Members of the Mijl Van Mares Werkploeg, an organization of bicycle enthusiasts in the Netherlands, recently biked their way into the Guinness Book of World Records books when they built the world’s longest bicycle. Measuring in at 117 feet and 5 inches (35.79 meters), it was constructed using aluminum trusses similar to the ones used at concerts to support lighting rigs and other stage equipment. It requires two riders: one person in the back to do the pedaling and another up front to steer. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/guinness-world-records-longest-bicycle/
Sometimes cool science demonstrations take place right in front of your own eyes. You might throw a paper airplane at just the right angle or drop some mentos into a bottle of Diet Coke and end up seeing something you never expected. That’s what happened to this man when he dropped a handful of hydrogel beads into a hot frying pan. To his surprise they started jumping around and making a pretty hellacious noise. That’s when he grabbed a handful more, threw them on the hot stove and watched as things really went wild. Although this mini-science experiment is fun to watch, it is definitely not reccomended to try for yourself. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/hyrdrogel-balls-in-frying-pan/
Seven-year-old Evan Leversage is living with a terminal illness. The small child has fought valiantly but his parents are worried that this may be his last Christmas. So his parents decided they would celebrate Christmas early to make sure they would have one last holiday to spend with Evan. But when the family’s plan became known to the rest of the town, a true Christmas miracle happened. Evan’s town of St. George, Ontario embraced the idea of Christmas in October and pretty soon lights and decorations popped up everywhere. Then Evan’s story spread further and people from all over the world got into the Christmas spirit a month early in support. Spongebob Squarepants sent Evan a personalized Christmas message and members of the surrounding communities worked together to throw a Christmas parade. The kindness of all these people has helped alleviate the pain of Evan’s family through this unimaginably difficult time. To hear more about Evan’s story and ways to help, you can find information here. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/town-celebrates-christmas-early-for-ill-child/
It might sound crazy, but when bonded dogs enter an animal shelter, one of the first tasks is to begin their separation process. The chance that they will be adopted together is low, so it’s best for both animals to learn to live without each other as soon as possible. The thought of dog friends being pulled apart is absolutely devastating to us, but do dogs really care? After a few weeks or months they probably forget all about their old pal, right? Not according to Abby and Otto. The duo was separated at a shelter and adopted to different owners, but their story doesn’t end there. The bizarre coincidences that brought them back together leave no doubt that these two were meant to be together. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/bonded-dogs-reunite-months-apart/
Barrie Hall is 73 years old and lives alone in the small town of Lincoln, England but that doesn’t mean he can’t still make an impact on the world. After his wife died, Barrie decided to honor her legacy by transforming a mobility scooter into a model Coca-Cola delivery truck. Barrie spent eight months preparing the vehicle to drive and even wrote to the Coca-Cola corporate office to ask permission to use its logo. Barrie’s goal is to use the truck to raise money for a cancer charity. His truck has become a welcome site in his English neighborhood. As Barrie puts it, “As soon as you see the truck, you know Christmas is just around the corner.” Read more: http://www.wimp.com/grandad-builds-coca-cola-scooter-for-christmas/
In what might be the most adorable stampeded the world has ever seen, 5,000 baby ducklings estimated to be about three to five days old were seen running to a pond for the first swim of their lives. The video, taken somewhere in China, shows how the ducks all run in unison towards the small pond, completely flooding the street and eventually turning the pond into a giant, fluffy yellow blob. Apparently, the practice of letting the ducklings stampede in this manner is thought to encourage their appetites and, of course, to get them used to being in the water. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/five-thousand-ducklings-run-into-pond/
In 1981, Queen was recording their tenth album, titled Hot Space, in a studio in Montreux, Switzerland. David Bowie was recording a song in the same studio at the time and made his way over to Queen’s space to record backup vocals on a track. He ended up jamming with the band all night, resulting in the birth of “Under Pressure.” It was a complicated process. In a 2008 interview with Mojo magazine, Queen’s Brian May said of the recording, “It was hard because you had four very precocious boys and David, who was precocious enough for all of us.” From fire, steel is forged, and we have one of the most legendary songs in the history of rock and roll to show for it. Today, we present you with the isolated vocal tracks for “Under Pressure” to give you a new look at this old favorite. It’s a showcase of the differences between Bowie’s and Mercury’s distinct vocal stylings, and the beautiful way they mesh together over the course of the song’s run time. You know the “Under Pressure,” whether you’re a fan of the original or simply discovered it through Vanilla Ice. Now rediscover it with this new angle on the classic. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/queen-under-pressure-isolated-vocal-track/
Residents of Tokyo probably thought their eyes were playing tricks on them when a large hotel appeared to be getting smaller over the course of six months. Instead, they were witnessing a revolutionary new way to demolish or alter old buildings. The Taisei Corporation has developed a method of taking buildings apart without the messy debris and damage that comes with collapsing an entire building. Their strategy requires removing support beams from the level they want destroyed, clearing the debris and then using jacks to lower the remaining portion. This technology will allow us to responsibly modify buildings moving forward, instead of the all-or-nothing demolition that we’re used to. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/demolishing-building-by-level/
A wedding is an expensive affair all around, and one of the many (oh so many) expenses is a professional videographer and photographer. Addie and Marshall Burnette decided to go a different route, however, and left that job up to someone they’d known and loved for years – their pet husky, Ryder. As the couple got ready to get married on Roan Mountain in Tennessee (the site of their first date 10 years ago) they strapped a GoPro to Ryder’s back and let her run around and capture the magic of the day from a truly one-of-a-kind perspective. According to Marshall. “[Ryder] took a while to edit the footage, but we think she did a great job.” With over 1.2 million views and counting at this time, it’s pretty clear we all heartily agree. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/couple-makes-wedding-video-by-strapping-gopro-to-dog/
When you think about the great life and death struggles of nature, amoebas and paramecia might not be the first species that pop into your head. However, these two microbes are seen here in an intense struggle that eventually ends with the amoeba coming out on top. The amoeba simultaneously absorbs two paramecia and starts digesting before the paramecia even realize what happened. By the time the two paramecia realize they are in a predicament, they start furiously moving around looking for an escape, but unfortunately for them, their fate is sealed behind the cell membrane of the amoeba. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/amoeba-eats-two-paramecia/
