StoryCorps animates the story of Lance Corporal Travis Williams, a U.S. Marine who was deployed to Iraq. In 2005, he was part of a 12-person team whose vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. A twist of fate left Travis as the sole survivor.

Miss playing with that Spirograph you had when you were a kid? Look no further than Inspirograph, an interactive browser-based Spirograph emulator, designed by Nathan Friend. Say goodbye to your afternoon.

Les Baugh lost both of his arms in a freak accident about 40 years ago. Now scientists from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory have fitted him with two robotic limbs, which can be controlled wirelessly using his own thoughts.

Skimming along the water in a super-fast H1 Unlimited Hydroplane is insane enough, but when something goes wrong, these turbine-powered speedboats can turn into unintended aircrafts, as demonstrated in this incredible POV video.

Mark Carpenter and his kids have a unique goodie for their fellow LEGO enthusiasts. They designed a 3mm-thick 1×2 LEGO-compatible tile made of aerospace grade glossy black carbon fiber, the perfect finishing touch for your creations.

This is it for The Colbert Report. Stephen Colbert bid farewell to his fans (and his character) with an awkward but star-studded rendition of the optimistic goodbye song We’ll Meet Again. Because we will. Mirror here.

Hot Toys’ 1:6 scale model of Tony Stark’s Avengers: Age of Ultron suit. It’s made of die-cast material with realistic metallic paint and weathered finish, 36 points of articulation and a detachable Ultron Mk. I diorama base.

A hilariously offbeat promotional music video for UK comedian Adam Buxton’s TV special Adam Buxton’s Shed of Christmas. By the end, you’ll have learned where all those wonderful ornaments, tinsel and gifts really come from.

Get your drink on while getting your sorbet on with these freezer pops filled with fruity ice spiked with vodka. Flavors include apple, black currant, and lemon/lime. A welcome alternative to jello shots.

Finnish illustrator Jaakko Seppäla created this 10×10 grid of cartoon characters, each rendered in their original form, plus nine other interpretations based on the styles of each of the other artists represented.

Fourgrounds Film presents a series of short holiday snippets of holiday films shot in the trademark styles of famous directors, ranging from Wes Anderson to Martin Scorsese to Stephen Spielberg. Watch part two here.

The great explainer CGP Grey provides a simple-ish summary of The Lord of the Rings mythology, from its universe’s creator to the silly thing that led to the suffering of millions. TL,DW: all we have are six movies about nobodies.

Get nostalgic for the halcyon days of youth whenever you’re in the bathroom with Athletes Brand’s Baseball Glove Scented Soap. Now all you need are dirt-scented shampoo and chain link fence-scented candles.

(Gore) Jaume R. Lloret compiled all (?) of the grizzly death scenes from Quentin Tarantino’s feature films, from Reservoir Dogs to Django Unchained. Delfonics’ Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) was a cheeky touch.

Infiniti’s contribution to Gran Turismo 6’s growing collection of concept cars. The Infiniti Concept Vision Gran Turismo is a hybrid with a naturally aspirated V8 and a mean, viper-like design. Available for download this week.

This on-car footage features racer Frank Stippler driving a 1958 Maserati 250f at the Historic Grand Prix of Monaco. Frank competed with other pre-1961 cars and drove the prizewinning Maserati to second place.

The ASUS ET2323 is a cutting edge all-in-one PC. It has a 23″ 16:9 1080p touchscreen, a base with built-in Qi wireless charger and NFC chip, a TV antenna jack, HDMI in, HDMi out and a gesture sensor that works up to 16ft away.

Israeli Illustrator Amit Shimoni has envisions famous political figures and world leaders as if they were more concerned about their looks and fashion than their impact on society. Prints available from Society6.

Alexandra Trew was visiting Universal Studios Florida, when she attempted to snap a selfie with Megatron (The Decepticon, not the football player) in the background. Megatron really doesn’t like selfies and social networks.

Papers, Please in perhaps its best version yet. Become a border inspector in a wartorn communist country, exerting a massive influence on many people’s lives while struggling to keep your own. Glory to Arstotzka.

Nah, this isn’t a parody of a The Orb song. It’s just a simple magic trick that Weird Al Yankovic recently learned. You can pull it off too. All you need is a shirt and a trip to the kitchen.

The trailer for Heists, the much-awaited free update to GTA V’s online multiplayer. It consists of five different capers for four players, with each player taking on a different role. Available early 2015. More at IGN.

Tom BetGeorge just won Christmas. The music director built and programmed this massive Cantina-inspired setup that is synchronized to his favorite Star Wars songs. It has about 100,000 lights and can be seen from miles away.