Curio Cabinet
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August 23, 2017
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1 minFREEPoetry Poem CurioFree1 CQ
Poem of the Day: “Any fool can get into an ocean . . .”. By Jack Spicer.
with Poetry FoundationPoem of the Day: “Any fool can get into an ocean . . .”. By Jack Spicer.
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
WPP — the biggest advertising agency in the world — has revised its sales downward, with its CEO indicating that U.S. policy could be a reason for some of th...
WPP — the biggest advertising agency in the world — has revised its sales downward, with its CEO indicating that U.S. policy could be a reason for some of th...
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FREERelationships Daily Curio #1409Free1 CQ
It's back-to-school time. Experts warn that if you're a student, you shouldn't waste these precious years of friend-making. It could be your only chance! Most people meet their closest friends in high school and college—and by the age of 30 have difficulty building new friendships. There is a surprising amount of sociology research on friendship (including by our very own Carol Dweck), and theories abound. But one explanation for why friends are harder to come by as we age is called the proximity principle. It states that, despite our belief that we form friendships with people because of common interests or traits, in fact we tend to bond with whomever happens to be close by. The proximity principle was coined by the sociologist Theodore Newcombe in 1950, after he conducted a famous study involving University of Michigan students living in a large house. He randomly assigned roommates and then studied how their friendships developed. Most roommates became close friends. Many subsequent studies have confirmed Newcombe's theory. When teachers randomly assign seats in classrooms, cliques of adjacent pupils quickly develop. People who regularly assemble in the same physical location—such as a coffee shop or dog park or subway stop—soon gel into groups. A study of dorms at MIT found that 41% of next-door neighbors saw each other socially. Two doors down, the number dropped to 22%. Only 10% of dormmates became friends with people four doors down, even though they were only 50 feet farther away! Sociologists note that as we age, we have less proximity to new people. Pairing off with a significant other, having children, and spending more time in sterile work environments all infringe on the amount of time we spend in close proximity to new people. So, as you students head back to school, start getting close with those who are closest to you….
It's back-to-school time. Experts warn that if you're a student, you shouldn't waste these precious years of friend-making. It could be your only chance! Most people meet their closest friends in high school and college—and by the age of 30 have difficulty building new friendships. There is a surprising amount of sociology research on friendship (including by our very own Carol Dweck), and theories abound. But one explanation for why friends are harder to come by as we age is called the proximity principle. It states that, despite our belief that we form friendships with people because of common interests or traits, in fact we tend to bond with whomever happens to be close by. The proximity principle was coined by the sociologist Theodore Newcombe in 1950, after he conducted a famous study involving University of Michigan students living in a large house. He randomly assigned roommates and then studied how their friendships developed. Most roommates became close friends. Many subsequent studies have confirmed Newcombe's theory. When teachers randomly assign seats in classrooms, cliques of adjacent pupils quickly develop. People who regularly assemble in the same physical location—such as a coffee shop or dog park or subway stop—soon gel into groups. A study of dorms at MIT found that 41% of next-door neighbors saw each other socially. Two doors down, the number dropped to 22%. Only 10% of dormmates became friends with people four doors down, even though they were only 50 feet farther away! Sociologists note that as we age, we have less proximity to new people. Pairing off with a significant other, having children, and spending more time in sterile work environments all infringe on the amount of time we spend in close proximity to new people. So, as you students head back to school, start getting close with those who are closest to you….
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : August 23, 2017
flagrant \FLAY-grunt\ adjective
Definition
: conspicuously offensive; especially : so obviously inconsistent with what i...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 23, 2017
flagrant \FLAY-grunt\ adjective
Definition
: conspicuously offensive; especially : so obviously inconsistent with what i...
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5 minFREEPolitical Science Worldly CurioFree3 CQ
On August 8, all across Kenya, people spent hours in long, chaotic lines waiting to cast their votes in the election. At the polling station inside Kamiti Ma...
with PRI's The WorldOn August 8, all across Kenya, people spent hours in long, chaotic lines waiting to cast their votes in the election. At the polling station inside Kamiti Ma...
