The Perks of Walking

Mostly because I was too cheap to take a bus and kept getting lost , I did an insane amount of walking at South by South West today. I trotted across downtown several times in my trusty cowboy boots, which became exhausting after a while. Throughout the day I refueled my body with several slices of pizza, ritz crackers, and beer (not exactly the ideal spring break diet) While this is usually a big no-no for me, I kept reassuring myself that all the walking I was doing would make up for it. But now that I actually think about it,  I really am curious to know if all the walking I did earned me 4 slices of pizza and some beers.

Turns out, all my walking didn’t burn too many calories, but I did burn some fat and strengthen my legs. I also improved my heart health and engaged my core. Not too bad for having fun at the same time.

Even though all my walking today won’t result in drastic positive changes, it is easy to see on today’s infographic that there are only positive results that come from regular walking. It’s great to realize that I was benefiting my body while having a great time at South by South West with great friends and music. [via]

India's Wax Museum

Siddhagiri Museum, Kolhapur… it's on the outskirts of Kolhapur on the way to Belgaum ..worth a watch….all statues are made out of wax. 

Wax photos in Siddhagiri Museum, Kolhapur.

First Flight Test of a Liquid Fueled Rocket

On This day in history, 1926, Robert Goddard performed the first flight test of a liquid-fuel rocket in Auburn, Massachusetts.  This gasoline and liquid oxygen fueled rocket burned for about 20 seconds before lifting off from the ground and subsequently rising to a height of 41 feet, reaching a top speed of 60 mph.  Unfortunately, the camera Esther Goddard was using to film the first flight ran out of film before the rocket managed to leave the ground, so there is no video of the event as there would have been.

Goddard recorded the following about this launch in his diary:

March 16. Went to Auburn with Sachs in am. Esther and Mr. Roope came out at 1 p.m. Tried rocket at 2.30. It rose 41 feet & went 184 feet, in 2.5 secs., after the lower half of the nozzle burned off. Brought materials to lab. . . .
Even though the release was pulled, the rocket did not rise at first, but the flame came out, and there was a steady roar. After a number of seconds it rose, slowly until it cleared the frame, and then at express train speed, curving over to the left, and striking the ice and snow, still going at a rapid rate.

Daredevil skydiver

Skydiving daredevil Felix Baumgartner is more than halfway toward his goal of setting a world record for the highest jump.

He's aiming for nearly 23 miles this summer. The record is 19.5 miles.

Mr Baumgartner lifted off Thursday for a test jump from Roswell, New Mexico, aboard a 100-foot helium balloon. He rode inside a pressurized capsule to 71,581 feet - 13.6 miles - and then jumped.

New heights: Felix Baumgartner is practicing for his upcoming record-breaking jump from 23 miles in the air

Asphalt Renaissance: The Pavement Art and 3-D Illusions of Kurt Wenner

A new book, Asphalt Renaissance, collects the amazing 3-D street art of Kurt Wenner. The former NASA space illustrator turned street artist uses innovative techniques that produce astounding three-dimensional images. The book charts his 25-year career, with his designs leaping from pavement to pages. When viewed from the correct angle, people standing on top of them look like they are floating in thin air, and solid concrete can look like gaping chasms.

Street Artist Eduardo Relero's 3D Illusions On Pavements

Argentinean 3D street artist Eduardo Relero has created worlds of wonder on pavements all over the globe: A visitor stands next to a 3D mural called, 'Insesatez', in Lleida, Spain

produced in a non-photographic medium

No, they're not photographs! The astonishing pictures drawn by PENCIL

• Artist's drawings take between three and six weeks to create and sell for up to £5,000 each
• The hyperrealist art is taken from a photograph but is produced in a non-photographic medium
• These might look like photographs, but it's not all black and white when it comes to the work of this artist.
  Despite looking like they have been captured on a camera, these are actually hand-drawn images created by hyperrealist artist Paul Cadden.
  The 47-year-old, from Scotland, is able to recreate photos in amazing detail, often just using only a pencil.
  From the wrinkles on a woman’s face, a puff of smoke from a cigarette or dripping water - Cadden's drawings look unbelievably realistic.
  

  Smokescreen: Incredible detail has been captured by the hyperrealist artist Paul Cadden, but his work leaves you wondering whether your eyes have been tricked
  Hyperrealism was born from the idea of photorealism, which are paintings based on photographs but created in a non-photographic medium.

  Taking an average of between three and six weeks to produce, Cadden creates about seven pieces each year - which usually come in A1 or A0 sizes - and sell at galleries for up to £5,000 each.