Sofía Henao

“Cat”, “Duck”, “Dog”, “Fox”.

Egypt-based graphic designer Mahmoud Tammam creates simple modifications of Arabic words, transforming the language into visual representations of their meaning. The words Tammam chooses to design are often animals, turning long slopes into a llama’s neck, or a series of curves into an octopus’s tentacles. By creating these pictorial translations he allows the words to be understood by those not familiar or well-versed with the Arabic language, a minimal gesture that leads to a much greater understanding.

You can see more examples of Tammam’s illustrated language on his Instagram and Behance. (via My Modern Met)

Si el presidente Barack Obama aún se pregunta que hará cuando deje la Casa Blanca el 20 de enero, ya tiene una oferta de empleo de Spotify.

El líder mundial del servicio de streaming anunció el lunes que tiene un puesto vacante de "Presidente de las Listas de Reproducción" y dijo que buscaba a un candidato con "al menos ocho años de experiencia gobernando una nación en alta estima".

Y para evitar cualquier duda sobre a quién tiene en mente, Spotify aclaró que busca a alguien con "buen espíritu de equipo, ética de trabajo excelente, una actitud amistosa y cálida y que sea un premio Nobel de la Paz".

La compañía dijo que el Presidente de las Listas de Reproducción estará a cargo de diseñar listas de canciones para ocasiones que van desde "tirar una pelota al aro de básquet con tus amigos" a preparar un discurso "sobre legislación de salud pública que lleva tu nombre".

El presidente de la empresa sueca, Daniel Ek, anunció la oferta de empleo luego de que Obama mencionara la posibilidad de un empleo en Spotify, según contó Natalia Brzezinski, la esposa del exembajador estadounidense en Suecia Mark Brzezinski.

La esposa del exembajador escribió en Instagram que Obama le dijo en una recepción en la Casa Blanca la semana pasada que su visita de 2013 a Estocolmo fue su "viaje favorito·.

"'Todavía estoy esperando mi empleo en Spotify... Porque sé que a todos ustedes les gustó mi lista de reproducción'", dijo Obama, según Natalia Brzezinski.

Durante dos veranos consecutivos Obama difundió listas de Spotify para escuchar en las vacaciones, revelando su gusto por el soul clásico y el jazz.

We’ve all seen the collapsible paper helmet. It’s sturdy, and folds into an unsuspecting flat piece of board that can be carried and unfolded and worn again. However, not many people feel comfortable putting their trust in paper to protect something as precious as their skull. The Fend takes what’s best about the paper helmet, its fold-ability, and breathable design, and puts it into a conventional helmet, creating something that is volumes better in shock absorption, but still manages to be foldable.

The design doesn’t deviate from regular helmets in material choice. Made out of ABS and with an EPS Foam lining, the Fend feels like any other helmet. It’s only when you’re packing it away that you marvel the wonderful folding interaction. The entire design collapses into a mass not more than 110mm wide. That’s enough to not just fit into a laptop bag, but even a regular purse! Gives a different meaning to ‘carrying protection with you’, doesn’t it?!

Designer: FEND

Una agencia de traducción londinense recluta a un empleado de un nuevo tipo: "un traductor especialista en emojis", esos ideogramas tan populares en mensajería instantánea.

Con sede en la City de Londres, la agencia "Today Translations" publicó la oferta en su página web para "reforzar su equipo de 3.000 lingüistas con experiencia en 200 lenguas".

"La traducción de emojis es un campo emergente regido hasta ahora por programas informáticos insensibles a las diferencias culturales. Por ello, buscamos una persona excepcional capaz de aportar un toque humano", dice el anuncio.

The team over at Nervous System recently designed this fun Infinite Galaxy Puzzle that tiles continuously in any direction. Pieces from the top can be removed and added to the bottom, and likewise from side to side. So regardless of where you start the puzzle can continue in a seemingly infinite series of patterns. Each puzzle is printed with satellite imagery obtained from NASA and includes a few themed pieces like an astronaut, shuttle, and satellite. Apparently the puzzles were wildly popular and are now available as a pre-order for 2017. (via My Modern Met)

El hijo del representante de los Sex Pistols, Malcolm McLaren, y de la diseñadora Vivienne Westwood prendió fuego a un conjunto de valiosos recuerdos punk el sábado, como protesta contra los planes de celebración del 40º aniversario del movimiento.