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FREEPhotography Photo CurioFree1 CQ
Makomanai Takino Cemetery in Sapporo, Japan, leaves something big to the imagination. At the crown of a prominent hillside, meditating above concentric rings of lavender in summer bloom, lies Atama Daibutsu, or The Buddha's Head—a 44-foot-tall statue concealed up to the neck with concrete, but not quite buried. After the Buddha awkwardly sat in an uncultivated field for around 15 years, the cemetery commissioned architect Tadao Ando to redesign the site so visitors could better appreciate the statue. In 2015, he finished building a rotunda of concrete around the giant figure, along with an entryway leading to a 130-foot-long tunnel. Where visitors originally spied the Buddha at an easy glance, they must now stroll around a streamlined pool of water before walking a subterranean path to the Buddha's chamber. There, a halo of light falls upon him and illuminates his pedestal, providing a much more intimate visit than the original design—or lack thereof. But fair warning: don't try looking down at the Buddha from the top of the hill; the 150,000 lavender flowers are arrayed in perfect circles. And it'd be such a shame to ruin Ando's incredible symmetry!
Below: the Buddha's head poking above the lavender flowers, the statute meditating in its concrete chamber, and the entry pool leading to the underground pathway.
Image credit & copyright: Shigeo Ogawa/Hiroo Namiki
Makomanai Takino Cemetery in Sapporo, Japan, leaves something big to the imagination. At the crown of a prominent hillside, meditating above concentric rings of lavender in summer bloom, lies Atama Daibutsu, or The Buddha's Head—a 44-foot-tall statue concealed up to the neck with concrete, but not quite buried. After the Buddha awkwardly sat in an uncultivated field for around 15 years, the cemetery commissioned architect Tadao Ando to redesign the site so visitors could better appreciate the statue. In 2015, he finished building a rotunda of concrete around the giant figure, along with an entryway leading to a 130-foot-long tunnel. Where visitors originally spied the Buddha at an easy glance, they must now stroll around a streamlined pool of water before walking a subterranean path to the Buddha's chamber. There, a halo of light falls upon him and illuminates his pedestal, providing a much more intimate visit than the original design—or lack thereof. But fair warning: don't try looking down at the Buddha from the top of the hill; the 150,000 lavender flowers are arrayed in perfect circles. And it'd be such a shame to ruin Ando's incredible symmetry!
Below: the Buddha's head poking above the lavender flowers, the statute meditating in its concrete chamber, and the entry pool leading to the underground pathway.
Image credit & copyright: Shigeo Ogawa/Hiroo Namiki
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FREEArchitecture Art CurioFree1 CQ
Title: Kuş Köşkü
Created: 15th-19th century
Medium: bricks, tiles, stone, wood, and mortar
Current location: Istanbul, Turkey
The prodigal birds return. Currently, as many as one million storks are migrating through Istanbul, Turkey, on their way from Europe into Asia; unfortunately, they won't be treated with the same lavish getaways their more diminutive cousins will be enjoying. For the itinerant finches, sparrows, and warblers, Istanbul's elder buildings feature ornate bird pavilions fitted with columns, domes, and minarets—basically, palaces fit for avian sultans! From the 15th into the 19th century, architects of the old Ottoman Empire built these grandiose bird nests, or Kuş Köşkü, all across what is now modern-day Turkey, believing that helping the local birdies would bring about good fortune. But the houses also served an architectural purpose; these high-roller hangouts diverted flocks from the priceless features of mosques and private estates, thus redirecting the damage of our winged friends' corrosive defecations to less detailed facades. The Ottomans also placed these birdhouses in high-up areas where wind tunnels and cats couldn't ruin their chirping guests' sojourns. Guess it's as they say: birds of the same luxurious feather, flock together! And as for the storks—there's always Airbnb, right?
Below: the birdhouse at the Ayazma Mosque, along with a few others.
