Mission 26 The Big Endeavour, a time lapse video of the Space Shuttle Endeavour’s journey through the streets of Los Angeles, from LAX to its new home at the California Science Center. The video was created by Matthew Givot and his team of six time-lapse specialists.

The California Science Center created a map of the route that took four days and four nights to complete. Total distance: 11.72 miles.

via Vimeo.

How cool would it be if your hot wheels cars were life-sized and could drive on massive looped tracks?! At the 2012 X Games in Los Angeles on Saturday June 30th, Team Hot Wheels professional drivers Tanner Foust and Greg Tracy made hot wheels come to life by driving two specially-designed, 3000lb cars through a six-story (66-foot tall) double vertical loop. At the needed 48-52mph, they each experienced up to 7gs of acceleration. Then they both make jumps!  

Not only did their team use an understanding of physics and engineering to do the stunt successfully and safely, but they set a Guinness World Record. Do not miss Tanner’s interview about jump testing and absolutely watch the behind-the-scenes ESPN Sports Science video that explains exactly how they did it!

h/t Devour. 

From the archives: a 2,000 foot long hot wheels track!

Over 40,000 rockets blasting off from the wall of the Geffen Contemporary.

On Saturday April 7, artist Cai Guo-Qiang marked the opening of his exhibition with Mystery Circle: Explosion Event for The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; a site-specific work created for MOCA. This edit was made to be viewed in our galleries as part of Cai Guo-Qiang’s installation.

via Vimeo.

Previously from Cai Guo-Qiang: Daytime Fireworks.

Nine year old Caine Monroy made a super-detailed cardboard arcade in his dad’s used auto part store. His first customer happened to be filmmaker Nirvan Mullick, who was inspired by Caine’s inventiveness and decided to get Caine a flashmob of customers one Sunday. This is a film about that day.

We loved this video immediately. And when the video ends, it’s always good when my kid says, “I want to see it again.” If you’re inspired by Caine and his cardboard arcade, too, you can follow @cainesarcade on Twitter and visit CainesArcade.com to donate to his college fund (which is happily climbing)!!

via @Veronica.

Other kids makin’ it happen: Audri and his Rube Goldberg Machine, and Milah and Korben sing Depeche Mode with their dad.

Remember those origami examples and how tos? Here’s a simple but illuminating stop motion animation of a car being made out of one sheet of newsprint to help visualize some more complex folding! Also check out a pre-made origami Rhino unfolding. Both pieces feature the work of origami artist, Sipho Mabona, who has an installation of origami locusts (made from sheets of money) at the Japanese American National Museum in LA until August 26, 2012.

via This is Colossal.