Joe Corre quemó los artículos, cuyo valor se calcula en 5 millones de libras (6,2 millones de dólares, 5,9 millones de euros) en un barco en el río Támesis, en Londres. 

"El punk nunca, nunca tuvo por finalidad ser nostálgico, y tú no puedes aprender cómo ser uno en un taller del Museo de Londres", dijo a los observadores. 

"El punk se ha convertido en otra herramienta de mercadeo para venderte algo que no necesitas. La ilusión de una elección alternativa. Conformidad con otro uniforme". 

El conjunto de recuerdos quedó reducido a humo, junto con fuegos artificiales y efigies de líderes políticos.  

Anteriormente, Corre había dicho que le disgustaban los planes de Londres de celebrar los 40 años de la subcultura punk. 

El programa, que incluye actos, conciertos y exposiciones, está respaldado por el alcalde de Londres, la Biblioteca Británica y el Instituto del Cine Británico, entre otros. 

Corre afirmó que quería destacar "la hipocresía que hay en el corazón de este robo de 40 años de 'Anarquía en Reino Unido'", el icónico sencillo de los Sex Pistols, lanzado el 26 de noviembre de 1976.

"El 'establishment' ha decidido que es el momento de celebrarlo. Está tratando de privatizarlo, de empaquetarlo, de castrarlo", declaró Corre, citado por el periódico The Times. "Es el momento de prenderle fuego a todo esto". 

Un barco del servicio de bomberos ayudó a extinguir las llamas. 

Artist Calvin Seibert spent part of the summer on Rockaway Beach in Queens where he made quick work of erecting several of his trademark geometric sandcastles that we’ve admired for years here on Colossal. Seibert is a professional sculptor who relishes the challenge of building these temporary sand structures inspired by brutalist architecture and aspects of modernism. He shares about his process:

Building “sandcastles” is a bit of a test. Nature will always be against you and time is always running out. Having to think fast and to bring it all together in the end is what I like about it. I rarely start with a plan, just a vague notion of trying to do something different each time. Once I begin building and forms take shape I can start to see where things are going and either follow that road or attempt to contradict it with something unexpected. In my mind they are always mash-ups of influences and ideas. I see a castle, a fishing village, a modernist sculpture, a stage set for the oscars all at once. When they are successful they don’t feel contained or finished. They become organic machines that might grow and expand. I am always adding just one more bit and if time allowed I wouldn’t stop.

Seen here are a number of his designs from the last year but you can explore hundreds more over on Flickr. (via Laughing Squid, Adam Savage)

For those times when you need a hex bit but don’t have your tools handy, the Key-Bit can be a total lifesaver keychain attachment. Lightweight and small, it’s an unobtrusive addition to your keychain and uses a magnetic quick release making it quick and easy to access. It uses two rare-earth neodymium magnets with a separation force of 6.48 pounds. Perfect for a secure carry while giving you a quick tool release.

Designer: Bobby Davis

Gemasolar Thermosolar Plant / 37·560755°, –5·331908° / This Overview captures the Gemasolar Thermosolar Plant in Seville, Spain. The solar concentrator contains 2,650 heliostat mirrors that focus the sun’s thermal energy to heat molten salt flowing through a 140-metre-tall (460-foot) central tower. The molten salt then circulates from the tower to a storage tank, where it is used to produce steam and generate electricity. In total, the facility displaces approximately 30,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year.

In December of 2013, an Instagram account called Daily Overview began to catalog a wide spectrum of satellite images that capture the many ways people have transformed the face of Earth, for better or worse. The account is run by Benjamin Grant who uses imagery taken from DigitalGlobe, an advanced collection of Earth imaging satellites that provide data to services like Google Earth. The project gets its title from a phenomenon experienced by astronauts who spend extended periods of time in space and what they describe as a “cognitive shift in awareness” as they continuously view the world from above dubbed the overview effect.

As Grant’s Instagram has swelled to nearly a half million followers, some of the best images from the project have been gathered into a new 288-page hardcover book called Overview. The book includes images of our collective impact on Earth, a collection of interlinked systems often too difficult to grasp including aspects of industry, agriculture, and architecture.

All images © 2016 by DigitalGlobe, Inc. from Overview by Benjamin Grant, published by Amphoto Books. Used with permission. (via Twisted Sifter)

Tulips / 52·276355°, 4·557080° / Every year, tulip fields in Lisse, Netherlands begin to bloom in March and are in peak bloom by late April. The Dutch produce a total of 4·3 billion tulip bulbs each year, of which 53% (2·3 billion) is grown into cut flowers. Of these, 1·3 billion are sold in the Netherlands as cut flowers and the remainder is exported: 630 million bulbs to Europe and 370 million elsewhere.