Image credit & copyright: Caner Cangül/oldukca-normal-insan
Title: Kuş Köşkü
Created: 15th-19th century
Medium: bricks, tiles, stone, wood, and mortar
Current location: Istanbul, Turkey
The prodigal birds return. Currently, as many as one million storks are migrating through Istanbul, Turkey, on their way from Europe into Asia; unfortunately, they won't be treated with the same lavish getaways their more diminutive cousins will be enjoying. For the itinerant finches, sparrows, and warblers, Istanbul's elder buildings feature ornate bird pavilions fitted with columns, domes, and minarets—basically, palaces fit for avian sultans! From the 15th into the 19th century, architects of the old Ottoman Empire built these grandiose bird nests, or Kuş Köşkü, all across what is now modern-day Turkey, believing that helping the local birdies would bring about good fortune. But the houses also served an architectural purpose; these high-roller hangouts diverted flocks from the priceless features of mosques and private estates, thus redirecting the damage of our winged friends' corrosive defecations to less detailed facades. The Ottomans also placed these birdhouses in high-up areas where wind tunnels and cats couldn't ruin their chirping guests' sojourns. Guess it's as they say: birds of the same luxurious feather, flock together! And as for the storks—there's always Airbnb, right?
Below: the birdhouse at the Ayazma Mosque, along with a few others.
Image credit & copyright: Caner Cangül/oldukca-normal-insan
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
Why buy toys when you can give children the gift of music? Impressionist composer Claude Debussy, born on August 22, 1862, was known to favor this one-of-a-kind type of present. The piano suite Children's Corner was written for his three-year old daughter Claude-Emma in 1911. Pieces like Serenade for the Doll make use of Debussy's resonant harmonies, impressionist mood evocations, and program music (music that signifies images) to portray the playful movements of toys and childhood wonder through sound. With other program pieces titled The Snow is Dancing and Golliwogg's Cake-Walk, it's like Debussy created a sonorous toy factory for his daughter. Batteries are not included with the suite!
Other streaming options
Why buy toys when you can give children the gift of music? Impressionist composer Claude Debussy, born on August 22, 1862, was known to favor this one-of-a-kind type of present. The piano suite Children's Corner was written for his three-year old daughter Claude-Emma in 1911. Pieces like Serenade for the Doll make use of Debussy's resonant harmonies, impressionist mood evocations, and program music (music that signifies images) to portray the playful movements of toys and childhood wonder through sound. With other program pieces titled The Snow is Dancing and Golliwogg's Cake-Walk, it's like Debussy created a sonorous toy factory for his daughter. Batteries are not included with the suite!
Other streaming options
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FREEWorld History PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
A pyramid of loyalties, all under the King's boot.
Could we just get, uh, one measly day off, my Lord? Such would've been our sentiments had we lived in Europe from the 9th century through the 15th century, when around 90 percent of the population toiled as peasants. Formally abolished in France during August of 1789, feudalism was a royal pain in the collective back—but why did it arise in the first place?
After the Roman Empire fell, western Europe erupted into a state of chaos where warring tribes continually fought for supremacy. Eventually, King Charlemagne united most of western Europe under the Frankish Empire, but he and his successors were ultimately unable to centralize power. Wealthy landowners began to accumulate more and more land, and in order for the Kings to protect their necks from uprisings, they were forced to play ball with the landowners. Instead of well-defined countries, European society fragmented into small units.
This is the essence of Feudalism: a class system shaped like a pyramid, where loyalty is sworn to individuals instead of to a country—with the king at the very top. The kings rewarded pieces of land called fiefs to the landowners—who became nobles, or lords—in return for their loyalty during various conflicts. To further protect themselves, the kings also united the Crown with the Church, and over time, noble blood, especially the King's blood, was supposed to place someone in closer contact with God. Meanwhile, the lords gifted sections of their land to their knights, or vassals, men who pledged loyalty in battle to a lord in return for food, shelter, armor, etc.
The vast majority of people labored the fields, providing their lord with crops in return for protection from raiders and pillaging armies. To become a peasant, or serf, one swore loyalty to a lord and was bound to the lord's land to labor as a slave till death, with an average life span of 30 years. By default, the peasants swore loyalty to the lord's king, meaning the King essentially owned all the land and people. So, in a way, feudalism was a great way to preserve order, but a huge detriment to society. Eventually, increased trade brought new ideas to port cities in southern Europe, which sparked the Renaissance, where intellectuals and academics began to look to Rome to model their civilizations. And praise the King they thought up something new! A 9-to-5 job doesn't sound so bad now, does it?
A pyramid of loyalties, all under the King's boot.
Could we just get, uh, one measly day off, my Lord? Such would've been our sentiments had we lived in Europe from the 9th century through the 15th century, when around 90 percent of the population toiled as peasants. Formally abolished in France during August of 1789, feudalism was a royal pain in the collective back—but why did it arise in the first place?
