Mad Art Lab

Busking Skeptically

Ryan — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:00:20 +0000

I have recently begun busking as a part-time job. I have performed in parks and such for fun and good practice, but never for money before now. The experience has me thinking about the whole enterprise in terms of science and society.

To start, I’m not sure how to view busking. In my idealist mind, it is the most honest form of professional performance art; I dance and juggle for you, you pay me what you think I deserve for the entertainment you receive from my act. If that were actually how the exchange occurred, I think it would be unambiguously brilliant.

From my observations, though, that isn’t at all how it works.

This is a bit speculative because I can’t really ask my patrons about their motivations, but from my observations there seem to be four reasons for adding money to my hat: guilt, charity, morality lessons, and genuine appreciation.

Guilt seems to be a major contributor to my profits. Some people notice me tap-dancing – it’s hard not to, it’s kind of noisy – and then accidentally make eye contact. They didn’t choose to watch me. They didn’t want me to be there. But by me noticing them noticing me, they suddenly feel obligated to pay for the service that they inadvertently partook in. This, though, is a pretty small proportion of donors.

Many more of the guilt driven givers are parents. Their children run up and watch and excitedly ask to put money in my hat within earshot of me. It is clear from the look on their face that they wish I’d have just been another cellist so their kids wouldn’t have noticed me. But no, I’m a juggler and now they’re digging in their pockets for what they hope will be a socially acceptable denomination of coinage.

Charity also seems to play a sizable role in my profits and I have very mixed feelings about it. On one hand, it is a genuine act of kindness. I think that those are, as a rule, good things. I think the world would be a better place in general if people did more things because they were nice rather than profitable. The note below was tossed into my hat because the donor genuinely believed that it would bless my work and increase my earnings. While it demonstrably did not, it was an act of kindness and appreciated it none the less.

However, I am not panhandling. I am not begging for donations. I am working. Charitable donations are somewhat patronizing. They are subtly implying that the donor feels sorry for me, and that I won’t earn enough to live without their generosity.

The third source of coins is one I did not expect. It is parents teaching their children about charity and kindness and paying people for their services. In this case, I am not so much of an entertainer, but a tap-dancing fable; I’m a tool for teaching a moral lesson. I don’t mind this, but it feels a bit odd. I am providing a service, but not the one I intended. Also, I’m only peripherally involved in the process.

The final group are those that are genuinely impressed and entertained by my performance. I love these people. I just wish there were more of them. In a way, it drives me to be better, to have a more impressive act and to make it impossible not to watch. It is very rewarding to actually draw a crowd. Once or twice I have had to force a crowd to disperse because they were blocking aisles or stop juggling and pretend to pack up so that parents could coax their children away without a tantrum.

So I’m not sure where I stand. I don’t like taking money from people who just feel obligated to give. However I’m in no position to tell people to take it back or to question their intentions. I don’t like getting charity from good Samaritans because I would like to actually earn the money I get. On the other hand, perhaps the warm fuzzies they get from giving might outweigh any entertainment value they might get if they stopped to watch. Also, I feel weird being a tool for teaching children, but I can’t say that it’s wrong.

What do you all think? Do you give to buskers? When and why?

“GMO”, “UFO”, and a “Winged Shape-Shifter”: SkepchickCon, Part 2

Gigi Chickee — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:00:42 +0000

Here are all three pieces up for auction. They’d make a great set for the skeptic in your life.

Continuing from last week’s post, I’m going to discuss some of the pictures I created for SkepchickCon. The neat thing about this week’s post is that you can actually purchase the discussed photos themselves!

The photos are framed and autographed by me with the proceeds going to help pay for the SkepchickCon speakers’ travel expenses. You can view the pieces up for auction here: “UFO“, “GMO“, and “Winged Shape-Shifter“. Shipping is $10 per piece, but if you win two or all three of the auctions, I will bundle the shipping expense and you will still only pay $10.

GMO

After a hard day’s work, the girls stoically pose by their genetically modified ear of corn.

This is probably my favorite photo of the whole bunch. I imagined it in my mind’s eye and I was able to replicate it exactly, which can be tricky. Usually in early conceptions, you have to make adjustments, sacrifices, or improvements, but not with this photo. I was so happy that Briar and Jude were able to capture that sort of “despression-era” somber look, complete with dirty faces and feet.

