Photosynth is an application that takes multiple photographs of a given location or event, and stitches them together based on size, angle, etc. The result is a 3D rendering of said event that can be flown through and zoomed like Google Maps. Very cool stuff.
Using this technology, CNN collected photographs from people who attended the Presidential Inauguration yesterday and have stitched them together in to one ginormous image. It’s almost like being there, just not freezing cold (unless you’re reading this outside, somewhere north of Houston).
I love photography and politics, so this is a win + win in my mind. This morning on NPR’s Morning Edition, President Elect Obama’s new White House photographer Pete Souza was interviewed. I heard his name yesterday when the new official Presidential portrait was released, the first to be taken on a digital camera (Canon, bummer).
I think Souza has one of the coolest jobs around. Having access to private moments and meetings with the President, the chance to take timeless photographs that will record history for generations to come would be incredible. I could get into photojournalism.
BTW – Souza was also a photographer for President Reagan, and mentions a photo he took in Red Square with Reagan which has then KGB agent Vladmir Putin in the crowd. Funny stuff.
“There shall be more wonder at the going to heaven of the weak believers than at the stronger ones. Mr. Greatheart, when he comes there, will owe his victories to his Master and lay his laurels at his feet; but fainting Feeblemind and limping Ready-to-Halt with his crutches, and trembling Little-Faith—when they enter into rest, will make heaven ring with notes of even greater admiration that such poor creeping worms of the earth should win the day by mighty grace.
Suppose that one of them should be missing at the last? Stop the harps! Silence the songs! No beginning to be merry while one child is shut out! I am quite certain if, as a family, we were going to sing our evening hymn of joy and thankfulness, if mother said, ‘Where is the little mite? Where is the last one of the family?’ there would be a pause. If we had to say, ‘She is lost,’ there would be no singing and no resting till she was found.
It is the glory of Jesus that as a shepherd he has lost none of His flock, as the Captain of salvation, he has brought many sons to glory and has lost none.”
A Pacific fish uses mirrors as well as lenses to help it see in the murky ocean depths, scientists have revealed.
The brownsnout spookfish has been known for 120 years, but no live specimen had ever been captured.
Last year, one was caught off Tonga, by scientists from Tuebingen University, Germany.
Tests confirmed the fish is the first vertebrate known to have developed mirrors to focus light into its eyes, the team reports in Current Biology.
“In nearly 500 million years of vertebrate evolution, and many thousands of vertebrate species living and dead, this is the only one known to have solved the fundamental optical problem faced by all eyes – how to make an image – using a mirror,” said Professor Julian Partridge, of Bristol University, who conducted the tests.
“When a believer has fallen into a low, sad state of feeling, he often tries to lift himself out of it by chastening himself with dark and doleful fears. Such is not the way to rise from the dust, but to continue in it. As well chain the eagle’s wing to make it mount, as [...]