evolutionary Biology to Evolutionary Chemistry

Evolutionary biology has come a long way since Darwin published On the Origin of the Species in 1859, so much so that we may have to start calling it evolutionary chemistry.  Joking aside, this fascinating glimpse into Darwin’s thoughts as they themselves evolved offers great insight into what the scientist could get away with publishing in his own day, against what he finally resolved to be the ultimate origin of life on earth – the creation of a single cell.  While he left room in the book for a creator, his later letter to Joseph Hooker omits to mention a deity – but having lived through the backlash that Origin provoked, perhaps he was wise not to publish his final thoughts (or words) on the subject.  Learn more about it in the fascinating video below, by BBC Science - but it is without a doubt a rejection of creationism.

We all have family trees – perhaps not dating back to a single cell in most cases(wouldn’t it be great if those genealogy sites went back that far!).  Regardless, you may be interested in learning a little more about the Darwin Dynasty – those who came before and after the great man Charles.

Fluff and Furious Animated Short: A Hilarious Tale of a Poodle Who Wants to be a Wolf

Fluffy is a poodle and like many other dogs his size, tends to get ideas above his station!  I guess it’s something that dog owners come across regularly – and where our canine companions get these ideas from is anyone’s guess.  Except, in this case, Fluffy’s owner makes the mistake of having a snooze in the middle of a nature documentary about wolves.  This is when Fluffy makes the awesome discovery that he is a descendant of these wild, majestic animals – and so decided to reclaim his history and act like a wolf.  This is a charming animated short, full of moments that dog owners everywhere will acknowledge with a knowing nod (and probably a chuckle, too).

Fluff and Furious was developed and directed by Joey Liao, who created the animated short for his degree thesis.  It has its roots firmly planted in the animations that those of us of a certain age used to watch when we were kids!  Watch and enjoy Fluff and Furious below.

The Space Pirates of Japanese Sci-Fi: From Captain Harlock to Modern Anime

Ever caught yourself rooting for the bad guy who turns out to be the good guy? That's the whole pull of the space pirate. A skull on the sail, a ship that probably shouldn't fly, and a captain who answers to nobody. Japanese sci-fi practically built a shrine to this idea, and it all started with one brooding rebel drifting through the stars.

The Rebel Who Refused to Salute

Meet Captain Harlock. Created by Leiji Matsumoto back in 1977, he's the blueprint. One eye, a long scar, hair like a storm, and a flag no government could stomach. He fights for Earth while Earth wants him gone. Kind of tragic, right? That contradiction is exactly why fans never let him go.

His appeal spread way past the manga page. You'll spot his DNA in music videos, movie posters, and merch shelves. And that pirate fantasy he helped feed keeps finding fresh homes. These days it powers sweepstakes casino games at BigPirate, a pirate-themed site with treasure raids and Gold Coins you can chase for free, no real cash on the line. Different medium, same restless dream of the open frontier. Not bad for a cartoon from the seventies.

A Battleship, a Train, and a Whole Lot of Grief

Here's where Matsumoto got clever. He loved smashing old and new together. His stories tossed World War II battleships next to Victorian trains and cowboy hats, then flung the lot across the cosmos. Weird? Sure. Brilliant? Absolutely.

Take the Arcadia, Harlock's ship. It's cobbled together from ancient parts, yet it slices through space like a blade. That ship became a symbol. Freedom. Resistance. And Matsumoto meant every word of it. His father flew for the old Imperial army, and Leiji grew up hearing about the horrors of war. So his pirates aren't just cool. They carry real weight, real sorrow.

You feel that ache in almost everything he touched. Space Battleship Yamato. Galaxy Express 999. More than 150 of his stories circle back to the tragedy of conflict. The man wanted us to remember, and he wanted us to never repeat it.

And here's the odd part. That sadness is what makes the adventure sing. A pirate with nothing left to lose fights differently. He's braver, sure, but he's also lonelier, and you feel every mile of empty space around his ship. Matsumoto knew that ache sells better than any laser battle.

