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Man Unveils Interactive Toothpick Sculpture of SF That Took 35 Years to Create
- URSpider94 15y agoYou just made my Sunday night.
- cloudwalking 15y agoI was impressed, but then I learned there are a dozen paths through. Now I'm baffled.
- goatforce5 15y agoLikewise. For the first 45 seconds or so I was like "Oh, that's kinda neat" but it went on to show more and more tours interwoven together and his little hidden personal details in it... That's a thing of beauty right there.
- CallMeV 15y agoWhat happens to the sculpture, now he has completed it? Does it go on permanent exhibition somewhere? Curious to know its fate. I would like to visit San Fran some time, and I would pay to go and see that sculpture if I did.
- swift 15y agoIt's currently at the Exploratorium, but I have no idea how long it'll remain there.
- swift 15y agoHaha, wow. Went to the Exploratorium today and saw this guy there with his sculpture. Now it's on the front page of Hacker News! What a coincidence. He said that when people ask him when he started building it, he replies "Well, I got up real early this morning."
- kloncks 15y agoI wonder how many people living in San Francisco actually know its beautiful history.
- sliverstorm 15y agoI think that may be waxing just a tad romantic. I know a thing or three about San Francisco's history, and I wouldn't call it beautiful.
- gojomo 15y agoDon't ask for the 'Great Quake and Fire of 1906' path.
- rpedroso 15y agoNot to be a pedant, but I believe that this is not a Ruth Goldberg machine, but rather, a Jolly Ball track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4qlXjhUHvg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4qlXjhUHvg
- delinka 15y agoMr. Gorrell does indeed get this wrong. (It's 'Rube', btw)
- CWIZO 15y agoI've just recently returned from my first trip to SF. This video really made my day, and it feels so much more real now that I've actually seen most of this things. Those of you who live in SF, you can't imagine how lucky you are! I envy you all!
- pstack 15y agoI always thought the Gravitram at OMSI was awesome, until I saw this. This is just so much more complex, detailed, painstakingly built, and delicate than the copper/metal welded Gravitram. I can't even begin to comprehend how this was accomplished. I won't do anything this interesting in my entire life and I certainly won't commit 35 years of my life to anything. Much less something so fantastic. Gravitram: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJvlJaXzgJo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJvlJaXzgJo
- keyle 15y agoThis just makes me thinking that people just have misplaced talent. Just imagine if cancer research and solving aids was as approachable as building things with toothpicks, we'd probably be way further than we are in solving the world's problems.
- brunt 15y agoI couldn't help but think of how fragile it is, and how I could never spend so much time making something if I knew it could (physically) break so easily.
- billybob 15y agoYeah. One of the nicest things, for me, about making software is that it lasts. It may become irrelevant, sure, but it doesn't rot, and you can make copies.
- mcrittenden 15y agoExactly what I was thinking. The thought of tripping and falling and destroying 35 years worth of work makes me really uncomfortable.
- goatforce5 15y agoTibetan Buddhism isn't for you then: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_mandala http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_mandala "Sand mandalas traditionally take several weeks to build, due to the large amount of work involved in laying down the sand in such intricate detail." "A sand mandala is ritualistically destroyed once it has been completed and its accompanying ceremonies and viewing are finished to symbolize the Buddhist doctrinal belief in the transitory nature of material life."
- ernestipark 15y agothe best part is the centrifugal force.
- hugh3 15y agoLike most of these sorts of projects, it's a combination of "impressive" and "kinda sad". edit: Removed bit about children
- bstar 15y agoAt 55 seconds he says the Toll Booth "has the time our son was born". This man achieved a work of art that is far from sad. It's very obvious that this has tons of sentimental value, but it is also a wonderful work of art. I hope I can achieve a long-term disciplined accomplishment like this in my lifetime (my children notwithstanding).