d i g i t t a n t e getting clever online since 1998

[Video Link]. In this video, The Great Whale Conservancy (GWC) co-founder Michael Fishbach describes his encounter with a young humpback whale entangled in local fishing nets off the coast of Baja California, Mexico.

Spoiler: the whale is freed, and she survives. After she is freed, she breaches again and again in a way that suggests she is thrilled to be free and alive (yes, there could be more dull explanations for her behavior, but she sure looks like one overjoyed whale to me).

Even in the rare cases where humans are able to intervene to try and free whales trapped in fishing nets, this kind of happy ending is rare. I know people here in Southern California who have been involved in emergency rescue efforts, and the sad truth is: even with the best of efforts, they often fail. Knowing that makes this video all the more sweet.

If you would like to donate to The Great Whale Conservancy‘s efforts, or get involved to help save more whales like this, you can contact Mr. Fishbach at fishdeya@gmail.com, or contribute here.

(via Reddit, thanks Susannah Breslin)

Japan musicians Androp built a backdrop of 250 Canon cameras and programmed all their flashes to fire off in a sort of digital stop-motion screen. Watch it, though I can't guarantee the video won't blind you and give you a seizure. More »

Matt W. More and aarn teamed up to create these "numerically controlled" posters made by fitting a Sharpie to a 3D CNC machine that then executed spirograpesque patterns. They come signed and numbered, with the Sharpie used to generate them.

Numerically Controlled : Poster Series.

(via This is Colossal)

HappySmurfday sez, "Without the assistance of Penn Jillette, Teller explains some of the psychology behind illusions."

Teller Speaks!

(Thanks, HappySmurfday!)