The Lucky Tree of Chapel Rock

Nature can take hold in precarious places.  Chapel Rock on Lake Superior has a single tree perched atop its column.  By rights the tree should not be there: the small surface area of land on the top of the rock is insufficient to sustain a tree of this size.

There is hardly any topsoil, certainly not enough for an obviously thriving tree. How then does it flourish?

Perya Game Online: Understanding Filipino Carnival Games and Their Types

A Filipino perya game is more than a simple pastime. It is part of the atmosphere of fiestas, fairs, and community celebrations, where colorful booths and quick games can draw curious players from across the crowd. 

Traditional perya attractions range from Color Game and Pula Puti to ring toss, shooting games, and ball-based activities.

Some of these familiar formats are now available online. Digital platforms can recreate mechanics involving colors, dice, balls, numbers, wheels, and other simple predictions. However, an online version may have different rules, betting limits, and payout structures from its traditional counterpart.

This guide looks at the main types of perya games, explains how online versions generally work, and covers the practical checks players should make before getting started.

Understanding the Perya Game

The first thing to know is that “perya game” does not describe one specific title. It refers to a category of carnival-style games traditionally associated with Filipino fairs and fiestas.

Some games depend primarily on chance, while others involve physical skill. The classic perya setup might include a player tossing a ring, aiming at a target, choosing a color, or watching where a ball lands.

Online platforms have taken some of these familiar concepts and converted them into digital formats. Players may encounter color predictions, dice games, ball drops, wheels, races, and number-based games.

Because the category is broad, the rules are not universal. A Color Game on one platform may not have exactly the same betting options or payouts as another. The same principle applies to other carnival-inspired titles.

Understanding this distinction is important for beginners. The name “perya” tells you about the game's style and cultural connection, but it does not automatically explain how the individual game works.

Luzhou, China: Stunning Aerial Tour of a Modern Yangtze City 泸州

 At the junction of the Yangtze and Tuo rivers, stands the city of Luzhou.  Home to over 4 million people, here we are given an aerial tour, courtesy of Lalin Photography.  As the geographic junction of the four provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Chongqing, Luzhou was an important port location in ancient China and remains so today.  In our aerial tour, we are shown the port and airport area and the main city, with its Blade Runner style building illuminations as well as the surrounding rocky countryside where tea is still grown using age-old techniques.

Although you may now think you know the city after watching this incredible video, it may well whet your appetite to visit Luzhou -  it does look like there are plenty of places to visit and things to do in this thriving location!  Looking down on it gives us an idea of its immensity, population and the sheer hard work that has driven Luzhou from its ancient origins to its modern-day renaissance.  Watch the video below.

How Did the Bayeux Tapestry Survive for a Thousand Years?

 

We still don’t know (and it’s unlikely we ever will) who ordered the Bayeux Tapestry to be made and who made it, but we do know that it is unlikely it was made in Bayeux.  The most likely place for its creation is Canterbury, and historians believe that the person who funded it was Bishop Odo, the half-brother of the new King of England, William the Conqueror.  Whatever and whoever, it is remarkable that this piece of stitching has survived for the best part of a millennium.  What was needed in order for it to survive so long?

This wonderful animation from The British Museum may not have all the facts, lost as they are to history, but its guesswork is informed by centuries of research and the answers you have here are probably correct.  So if you want to know where the tapestry has been all this time, why it has been moved and where it ended up, then  watch the video below.

Dawn: A Tiny Sea Turtle’s Fight for Survival | Stunning Animation

Near the palm-strewn beaches of Komodo Island, a sea turtle hatches.  She is tiny and vulnerable, but must make her way to the ocean via a series of obstacles – the obstacles mostly being other animals that want to eat her.  Whether it’s birds, crabs of Komodo dragons, she has the challenge of her short lifetime in front of her.  Beautifully animated, this animated short by a group of ESMA students really keeps you on the edge of your seats, rooting for the hatchling as she navigates her way to the comparative safety of the ocean.

