Musicians and music lovers are at double risk ending up in nighttime pedestrian crashes. 1. They are mostly dressed in black. 2. They often head homewards in the dark after evening concerts and rehearsals. Obviously, these things won’t change, so the easiest solution is to add some reflective gear that fits right in. A black treble clef safety reflector is stylish and blends in with any black outfits. It can hang on instrument cases, jackets, purses, backpacks and bags.
Treble clef safety reflector looks good on a violin case.Treble clef safety reflector on violin case increase visibility up to 500 feet (125m) at night.
Then in nighttime traffic, it puts its wearer in the spotlight with its reflective power. Thanks to a unique manufacturing technique, …
Meet and greet the Gravitational Wave safety reflector. Design by the Particle Zoo.
On February 11, 2016, scientists of the LIGO collaboration sent ripples through the scientific community with the announcement of the detection of a gravitational wave. Gravitational waves are released from collisions of black holes, supernovae and even the remnants of radiation created by the birth of the Universe. It’s a story of bright brains, the unimaginably huge, the extremely tiny, and human persistence. Einstein predicted them 100 years ago but never expected anyone to be able to measure the tiny effect.
Gravitational Wave Safety Reflector
The remarkable discovery inspired the Particle Zoo to design a Gravitational Wave for the Particle Zoo collection. We are very excited to introduce it and you can find it in the funflector webshop. It is actually the first in the collection to be released as a safety reflector before existing as a plushie 🙂
So, what’s the big deal with gravitational waves?
Imagine 1.3 billion years ago, two black holes, about 29 and 36 times the mass of the sun, dancing around each other several times per second before merging into one black hole. Within a couple seconds, they release the energy equivlant of 3 suns worth of mass. That energy is spread around the universe in a gravitational wave and ripped through the LIGO detectors in September 14, 2015 during an engineering run. With two 4 km (2.5 miles) arms with state of the art vacuum chambers and laser beams, a distortion the size of 1/1000 of the diameter of a proton was detected. The 1000 scientists and engineers could hardly believe how lucky they were and for several months turned every stone to make sure it was a real event and not just a fault in the equipment or software. In December last year, they detected a second event. Below is a nice 6-minute explanation by awesome Neil deGrasse Tyson of the physics behind and the magnitude of the discovery.
Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains Einstein’s Gravitational Waves Theory
Like many new discoveries, the detectors are miracles of engineering and the team had to push technology to new hights to accomplish the new discoveries. If you want to dive deep into both physics and technology, this hour long lecture on Gravitational Waves from SLAC is a good start.
Dr. Brian Lantz taking about “Gravitational Waves – The Sound of Black Holes Colliding”, courtesy of SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.
I remember learning about the LIGO experiment while taking a class in relativity in college. At that time, it seemed like they aimed for a very lofty goal, so I was thrilled to read about the discovery back in February. Although I’m not pursuing physics research anymore, it’s fun to circle back and provide friends, former colleges, physicists and other scientists with some unique and very niched physics related safety reflectors for jackets, bags and backpacks. I know firsthand how easy it is to lose track of the time and not get out of the lab until way later (after sunset) than planned…
The typographic symbol “&” or “ampersand”, is a fun squiggle that requires some practice to write smoothly. As the funflector team has worked on the design of our ampersand safety reflector, I remember the proud feeling of accomplishment when, in second grade, I finally got the pen to turn and twist the right way. From a designer’s perspective it is fun to play around with and many different 3D versions has lately made it onto the shelves of many home decorating stores. The Design Hack has written a blog post on the history and their love affair with the graphic beauty and styles of the ampersand and we totally share their love of the design.
Ampersand safety reflector in sandalwood hanging on the handle of a bag.
If you want to decorate your home with ampersands, there are so many styles, materials and sizes, but how about if you want to decorate your bags or clothing with one? We did not find many ampersand accessories beyond jewelry so we are proud to add an ampersand safety reflector to our 2016 collection. It looks awesome on jackets, bags and purses. Check it out in our webshop here! It is available in a number of colors and even our black safety reflectors are super bright as explained here.
What’s the meaning of the Ampersand?
Ampersand home decoration covered in with sequence and purple safety reflector.
