Hasta La Gadget!

I was minding my own business, strolling through the hallways of the Chicago Mini Maker Faire this weekend, when I turned a corner and came across this…

Yes, it’s a great white shark, assembled from plastic cups, bags, and other discarded items. In fact, this shark is 90% post-consumer waste. You can even look inside of it to see its shark guts – though they’re not exactly anatomically accurate.

Lovingly named Toothless the Great White, it was made by Deanna LaSusa-Hotchner and a team of volunteers from Discover the Depths. Deanna brings her 15-foot-long junk shark to schools, park districts, libraries and other venues to help kids learn about the delicate underwater ecosystem.

I love how the other side of the shark is made of grey linoleum. It’s perfect for conveying the thick grey skin of an actual shark. It also turns out this isn’t the only creature that Discover the Depths lugs around. Apparently, they also have a 60-foot-long inflatable whale, called Harry the Humpback, which you can actually walk inside of.

I don’t think Doctor Evil was asking too much when all he wanted were sharks with frickin’ laser beams on their heads. Researchers recently confirmed an unusual discovery that will make any aspiring laser-wearing shark owner very happy indeed. Marine Biologists from Michigan State University have confirmed the discovery of a bull shark with two heads.

The two-headed shark was discovered in April of 2011 in the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Keys. The shark itself wasn’t out swimming around, it was discovered in the uterus of a female bull shark. Despite the fact that the two-headed shark was a unborn when discovered, such a discovery is incredibly rare. The researchers say that the two-headed shark wouldn’t have lived long in the wild.

The scientists used magnetic resonance imaging to determine that this wasn’t a conjoined twin, rather it was an actual shark with two heads. The shark had two heads, two stomachs, and two hearts with the bodies converging in a single tail. The researchers say that this was a type of axial bifurcation, which can also happen in humans. Axial bifurcation occurs when an embryo begins to split into two individuals and stops splitting before the split is complete.

They are quick to point out that there is no indication that the two-headed shark has anything to do with contaminants from oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico.

[via LiveScience via Nature World News]

Remember that fake image of a Dubai shopping mall flooded by a broken shark tank? Well, it has happened for real inside a shopping center in Shanghai, China, where 33 tons of water and three sharks invaded the mall after the glass shattered into multiple deadly shards. There are 15 people injured. More »

How can you not love sharks? These awesome creatures are both feared and admired as some of natures most incredible creations. But it’s eat-or-be-eaten in the world of the shark, so maybe you should bite into them before they bite into you.

Thankfully, with these awesome 3-dimensional shark cupcake toppers, you can do just that. These detailed little sharks are the perfect dessert topper for that Jaws screening party you were planning now that it’s finally been released on Blu-ray.

Each one of these tasty little sharklets has been sculpted by Marison Mann of Sweet and Edible using fondant icing, and can be placed on top of your favorite cupcake or cake to complete your sea-themed get-together. Or if you’re like me, you might just eat them straight out of the box. That’s just how I roll. A set of 12 of these cute and cuddly ediblesharks will cost you $35(USD), while a set of 6 sells for $20. Laser beams sold separately.

And if you’re ready to top off a really big cake, be sure to check out the jumbo-sized shark cake topper, which appears to have many more big, pointy teeth.

It’s the 35th anniversary of the release of Jaws this year, and the movie just got re-released in an awesome HD Blu-ray edition that you need to see if you haven’t already. In celebration of the shark-infested waters of yore, the guys from Celentano Woodworks have returned with another epic creation – the Jaws shark ukulele.

This awesome, handcrafted string instrument is sure to get a rise out of anyone with a fear of sharks, and is perfect for playing the familiar Jaws “dun-dun… dun-dun… dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun…” theme music (assuming you can play that on a ukulele.)

The ukulele’s body has been cut in the shape of a great white shark emerging from the water, and then adorned with a multitude of big, pointy teeth. The little image of the lady in the innertube is a nice touch on the head of the uke too.

It’s available over on Etsy for $700 (USD). As is the case with all of Celentano’s instruments, this uke will me made to order, and they already have a waiting list, thanks, I’m sure to classics like the Rock ‘em Sock ‘em and Autobot ukuleles. Oh, and here’s proof you can play the Jaws theme on a ukulele…