It’s quite amazing that this was created by students – it looks like a fully professional animation (I would have loved a commentary by David Attenborough!).  Dawn was directed by Chang YuFang, Dejoux Matthieu, Forestier Maxime, Jonckheere Lucas, Mercier Noah, Pradeilles Marie, Royer Apolline, and Stora Lorys, with music by Dorian Bonnardel (Philarmedia). Sound design was provided by Guilhem Favard, Mickaêl Merrheim, Yohann Poncet, and José Vicente.

Usurpingly, the animation is garnering a lot of positive comments on YouTube. Viewers have praised its realism, texture work and emotional storytelling, with one commenter describing it as “impressively realistic” and another calling it “GOAT animation”  (that’s greatest of all time, apparently). Several highlighted the hopeful ending and the dramatic perspective that turns the battling Komodo dragons into a giant “kaiju battle” from the tiny turtle’s point of view. Others commended the quality of the animation and sound design, with comments such as “Great work!”, “Very beautiful animation,” and “Incredible, bravo!” Recurring themes include admiration for the craftsmanship, appreciation that it is a human-made production, and emotional engagement with the turtle’s struggle for survival, with many viewers wishing the hatchling luck on its perilous journey. While a small minority criticised the story, the overwhelming response has been one of praise for the film’s artistry, atmosphere and technical achievement.

The Color of Water

What color is water? It is a question that many children ask, not to mention adults, and the answer is invariably that it has no color. It is transparent, clear, see through. Is that answer the correct one? Image Credit Flickr User Chaval Brasil

Image Credit Flickr User Capn Mad Matt

Take a look at that lovely cool wine glass of water above. Looks refreshing and thirst quenching, yes? No? Let me take a look. Oh dear! Well, disregard the goldfish if you can but the water is colorless, right? Wrong. The water does have color but it is not something that the human eye can see when H₂O is present in such small quantities.

Mildred and the Copycat: The Brilliant Kids’ Story About Art, Credit and Creativity

This is for kids, but I am going to feature it quite unashamedly as it tells such a cool story!  Based on the children’s book Mildred and the Copycat by Jono Ganz (and published by Tate in the UK), it tells the story of a cat called Mildred (you guessed it).  She isn’t seen much in the day as she spends her time napping, but at night, when the gallery in which she lives closes, she comes to artistic life.  The gallery (and its visitors) witness a new masterpiece each day.  However, one day a dog called Barksy inadvertently gets given the credit for these works of art and… just goes with the flow, really.

A furious Mildred becomes determined to expose the copycat.  How will she go about doing this?  Well, you will have to watch the animated short below to find out.  It is narrated by David Rintoul, who you might know from his TV role of Aerys II Targaryen (The Mad King) in Game of Thrones or perhaps from the RuneScape video game as Zaros.  The original author, Jono Gonz, created the script and directed the short, while animation is by Wolf Horn (great name, whether that’s a studio but particularly if it’s a person).  This is Mildred's second adventure and both books are published by Tate and available at its shop.

Tate Kids does some great videos about art, and this one is no exception.  This animation also has one of the best one-liners I have come across for a while – delivered by a middle-class lady as she exits the gallery (I can’t give the game away, it’s too good).  Watch Mildred and the Copycat below and see whether Mildred manages to reclaim credit for her art.

Valonia ventricosa: The Giant Single-Celled Organism (Also Known as The Sailor’s Eyeball)

Have you ever seen something that has immediately made you do a double take?  Valonia ventricosa is one of those things – and that is even before you discover how truly strange this organism is.  At first glance, it looks like a green bubble, perhaps a glass bead that has found its way into the sea or onto the beach.  However, that double take (and a little investigation) would soon tell you that you have come across something considerably stranger than a glass bead.  This is one enormous single-celled organism. Image

Image Credit

Found in tropical and subtropical areas, Valonia ventricosa is a species of green alga.  It is mostly discovered around coral reefs and rocky shores.  It has several other names – the best by far of which is the sailor’s eyeball – and it is easy to see why it attracted that particular nomenclature.  The rounded translucent spheres can be easily converted into a visual metaphor for the sole remains of some unfortunate mariner.  Remarkably, they can grow up to several centimetres across (in other words, the size of an eye), not bad for something that is biologically a single cell.