The ampersands symbolizes the word “AND”, which is the word that brings people together, ties together two disparate things or thoughts, the word that can make 1+1 equal to 3 AND it is the word that if used in the right place, sparks discoveries and innovation! The ampersand is also a reminder that we are not alone, but stronger together. As a friend of mine put it: “I have many brothers and sisters and think of us all strung together by the word AND. So when I se the ampersand, it makes me think of my loving family.” In many languages it represent a very short word AND in English UND in German ET in French OG in Danish even in Finnish where something as simple as 1-2-3 is yksi-kaksi-kolme, the word for “and” is JA. Why is it a favorite for us? When you put AND between thoughts, concepts and models that have not previously been combined, that’s when you get discoveries and innovation! It is also a constant reminder to take one more step, to dig one shovel deeper and take in one more viewpoint. And then what? We’d love to hear what you think of when you see the ampersand. Please comment below!
We often surprise people when we tell them they can significantly increase their nighttime visibility withoutclumsy vests and high-viz colors. If you choose a funflector® safety reflector, you can wear stylish designs ranging in colors from from subtle to bold and still increase visibility up to 500 feet. After hearing several independent stories from people whose friends have been hit by cars in Chicago at night, we decided to add the Chicago flag motif to our collection of funflector® slap wraps, our super reflective slap bracelets that can be worn on ankles and wrists by walkers, runners and bicyclists.
We are excited to announce a funflector® wrap with the popular Chicago flag design! It will be available in the webstore on May 9th.
funflector® reflecive wrap – The Chicago flag carries a lot of symbolism
We can’t imagine any Chicago visitors going back home without having noticed the symbolic two blue stripes and four red stars waiving on flagpoles on every block in the windy city. The top blue stripe symbolizes …
Snowflakes are amazing creations. It’s mind-boggling that they are all different. At a time when large parts of the USA and Canada are buried under inches of snow and the northeast is expecting snowmageddon tonight, the uniqueness of each snowflake is hard to comprehend.
The funflector® snowflake pedestrian recflector is currently our bestseller. We’ve shipped to places with and without snow. Could it be that some northerners living in southern states miss snowy winters?
Stylish snowflake safety reflector for walking, running and bicycling. Thanks Mae, you look fabulous!
We have noticed how unshoveled sidewalks make people choose to walk or run in the streets more often. Please don’t do that between dusk and dawn without any reflective gear! The icy/snowy roads make stopping hard and when the roads are lined with ploughed-up snow there is nowhere to go. No driver wants to hit pedestrians, but many walkers, runners and bikers are too difficult to see in the dark and crashes sadly happen . 7 out of 10 American pedestrian crashes happen at night and that number could be greatly reduced with reflectors! Mae is a Chicago area realtor and often out and about in the dark. We think she made a fabulous choice for her purse, don’t you?
As you can see above, we have collected some pretty snowflakes on our pinterest board. Many of them, we’ve found on snowcrystals.com where we were surprised to learn that there are over 30 types of snowflakes. Some of the shapes you would not necessarily think of as being snowflakes. The funflector® snowflake pedestrian reflector is of the type “stellar dendrite” which means “tree like”.
We wish for all our readers in the northeast to ride out the snow storm safely and patiently. When the wind has mellowed out and before the cabin fever get’s to you, it’s time to go outside and be amazed by nature’s artwork!
For a long time, we’ve been fascinated with creativity. What is it? How can we get better at “being creative”? How do we encourage and inspire others to explore their creativity – employees, kids and others? Is creativity something you are born with or can you learn it?
The disappearance of my favorite “French baguettes” from one of the local grocery stores kickstarted cravings for all things French and Parisian. Longing for “Pain au Chocolate” (chocolate croissant) that’s not refrigerated nor mushy from overheating. Longing for stone paved sidewalks lined with café tables. Longing for gracefully aged buildings with staircases slowly worn down where people have put their feet for hundreds of years. Longing for the fearless mix of new technology and old traditions. Longing for Musée d’Orsay, the Beaux-Arts train station that now houses more impressionist masterpieces than any museum in the world. Dream with us on Pinterest! I’m ready to pack my bags and go… Follow funflector.com’s board Paris on Pinterest.
In Paris, as in so many other European capitals, public transportation and your feet are the most convenient ways to get around. Walking, walking, walking… So, what funflector reflectors would I pack for Paris?
Metro and walking is the best way to get around in Paris. Metro map from www.ratp.fr
The Eiffel towerof course! The ultimate symbol of Paris and France. The icon status combined with a stunning view of Paris’ boulevards, has turned it into the most visited tourist attraction in the world. With that in mind, it is hard to believe that the resistance to building it was massive among writers, painters, sculptors and architects. However, during the 1889 Exposition, nearly 2 million visitors made it to the top level of the 324 m (1,063 ft) tall structure.
