Zombies, ants, and fungi

For those of you just about to sit down to enjoy a bowl of wild mushroom risotto, you might consider the potential consequences....

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=fungus-makes-zombie-ants

synthy synths from Easter Island 2009

More synths for the viewing per square meter than any other blog around. All that I've done can be found here: http://photosynth.net/UserProfilePage.aspx?user=clipo&content=Synths

Puna Pau: the hat quarry -- http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=818c127b-d00c-4dba-a398-21272605de17

Moai at Rano Raraku -- http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=3c2daf90-cdcc-42fb-a91f-8e3f2057af21

Tongariki -- http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=1a605039-e964-4b87-aa91-e6c8f777a261

Pukao at Tongariki -- http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=0dd2f6cf-a9b4-4906-bc4e-d464f5d97d8a

Road Moai along South Coast -- http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=f895e1a6-cb75-4a24-b136-c79ee44d48eb

Road Moai at Vai Mata -- http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=f0f45b30-9dac-4073-bbc1-7e06b005143a

Vinapu -- http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=e59fb781-1072-4965-b06a-9bea8e19252e

Fallen Moai II

This photosynth was created for one of the road moais on the south coast a little past Akahanga. The statue fell on its back so the front surface is more visible than the previous synth at Vai Mata.

http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=F895E1A6-CB75-4A24-B136-C79EE44D48EB

Fallen Moai

Part of our analyses here on Rapa Nui consist of observing moai in their various forms -- at the quarry, in the roads, on the ahus. There are a number of attributes related to the technology of carving, transporting and displaying the statues that can be discerned - a fact I puzzle over given the lack of previous acknowledgement and abundant crazy speculation. To paraphrase: "What were they thinking when they described the moai?"

Anyways to help document some of these things, I created a photosynth of one of the "fallen" moai that failed during transport (or at least that is my current hypothesis). This synth worked out fairly well and has a lot of good detail about moai morphology (click the ctrl key to see the point cloud).

http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=F0F45B30-9DAC-4073-BBC1-7E06B005143A

Ahu Vai Mata - NW Coast of Easter Island

Check out the various patterns of the sea wall construction.