Artist Rebecca Baxter of Halifax, Nova Scotia makes noisy, grating, often ethereal sounds from machines she designs and solders herself. Demand has been high for her one-offs, including those used… Read the rest of the article: Nova Scotia artist generates furious noise from hand-made sound machines

Ornamental aquariums are so pre-apocalypse. It's time to turn your fish tank into something more useful, like a platform for growing food. The Springworks MicroFarm ($199), which goes on-sale later… Read the rest of the article: Desktop aquaponics system turns your fish tank into a garden

I'm a firm believer in a household repository for sundry electronic parts, adapters, and bits of wire. Everyone needs an attractive kitchen basket/box to reduce detritus. Pretty much the best… Read the rest of the article: DIY wood/leather box perfect for taming household electronics clutter

The NYPD is paying $442,500 for a three-year subscription to Vigilant Solutions' database of 2.2 billion license plate images of cars across America.

Vermont, the little Holland of the United States, has been a leader in pot decriminalization, gay marriage, and socialist presidential candidates. One of the perks of living here is the… Read the rest of the article: Free steampunk workout videos

Jeff Wilson, a university professor in Austin, left his beautifully appointed dumpster this week. For a year, he lived in the 33-square-foot space, set in the school's parking lot.

One of the controversies surrounding brain training sites has been the creators' claims that they build fluid intelligence.

Renowned expert on makerspaces in school libraries, Laura Fleming, has written a great post about her experience embracing serendipity with curious students. In her class, she passed out some brain-computer-interface… Read the rest of the article: Schools with makerspaces rule. This librarian tells you how build them.

As a quick ASMR trigger in the middle of a work day, Justin's Honey Peanut Butter and any good dark chocolate can't be beat. The recipe is simple: smear a… Read the rest of the article: This is the perfect work snack

For an even, controllable light source for shooting video and still shots, one option is the high quality Ice Light for $450. It uses flicker-free LEDs and a lithium ion… Read the rest of the article: Create your own Ice Light-style LED lamp for photography

Online mag Hopes & Fears asked an educator in American Sign Language and his young assistant to demonstrate various internet jargon such as "emoji" and "photobomb". Each demo is captured… Read the rest of the article: Learn the sign language for "screengrab" and "SMH"

For a friend's birthday last night, we made cookies (below) using a custom cookie cutter we bought from an online service. They came out well, but I ended up wanting… Read the rest of the article: Ideas for better custom cookie cutters

In December on the forum biohack.me, there was a fascinating discussion entitled "Why are transhumanists such dicks?" What came out of it was this.

Reality by French filmmaker Quentin Dupieux (better known as the DJ Mr. Oizo) looks good. Philip Glass on the score, all color corrected in 70s browns and yellows, and Jon… Read the rest of the article: Upcoming film, Reality, puts Jon Heder in a rat suit

Whether you're trying to quiet the hum on your old single coil Strat or Telecaster, or create a DIY wireless charging station for your phone, the copper tape sold to… Read the rest of the article: Snail and slug tape is great for electronics projects

This week, ABC Australia is running a radio documentary about George Antheil, with extensive audio excerpts and an essay online. Originally from New Jersey, the composer was obsessed with machines,… Read the rest of the article: Avant garde pianist and great 20th century commuications nerd

This devil was painted between 1471 and 1475 by Austrian Michael Packer. The 40-by-35-inch altarpiece portrays the legend in which Saint Wolfgang reached out to old scratch for assistance in building a cathedral.… Read the rest of the article: 15th-Century supervillain

Sure, the bassist who calls himself MonoNeon does a masterful accompaniment of the Jones Big Ass Truck Rental & Storage ads. But the real gem here is his manifesto at… Read the rest of the article: Great life advice from neon bassist

If the whole Potter franchise didn't already seem to give UK kids special powers, now this: primary and secondary schoolers can enter a contest by April 5 to program a Raspberry Pi for the… Read the rest of the article: Kids send Maker projects to space

Visually updating Hieronymus Bosch with delicious recherche cutouts, the Croatian visual artist and illustrator Sanda Anderlon constructed an incredibly detailed 40" image (only a small detail of which is shown here). Another recent piece depicts a… Read the rest of the article: Visual artist creates intricate, 1000-Layer collage of drunken party