Great news animal lovers–a new federal bill introduced last week could finally put an end to cruel cosmetics testing on animals in the United States. Endorsed by The Humane Society of the United States and industry giants such as LUSH, the Humane Cosmetics Act would ban animal testing in the American cosmetics industry and prohibit the sale or transport of animal-tested cosmetics. The bill was introduced by U.S. Representative Jim Moran (D-VA), who believes the U.S. needs to match the more humane alternatives to animal testing as adopted by the European Union. Want to learn how you can help? Click the bottom link to find out more.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Is This What a 'Normal' Barbie Looks Like?
Generations of girls have grown up playing with Barbie–with her tiny waist and unrealistically shaped feet. Finally, someone has asked the question: what if Barbie dolls looked more like the people who played with them? Last summer, artist Nickolay Lamm decided to show the world what Barbie might look like if she had the CDC measurements of an average 19 year-old woman in America. Fast forward to present-day, and the idea of the ‘average’ Barbie is gaining momentum. Tell us what you think of the design by voting in the Inhabitots poll.
via:http://inhabitat.com/is-this-what-a-normal-barbie-looks-like/
Strange "Fairy Circles" Appear in the Middle of Africa's Namib Desert
Mysterious circles have been cropping up in the Namib Desert in Africa for as long as man has been around to see them. For decades, scientists debated the cause of the weird and wonderful patterns and now it appears they've found the culprit: termites.
Southwest Africa’s Namib Desert is an arid landscape home to ostriches, leopards and other large animals. But a few of its more petite inhabitants are the makers of these huge desert circles that measure between 6.5 to 40 feet diameter. Biologist Norbert Juergens (University of Hamburg), who had been working to unlock the mystery, noticed that whenever he looked closely at the barren centers of fairy circles, he would also find sand termites (Psammotermes allocerus).
He found that without grass readily available to absorb rainwater and the release it back into the air (evaporation), any available water would collect in the porous, sandy soil. This water supply would keep the termites alive and active, even during the harshest days of the dry season. He also noticed that the root of the local plants had been chewed and that the areas in and around the circles showed traces of underground tunnels—all signs that the sand termites had been inhabiting the area.
Just like we recently witnessed with Japan’s underwater “crop circles”, nature’s tiny creatures are some of the world’s greatest artists.
via:http://inhabitat.com/strange-fairy-circles-appear-in-the-middle-of-africas-namib-desert/
Could These Artificial Composting Islands Be the Future of NYC Sanitation?
No one wants a landfill in their backyard, but the alternative – trucking garbage to other states – is an obvious drain on funds, fuel and energy. Present Architecture recently proposed a plan that they think could alleviate some of New York City’s current waste management issues by creating artificial islands off of each of the five boroughs. The pier-like stations would serve as composting facilities where a portion of NYC’s organic waste could be processed, while an elevated second level could double as parkland for area residents.
The Biomimicry Manual: What Can the Platypus Teach Us About Collision-Avoidance?
The platypus is a funny little mammal found in Eastern Australia and Tasmania. Aside from echidnas (the also-very-weird Australian spiny anteaters) they are the only living mammals that lay eggs. This bizarro egg-laying, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-toed, crocodile-bodied assemblage completely bamboozled European naturalists when they stumbled on it back in 1798. It just had to be an elaborate fraud concocted by Chinese taxidermists (who had a reputation for sewing random bits together into mythical beasts). The serious European museum folk spent countless hours digging around with scissors looking for the stitches. In reality, he is the last living descendant of an ancient proto-mammalian reptile. Or a post-reptilian mammal. It’s not always clear, but this funny little nocturnal predator has some crazy-cool strategies that are apparently still working just fine. For instance, he has the baffling habit of folding up his eyes, ears, and nostrils within his skin when he dives. So, how does he find the wiggly little crunchy creatures he likes best down there? How the heck does he know where he’s going? The answer turns out to be truly marvelous, an exquisite combination of braille and electrolocation. Could we emulate the genius of the platypus? Find out more in today’s entry of The Biomimicry Manual !
via:http://inhabitat.com/the-biomimicry-manual-what-can-the-platypus-teach-us-about-collision-avoidance/
“Landed” by artist Ian Strange
Artist Ian Strange has recreated his childhood home and installed it in front of the Art Gallery of South Australia. The house is half buried in the ground as if it just fell right out of the sky. More images below.
via:http://www.booooooom.com/2014/03/06/landed-artist-ian-strange/
Genevieve Bjargardottir
Photos by Genevieve Bjargardottir. See more below.
via:http://www.booooooom.com/2014/03/07/photographer-genevieve-bjargardottir/
Daniel K. Sparkes
More of artist Daniel K. Sparkes drawings (some over top of other images). Found via March Submissions. More below.
via:http://www.booooooom.com/2014/03/07/artist-daniel-k-sparkes-2/
La Iaia “L’Ós” music video produced by CANADA
Young love perfectly captured in this video, directed by Marc Oller for La Iaia’s song “L’Ós”. Whenever the name CANADA appears in the production credits you know it’s worth watching. Watch the video below.
via:http://www.booooooom.com/2014/03/07/la-iaia-los-music-video-produced-canada/
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