Day 4700: ‘Choir’ of Singing Dolls, robotic, wooden speakers & Italy's river plant.

    

"Ongoing": junk papers collage.

  

Want music?

    Click: Al Green, Tired of Being Alone.

 

2GN2S

‘Choir’ of Singing Beechwood Dolls

by Teenage Otherworldly Engineering.

Teenage Engineering, a Stockholm-based electronics company, has introduced a quirky and charming new lineup to its selection of audio systems. The Choir, a line of linkable digital speakers is an eclectic octuple of sweet, robotic, wooden characters.

Comprising eight distinctive designs, each beechwood figurine has its own vocal range. Olga, for example, is a “Russian contralto,” shaped like a nesting Matryoshka doll. Bogdan is a bass and wears a bulky hat. And Miki, representing Japan, is a tenor. Every member of the international Choir has an internal speaker that can run for three to four hours continuously, and they can be linked together via BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) with up to 15 other choral singers. Watch and listen by clicking here.

The Choir can perform prerecorded compositions or, with the assistance of a midi keyboard linked via BLE, belt out original tunes. The effect is a kind of unearthly, alluring audio that wavers between human and digital sounds.

For composer Rob Simonsen, who has scored films like The Whale, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and Deadpool & Wolverine—among many others—the Choir was a welcome addition for his latest project, Elio. Disney and Pixar’s newest film is set in space, and Simonsen sought something distinctive from a traditional orchestra to really bring that otherworldly element to the fore. After seeing a video demonstration of the Choir, he knew it was the perfect fit. He says:

We were looking for an otherworldly sound—something that sounded relatable, that echoed vocalizations (and) communication that humans could understand but felt like it was from another world. I came across these Choir dolls and heard their sound. It was beautiful—electronic, but human. Each body is handcrafted. They have a robotic but organic sound at the same time. It felt like a perfect answer to what we were looking for.

Choir members are available for purchase in Teenage Engineering’s online store for $249 individually or $1,992 for the entire set.

Italy developed a plant that cleans polluted rivers by eating microplastics In a greenhouse outside Florence, Italian botanists have engineered a plant that behaves like a natural vacuum cleaner for polluted water. It’s not just a filter — it absorbs microplastics and heavy metals through its roots, locking them inside plant tissue and purifying rivers as it grows.

The plant, called Pistia Magnifica, is a genetically enhanced version of water lettuce. Its roots are rich in lignin-modified enzymes that bind to synthetic particles like polyethylene and polystyrene — the two most common microplastics. As river water flows past, it traps these particles and draws them into its vascular system.

Lab tests show one square meter of Pistia Magnifica can remove up to 92% of microplastics from 100 liters of river water in under an hour. The absorbed waste stays inside the plant’s structure, where it can later be harvested and safely incinerated — turning pollution into usable thermal energy.

Unlike conventional cleanup systems, this green solution requires no machines, no power, and no infrastructure. It floats on the surface, grows rapidly, and multiplies naturally. Italian municipalities are now deploying it in canals, lakes, and irrigation ditches — especially near industrial zones where plastic runoff is highest.

Environmental groups are calling it a “living cleanup crew,” one that could help restore biodiversity to plastic-choked waterways worldwide. The UN is already reviewing the tech as a solution for developing nations where river pollution has become catastrophic.

Italy may have found a way to turn the world’s dirtiest water into drinkable streams — using nothing but sunlight and leaves.

 

  

 

A 4+  minute video, Microzilla, here

 

  

 

Just because ...

Spangled-cheeked Tanager

 

Wednesday's Smiles ... 

If you stare at this face, it will turn, really. Artist unknown.