# Possibly the coolest thing on my desk now **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 12, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458 "2004-11-12T21:45:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/21 "2004-11-13T14:23:42Z")
OK, in the daylight, with one eye closed, it works MUCH better. That thing is freaky. I love it. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Dirx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b77776/32.png) [@Sir\_Dirx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Dirx)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2004, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/22 "2004-11-13T17:24:16Z")
After having looked at it so much with only one eye, I seem to have tricked my brain into permanently thinking the head is poking out at me. The illusion works every time now, with one eye or two, for casual glances and hypnotized stares alike. I love it! ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/23 "2004-11-13T18:22:40Z")
OK, that is wicked cool. I just made one, and it rocks. It’s going on my desk at work on Monday. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2004, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/24 "2004-11-13T19:13:38Z")
Heheheh, Pete Puma’s going to be spending hours on Monday staring at that thing! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@Chimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimpy)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2004, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/25 "2004-11-13T20:58:50Z")
Oh man this rules, I have it set 2 foot away so everytime I want to I can be followed! ---
**Author:** ![MrFantsyPants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@MrFantsyPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFantsyPants)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2004, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/26 "2004-11-13T22:33:31Z")
There is something very similar to this, except 8 feet tall, [sitting on a hill](http://www.msac.uoguelph.ca/sculpdes.htm) in my town. (#5, a few images down) Pretty cool. It really does seem to follow you as you drive past, especially at that size. ---
**Author:** ![Mirasawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mirasawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirasawa)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/27 "2004-11-14T01:22:37Z")
Very impressive. I guess the long snout makes this illiusion work better than a human face. \_ \_ ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/28 "2004-11-14T02:03:26Z")
I work with an amazing guy named James who found this Friday afternoon when he was probably supposed to be working. (But as he said when jokingly accused of building the dragon on company time, “But I’m salaried. All my time is company time.”) The day had been nuts, and I wasn’t having as much fun as I usually do; I was taking Marketing’s madness far too seriously. Well, James’s dragon put exactly the right kind of tweak into my attitude. Wow. Talk about adjusting right back to what’s really important in life! Having made several now, I have a helpful hint: put the creases in first, lightly, before cutting out. It goes together more quickly that way. It is so much fun watching people suddenly see the illusion. They’ll rock back and forth, getting ready to be politely amused, and then, “WOW! wow. wow wow wow.” Great idea about the ten-feet-away start, Eleusis. That was fun. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![PigBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/97f17d/32.png) [@PigBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigBoy)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/29 "2004-11-14T02:23:11Z")
I like poking my fingers at various parts of the dragon’s head looking at it. Depending where I do it, it can create an Escher-like appearance, where two fingers are at once behind and in front of one another (or other things like that). ---
**Author:** ![Spree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@Spree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spree)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/30 "2004-11-14T05:21:17Z")
I don’t think I’ve worked as hard at something since college! I did the head exactly wrong the first time, and had to keep studying the video to finally get it right. :smack: I got it, though, and now it works with both eyes open. Cooooool! ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/31 "2004-11-14T07:37:19Z")
That IS cool, but as soon as I get my desk back… [This](http://store.knifecenter.com/pgi-Product%20Spec?me48g,) little fella will be on it. ---
**Author:** ![look\_hergo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85e7bf/32.png) [@look\_hergo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_hergo)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/32 "2004-11-14T18:23:29Z")
Wow! I printed, cut and taped my lil’ dragon, and he’s terrific! I made the head the wrong way at first, and was disappointed, and my husband rolled his eyes and laughed at me. “What did you expect?” he said. Then I checked the instructions again, realized my mistake, and put it together the right way. I picked it up to show my hub again, and before I could even ask what he thought, his eyes widened. :eek: “Ohhhh… WOW!” He made me move it all around, and then I set it down and we both bobbed and swayed in front of it, oohing and ahhing. Coolest thing ever. Thanks for sharing it! ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/33 "2004-11-15T01:36:57Z")
I love this thing! I made mine last night and brought it to work. Here’s a scene to imagine: four cops, all in uniform, staring at a stupid little paper dragon and all swaying back and forth! Quite a sight. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/34 "2004-11-15T01:51:37Z")
Every time I see this thread it asks me to post in it. So to shut it the hell up here I post… I am sitting in a rocking chair with ‘arms’. My ‘desktop’ consists of a plank of wood resting on the (almost diagonal) arms. On this plank rests a laptop computer. It’s an alienware laptop so in some circles it counts as ‘cool’. It is the only thing on this ‘desktop’, so I guess the coolest thing on my desktop right now is my alienware laptop. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/35 "2004-11-15T01:55:05Z")
I noticed that background makes a huge difference how quickly the illusion appears. You want a blank background, like a white wall, that doesn’t give you any clues to which way your eyes should be focused. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/36 "2004-11-15T03:19:53Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Every time I see this thread it asks me to post in it. So to shut it the hell up here I post… > > I am sitting in a rocking chair with ‘arms’. My ‘desktop’ consists of a plank of wood resting on the (almost diagonal) arms. On this plank rests a laptop computer. It’s an alienware laptop so in some circles it counts as ‘cool’. It is the only thing on this ‘desktop’, so I guess the coolest thing on my desktop right now is my alienware laptop. My desk is currently my lap. And coolest thing there is my newish 12" ibook…but my paper foldes dragon is downstairs _ **Stareing** _ at me!!! ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/37 "2004-11-15T14:08:37Z")
The most interesting thing on my desk at the moment [is THIS!](http://www.vbisd.org/users/jbenn/images/puzzle.jpg) The challenge is to take the top off. Yes, it is dove-tailed on both the x and y axis, yet the top will come off. ---
**Author:** ![Tiggrkitty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tiggrkitty/32/17966_2.png) [@Tiggrkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiggrkitty)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/38 "2004-11-15T17:39:35Z")
Okay… For those of you that got yours to work, did you do color or black and white? Because mine isn’t working ☹ I wanna play! ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/39 "2004-11-15T19:10:35Z")
> [@Tiggrkitty](#): > > Okay… > > For those of you that got yours to work, did you do color or black and white? Because mine isn’t working ☹ > > I wanna play! Mine is in color and works perfectly. My brother made a black and white one and he could also see the illusion, although he seemed to imply that it was a bit difficult (I haven’t seen his so I can’t affirm this). Are you sure you made it correctly? I had to study the video to make sure I got the folding right. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458/40 "2004-11-15T20:36:55Z")
> [@Tiggrkitty](#): > > Okay… > > For those of you that got yours to work, did you do color or black and white? Because mine isn’t working ☹ > > I wanna play! Mine is in color and works, too. I printed one out in black and white for the folding instructions. I’ll see if I can make it work. As others have said, a white background is very helpful–try setting in on a white piece of paper and looking at it against a blank wall. I can never get those 3D hidden picture to work, and I had no trouble with this. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-the-coolest-thing-on-my-desk-now/274458.md?page=3)