British broadcaster DaynaTG spoke enthusiastically with artist Peter K. Rollings, the masked genius behind Experimental Sonic Machines, about the unique stringed instrument he was playing at the time and another he had handy. All of Rollings’ fantastical instruments are handmade, with a nod to both past and future, and he performs alongside a robotic drummer named Ernie (also handmade).

All ESM’s music is original, with homemade music machines using paper discs as programs. There’s also my robot drummer Ernie. There’s a set of original songs, but it can tangent off into improvisation – no gig is the same.

Experimental Sonic Machines TEDx Talk

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Historidame examined the evolution of children’s playgrounds, from the dangerous designs of the Industrial Revolution to modern equipment that prioritizes safety above all else.

Before the safety of children was something that people worried about, there were all kinds of interesting and dangerous things that you could find in a playground.

She also explored how the philosophy of play has transformed from the supervised fitness of yesteryear to modern free exploration, and why there is an enduring belief that a little risk is necessary for child development, particularly self-confidence.

Recent studies have actually shown that North American playgrounds might be too safe. Children have a natural inclination towards risky play. Risk-taking activities, like climbing a really tall jungle gym, can help brain development and improve self-confidence and risk-management skills later in life. Some critics have even suggested that these overly safe playgrounds actually cause kids to be more fearful of things like heights and lead to increased anxiety levels.

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Zach “The Speed Square” King threw his metal carpenter speed square at a stack of tires, and the sound it made upon takeoff and on its bounce back was just like that of Thor’s Hammer (Mjølnir) in various Marvel movies.

Other Speed Square Throws

The Sound of Thor’s Hammer

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The post A Carpenter’s Speed Square Sounds Like Thor’s Hammer When Thrown was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Engineering musician Dylan Delirium built a very cute, big-eyed robot that sings along with him while he plays guitar. Their repertoire is quite varied, and the layered mechanical sound of the robot’s multi-octave voice does justice to each song.

I like music and robots

Delirium said that he’d been thinking about building this robot for quite a while

This is your sign to start working on that one weird project that has been in the back of your head forever.

via The Awesomer

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The post Musician Builds a Robot to Sing While He Plays Guitar was originally published on Laughing Squid.

While a pair of adorable mini-dachshunds named Mylo and Millie were lying out in the sun, their human amusingly flipped them over to ensure that they received even cooking on both sides.

Remember to flip your sausages for even cooking

Of course, before grilling, one must season sausage dogs perfectly.

Sometimes, they can get overcooked. And other times, they just roll off the grill.

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The post How to Flip Wiener Dogs Lying in the Sun For Even Cooking on Both Sides was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Avid juicer Jonny Morelli made a hydrating popsicle for his favorite squirrel, whom he named Junior Juicer. The popsicle, which was made with watermelon juice, lime, and mint, was a wonderfully cooling treat on a hot day in Los Angeles, and Junior enjoyed every bit of it.

Today I took care of Junior Juicer. It’s been hot in LA so I made these homemade popsicles. Needless to say, I think Junior loved it! Cooling and hydrating on the hot summer days. Not to mention, no junk added. 

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Gen Xers Nay and Jay Berry, the funnyfoodiecoupleaz, shared some of their funniest misheard lyrics of popular songs ranging from the 1970s through to the present day.

Whatever they said

Included in this list are songs such as “How Deep Is Your Love” by the Bee Gees, “Stitches” by Shawn Mendes, “Get Down Tonight” by KC and the Sunshine Band, and “Jack and Diane” by John Mellencamp.

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A couple of adorable pet parrots built a vibrant nest with colorful zip ties provided by their human, Anh Tàu Câu Cá (The Angler). Sometimes the birds work together, and at other times each bird works alone, yet either way, the nest is in a constant state of vivid construction.

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The post Pet Parrots Build a Colorful Nest With Zip Ties was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Historidame explored the invention and introduction of the safety bicycle, which gave Victorian women an unfamiliar and unprecedented independence previously denied to them.

By riding her bike, a woman could now leave the house whenever she wanted, being able to travel farther and faster than she could by walking. …And for once, she didn’t need a man to take her there. 

Unfortunately, if not predictably, a subsequent moral panic arose from this newfound freedom for women.

The invention of the bicycle caused a moral panic to circulate throughout Victorian society. Women who rode them were seen as disturbing, morally corrupt, and trying to usurp men’s place in the world. Two women, however, the bicycle signaled a new age of Freedom and independence.

The narrator also discussed how this new mode of transportation transformed women’s fashion, encouraged the revolutionary rational dress movement, and enabled women’s participation in social activism that would change history for years to come.

The bicycle could help you get to a job, for example, or, to the shock of many, even a suffragette meeting. This was an era for a new kind of woman, one who was thinking and moving independently. The rational dress movement in particular, would be massively influenced by cycling. This movement surrounded the idea of providing women with clothing that was both comfortable and practical for everyday life,

How the Bicycle Empowered Women to Speak Up

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Everything Explainer explored the 22 different types of moons in the universe and the circumstances that shaped them. Included in this list are regular moons, irregular moons, volcanic moons, and ploonets.

