When you think of video games, the first word that comes to mind probably isn’t “educational,” but scientists at University College of Southeast Norway are about to change that. Researchers have created a 3-D environment in the shape of the classic Pac-Man maze in order to study single-celled organisms. Watch as the ciliates and rotifers chase each other around, mimicking Pac-Man and the ghosts. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/a-microscopic-game-of-pac-man-featuring-single-celled-organisms/
It might look like an abnormally large lima bean, but what this man is holding in his hand is far more special. Don’t be alarmed when you see the tiny green head poke its way out, for you are about to witness a truly special moment in the life of a chameleon. There are plenty of cool chameleon videos on the Internet, but few showcase their beauty quite like this one. Everyone associates chameleons with their ability to change colors based on their surroundings, but there is a whole lot more to these old world lizards than meets the eye. Chameleons also have highly specialized, zygodactylous feet at the end of their long legs. They’re great at climbing and clinging, which makes them expert hunters when combined with their stereoscopic vision. Even more fascinating, perhaps, is their reproductive process. The female places her eggs into a hole in the ground and covers them for the duration of the gestation period, which varies from species to species. When they’re nearly ready to hatch, each egg is stuck onto a tree branch with the help of its sticky membrane. From there, the eggs hatch and the baby chameleons immediately learn to climb. Here, you’ll get to witness one of these incredible births in action. Some viewers have expressed concern that its owner allowed it to hatch in his hand, but, as you’ll see, it doesn’t appear to stop this little one from climbing like crazy! Don’t forget to SHARE this incredible moment with your friends and family! H/T: rmh355 Read more: http://www.wimp.com/witness-a-baby-chameleon-hatch-from-its-egg/
Dying your hair is an easy way to change the way you look and express your creative side. In fact, it doesn’t take more than some Kool-Aid and hair conditioner to dramatically change your appearance. Some people, however, go above and beyond the simple dye job, instead seeing their hair as a canvas just waiting to be transformed into a beautiful work of art. We’ve seen color-changing hair before, but never like this. On the outside, this woman’s hair color appears to be natural, but when she brushes it back with her hand, things take a colorful turn. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/hidden-rainbow-dyed-hair/
Rats have a bad reputation. Most people freak out at the sight of them, without even giving the rat a chance to show he’s not really that bad. For centuries, rats have taken the blame for the Black Plague, even though historians now say that it’s not their fault. Rats make cool pets and serve an important place in the animal kingdom, so there’s really no reason to hate them. That being said, even a rat apologist like myself has to admit that the one place you definitely don’t want to see one is inside your toilet. This disturbing scenario is actually something that has been known to happen in urban places around the world. Rats can survive in sewers, and if they happen to crawl through a few of the wrong pipes, they might be making an appearance in a very uncomfortable place. Recently, a team from National Geographic wanted to see exactly how rats can make their way from sewers to the inside of a toilet bowl. To do this, they cut a toilet in half so the inner pipes could be viewed. They then placed the rat inside to see how it could swim up. The rat contorted itself around the pipes and found a small pocket of air to breathe in. Then, it continued onward until it popped up inside the toilet, giving a nasty surprise to anyone who might have been using it. The good news is the chances of a rat climbing up your toilet are extremely small, so there’s no need to be paranoid – but an extra check might be a good idea. H/T: National Geographic Read more: http://www.wimp.com/cutting-a-toilet-in-half/
Lake Yamlur in Bangalore, India is suffering from extreme pollution that has become hard for residents to ignore. The lake, almost unrecognizable, is covered in a toxic white foam that locals have described as looking like snow from a distance. The foam atop the murky, black water has started combusting into flames on the lake’s surface. This is not the first time in history that a body of water has become so polluted that it caught on fire. In 1969, the Cuyahoga River, which fed into a heavily polluted Lake Erie, caught fire and drew national attention to the water’s horrible condition. This led to the passage of the Clean Water Act, as well as the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the U.S. and Canada. Nearly 40 years later, Lake Erie is still recovering from its pollution, so we can only hope that Lake Yamlur’s situation is addressed immediately. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/lake-on-fire-india-pollution/
Imagine you’re a swimmer who made it all the way to the Olympics. You race your heart out and proudly represent your country, but it still isn’t enough to win a medal. That’s exactly what China’s Fu Yuanhui thought had happened, until this interviewer gave her some great news. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/chinese-swimmer-wins-bronze-medal-without-even-realizing-it/