The Strange Sarcophagi of the Chachapoya

By the time the Spanish arrived in Peru at the beginning of the 16th Century the Chachapoya people had already been subsumed in to the great Inca Empire.  Although they had resisted the Incas fiercely, the lands of these Warriors of the Clouds as they were known had been annexed and had been forced to adopt the customs and culture of their conquerors. Yet they left one thing behind – the strange sarcophagi in which they would bury their dead.

Image Credit Flickr User Sophs74

A Tiny Tale – Charming Animated Short About a Secret World of Toys in the Garden

I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I dig up parts of the garden, I come across the remnants of toys long ago abandoned.  They’re the tiny ones – toy soldiers, pieces of Lego – you get the idea.  This charming animation – A Tiny Tale -  by students at Rubika takes the idea of toys left to their own devices in a garden and runs with it.  We have, more or less, a micro-version of our own society, complete with abandoned dogs, a spaceship-mad boy and a cyclist who really just wants to beat her own records.  But toys sometimes break...

How they come together is up to you to find out – but this inventive and beautifully made animated short is a joy to watch.

It was directed by Chloé Bourdic, Théophile Coursimault, Sylvain Cuvillier, Noémie Halberstam, Maÿlis Mosny and Zijing Ye, with music by Romain Camiolo, performed by Louise Gagnac on flute and Aryane Roy on vocals, and sound design by Théophile Coursimault.

The Odyssey – Pub Edition: Munya Chawawa’s Hilarious Modern Take on Homer’s Epic

Why might a modern-day Odysseus be late home?  This sketch, written and directed by Munya Chawawa, gives us a very British reason for his tardiness – and there’s no surprise when Penelope is a little bit miffed.  His excuses aren’t terribly good, either! This particular Odysseus has been out with his mates to the pub (if you’re not aware of what that means, it’s short for Public House, which in its own turn means a bar).  Here, Odysseus and his drinking buddies (Onthelashius, Chuggamemnon and Session) face a number of perils, including a bouncer who just happens to be a cyclops (which provokes possible the best one liner of the sketch) and a trip in a Troyota Prius – not to mention… well, watch it and find out.

As well as Munya Chawawa, the sketch features a brilliant mix of comedians, presenters and performers, including Romesh Ranganathan, Amelia Dimoldenberg, Axel Blake, Joe Marler, Hayley Morris, Theo Shakes and Sam Cornforth. Highlights include Munya’s trademark character comedy, Romesh’s dry delivery, Amelia’s deadpan style and Joe Marler’s chaotic energy, all brought together to give the ancient Odyssey a very modern and ridiculous twist. The mix of well-known comedy personalities and newer performers is what makes the sketch particularly fun.

Magic in You – Cody Fry & The Blue Devils Bring Joy to the Screen

Back in 2023, Cody Fry first teamed up with the Blue Devils for his track Caves in their Drum Corps International competitive field show. If a collaboration works, then it’s worth revisiting, and so today we have the pleasure of seeing and hearing Magic in You. If you need a little cheering up today, this video may just do the trick. Its enormous joie de vivre is something to behold.

The high-energy track combines Cody Fry’s signature orchestral pop style with the world-class brass and percussion power of the Blue Devils, who have won the DCI World Championship a remarkable 21 times. Not only is the song great, but the video is a celebration of music – as well as marching, of course. There is something wonderfully infectious about watching so many musicians performing with such precision while simultaneously throwing themselves into the sheer joy of the music.  It's great to see Cody (whose Unlikely Mariner we featured back in May) give his supporting performers the spotlight so often.