The red lipstick symbolizing “Parisian chic.” Makeup should be moderate, but lipstick can be bright red, depending on mood and occasion. If you love Parisian shopping and fashion, head for the area around Avenue Montaigne, Ave George V and Rue Francois 1er, where you find the finest Haute Couture shops in the world. If you’re looking for one-stop shopping spot, or a Parisian shopping extravaganza perfect for a rainy day, visit one of Paris’ famous department stores. Each one has a different personality, but one thing you can be sure of is stunning architecture and anything you’d want for “la vie Parisienne”! Printemps and Galeries Lafayette are two you don’t want to miss. More shopping tips and how to live like a Parisian can be found at parisperfect.com.
Thetreble clef for the chansons, cabarets and Palais Garnier, the national opera and ballet stage. Gaston Leroux‘s 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera, widely known fromAndrew Lloyd Webber‘s popular musical, is set at Palais Garnier. It’s well worth taking a guided tour through this stunning building!
Can’t go to Paris without a mustache! Imagine what Paris would be today without the painters of the late 19th century, at the height of Paris as the world’s art capital. At that time, mustaches were as common as T-shirts and jeans are today and we can only guess how Monet, Manet or Renoir would have looked without one. There is even a restaurant called “Moustache” on 3 Rue Sainte Beuve. Their menu is intriguing…
When you go to Paris, make sure to have several days so you have time to enjoy the iconic tourist attractions AND the Paris that’s beyond the grand boulevards and polished department stores. Here are some tips on how to do it.
Tonight, I’m going to settle down with a baguette, good (French) cheese and wine and enjoy Paris through the eyes of Gil Pender in “Midnight in Paris“, Woody Allen’s romanticcomedyfantasy.
A bientôt, Elisabeth
Higgs boson safety reflector by Particle Zoo and funflector
The existence of the Higgs field was predicted 50 years ago to provide an explanation for the origins of mass. It was hypothesized to fill space and interact with the most basic particles in a way that gives them mass when otherwise they would have none. An invisible field that fills all of space might seem odd, but right now there is an invisible gravitational field keeping you from floating away. There is also an invisible electromagnetic field that keeps you from simply passing straight through the floor. Find a way to put some extra energy into a field and you can “shake loose” particles. We do that all the time with electromagnetic fields, for example in a light bulb. We call he result light and the particles that emerge are photons, bearers of light.
After years of trying, an international team of physicists managed to show that the Higgs field exists. Instead of turning on a light bulb and observing the light, they smashed protons together in the LHC at CERN and “shook loose” some of those long-sought Higgs particles, which were recorded by huge particle detectors to, after quite some work, be observed on computer screens.
We know of no better way to visualize the Higgs field than this beautiful animation by Nigel Holmes:
Congratulations to François Englert and Peter Higgs and to all our friends and former colleagues, who tirelessly have kept building and tweaking the LHC and the Atlas and CMS detectors, long after our careers headed elsewhere!
This cute but geeky Valentine’s poem is a good reason for us to introduce one of our new elementary particle reflectors with Particle Zoo design: DARK MATTER!
Scientists believe the universe is expanding due to Dark Energy, which makes up as much as 68% of the universe. Only 5% is matter that we know and the rest, 27% is dark matter. Dark matter cannot be seen, does not absorb or emit light. So how do we know it’s there? Astronomers have noticed that the behavior of large astronomical objects could not be explained with the gravitational forces between all known objects, so a mysterious dark matter with plenty of weight was added to explain the gravitational pull. Guesses to what dark matter is range from never seen elementary particles to heavier objects although as late as November 2013, it was ruled out that they were large primordial black holes. So maybe fun-sized primordial black holes? In the early universe, dark matter was evenly distributed but the passage of time has left its mark and gravity has pulled it into clumps and empty spaces. Our Dark Matter funflector thinks life is good! Happy Valentine’s day from Particle Zoo and funflector!
Having grown up in Sweden, I would have loved a skate safety reflector instead of a boring hard circular reflector. Even in the very south, skating and skiing was an obvious part of most winters. No classes or fancy outfits, just hanging out at the neighborhood soccer field which had been turned into an good-enough ice to skate on. We skated, we cross-country skied on the fields and had snowball fights – and watched winter sports, especially the Olympics. After 4 days of the Sochi games, the Canadian and the US hockey women are looking good! We have also already been blessed with some spectacular figure skating performances. 15 year old Yulia Lipnitskaya stunned us all with a perfect performance. Equally amazing and mezmerizing was Meryl Davis and Charlie White’s ice dance! Do you know we now have both a black hockey skate reflector and a white figure skate reflector? Order yours here>
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This cute but geeky Valentine’s poem is a good reason for us to introduce one of our new elementary particle reflectors with Particle Zoo design: DARK MATTER!