According to dictionary.com, a GMO is “an organism or microorganism whose genetic material has been altered by means of genetic engineering”. Brian Dunning of Skeptoid did a fantastic podcast about GMO’s, so I am going to direct you there if you’d like to learn about GMO’s, why they’re in the news, and what exactly all the hub-bub is about.

Or you can purchase a ticket to SkepchickCon to find out more about GMO’s, because guess what? They’re discussing it!

“Winged Shape-Shifter”

Donning my wig from Halloween, I purchased a pair of wings and posed for this photo.

This is my shape-shifter, but how could this shape-shifter exist? If we look at this creature from a scientific standpoint, we can see that vertebrate animals that evolve wings do not also have arms.

The wings ended up being quite lovely; it’s a good look for me.

Find out more about the physics and biology of shape-shifters at SkepchickCon.

UFO

What skeptic talk wouldn’t be complete without discussing UFO’s and/or aliens?

Items needed for a UFO: 2 Pie Pans, Hot Glue, String, Stick.

When a witness to a UFO jumps to the conclusion that it must’ve been an alien ship they immediately begin refining the memory of the event until it forms a congruent story. Humans have a tendency to put too much stock into what we believe we have seen with our own eyes and fail to objectively question our perceptions or recollection of events. With better information or more evidence the phenomenon may have been explainable, but with many UFO experiences that opportunity has passed, and only a story remains. And then you have the deliberate hoaxers, which my photograph satirizes. Those scamps!

Don’t forget to check out my items up for auction and bid, bid, bid! Remember, one well-placed high-dollar proxy bid is all it takes to win. The bidding ends Sunday 5/26.

Worst Miracle Ever

Elyse — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:30:36 +0000

Hello, world. If you’re reading this, it means I lived long enough to finish typing it. But probably I’m dead. At the hands of a cruel dare from my fellow MALabbers. They’re horrible people who disguise themselves as friends. Don’t trust them.

Let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time, I bought some of those stupid miracle berry tabs. They’re miracle fruit, you see, in a tablet… that you suck on… and then when they’re gone from your mouth, through the magic of science and chemicals—miraculin, to be specific, and even Wikipedia is’t sure how it works so it’s like literally magic—they perform the miracle of making everything in the world taste like delicious candy. So one day you’re all like “What? Who the hell eats mayonnaise with pickes and coffee grounds?” Then you eat a miracle berry and you shove a giant spoonful of pickle-coffee mayo into your mouth and you’re like “OH HOLY SHIT THIS IS WHAT UNICORN DREAMS TASTE LIKE!”

Or at least, that’s what the legend, and my “friends” here at the lab, would have us believe.

Anyway because I have a medical condition that prevents me from eating most anything sweet without horrible GI consequences, I thought “Hey! Wouldn’t it be great if I could have one of these and make a piece of cheese taste like my favorite cake?” See, I’d been told this would happen. So, believing I’d be able to trick myself into believing I was eating cakes, I ordered a pack of miracle fruit tablets. They’re supposed to work exactly the same as miracle fruit, but in a shelf-friendly tablet form.

So, one day, I’m craving some delicious dessert and I’m like “OH FUCK! LIGHTBULB! I HAVE MIRACLE FRUIT TABS ON MY SHELF! I’M GOING TO EAT SO MUCH PIE VINEGAR!”

I grabbed the pack, popped a tab in my mouth… sucked and sucked and sucked and like 4 hours later, I WAS READY!!

The results were unimpressive, so I sent this should-have-been-more-scathing email to the Mad Art Lab team:

So I bought some of those miracle fruit tabs and decided to try one.

After rolling it around in my mouth for like 10 minutes waiting for it to dissolve, I’ve flared up my TMJ and now it hurts to talk. Or chew. Or anything else that involves moving my face or head.

The effects lasted for about three minutes and were mostly unremarkable.

Unsweetened chocolate tasted like dark chocolate. Sour cream tasted like ice cream that went bad a month ago. Cholula tasted like Cholula. Coffee tasted like coffee. Red pepper cheddar cheese tasted exactly like red pepper cheddar cheese. Then unsweetened chocolate tasted like that 90%+ cocoa.

And then I was out of room in my body for any more bites of food.

The end.

And that was when they decided it was time to trick me into self-murder.

Crush them up, make a paste, they said. It will work better.
Write a post, they said. Compare the two experiences. YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE IT! LIKE CANDY ICE CREAM COOKIE PIE CUPCAKES!
Take some pictures for us. We demand it. BECAUSE WE LOVE YOU! IT WILL BE GREAT!

