Where to stay on Mars? Robots could weave bamboo pods on the red planet

Figuring out how astronauts could live comfortably on Mars is a great challenge. They'll either need to bring materials with them, or make use of the planet's terrain to build settlements. 3D printing seems to be the practical solution, but Malaysian designers Warith Zaki and Amir Amzar think they have a better alternative: locally grown bamboo.

The idea seems far-fetched, but why not? Bamboo has been utilized by humans for centuries. It has a high strength-to-weight ratio and can withstand Mars' harsh weather conditions. According to experts, the plant is very likely to thrive on the red planet because CO 2 in its atmosphere is abundant.

So, how can we build a bamboo colony on Mars? As Dezeen points out, the concept, named Seed of Life, would require astronauts to land and find underground frozen ice for water. Once ice is found, a self-deploying ETFE structure containing bamboo shoots would be sent. After that, a drill would break into the ice and supply the plants with water.

Fully grown bamboo would be removed from the growth chamber, cut, and weaved around the ETFE structure by robots. Finally, the plants would be pumped with water, which would freeze under Mars' extreme temperature, to provide a second layer of protection against radiation.

What do you think of this concept? Is it convincing?

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Stone horsemen invade River Thames

It's not uncommon to see huge art installations on River Thames: a giant fiberglass sperm whale , a floating house , a massive wooden hippo . If you happen to be in London, head down to Nine Elms, on the south bank of the waterway, any day this month, and — if it's a low tide — you'll see a group of stone horsemen by world-renowned underwater sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor , rising above the riverside beach. The artwork, titled The Rising Tide , is part of the Totally Thames arts festival and is the first of its kind to be installed in the famed river. Four three-meter tall working horses with riders are shown — two of the riders are businessmen and two are children — though horse heads have been replaced with oil pumps. The sculptures are on display until the end of September.

Print out and fold your own paper cameras

Totally want to make some of these Olympus mirrorless cameras with my daughter this weekend. They don't take pictures, but they sure would make my little girl very happy. The Japanese company has a webpage for kids , and you can easily create three-dimensional paper models of the OM-D or the PEN Lite by printing and folding those PDF templates in the papercraft section . Enjoy! [h/t: Pop Photo ]

Weirdly Charming

If you’re a fan of art that makes you do a double-take, you need to check out Richard Brener . Based in the UK, Richard is an internationally collected artist who works primarily with ink, fineliners, and gouache. When you first see his pieces, they actually look pretty playful. Then you realize the entire canvas is packed with thousands of tiny, ghost-like shapes he calls "champs." They’re all squeezed together like commuters on a rush-hour train, and the level of detail is honestly mind-blowing. Richard spends hundreds of hours drawing these little guys over and over. It’s obsessive, very intentional, and a little bit wild. The cool part is that the longer you stare, the more the vibe shifts. Check out more photos below:

finding cain

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