Beans to Farts Explained

James Turrell's light prints, a $1 microscope, contamination-detecting chopsticks and more in our weekly look at the web

Many may wonder about the link between legumes and gas. Thanks to Men’s Health, Rami Niemi and this wonderful video the knowledge is now easily digestible. There are a lot of scientific facts across the one minute explanation, but the animation is also entirely endearing. It’s long-been one of life’s little mysteries, but thanks to the wonders of the internet, we now know the biology …

City Stream

James Turrell's light prints, a $1 microscope, contamination-detecting chopsticks and more in our weekly look at the web

Chinese painter Lu Xinjian creates mind-bending abstract images of city streets in “City Stream,” a series of urban impressionism paintings that are somewhat reminiscent of Magic Eye puzzles. Using basic shapes and colors, the jumble of geometric abstraction comes to life after a closer look, depicting cityscapes extruded from ariel views of streets and architecture throughout Shanghai. The images are at once 2D and 3D, …

$1 Fold-Up Microscope

James Turrell's light prints, a $1 microscope, contamination-detecting chopsticks and more in our weekly look at the web

Using a special printer and a drop of optical-quality glue, Stanford University bioengineer Manu Prakash has invented a way to turn a piece of paper into a microscope. The printer prints a precise diagram instructing how to fold the paper, and the glue acts as a lens. With a little effort, a microscope is created—and all for under a dollar. With applications from schools to …