After Hours

Photos: Scenes from Burning Man 2006

By // February 28, 2007, 3:21 AM PST // billdetwiler

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  • First there was "Dance Dance Revolution," the arcade game that required participants to hit the right notes with their feet. At Burning Man, however, there's "Dance Dance Immolation," which blasts participants with flamethrowers. In this photograph, both flamethrowers are firing.

    Credit: Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

    Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

  • This 168-foot-long metal sculpture, called the "Serpent Mother," breathes fire and was the center of a fireworks show at Burning Man on Friday night. Created by the Flaming Lotus Girls, Serpent Mother uses 31 computer-controlled "poofers," which erupt in flames, and a hydraulically activated moving head with forced-air effect coming out of the fangs.

    Credit: Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

    Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

  • This time-lapse photograph shows Burning Man participants climbing on an interactive art sculpture made of metal and rope. Passersby can beat on the metal portion of the exhibition with provided instruments, and the sculpture's electronics amplify the sound.

    Credit: Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

    Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

  • This mammoth cave-like sculpture at Burning Man was quickly nicknamed the Belgian Waffle, after the 90 artists from Belgium who built it in the Black Rock desert. The proper name is "Uchronia," and its creators say it consumed 93 miles of lumber with a floor span of 60 by 30 meters. It cost at least $250,000 and was built with Canadian lumber from a reject pile. The "Uchronians" burned their creation (which doubled as a dance club at night) at the end of the festival.

    Credit: Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

    Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

  • Couple an unhealthy affection for Mad Max with the creative mayhem of Burning Man, and you get the Death Guild Thunderdome. Its motto: "Bringing you senseless violence since 1999." Combatants are suspended in bungee harnesses attached to a dome and encouraged to beat each other senseless with foam-covered weapons.

    Credit: Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

    Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

  • A Burning Man participant stays cool by running behind a water truck, which wets the ground in an attempt to keep dust levels down.

    Credit: Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

    Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

  • Burning Man participants dressed up, loosely, as rabbits to pose for photographs.

    Credit: Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

    Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

  • One of the more bizarre musical instruments at Burning Man is a fire organ, which can be played with an electronic keyboard. It emits both geysers of flame and surprisingly recognizable musical notes.

    Credit: Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

    Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

  • The "Mondo Spider" begins one of its first explorations of Burning Man. Its eight legs move independently and allow the mechanized creature to turn, as well as to walk forward. Its creators used a computer-assisted design process to generate templates. The metal plates were precision water-cut using a 55,000 PSI stream of water and sand.

    Credit: Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

    Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

  • This art installation looks like it was straight out of H.G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds."

    Credit: Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

    Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

  • Half-naked dancers spin fire before Saturday evening's ritual burning of a giant neon-outlined man.

    Credit: Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

    Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

First there was "Dance Dance Revolution," the arcade game that required participants to hit the right notes with their feet. At Burning Man, however, there's "Dance Dance Immolation," which blasts participants with flamethrowers. In this photograph, both flamethrowers are firing.

Credit: Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

Declan McCullagh/CNET News.com

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By Bill Detwiler

Bill Detwiler is Editor in Chief of TechRepublic and Tech Pro Research and the host of Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Prior to joining TechRepublic in 2000, Bill was an IT manager, database administrator, and desktop supp...