Paint by numbers

Welcome to Idealog Weekly, the free email newsletter for New Zealand commercial creatives, entrepreneurs and anyone rich with ideas.

Paint by numbers

What’s the method to success in that field with no defined edges, otherwise known as painting? Well. Drop out of fifth form art, get accepted into Elam, then decide to give it a miss. Pay no attention to art other than your own and paint whatever takes your fancy—all in old-fashioned oils. This, my creative friends, is the Sofia Minson shortcut. Read more on our website.

Talk to the hand

Scientists at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created what they believe will be a new way of communicating—by tattoo.

If you can stand having hair-sized nanotubes embedded into your dermis, you’ll have your own self-programmable, self-displaying communication device. Seems like a lot of effort to avoid a chat, but could be good for dealing with mother-in-laws and Mondays. And mother-in-laws on Mondays? Invaluable.

The beautiful game

Fooseball is all about beer and concentration, but the owner of this table will take out a restraining order against your pint if need be. Made from designer materials and incorporating lighting effects, the ‘11’ table is one to keep out of the reach of grown ups.

Smells fishy. Or is that mince?

If Roald Dahl were alive he’d be visiting his copyright lawyer right about now. The new ‘fragrance emitter’ isn’t quite the same as Smellovision, but it smells like something very similar—any scent you wish to send, in this case by mobile phone or email. Clever, but we reckon bringing one of these ‘smell printers’ into your home is akin to writing your own name and number on a high school toilet wall. While it could be less annoying than answering your phone to heavy breathing and queries as to whether your fridge is running, it’s still bound to end the same—wailing under the covers.

Fun and game

Anyone who can make chemistry into a game is worth knowing, but if you happen to be a 14-year-old CEO making chemistry into a game then, for your own sense of self-worth, it may be better to pretend you never read this.

TGIF

“Thank God it’s Friday” has been bandied about so much, it’s got its own acronym—and a global chain of pubs to celebrate the day and obliterate those that came before it. But this clip could start a new acronym: TGIM (yep, ‘M’ for Monday), an offshoot of the soon-to-be-popular TGINALNR (Thank God I’m not a live news reporter.)

Multi-tasking for scientists

Kiwi scientist Ray Avery worked out that an endurance athlete needs the same nutrients as a starving child, so he made a teabag-sized sachet of chicken goodness and released it to both, letting one fund the other. As Avery says “That’s sexy science.” And as we say, “Yes it is.” You can read the story here, but it’s Friday so relax, and watch.

Listen up

Then again if you’re feeling fussy and don’t much feel like reading or watching, why don’t you come and listen to Avery speak at the next AUT-Idealog Innovation Series event, May 7 at St Paul Street Gallery, Auckland. You never know, it could change your world—Avery was a finalist in the Saatchi & Saatchi World Changing Ideas Awards.

Quote of the week

“People said to me ‘Did you look at Michael Smithers’ work?’ and I was like ‘Who’s that?’”

—Artist Sofia Minson on the joys of being non-referential

More at Idealog online

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