Where the Cicadas Are, 2013 Redux

I went back to cicada-land with my slow-motion camera. I’ve still got a lot of video to edit, but here’s a decent shot at 210 fps.

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I had a pretty good shot at 420 fps, but unfortunately it started out in a shaded area before going into the sunlight, and the camera does not dynamically adjust the contrast once you start shooting. So a lot of it is overexposed. Grrr.

Also got a few stills.

Chinese DIY Inventions

Chinese DIY Inventions

One visible sign of China’s recent economic growth is the rise in prominence of inventors and entrepreneurs. For years now, Chinese farmers, engineers, and businessmen have taken on ambitious do-it-yourself projects, constructing homemade submarines, helicopters, robots, safety equipment, weapons and much more. Some of the inventions are built out of passion, some with an eye toward profit, (some certainly safer than others), and a few have already led to sales for the inventors. Gathered here are recent photos of this DIY movement across China. [39 photos]

Some of these are pretty cool.