Taylor Thyfault was a guy who knew how to dream big. When he was still in high school, he wrote a bucket list of 25 goals, and in his adulthood, set out to accomplish them.Some, like wrestling with alligators or going cliff diving, showed off his adventurous side, while others, like getting married and starting a family, were indicative of his loving and generous heart. Above all, he wanted to honor his family and community, which he did by serving in the Army and becoming a police officer. Tragically, Taylor was hit and killed during a high-speed chase in May 2015. The last person he talked to? His mother and best friend, Carole Adler. Carole didn’t want their conversation to end, and continued to text his number, knowing that no one would ever reply. Only one day, someone did. When you see who is now the owner of Taylor’s old number, you’ll see that even in death this remarkable young man continues to touch those around him, and in that way, achieve his dreams. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/mom-text-back-dead-son-taylor-thyfault/
Advertisement We love robots. They represent the best of what human ingenuity and imagination can accomplish. And, for now at least, they’re our friends. From R2D2 to Terminator to Wall-E, humans have looked to robots to give us a glimpse of what the future may look like. Fortunately, robots aren’t just something Will Smith has to fight in a blockbuster movie anymore. They’re real, and there are advances being made every day that will eventually shape how we live. Today, robotics are being used in healthcare, entertainment, and just about every area you can imagine. So today we salute our hard-wired friends and look back on some of the best robot moments buried deep in the Wimp vaults. Human-like Robot Talks With His Guests – April 25, 2013 Advertisement If you’ve ever been to the Hall of Presidents at Disney World then you are familiar with these types of animatronic bots. Although this guy is a lot more advanced than anything Walt cooked up. It won’t be long until there will be robots that seriously blur the line between man and machine. Let’s just hope they won’t be as scary looking as this. Band Of Flying Bots Perform A Medley Of Classic Songs – April 28, 2014 There’s something ominous about advanced machines playing the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey, but we’ll ignore that for now and focus on how awesome this is. This is probably what going to a concert will look like 50 years from now. Advertisement Robot Exoskeleton Helps Man Walk After 20 Years In A Wheelchair – April 19, 2011 Robotics and related technology tend to get caught up in all the science-fiction lore, but there is incredible real-world potential. This man used a mechanical exoskeleton to walk for the first time in 20 years, and there are many like him who have had their lives made better in ways they never thought possible. We get to live in an age where what was only dreamed about a few decades ago is now our reality. Who knows where technology will take us, but at least we get to be alive to experience it. Terry Crews Gets Into A Robot Dance-off – October 29, 2014 Advertisement And just for fun here’s Terry Crews dancing the robot. Do you have a favorite video from the past? Let us know in the comments and make sure to join us every Thursday as we continue to dig deeper into our archives and explore the world of Wimp. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/throwback-thursday-robot-celebration/
The Internet is awash with videos of animal rescues. Videos and stories showing poor, neglected cats and dogs being saved from perilous or pathetic situations are a dime a dozen … although I find them no less heartwarming each time I see one! But what about other species of animals? Are they so self-sufficient and cautious that they never find themselves in harm’s way? In short, the answer is a big fat no. We just happen to come across more cats and dogs than, say, horses or sea turtles. Take this young deer, for instance; in most cases, shy deer try to avoid humans, but he didn’t have much of a choice in this case. Washingtonian Bill David came across the Black-tailed yearling deer while checking out a couple alarm events on a property for his company. Though the deer couldn’t make their way out of the vast mud pit they’d found their way into, they could move enough to catch Davis’s attention. He knew he couldn’t leave those helpless babies stuck in the mud without hope of an escape, so he got on the phone and made some calls. Luckily, on the other end of the phone was an operator who could move an excavator with incredible skill and precision. With some careful digging, they were able to free both yearlings and send them on their way. Unfortunately, mom was nowhere in sight; hopefully, she was just out of view watching her babies and waiting for them to return! Don’t forget to SHARE this incredible rescue with friends and family. H/T: Aaron Garney Read more: http://www.wimp.com/stuck-baby-deer-rescued-from-mud-with-an-excavator/
Sport Lisboa e Benfica, known as Benfica to its fans, is the soccer team of Lisbon, Portugal. They’re wildly popular, with 65,000 fans in attendance at many games. With that many people in one place, safety can become an understandable concern. Thankfully they had a clever solution to this logistical problem. Benfica turned to the safety experts we all know, love, and trust: flight attendants. Safety topics covered include the location of the stadium’s exits and how to celebrate safely after each goal. So buckle up, get your celebration scarf ready, and enjoy these attendants before the big game. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/fight-attendants-safety-video-benfica/
