Posts Written by Paul Strauss

If you attach different-weight objects to a string and hang them over a bar, the lighter object can prevent the heavier one from hitting the ground when dropped. As this happens, the rope spirals around the bar. Science teacher Bruce Yeany attached LEDs to the objects and captured long-exposure photos of this fascinating looping pendulum action.

Can’t get through the day without an espresso drink? The Nano portable espresso machine is small enough to carry in your backpack and makes hot drinks from Nespresso coffee capsules or ground coffee. It can brew up to 200 cups per charge when using hot water or 5 cups per charge with cold water. It’s also available as a gift set with a sturdy carrying case.

Filmmaker James Parris pokes fun at those 1950s and 1960s educational films with an etiquette lesson on how to properly use a sidewalk so you don’t bump into people walking in the opposite direction. But what do you do if there are three or more people coming at you, James?

The United Kingdom produced some of the greatest punk rock bands of all time, from The Clash to The Sex Pistols to The Buzzcocks. BLOXSY put together this compilation of 12 potent electric guitar riffs from U.K. punk tracks, which will have you standing up and moshing at your desk.

This six-slot tool roll from Olight is perfect for small EDC flashlights and other pocket tools. It holds closed with an elastic cord and can be hung up thanks to its snap-grommet holes. A waxed canvas exterior resists wear, while its soft velvet fabric protect items inside. It also comes in bundles with Olight’s i3E, IMini 2, Baton 3, and Arkfeld UV flashlights.

This incredible short film, directed and animated by Duncan Hatch, takes us on a surreal journey that travels from outer space to a cubicle farm to a colorful forest populated with weird creatures. Noah Kowalski’s sound design and Tom Ippolito’s music deliver a sense of immersion that is truly headphone-worthy.

VERO teamed up with the U.S. Forest Service to create a series of field watches inspired by the people who help protect our nation’s forests and grasslands. The series has four color schemes: Ranger, Hotshot, Airtanker, and Service Green. Each packs a Seiko kinetic movement, Super Luminova hands, and a stainless steel case with a ceramic coating.

uvBeast makes the brightest ultraviolet flashlights we’ve seen. Their V3 light has three surface-mounted LEDs, which can project a UV beam 70 feet or more. Its light can be used for finding covered-up repairs and leaks, curing UV resins, and making phosphorescents glow brightly. It’s powered by two 18650 li-ion batteries.

There are lots of awful things that happen in the wasteland of Fallout, but it’s the gigantic mutant cockroaches that freak us out the most. With some sponsorship bucks from Prime Video, The Hacksmith set out to create a life-size robotic Radroach. Or five. Two of the remote-controlled creepy crawlers roll on wheels, and they’re all filled with nasty green goo.

Gerber improves campsite meal prep with their ComplEAT cutting board set. It includes bamboo and polypropylene cutting surfaces, which serve as the lid for a storage bin. Inside, you’ll find a removable tray with a 6″ chef knife and a 3.25″ paring knife tucked securely into place and enough room to carry additional items like Gerber’s ComplEAT utensils.

It’s not been officially revealed as of yet, but an eagle-eyed shopper in Taipei spotted this box for LEGO ICONS set 10341, based on NASA’s Artemis Space Launch System. If the box art is to be believed, the 3601-piece set will let you build a detailed model of the rocket’s various components and its launch tower. Rumor has it the set will drop 5.15.24 for $259.99.

In Fallout, Walton Goggins portrays actor Cooper Howard and his post-apocalyptic incarnation, The Ghoul. This behind-the-scenes video shows the time and effort that goes into applying the prosthetics and makeup to bring his creepy and rogueish character to life, thanks to SFX makeup artist Jake Garber. P.S. Walton’s nose gets removed with CGI.

Robotics company Boston Dynamics just bid farewell to its oddly lovable ATLAS robot, only to reveal a new, more capable version of their humanoid droid. The new ATLAS can stand itself up from lying down and spin its arms, legs, and head around like some possessed demon. It’s awe-inspiring tech but also nightmare fuel.

This tiny knife measures just 2.6″ long when closed, making it perfect for keychains. Its 3Cr13 steel blade is ideal for opening packages, cutting rope, breaking down boxes, and holds in place securely with a liner lock mechanism. Its handle is made from glass-reinforced nylon and has a built-in bottle opener at its back end.

We’ve seen time and time again that there are other ways to move around besides ordinary wheels. LEGO builder Dr. Engine put together vehicles that run on seven kinds of wheels to see how they performed against various obstacles, including a pile of tires, a staircase, and a hill covered with wood chips. It ends with a tug-of-war between the vehicles.

This premium leather duffel is the perfect antidote to cheap luggage. Loyal Stricklin makes each bag to order in the USA, using Horween English leather, with handles and a shoulder strap made from Italian leather. Its interior compartment will hold a 3-day-weekend’s worth of clothes, and it should have no problem fitting in the overhead bin of most airplanes.

This compact clip-on flashlight from Fitorch was designed for versatility. Attach it to your belt, a hat, or a backpack strap for hands-free illumination. It has five settings, including a 1000-lumen mode and a strobe mode. It’ll run for up to 20 hours in 2-lumen Eco mode but only 45 minutes at 150 lumens due to its small internal battery.

Randall Munroe and Henry Reich’s What If? attempts to answer the hypothetical question of what might happen if every living human stood close together, jumped off of the ground, and landed at the same exact time. While the answer to that question is less exciting than you might think, there would be plenty of unintended consequences of such an event.

We’ve been watching Fallout, so a post-apocalyptic wasteland is top of mind. Should such a catastrophe come to pass, the latest Worst-Case Scenario book has got you covered. Whether it’s robots, nukes, aliens, or a pandemic that ends the world as we know it, you’ll find useful pointers from experts to help you not only survive but help rebuild civilization.

This way-too-short film from Yeti Pictures and director Tony Zagoraios features a series of miniature vignettes inspired by classic movie scenes, including The Exorcist, King Kong, Jurassic Park, and more. The animation and modeling team did a great job making it look like it was filmed with models and action figures, but it’s all CGI.

Acebeam’s palm-size Terminator M2-X flashlight is incredibly versatile. It has white spot and flood beams and RGB accent lighting in seven colors. It offers six brightness levels, red and green signal flashes, and a color-changing mode. Available with a 3200-lumen cool white or 2000-lumen high CRI90 light source powered by a replaceable 18650 lithium-ion battery.

We love traveling to exotic destinations. But where travelers go, criminals follow. This nylon wallet from Zero Grid protects your belongings from pickpockets by keeping them around your neck and under your shirt. Measuring  5.7″ W x 7.5 H”, it’s less bulky than other neck wallets while providing storage for passports, cash, credit cards, and papers.

There’s a whole sub-genre of YouTube videos featuring various objects being jammed into industrial shredders. Atomic Marvel went to the extreme and stuck the entire sun into a shredder to see what would happen. We’re surprised it didn’t melt the machine as soon as it hit the gears with its 10,000-degree surface temperature.