And that’s perhaps what makes Magic in You so effective. It doesn’t feel like a showcase of technical ability for its own sake; instead, the musicianship, choreography and sheer scale of the performance all serve to create an overwhelming sense of optimism.There's even a few Busby Berkely-style moments tucked away in there. It’s difficult not to smile watching it.  See if you can resist the temptation by watching Cody and the Blue Devils perform the song below.

Andy – What Happens When an Android Carer Becomes Self-Aware?

Although the subject of robots becoming self-aware is something that we are all a little overused to right now (especially with Ann Droid, courtesy of the BBC), having watched Andy, I felt I had to share it for several reasons.  Created by Black Elk Productions, It tells the story of Anne Malone.  Elderly, with a husband in a care home and a son, Nick, who is too busy to be around much, Anne has recently had an accident.  Nick provides her with a carer who turns out, much to Anne’s surprise, to be an android.  Hastily named Andy, the two form something of a bond but things quickly go awry and events quickly spiral out of the control of both human and android.  To say much more would provide you with too many spoilers, so watch the short and discover what happens.

What is quite remarkable about this is that Anne is played by Jane Merrow, who also wrote the screenplay.  I have to say here that it felt like there was a feature-length project crying to get out of this short, as sometimes there seem to be not so much gaps but sleight of hand going on, plot wise.  Anne’s neighbour, Pamela (played by Beverly Hills) is criminally underused, but does manage to get both quirkiness and friskiness across in the short time she is on screen.  I would have liked to have seen more of her, perhaps an attempt to seduce Andy would have made for great comedic relief.   Plus, Andy’s first foray to the farmer’s market with Anne is a little baffling – that such an advanced AI robot could malfunction so badly in terms of interacting with humans!

Regardless, this short does come across as a complete whole and it is very firmly down to the two leads who are both fantastic in their roles.  I thought the name Jane Merrow was familiar, and a little research quickly allowed me to discover more about the actress who has been professionally active since the sixties.  It might be easier to list what she hasn’t been in, but UK productions she appeared in that you have probably heard of (!) include Danger Man, The Saint, The Prisoner, The Avengers, and UFO.  During her time living in America, Merrow also appeared in Alias Smith and Jones, Cannon, Police Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, Hart to Hart, Magnum PI, Airwolf and MacGyver. Phew!  And that’s only part of her CV.

Gaming Psychology: Why Fast-Paced Games Hold Our Attention

If there is one thing that will capture and hold the attention of most people, it’s a fast-paced game.  It might be a video game, played competitively between family members or friends.  It could be an intense esports match or even one of the crash-style casino games out there.  Whatever the game, there are close connections to gaming psychology – that is the exploration if how game design works in terms of the rewards and challenges it presents to its players.  That, of course, includes emotions which have a massive impact on the way that individual players think and behave.  If you understand a few of the psychological principles behind gaming psychology, it can really help explain why some games really do feel impossible to put down – whether it’s for food, study or sleep!

The Power of Immediate Feedback

You may have guessed, but it’s all about feedback.  It’s constant – each and every time a player makes a decision, they see the result immediately.  Then it’s very much up to them to decide what they are going to do next.  Decisions, decisions!  This rapid cycle of action and response demands one thing – that the brain is focused entirely on the “here and now”.

Of course, in slower games there are often extended periods of time between a decision and an outcome – the action, reaction.  However, fast-paced games reduce that gap, usually providing an instant reward.  Mistakes usually provoke a stream of information giving feedback about what to change at the next attempt.  This continuous sense of momentum makes each moment feel meaningful to the player – and that’s one of the reasons games sometimes get in the way of “real life”!