Every Moon Type in the Universe Explained

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The post 22 Different Types of Moons Found in the Universe was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Geography Nerds presented an entertaining 37 minute song that musically traveled across the United States, highlighting the 3,244 counties and county-equivalent divisions within different states as recognized by the US Census Bureau. The song navigates through numerous regions, incorporating visual maps and trivia about the country’s diverse geography and population.

This 37-minute song lists all 3,244 county equivalents of the United States, featuring 15 familiar melodies, arduously made over the first half of 2026 by mellohihellohi.

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Steve Price of Sprice Machines and an elite team of domino artists painstakingly set up an intricate run of 123,456 dominoes that featured numerous Rube Goldberg chain reactions that toppled a 3D pyramid made of over 29,000 dominoes.

We set up 123,456 dominoes creating objects stereotypically considered small on a massive scale, including the world record 3D domino pyramid (35×35 base) with 29,190 dominoes in itself.

This “domino falldown” set the Guinness World Record for the “Most Dominoes Toppled in a 3D Pyramid”.

The most dominoes toppled in a 3D pyramid is 29,193 and was achieved by FALLDOWN Domino Team (USA) in Garden City, Michigan, USA, on 20 June 2026.

FALLDOWN Domino Team consists of Steven Price, Michael Fantauzzo, Matt VanVleck, Gabe Dean, Alex Koops, Derek Koops, Stephan Burton, Brady Dolan, Evan Voeltner, Aaron Bimrah.

via The Awesomer

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Artist Rachael Harms Mahlandt of the Sidewalk Joy Map created a bird-sized bar so she could make friends with the local crows in her Portland, Oregon, backyard. After fully stocking the bar with all sorts of goodies and ensuring the squirrels stayed away, the corvid crowd began stopping by the “Crow Bar” and bringing their kids.

I only put food out when the crows ask for it. They’re quick to clean out the Crow Bar and by the time the squirrels come through there’s no food to be had.

Mahlandt explained how she connected with the crows.

They come quickly to the Crow Bar before the squirrels because I connected with them Because I’m very directly interacting with them, have gained their trust, and only put out food when they’re actively watching me, there are never leftovers for other critters.

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Laurence Brown of Lost in the Pond, who grew up in England, excitedly shared six of the most amazing things he couldn’t believe were real that he’s found while living in the United States.

During all the years I’ve been observing America from within, I’ve discovered countless facts about the country that sound like totally made up but aren’t.

The list includes the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio; White Sands National Park near Las Cruces, New Mexico; the copious number of dandelions every spring; the unevenly distributed population across the country; and the 100th birthday of national treasure Mel Brooks.

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Legacy Scrap in Wadsworth, Illinois, quite amusingly used their orange-peel grapple excavator to choreograph discarded vehicles of all sizes into flying maneuvers, making it look like they were skateboarders riding obstacles in a giant skate park.

Scrap Yark Skate Park

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A determined Labrador named Matylda, who had just finished fetching her ball from the water, placed it on a sloping hill, shook herself off, and found it had made its way back into the water. Unperturbed, Matylda chased her ball back into the water, put it down, shook herself off, and chased after it again as it rolled back in.

This adorable routine repeated itself a number of times, appearing rather Sisyphusian. Yet, according to Matylda’s human, artist Pavel Beneš, Matylda was having the time of her life, despite not understanding the concept of gravity.

(translated) How little is enough for labrador Matylda to be happy… a ball, a slope and water. How little is enough for labrador Matylda to be happy… a ball, a slope and water.

Matylda Shaking Off in Slow Motion

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Beyond the History Books shared surprising historical facts regarding lesser-known musical collaborations between those who were famous at the time and those who were yet to be.

Examples include David Bowie playing guitar on Lou Reed‘s “Walk on the Wild Side”, George Harrison playing guitar on Cheech and Chong‘s “Basketball Jones” with Carol King on piano, and Michelle Phillips and Ronnie Spector on backup vocals, and in the then-unknown Rolling Stones opened for Bo Diddley and Little Richard in 1963.

Thanks Chip Beale!

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Multi-disciplinary artist Olga Sizoy shot iPhone footage for a music video by Russian rapper Feduk through a handmade, multilayered paper city diorama. This elaborate effect gave the scene a sense of both depth and playfulness while remaining uniquely distinctive.

This custom miniature camera rig creates real parallax and cinematic depth for a music video. …I love experimenting with physical solutions: scale of the space, game between camera and scenery, re-thinking architectural typologies.

Sizoy’s Other Camera Work

via The Awesomer

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A member of Turtle Guardians in Ontario, Canada shared how to safely walk a snapping turtle across the road using a method she called the “wheelbarrow” walk, which provides the human protection from snapping jaws .

Grab the turtle with two hands at the back of their shell, you can just lift them here and the turtle won’t snap at you…You want to do this with two hands, just lift up the butt and they’ll start walking themselves.

How to Pick Up a Snapping Turtle

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A wonderfully collaborative Border Collie named Zero modeled an adorable array of paper animal masks her human placed over her face. Making this even cuter is that her sweet little nose and mouth were sticking out in the center, bringing each animal to life.

Let’s go to the zoo with Zero.

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