Quantum mechanics made simple (sort of)

Lately I've come across the acronym TED several times, so...

The acronym TED stands for "Technology, Entertainment, Design."  The site promotes "Ideas worth spreading." The mission at TED is spreading ideas:

We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we're building here a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world's most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other. This site, launched April 2007, is an ever-evolving work in progress, and you're an important part of it. Have an idea? We want to hear from you.

In TED's "fascinating..." category I found this video:

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What a fascinating take on q-mechs.

-- Marge

Google's Art Project

Looking around Google's Art Project, all I can say is, Wow!

According to the FAQ about Art Project:

The Art Project is a collaboration between Google and 151 acclaimed art partners from across 40 countries. Using a combination of various Google technologies and expert information provided by our museum partners, we have created a unique online art experience. Users can explore a wide range of artworks at brushstroke level detail, take a virtual tour of a museum and even build their own collections to share. With a team of Googlers working across many product areas we are able to harness the best of Google to power the Art Project experience. Few people will ever be lucky enough to be able to visit every museum or see every work of art they’re interested in but now many more can enjoy over 30 000 works of art from sculpture to architecture and drawings and explore over 150 collections from 40 countries, all in one place. We’re also lucky at Google to have the technology to make this kind of project a reality.

The FAQs explain how to use the site and seem to me recommended reading.

Using the various features available, you can:

• get much better look at the details than you would even get in the gallery,
• easily compare overall view with detail view, instead of walking forward and backing up repeatedly,
• read a short background of the artist and the work (click on Details),
• take a virtual trip to the gallery where the work is being shown, using something much like Google Earth technology.

 As an example, here are snips of "Professional Way, Babylon:"

One of the lions with detail control panel

Detail: one tile (could even get closer)

For a gallery view of "Processional Way, Babylon," follow this link.

While poking around the Art Project I came across this video about visualizing images that Van Gogh painted over when recycling his canvasses.

Good hunting.

-- Marge

Some sharp humor

Being in the mood for some humor I went trolling for political cartoons.  Here are some I found.

RJ Matson in the 99% category:

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David Fitzsimmons: 

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Daryl Cagle: "Newspaper Shakeup Down Under"

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Mark Fiore on YouTube, "Either Way" (he also has a blog with animated cartoons):

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Hope you enjoyed this little foray into political humor.

-- Marge

This, Our Tree of Life

The Celtic tribes lived in a world of endless forests, which to folks of magical mind were another race filled with a strong, slow wisdom.  A towering oak was a sentient thing. It connected the ground to the sky and reached deep into dark, secret places with its roots.  But for the Celts, such a tree was only an earthly shadow of the mighty Crann Bethadh, the Tree of Life, which spanned heaven and earth, and whose branches sheltered all life and stroked every star.

Today the forest are gone, and most of the magic is too.  But if we look deeper, there's truth in this tale even now.  All wisdom traditions describe a mystical center around which everything wheels; an axis that rises from the deeps and the darks and the realm of the senses all the way to angelic dimensions and the realm of Everlasting Light.

This is our Tree of Life then, right here at the ground of our beseeching, at the center of our own being, high beyond knowing, deep beyond showing, the Tree of Life Universal, the One around which the Many are dancing.

-- Michael Green, Celtic Blessings, June 2012

[Note:  This excerpt is quoted entirely from M. Green's Celtic Blessings calendar.  I offer it as a celebration of the summer solstice 2012 (and because I think it's an excellent piece of writing).  Mr. Green's website is Amber Lotus Publishing. 

-- Marge]

Crowdfunding

I happened to find my way to Kickstarter, where you can post projects and request funding from the world online.

Many people think that you have to go to the big corporations, a bank, venture capitalists or the SBA (U.S. gov's Small Business Admin) to get the money to start a new company.  Unfortunately, the more ground-breaking (think edgy) the idea, the less likely traditional sources will fund it.

But now there's crowdfunding.

Here are two examples of excellent projects.  View the videos to get a better idea of  how crowdfunding is pitched and how to contribute.

