We've got computer graphics software that's so powerful it can generate images that make it seem like dinosaurs are back. But they still can't compare to the simple satisfaction you get from making a really complex hypotrochoid or epitrochoid with a marker and some perforated gears. So Nathan Friend was kind enough to build a browser-based Spirograph you're probably going to want to immediately bookmark.
The online Inspirograph, as Nathan calls it, lets you swap in gears of different sizes and choose pretty much any color your computer's screen can display. And while you don't get that highly satisfying feeling of pen on paper as you make endless loops, it's impossible to screw up your design on this version, unless you accidentally refresh the page. Fancy yourself a Spirograph master? Share your designs in the discussion below, it's not like you've got anything better to do on a Thursday afternoon. [Inspirograph via Boing Boing]