Olives / 37·263212°, –4·552271° / Olive tree groves cover the hills of Córdoba, Spain. Approximately 90% of all harvested olives are turned into oil; the remaining 10% are eaten as table olives. With rising temperatures and phenomenal weather variations in growing regions, olive groves on high hills or slopes will probably suffer less, but groves located on low altitude areas or plains could become totally unproductive.

Moab Potash Evaporation Ponds / 38·485579°, –109·684611° / Evaporation ponds are visible at the potash mine in Moab, Utah, USA. The mine produces muriate of potash, a potassium-containing salt that is a major component in fertilisers. The salt is pumped to the surface from underground brines and dried in massive solar ponds that vibrantly extend across the landscape. As the water evaporates over the course of 300 days, the salts crystallise out. The colours that are seen here occur because the water is dyed a deep blue, as darker water absorbs more sunlight and heat, thereby reducing the amount of time it takes for the water to evaporate and the potash to crystallise.

Marabe Al Dhafra / 23·610424°, 53·702677° / The villas of Marabe Al Dhafra in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates are home to approximately 2,000 people. Located in one of the hottest regions of the world, the record high temperature here is 49·2°C (120·6°F).

Port of Singapore / 1·237656°, 103·806422° / Cargo ships and tankers – some weighing up to 300,000 tonnes – wait outside the entry to the Port of Singapore. The facility is the world’s second-busiest port in terms of total tonnage, shipping a fifth of the world’s cargo containers and half of the world’s annual supply of crude oil.

Ipanema Beach / –22·983606°, –43·206638° / Ipanema Beach is located in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Recognised as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, the sand is divided into segments by lifeguard towers known as ‘postos’.

Nishinoshima Volcanic Activity / 27·243362, 140·874420 / Nishinoshima is a volcanic island located 940 kilometres (584 miles) south of Tokyo, Japan. Starting in November 2013, the volcano began to erupt and continued to do so until August 2015. Over the course of the eruption, the area of the island grew in size from 0.06 square kilometres (0.02 square miles) to 2·3 square kilometres (0·89 square miles).

by Adam Ellis

Cape Breton, una pequeña isla ubicada en el oriente de Canadá, más exactamente en la provincia costera de Nova Scotia, ya no sabe qué hacer para atraer personas a sus tierras. La primera invitación que se hizo masiva fue cuando ofrecieron los terrenos de la isla a los estadounidenses que quieran irse de su país si Donald Trump es electo presidente. Y aunque en ese entonces podría parecer una broma o parte de una campaña contra el candidato republicano, la oferta era real: Cape Breton necesita personas.

La nueva propuesta para repoblar la isla viene de un pequeño negocio que opera en la aldea Whycocomag. El Mercado Campesino de la Hija del Granjero, nombre de la empresa, tiene dinero, tiene puestos de trabajo, tiene tierras y hasta afirman que tienen una gran proyección. Lo único que no tienen es personas. La razón del desespero de los pobladores de Cape Breton son sus 150.000 habitantes, o un poco menos, que vendrían a ser la mitad de lo que tiene un pequeño barrio de una gran ciudad colombiana. Y cada día son menos pobladores. Cada día la isla se ve más vacía de personas, algo que sin duda ha preocupado a los habitantes, que tomaron la decisión de anunciar al mundo su “soledad” y sus deseos de compañía.

La dueña del negocio que impulsa la repoblación de Cape Breton ofreció empleo y una tierra, sin costo, a los interesados en transformar su vida y emigrar a un país como Canadá. Los habitantes de la isla pueden estar tranquilo, pues al menos aspirantes no faltarán. Tras el anuncio, más de 3.100 personas de todo el mundo han anunciado su deseo por mudarse a la retirada región y empezar una nueva vida. Saben que al menos no les faltará trabajo y dónde vivir.

Pero no todo es tan fácil y hay una restricción que no pueden superar los 3.100 interesados. Pese a las miles de solicitudes que recibieron los habitantes de la isla por parte de sus potenciales nuevos vecinos, los aspirantes deben hacer todo el trámite migratorio que exige el gobierno de Canadá. Un permiso al que pocas personas acceder, debido a que evalúa la educación del solicitante, la experiencia laboral, la adaptabilidad al país y, lo más importante, el dominio del idioma.