So today, I got my new vitamins in the mail. And I popped one into my mouth and I was like “OH SWEET BABY JESUS HOW DO YOU MAKE SOMETHING TASTE SO AWFUL?” (Because yes, I am a grownup who eats chewable vitamins. Don’t judge me.) And then I remembered that I had THE TABS [insert: rainbow swipe]. And it’s Friday. And I’m bored. And this could be the thing that saves the world from a vitamin-bad-tasting epidemic. And I’m bored. Like seriously bored.

I take the half-step trek from one end of my kitchen to the other, and open my Cabinet of Hope, pop a tab between my teeth and make a paste of tablet and fresh-from-my-tongue-tap saliva. I swish and swish and grind my tongue against the tablet like drunk 16 year olds at prom. This, my friends, is the moment I was sure would change my life forever. And it did… in much the same way that drunk 16 year old’s life changed when he realized he had a giant boner and the lights went on.

Except that, I imagine, a boner feels kinda good. A miracle fruit tab tastes kind of… not that good.

But there’s a reward. And I knew if I could just get through this tab, everything would be the best. A couple of minutes of unpleasant is worth it.

And then the tab melting was over. And it was CHOCOGASM TIME! The reckoning was upon us… well, upon me… and it was going to be great! Because this time I totes did it right. “Everything is going to taste like MIRACLES!” I said to no one… because I was standing alone in my kitchen… because about to shove awful-tasting food into my mouth… which is something you only do while alone… to avoid embarrassment… before you post the experience onto the internet.

I grabbed a big ass chunk of unsweetened dark chocolate and… it tasted kind of like a-little-bit-sweetened dark chocolate. I didn’t take a photo of my reaction because there was nothing to take a picture of. I was unimpressed. Not wholly disappointed. It tasted fine. Exactly like it did the first time I attempted this stupid experiment.

Ok… but sour cream. Sour turns sweet. That’s the promise. So, sour cream will taste like sweet cream… not like rancid ice cream. Like sweet whipped cream. With the texture of melting whipped butter. I cannot regret this. It’s not possible. See? See how excited I was? (where excited=fucking terrified)

So at first, not actually so bad. It’s sweet. Like whipped cream.

And then the sour kicks in. And suddenly it tasted like whipped sour cream.

Now, I like sour cream. And I like whipped cream. I do not like the flavor of these two in one single bite and texture. So now I’m sad. Because this experiment is not turning out the way I wanted it to. And when it doesn’t go the way I want it to, the only one that suffers is me. But next up is Cholula. And seriously, I’ve been known to eat this shit by the bottle. Like soup. With a spoon. Because it’s the best stuff on earth. So even if Cholula tastes exactly like Cholula, I CANNOT lose. I can’t. I can only win. That’s it. There’s one possible outcome.

SAUCY

THIS IS GOING TO BE GOOD. SO GOOD. I’M GOING TO EAT THE FUCK OUT OF THIS CHOLULA. AND I’M GOING TO WIN MAD ART LAB.

Except…

And then this happened:

“WHAT IS HAPPENING? I DON’T KNOW! Just keep shooting! Just keep shooting! Don’t stop! We’re going to get all of this! All of it! This is important. DO NOT STOP SHOOTING!”

I don’t know what happened. I was eating the greatest condiment on earth and within a half a second all I could think about how I hate my fucking life so much, but that was okay because it was about to be over. But then it wasn’t over. And that was the worst part, having to go on, and never being able to take back the Cholula incident.

And, in a darkness-before-dawn epiphany, I remembered I still have those horrible vitamins that inspired me to eat baking chocolate, sour cream and cholula in the first place… I was doing it for the vitamins. To make vitamins so great I’d be willing to eat them. So maybe? MAYBE? MAAAAAAAAYBE this will work?

No.

Then I was driven to a depression that could only be erased by the power of alcohol. So, I poured myself a glass of wine. Cheers! This experiment sucks.

Oh right… remember that Cholula thing from not even 2 minutes ago?

WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK, MIRACLE FRUIT? NOW? NOW IS WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO CLOY? I HATE YOU SO MUCH! SO SO SO MUCH!

Jesus. I cannot even explain to you how fucking awful that wine was. That was the worst thing I’ve ever put in my mouth and I just finished eating a spoonful of rancid hot sauce to wash down rancid whipped cream. My life cannot get worse at this point. Like someone could come into my apartment and start lighting everything I love on fire and I would be all “Thank god you’re here, making everything better.”

