u got junk mail

In the last few weeks, I've realised that I've turned into a digital rag picker. My cursor has been wading through page after page of hits on junk - I must be the only person in history to go beyond page 5 on google search.

But it's been worth it, here are two of the latest gems I unearthed.

One is the term upcycling - which is the practice of taking something that is disposable, and transforming it into something of greater use of value. Besides describing a useful concept, the word has the additional advantage of adding tact and intellectual quotient to everyday conversations. For example, if you don't want to tell a colleague that his presentation sucks, you could say "Your presentation is a perfect candidate for upcycling!"

The second gem is the picture above - by artist Sandy Schimmel. She puts upcycling into practice by creating art out of junk mail and flyers. Enjoy.

a school in every dust bin

A hovercraft made out of junk, by Arvind Gupta.

A toy maker, writer, science enthusiast, engineer and bibliophile, Arvind Gupta designs toys that bring the principles of science and geometry alive for children. ‘‘One doesn’t need expensive material to perform experiments. ...in fact, the students’ mind is the most expensive commodity involved,’’ says Arvind Gupta.

Besides toys from trash, Arvind Gupta's web site, www.arvindguptatoys.com, contains downloadable books on education philosophy and science education.

straight from the trash can

Dirty White Trash (with gulls) by Tim Noble and Sue Webster.

These artists from England create sculptures out of heaps of garbage collected from the streets of London. When light is projected on the heap, meaningful shadows appear on the wall behind the trash.