Few people have heard of it, yet many consider John Blankenbaker's KENBAK-1 to be the first commercial personal computer.
Massive, Mesmerizing Toy Car Track
By Jonathan Poet
When I saw video of this mesmerizingly beautiful art installation by Chris Burden, I couldn't help but think of the simple orange plastic tracks I used to build as a kid for my Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars. Mine weren't labyrinthine cities. They were gravity-fed drag races set off from the seat of a chair.
A couple years ago, I picked up a reproduction of my old track set as a gift to my nephews. (I got suckered in by the retro packaging.) Mattel appears now to only sell track sets involving animals and aliens, though big box stores apparently carry simpler sets. There's also Blu Track, a flexible double track available in absurd lengths (100 feet for $165).
Burden's 1,200-car noise machine, meanwhile, is headed for a long-term loan at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
[thanks, Nick D.]
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