So what’s even left besides cutting my mouth out of my face? Coffee. Coffee will be good no matter what. It will either be black, the way I like it… or it will be sweet, the other way I like it. AAAAAAAND:

Disappointing. And that’s really the most I could even ask for at this point. Disappointing coffee was totally welcome.

And with that, I had to quit. Because I couldn’t afford to try anything else. I really just wanted to go vomit and die and write this… and I guess I accomplished at least some of that.

Lessons we learned:

Miracle berries are a sham.
Mad Art Labbers give terrible advice.
It is entirely possible to take a selfie while dry heaving into the garbage disposal.

The end.

Mad Quickies 5.20

Seelix — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:06:33 +0000

Highway Overpass Chandeliers – Ballroom Luminoso by Joe O’Connell. Some of his other projects are more science-y, like Seed Pods, but I love the idea of putting chandeliers into infrastructure. And they’re made out of bike parts!
Inside-Out Horses. I’ve done my time drawing cuts of meat on the sides of cattle (Former farm camp counselor. I promise I didn’t just break into pastures and draw on animals). I wish I had thought to have the campers draw skeletons and muscles instead.
Food Paintings! Artist Hong Yi has been making art with her food and documenting it on Instagram. My favorite is her beef, spinach and parsley dinosaur plate.
Periodic Table of Middle Earth.
Jeanne Garbarino and Perrin Ireland team up to explain cholesterol. And while you’re there, check out the rest of Science Studio‘s collection of science multimedia.
How much would it cost to build the Starship Enterprise?.
Daniella Zalcman has chronicled her move from New York to London by blending photos from both cities.

I’m in more of a video mood today, so you get three videos!

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Top 10 Reasons Time Travel is No Good – Explained by puppets!

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Beautiful Animation by Jake Fried made out of ink, gouache and coffee.

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Imaging Water Vibrations

from the page;Sonic Water

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Featured image is from Ballroom Luminoso by Joe O’Connell.

Mad Quickies 5.17

Donna — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:06:42 +0000

It’s the Friday Quickies! Surf’s up!

Taken in the 1920s to 50s, these are stunning photos of vintage NASA facilities. Also, did you know that NASA has a flickr photostream that’s a public domain archive?
Tumblr find: ridiculous female armor and Clothes I’m forced to wear in the majority of MMORPGS. {via Smashley}
Ellie Kemper asks: Can men be funny? {via Brian}
Please enjoy these very clever business cards. {via Mary C.}
This vintage Leafy Sea Dragon print is my Etsy shop find of the day, the absolutely gorgeous 1001 Treasures.
Fossil cookies! {via Ryan}
Watercolor sloths. Yer welcome. {via Brian}
Here is the latest from the amazing Red Hong: the covers of three April issues of Esquire.
Fernando Moraes and Raone Ferreira comprise Imarginal. They’ve recently illustrated these jaw-droppingly awesome hybrid beasts and imaginary creatures.

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Juxtapoz x Beastie Boys: Album Covers Through the Artist’s Voices
Found at Fast.Co.

from the page
In conjunction with our very special June 2013 issue, Beastie Boys: A Visual History + Tribute to MCA, we bring you excerpts from some our interviews with Beastie album cover artists from Polly Wog Stew to Hot Sauce Committee Part Two!

We find the inside stories of how each album came to fruition through the experiences and artwork of each artist that is now part of the Beastie Boys canon. The issue was curated and compiled by our contributing editor-at-large, Joey Garfield.

We speak to Cey Adams, Haze, Arabella Field, World B Omes, Glen E Friedman, Ricky Powell, Todd James, Mike Mills, Matteo Pericoli, Bill McMullen, Bruce Davidson, Alex Grey, Kiino Villand, Sunny Bak… and, we interview Adrock of the Beastie Boys as he gave us the inside story and behind-the-scenes look at how each album cover was selected, from inside the band.

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Tasting Astronaut Food: Inside NASA’s Space Food Systems Laboratory

More information at Laughing Squid.

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Featured image is a The Variable Density Tunnel. From the page: The Variable Density Tunnel arrives by rail from the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. The Tunnel was installed at Langley. (February 3, 1922) Photographer unknown.

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How to Eat Fire in Three Easy Steps

BonnieBeth — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:50:49 +0000

I can eat fire. Put it in my mouth, om nom nom. (Okay, maybe not quite that level of delicious.) I have taught two other people to eat fire, both of whom use their powers for good; nothing gets more attention in the middle of the night at Relay for Life like something on fire. But in order to teach others, I first had to learn from others myself.