After the Roman Empire fell, western Europe erupted into a state of chaos where warring tribes continually fought for supremacy. Eventually, King Charlemagne united most of western Europe under the Frankish Empire, but he and his successors were ultimately unable to centralize power. Wealthy landowners began to accumulate more and more land, and in order for the Kings to protect their necks from uprisings, they were forced to play ball with the landowners. Instead of well-defined countries, European society fragmented into small units.
This is the essence of Feudalism: a class system shaped like a pyramid, where loyalty is sworn to individuals instead of to a country—with the king at the very top. The kings rewarded pieces of land called fiefs to the landowners—who became nobles, or lords—in return for their loyalty during various conflicts. To further protect themselves, the kings also united the Crown with the Church, and over time, noble blood, especially the King's blood, was supposed to place someone in closer contact with God. Meanwhile, the lords gifted sections of their land to their knights, or vassals, men who pledged loyalty in battle to a lord in return for food, shelter, armor, etc.
The vast majority of people labored the fields, providing their lord with crops in return for protection from raiders and pillaging armies. To become a peasant, or serf, one swore loyalty to a lord and was bound to the lord's land to labor as a slave till death, with an average life span of 30 years. By default, the peasants swore loyalty to the lord's king, meaning the King essentially owned all the land and people. So, in a way, feudalism was a great way to preserve order, but a huge detriment to society. Eventually, increased trade brought new ideas to port cities in southern Europe, which sparked the Renaissance, where intellectuals and academics began to look to Rome to model their civilizations. And praise the King they thought up something new! A 9-to-5 job doesn't sound so bad now, does it?
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2 minFREESTEM Nerdy CurioFree2 CQ
In today’s Nerdy Curio from 60-Second Science, researchers noticed that western fence lizards are more spooked by red and grey shirts than they are by blue shirts—perhaps because the males have blue bellies themselves.
with 60-Second ScienceIn today’s Nerdy Curio from 60-Second Science, researchers noticed that western fence lizards are more spooked by red and grey shirts than they are by blue shirts—perhaps because the males have blue bellies themselves.
August 22, 2017
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6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
The Trump administration has halted a $1 million federal study of health hazards for people who live near mountain-top coal mines. On today's show, we'll loo...
The Trump administration has halted a $1 million federal study of health hazards for people who live near mountain-top coal mines. On today's show, we'll loo...
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6 minFREEAstronomy Worldly CurioFree4 CQ
Eclipse-watchers flocking to the path of totality let out whoops and cheers as the moon covered the sun in the first coast-to-coast total eclipse in nearly 1...
with PRI's The WorldEclipse-watchers flocking to the path of totality let out whoops and cheers as the moon covered the sun in the first coast-to-coast total eclipse in nearly 1...
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : August 22, 2017
nobby \NAH-bee\ adjective
Definition
: cleverly stylish : chic, smart
Examples
The restaurant was a bit too nobby for ...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 22, 2017
nobby \NAH-bee\ adjective
Definition
: cleverly stylish : chic, smart
Examples
The restaurant was a bit too nobby for ...
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FREEHumanities Daily Curio #1408Free1 CQ
Vikings were sophisticated city planners, not savage brutes? Yup. According to a new archaeological discovery published this month in Antiquity, the Vikings designed and built beautifully symmetrical fortresses before 1000 C.E. Called Trelleborg ring fortresses, they seem to have been constructed by a hugely concentrated and organized workforce in only a few years. Such sophisticated Medieval technology stands in stark contrast to the common misconception that Viking societies were unsophisticated sea pillagers.