The Story of Argus, Faithful Dog of Odysseus– as Painted by Briton Rivière

Painted by Briton Rivière, this oil painting (usually dated as created in 1885) shows the reunion between Ulysses (also known as Ulysses), finally returned to Ithaca after twenty years (Troy!) and his faithful dog Ulysses.  This video by Inspiraggio calls it “one of the saddest paintings ever made” and although there is a hint of hyperbole in that description, it is certainly one that is emotionally very charged, especially for dog lovers.

Odysseus had owned Argus before he went to the Trojan war and had trained him as a puppy.  By the time he returned, to reclaim wife and kingdom from would-be usurpers who wished to declare him dead and marry Penelope, the dog was over twenty years old and unable to stand.  Yet despite the fact that Odysseus was heavily disguised as an old beggar, Argus still recognised him.  Yet there is a tragedy behind this reunion.  Odysseus could not pet his faithful dog, or wish him a final goodbye with a few strokes to the dog’s ancient head.  Instead, they locked eyes and Argis was able to die happily, knowing that his master had finally returned.  It must have been agony for Odysseus– knowing that the dog had steadfastly waited for his return, but unable to thank him through touch lest it gave the game away.

This painting was painted at the height of Riviere’s fame.  He had full Royal Academy Status, granted in 1881 – the highest honour for a British painter at this time.  He was also revered by his contemporaries as the foremost painter of animals in the land.  I won’t go on, as all of this and more is covered in the wonderful video below.

When Institutions Keep Records: How Hidden Histories Eventually Surface

In Michigan, history is rarely held in one place. It sits in city archives in Detroit, parish memories in Grand Rapids, courthouse files in Lansing, small-town stories across the Thumb, and diocesan records from Marquette to Kalamazoo. The state’s religious history is shaped by distance as much as doctrine. A church in the Upper Peninsula may have served a close-knit town, while a parish in metro Detroit may have been part of a large urban network.

That geography matters when hidden histories begin to surface. Records tied to clergy abuse allegations are connected to schools, parishes, families, and communities that may have carried unanswered questions for years. Once those records are released, arranged, or investigated, they can change how a community understands its past.

Michigan offers a useful example because its Catholic history is spread across several dioceses, each with its own files, leadership decisions, parish assignments, and local memories. Information once held inside an institution can eventually become part of a public record, giving people a clearer view of events that were once scattered, private, or difficult to trace.

Coin Operated: A Heartwarming Animated Short About Dreams, Life and Going to the Moon

Always allow your dreams to last you your lifetime.  I guess that’s the message behind this very sweet animated short, written and directed by Nicholas Arioli.  A young boy wants to be an astronaut, as makes sure that he wears his space helmet wherever he goes, just in case he gets the chance to reach his destination – the moon.  Then one day he comes across a coin operated ride which is – of course – a rocket ship.  At five cents a go, it’s a must – so his mum leaves him to it while she goes inside the store to do her shopping.  The ride isn’t quite what he expected – but he figures that is five cents gets him a few bumpy seconds, what would a whole heap of five cents pieces get him?

There are a lot of theories on the YouTube comments below this animated short debating what the story is really about.  The ambiguous ending and the symbolic storytelling have assured that.  Does the old man die at the end? What happened to him mother? And why did he spend his own life selling lemonade?  There are countless interpretations – and I for one like to see this animated short as something of a meditation on the pursuit of dreams – and that even if they take a lifetime to achieve, they are still there for the getting.  Have a watch and see what you think!

The Babson Boulders of Dogtown

Roger Babson had a problem. His family thought he was crazy or felonious or both.  He had started to carve mottoes in to the boulders which lay in the fields near the long abandoned settlement of Dogtown close to his home in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Image Credit Flickr User aaronknox

Babson was later to write in his autobiography: My family says that I am defacing the boulders and disgracing the family with these inscriptions, but the work gives me a lot of satisfaction, fresh air, exercise and sunshine. I am really trying to write a simple book with words carved in stone instead of printed paper. Besides, when on Dogtown common, I revert to a boyhood which I once enjoyed when driving cows there many years ago.