• XOXO Festival by Andy Baio (Waxy.org):  Andy calls the festival "a celebration of disruptive creativity."

• CLANG by Sabutai Corporation:  The spokesperson and principle driver for this effort is Neal Stephenson, best-selling author of Anathem and Snow Crash.  His description of this project is arresting and funny. You can find the video that announced the project on YouTube; it was re-published by bradyhallvideos.

-- Marge

Seamless-Pattern-Background Design Resource

For those of us who use digital textures a lot, seamless textures can be a challenge or, at the least, burdensome.  And then there are all the color variations possible.  There's a free resource on the web at PatternCooler.  It's a slick piece of programming.

After launching the pattern editor (click "Launch...." or the graphic in the middle of the page), you can change the colors of any pattern seen around the edge of the editor, once it is selected.  To see possible color variations all at once, click the "Show color variations as thumbs" button.

Here are 3 variations of one pattern:


No need to remember to donate, Mr. Rayner will remind you.  (I wonder if he really does need a wig, LOL.)

--Marge

Where to go online for inspiration

When I'm running on empty for artwork ideas or just wanting some variety, I like to take a look at these sites:

• The British Museum: Search the website.
• Museum of Modern Art (MoMA):  Mouse over the "Explore" button at the bottom of the page.
• National Geographic:  The whole site is a feast for the eyes and mind.
• The Smithsonian:  Click on the "Collections" button.

That's it for now.  Have a great day and explore wherever you are and whenever you can.

--Marge

Inkscape: a sweet SVG app -- and it's free

Tools that generate 2-dimensional digital art are divided into 2 main types--

• raster (often called bitmap), which is pixel-based and not easily resizable, and
• vector, which can be easily and smoothly resized.

Examples of apps that will generate raster files are Adobe Photoshop (.psd) and Corel Photo-Paint (.cpt); vector applications are CorelDraw (.cdr) and Adobe Illustrator (.ai). All of these are proprietary and must be purchased for full use.

Inkscape is an open source vector program that produces files in Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg) format.  The SVG format has been named the standard for vector graphics in HTML5.  And, because vector files can be resized, it's the most logical format to use for developing mobile content.  Raster files can also be used for mobile content, but extra steps are required to render them at a size appropriate for the device.

Not all browsers are fully HTML5 capable.  Here is a breakdown of what browsers can handle HTML5 and inline SVG.  Note that the usage is 65.79% as of that writing.  Here's a more detailed breakdown of browser usage from Sitepoint.

But back to Inkscape.  As said before it's open source; you can download it here.  By the way, the documentation is very good.  And here are some videos to get you started:

Bitmap to vector

Shiny button

 

If you find Inkscape useful, please remember to donate.  And while you're in the pass-it-on mood, please remember Wikipedia, as well (where would we be without it?).

--Marge

Getting started with 3D modelling: O.K. which way is up?

First of all, why get started in 3D modelling?  Answer: because you can create a lot of cool things with it: 

• 3D games
• Avatars for virtual worlds
• Animated 3D avatars
• Models of real-world objects
• Digital artwork that changes with perspective

For reference take a look at this Wikipedia article on 3D modelling.

One way to find out if you're interested in pursuing the sometimes arduous task of working with a 3D application is to give it a try.  The folks at DAZ3D are offering free versions of some of their software:

• Bryce 7 for 3D landscapes
• DAZ Studio 4 for "professional 3D graphics creation" including custom figures (human and non-human) and animating the figures
• Hexagon 2.5 for creating 3D objects (that can be used in other application) 

Hexagon is the easiest to use and most versatile for creating objects for export to other programs.  For example, you can create an object in Hexagon and send it to DAZ Studio.  You can also export an object as a Second Life sculptie.
Here's a quick look at the Hexagon interface courtesy of CGDreams at YouTube:

CG Dreams' work is so professional (and I love the English accent too).  If you're interested in seeing more about Hexagon and 3D modelling CG Dreams has its own tutorial channel.

There's a lot available about 3D modelling on YouTube -- give it a look.

That's it 'til Monday.  Have a good weekend.

--Marge