France Now Has Oyster Vending Machines

The French have once again invented something irrefutably French: a 24-hour oyster vending machine. Of course the machines are refrigerated, and they also have glass walls so consumers can choose which oysters they want. One farmer, Tony Berthelot (who has a machine on Ile de Re island, off France’s western coast) says the idea was born from “losing lots of sales when we are closed,” …

Non-Melting Ice Cream

At the Biotherapy Development Research Center in Kanazawa, an accidental discovery has resulted in the invention of non-melting ice cream. The ingredient is a polyphenol liquid, extracted from strawberries, that “make[s] it difficult for water and oil to separate”—meaning, in this instance, that a popsicle keeps its shape. Kanazawa Ice first became available earlier this year, and now can be bought in Osaka and Tokyo. …

Cindy Sherman’s Instagram Account is Now Public

Some time over the past couple of months, artist Cindy Sherman made her Instagram account public—much to the delight of her admirers. With an incredible look into her process, and (of course) her conceptual, manipulated self-portraits. While it has many guessing as to whether it’s a glimpse of new work, or perhaps artwork in itself, it’s a fascinating social media account that’s much more engaging …