Thom Britton is one of those others.

“What you’re seeing here is physics and like all physics it’s based on very simple principles you understand stacking up to complexity you cannot comprehend.” (photo: Freakshow & Tell)

Like many stories of events that others may find foolish, ill-advised, or perhaps even illegal in most states, it was in New Orleans. A friend of mine brought in this vaguely-overdressed man from in off the street, and some time later I was on a chair in a second-floor bar on Decatur being told to tip my head back and open my mouth.

Sure, there was an element of “OMG FIRE FACE FLEE FLEE FLEE.” Topical application of fire is generally Bad For You, and that instinctive reaction means that at least some part of your brain is working as it should.

But it was that easy.

And so, I would like to present to you this fine educational film by Mr. Thom Britton, “How to Eat Fire in Three Easy Steps.”

Mad Quickies 5.15

Donna — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:26:37 +0000

Scientology? It’s as bad at Photoshop as it is at not brainwashing people. {via Surly Amy}
Psychedelic drawing lesson by Katana Leigh. {video included}
Irrational at Flea Snobbery. {via Surly Amy]
At Flavorwire: comic book collages of women.
Intersection of reflection by Navid Baraty.
Inorganic Flora: a collection of detailed botanical blueprints by botanist and designer, Macoto Murayama.
The Hawkeye Initiative. {via Emily}
Ideo imagines 18 packaging concepts for the future.
I adore the type foundry Emigre and have been a fan from the start. That’s why I want you to know that you can download PDFs of their font catalogs for free.
And a bonus for you… celebrities who dressed “punk” for the 2013 Met Gala. Srsly?

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De-Extinction, Part One: How It Works, Kinda
{via Anne S.}

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Richard Blais gives us a…
DRAMATIC BURGER!
{via Anne S.}

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who needs aliens when you have the…
Stalk Eye Fly
That voice yo hear is that of Sir David Attenborough.

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Featured image is Biologica by Michele Banks. Found at her guest post at Symbiartic.

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Drabble Lab Round 5: Surprise

elfinn — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:00:40 +0000

What with server issues, the last round of drabble lab was pretty quiet. But we still got a few great entries! I’ve included all of them, and our winner’s illustration, below.

So, going forward, there are two possibilities: either round four was especially quiet due to server issues and happenstance, in which case there will be a bunch of entries this time around and we’ll keep on going. OR, this is naturally winding down and drabble lab will go on hiatus after this week. In any case, write a drabble, post it in the comments, and you might win an illustration!

Drabble #1, from Olivia, is super cute and has an even cuter last sentence in my opinion.

There was a distant memory of touch. Somewhere from years ago, a purring comfort of soft bodies and warmth, mixed together with mother’s milk. The loss of it wasn’t clear, when the feeling of companionship had disappeared, or when he had vanished off into solitude. Being alone didn’t seem like a burden anymore, it was the natural order of things. He was strong, he was capable, he was independent. He relied on no one but himself and his senses. But somewhere, there lurked the memory that solitude was not the only option. Stretching, the cat gave not a single fuck.

Drabble #2, from Breadbox, is a great description of urban solitude.

Downtown in morning rush hour. He focused on navigating the crowds, and still nearly bumped into two women as they discussed their plans for the day. He squeezed past a knot of teenagers shouting at each other over the music in their earbuds and entered the coffee shop. The line was long, with people squeezed together, trying not to block the entrance. He waited his turn. Finally the barista looked his way. “Double tall,” he said, but his voice came out gravelly and uneven. He cleared his throat. It was the first time he’d spoken since he’d ordered coffee yesterday.

Drabble #3, from Janelle, sounds like the beginning to a great longer story.

A four day caravan-ride from the capital city there is a tiny village at the foot of a mountain range. If you walk the road through the village and along the foothills for two days the land becomes steep and craggy. Past the treeline you find little topsoil and the air is thin. If you climb further there is a winding, narrow, and rock-strewn road, and a staircase. The stairs are still sharp and chipped; they have never been worn in. Atop the staircase is a hermit’s cave. And inside live two men, who have never spoken to each other.

And here’s the illustration, by Brian, for the winner, Breadbox.

Illustration by Brian!

So, submit your drabbles by Friday evening for our (possibly last) round! The theme this time is surprise. Happy writing!