Cape Breton no tiene más de 10.000 kilómetros cuadrados de área. En la isla domina la cultura celta, por cuenta de los escoceses que emigraron allí durante el siglo XIX. Siempre las fuentes de ingreso fueron el turismo y las actividades marítimas. La pesca y otras industrias han ido decayendo, a medida que menos personas quieren dedicarse a ello. De hecho, una de las razones de más peso para la paulatina despoblación de la isla, es la cantidad de jóvenes que prefieren irse a las grandes ciudades a hacer su vida, pues consideran que la isla es demasiado rural y apartada del ajetreo de las capitales. Se estima que la población de la isla ha venido cayendo de manera creciente desde 2006.

Pese a lo sorpresivo, la idea de los isleños no es muy original. Ese tipo de ofertas ya la han hecho países como España, Rusia, Senegal, que cuentan con territorios apartados y que se están quedando sin humanos. En todos estos casos la promesa es similar: estudio, trabajo, tierra, vivienda, o una gran ancla que motive a cualquier persona a dejar su vida y empezar una nueva en lugares remotos.

German artist Felix Jaensch has an uncanny ability to translate the ruffle of parrot feathers or the lumpy fur of orangutans into lifelike LEGO sculptures. He shares many of his original designs on Flickr and a few pieces including the red fox are available is DIY kits through MOC Nation. He’s also trying to get support on LEGO Ideas for his guinea pig design. (via Matt’s Brick Gallery)

The Camping Cup is one innovation step short of levitating in mid-air. Its ingenious design allows it to perch itself on any surface, no matter how uneven, and still stay upright! A bag filled with ball-bearings at the bottom allows the cup to settle onto any rugged or slanting surface. The ball-bearings adjust themselves, taking up the necessary shape and forming a flat platform for the cup’s base to rest on. Absolute genius!

The Camping Cup is an honorable mention at the Red Dot Design Awards for the year 2015.

Designer: Wang Jiaxin

NASA has recently published a simulated image of a massive black hole weighing 17 billion Suns. This beautiful image demonstrates that black holes may be more common than previously realized and that they aren’t always located at the center of large galaxies.

Learn more about the discovery here and be sure to follow NASA on Flickr for more astonishing imagery.

We’ve long been fans of the data-rich illustrations produced by Pop Chart Lab, and this new print is no exception. The Chart of Cosmic Exploration documents every exploratory endeavor into space spanning Luna 2 in 1959 to DSCOVR in 2015. The elegantly dense chart not only depicts the flight paths and orbits around planets, moons, comets, and asteroids, but also takes pains to illustrate some 100 exploratory instruments. The result is a shockingly clear overview of an immensely complex topic. The print is now available for preorder and begins shipping next week. (via Mental_Floss)

Thanksgiving fans would say the tastiest holiday of them all is upon us! Enjoy these autumn inspired dishes, including everything but the turkey! See all the photos in our galleries page.

Curated by Jessie Sandler for Flickr.

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More optimism.

When the surf is good, the ocean calls. Even if it’s just to listen to the sound of the crashing waves. Visit the Surf’s Up gallery on Flickr for more awesome images.

Curated by Kim Metzger for Flickr.

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NASA recently uploaded remarkable photos of the Orbital ATK Antares rocket launch failure on October 28th 2014 to their Flickr account.

The images document the explosion in the Antares Main Engine System that caused the vehicle to lose thrust and fall back toward the ground. According to NASA, the Cygnus spacecraft onboard of the rocket was filled with supplies slated for the International Space Station, including science experiments, experiment hardware, spare parts, and crew provisions.

Explore this and more images from NASA HQ’s photostream and be sure to follow them if you want more updates about the space agency.

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English artist Ed Fairburn (previously) uses vintage road maps and star charts as canvases for drawn portraits. Cross-hatched patterns and shaded regions inside roads, borders, and rivers assimilate into the contours of faces, as if the images had always been secretly hidden in the map’s topography. “In his hands, both built infrastructure and natural phenomena echo the organic human form,” shares Mike Wright Gallery. “National highway systems become capillaries, and the tangle of Paris’ alleyways become the wrinkles that give the face history and individuality.”

Fairburn opens a new show of work alongside artist John Wentz today at Mike Wright in Denver.