See that thing up there? That's a coconut. With a cell phone in it. Tad Hirsch -- a research student who focuses on "the intersections between art, activism, and technology" -- created it as a way to monitor the obtrusive sound of low-flying airplanes in the San Jose, California area. When excessive aircraft noise is detected, the coconut rings the San Jose International airport and leaves one of four prerecorded complaint messages. My favorite one says, "I'm trying to listen to my Steven Hawking book on tape and airplanes keep flying by. I can't hear my iPod."

I guess this is serious. Or it could be a joke. It's billed as "art," I think, so I guess it doesn't really matter one way or another. Regardless, there it is; Take it how you want it. You should at least listen to the prerecorded messages because those are interesting. And maybe funny. And a bit weird. This whole thing is a bit weird. I'm scared.

[via]