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Animated 'Mona Lisa' Watches You in Interactive Chinese Exhibit

by Caleb Johnson on August 18, 2009 at 08:40 AM

The 'Mona Lisa,' Leonardo Da Vinci's portrait of a lady (or, at least, himself as a lady), is much more lively these days. In Beijing, she talks and waves to visitors, but when it comes to that smile, her lips are still sealed (check out the video here).

According to BBC News, a new exhibit at the Planning Exhibition Hall in Beijing, China takes classic works of art and animates them using 3-D graphics and sound-recognition technology. The 'Mona Lisa' isn't the only thing coming to life inside these frames. The exhibit also includes Leonardo's 'Last Supper' (with Jesus and his disciples interacting at the famous table), Raphael's 'School of Athens,' and even an ancient Egyptian wall painting.

While art critics might claim Leonardo is rolling over in his grave, there's something exciting about seeing these works come to life. Besides, the exhibit's in an expo hall, not the Louvre -- at least, not yet. [From: BBC News]
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Banned Facebook Groups

    Facebook is a great venue for humiliating oneself with ranting and raving, but, like most things, people can take things too far. Give someone a soapbox (or in this case, a Facebook group) and there are sure to be others crazy enough to follow them. Here are some examples of Facebook groups that crossed the line and were banned from the site.

    Assasinate Evo Morales
    Here's a good way to get your group banned -- call for the assassination of a political leader. Titled 'Global Collection to Hire a Sharpshooter to Liquidate Evo Morales' was taken down by Facebook since it bans threatening violence. No surprises here.

    Getty Images

    Surrey, BC Terrorist Group
    A Facebook group supporting the International Sikh Youth Federation, a banned terrorist organization, was taken down by Canadian Police. Authorities were tipped off to the group because its page depicted a young person holding a prohibited gun, which was eventually traced back to 49-year old Bahadur Sandhur. Police seized it and two others when they investigated his home.

    Dead Babies Group
    Facebook took down a group called 'Dead Babies Make Me Laugh' after the UK Sun was flooded with outraged calls and emails. A running joke on campuses, the group included fake anecdotes about killing babies, but mothers weren't laughing even though the group was created and classified as being "just for fun."

    I Need Sex Group
    Laura Michaels of Bristol, England, created a Facebook group called 'I Need Sex.' According to the UK Sun, the group had more than 100 members after being up for only one hour. Michaels claims to have ended up sleeping with 50 of the group's members -- literally half of the group. Facebook opposes this type of personals-ad use, so the group was taken down.

    KKK group
    Facebook recently shut down a group called the 'Isle of Man KKK.' The group called for the elimination of newcomers from the UK island and featured a picture of a hooded Ku Klux Klan member. Thankfully, Facebook's terms of service prohibits content that is hateful or threatening.

Tags: 3d, animation, art, china, leonardo da vinci, LeonardoDaVinci, mona lisa, MonaLisa, top

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