Space Monkeys

Fun NPR article about the 50-year anniversary of the first successful space monkeys flight: Miss Baker and Able successfully experienced nine minutes of weightlessness before returning safe. Sad to read about the previous animals (monkeys and dogs) who didn't survive the trip. The two successful monkeys would get "100 to 150 letters a day from schoolchildren;" one of the monkeys had 300 mourners at her funeral. I've had the silly, sweet pleasure of seeing both the grave of Miss Baker in Huntsville (where people leave bananas) and Able's stuffed body at the Air and Space Museum. Yes, I've been to space camp---TWICE. Thanks, Girl Scouts and gifted class at school! Mark is soooo jealous.

You go, monkeys!

Tweenbots

Here's an article, video, and set of pictures to make your Monday brighter. Really, this will make you feel better about the world (even if only for a few minutes). A woman built a small robot that looks like a cereal box with training wheels and set it loose in NYC. She conceived it as an experiment in human relationships to space, technology, community, and the interactions/relationships among the three. Here's her description of the robots:

Tweenbots are human-dependent robots that navigate the city with the help of pedestrians they encounter. Rolling at a constant speed, in a straight line, Tweenbots have a destination displayed on a flag, and rely on people they meet to read this flag and to aim them in the right direction to reach their goal.

Watch people react to the robot and help it get on the right path, get unstuck from cracks in the pavement, and move toward its goal. Thanks to Leslie W for this delightful find.

Extreme Sheep LED Art

Apparently this is the week for animal clips...but THIS takes the cake. WOW. Awesomest thing I have seen on YouTube in a loooooooong time. It's exactly what it sounds like: Welsh dudes and gals strap LED lights onto sheep, dogs herd them into various shapes, and volia. SHEEP ART. Glorious. It looks like they also paint the sheep for a different style.

Whales Are Awesome.

Round two of cool nature posts: humpback whale steals birds' painstakingly corralled fish dinner. Sweet. Thanks to Brig for the link.

Dolphins Are Smart.

This is a really cool clip of dolphins at Sea World who have learned to blow bubble rings and manipulate them into different shapes and sizes. It renewed my 11-year-old self's dream of being a marine biologist (as was the dream of many preteen girls)....except that I don't like science. Thanks to Joe for the link.