|
I have previously posted about tensegrity structures. These are structures where the integrity of the whole is maintained by tension among its components. In the video below I show you how to build a simple but amazing tensegrity structure. The video includes an appearance by Science Cat!
0 Comments
We tend to associate tail wagging with dogs. Almost everyone has seen happy dogs shaking their tails, and we have jokes and cartoons about it. We even have the phase “wag the dog” to describe when a small or less powerful entity takes control of a bigger or more powerful one. Apart from signaling that they are happy, dogs use their tails to communicate various messages about themselves, but, as it turns out, there are other species of animals besides dogs that use their tails to communicate things, and one of them is cats. Dogs evolved from wolves (Canis Lupus), which live in packs, so they tend to be social and expressive animals. However, domestic cats are evolved from the African Wildcat (Felix sylvestris lybica), which are solitary nocturnal animals, so the tail signals of cats are different from those of dogs. When cats curve and swish their whole tail from side to side it may indicate excitement or deep focus as when stalking a prey. This is a common predatory behavior especially if the ears are standing upright. However, a tail moving back and forth can also signal irritation or pain especially when associated with arched backs and lowered heads. When the cat only swishes the tip of its tail, it indicates that they are about to pounce or they are playing, but it can also signal that they are annoyed. If a cat wants to signal it is happy, it will stick its tail straight up, which in dogs is a sign of alertness, not happiness. In the video below Science Cat demonstrates how cats wag their tails. She is intensely looking at some birds in the bush outside while swishing her tail with her ears upright. One very common illusion employed in theaters, museums, shows and other venues is Pepper’s Ghost. The illusion is named after English scientist John H. Pepper who improved upon a previous ingenious but cumbersome illusion developed by inventor Henry Dircks in 1860. Pepper made the first demonstration of this illusion in 1862. The illusion relies on the fact that whereas light goes through most transparent glasses, a certain percentage of it is reflected by the surface of the glass. In the classical Peppers Ghost illusion, a glass is installed at an angle facing an audience. The audience can see with no problem the action taking place in the stage behind the glass. At some point an actor or an object is illuminated in a compartment that is located to the side of the glass in such a way that the light coming from the actor or object will bounce off the glass and appear to the audience to be coming from the stage as a ghostly apparition. In the photo below, I use a window to generate a version of the Pepper’s Ghost illusion, where I seem to be within the tree outside as a ghostly apparition.  In the video I used an exhibit at the 2019 Prague Quadrennial. I manipulated the see-through and reflection qualities of the glass window of the exhibit as well as the proximity of my phone to the glass, to create a Peper’s Ghost illusion. Note: the photo belongs to the author and can only be used with permission. |
Categories
All
Archives
August 2024
|
RSS Feed