Danish archaeologists discovered the new fortress, named Borgring, using aerial laser surveillance in 2014; they have been excavating it since. Borgring is a perfect circle 144 meters in diameter, with four gates placed at the compass points. The outer ring of the fortress was a massive timber structure, and the inner courtyards—formed by two crossroads and an inner ring road, all paved with timber—each contained four large wooden buildings. The fortress was built during the reign of the Danish king Harald Blåtand Gormsson, who united the Viking tribes of Scandinavia at the end of the 10th century. Besides urban engineering, Gormsson was known as a legendary communicator who resolved conflicts with non-violent negotiations. Not very Viking like! Which explains why the Scandinavian wireless company Ericsson decided to name their now ubiquitous protocol after him—Blåtand means "Bluetooth" in Danish!Vikings were sophisticated city planners, not savage brutes? Yup. According to a new archaeological discovery published this month in Antiquity, the Vikings designed and built beautifully symmetrical fortresses before 1000 C.E. Called Trelleborg ring fortresses, they seem to have been constructed by a hugely concentrated and organized workforce in only a few years. Such sophisticated Medieval technology stands in stark contrast to the common misconception that Viking societies were unsophisticated sea pillagers.
Danish archaeologists discovered the new fortress, named Borgring, using aerial laser surveillance in 2014; they have been excavating it since. Borgring is a perfect circle 144 meters in diameter, with four gates placed at the compass points. The outer ring of the fortress was a massive timber structure, and the inner courtyards—formed by two crossroads and an inner ring road, all paved with timber—each contained four large wooden buildings. The fortress was built during the reign of the Danish king Harald Blåtand Gormsson, who united the Viking tribes of Scandinavia at the end of the 10th century. Besides urban engineering, Gormsson was known as a legendary communicator who resolved conflicts with non-violent negotiations. Not very Viking like! Which explains why the Scandinavian wireless company Ericsson decided to name their now ubiquitous protocol after him—Blåtand means "Bluetooth" in Danish! -
FREEMusic Song CurioFree2 CQ
When audiences demanded the funk, Chuck Brown was just the man to give it to them. Born on this day in 1936 the guitarist and bandleader of the Soul Searchers was nicknamed the Godfather of Go-Go, an offshoot of funk and Latin rhythms developed in Washington D.C. during the '70s. Brown's relentlessly danceable songs have made his work a hotbed of samples for artists like LL Cool J, Eric B and Rakim, and most famously, Nelly. The rapper's 2002 hit Hot in Herre gets its infectious beat from the Soul Searchers' Bustin' Loose, one of Brown's own penned tracks from 1979. For all of his contributions to pop music, Brown received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2005, and after his passing in 2012, numerous commemorative artworks with his likeness sprung up in his D.C. hometown. From this point, it looks like Chuck Brown was right when he said his music would keep going and going on!
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: Chuck Brown
When audiences demanded the funk, Chuck Brown was just the man to give it to them. Born on this day in 1936 the guitarist and bandleader of the Soul Searchers was nicknamed the Godfather of Go-Go, an offshoot of funk and Latin rhythms developed in Washington D.C. during the '70s. Brown's relentlessly danceable songs have made his work a hotbed of samples for artists like LL Cool J, Eric B and Rakim, and most famously, Nelly. The rapper's 2002 hit Hot in Herre gets its infectious beat from the Soul Searchers' Bustin' Loose, one of Brown's own penned tracks from 1979. For all of his contributions to pop music, Brown received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2005, and after his passing in 2012, numerous commemorative artworks with his likeness sprung up in his D.C. hometown. From this point, it looks like Chuck Brown was right when he said his music would keep going and going on!
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: Chuck Brown
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FREEArchitecture PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
One of the Seven Wonders of the World comes under threat.
Between the Dead Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, lies the ancient Nabatean city of Petra, a once thriving trade center carved into the sandstone mountainsides of Jordan. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007—as if it couldn't have been the eighth original wonder! Unfortunately, the Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa (EAMENA) Database recently listed Petra as endangered, citing both human activity and nature as dire threats to its surreal architecture.
The Nabateans had been living in Petra since at least 312 B.C.E. Their empire established an incredible caravan center at the arid site, and by transferring water with a complex management system, they heavily settled the area. But in 106 C.E., the Romans conquered Petra and its importance as a trade center faded; with the Roman's state-of-the-art seafaring trade, old school caravans just weren't lucrative anymore. Petra lost its commercial use and slowly faded into total obscurity around 700 C.E. Western anthropologists wouldn't rediscover the site until the 1800s with the help of locals.
The architectural style of Petra is a blend of Nabatean and Hellenistic designs, or those of the classic Greeks. In the picture above loom the Hellenistic columns of Al-Khazneh: the Treasury. The Treasury lies within the Siq, a 250-foot-high, red and orange slot canyon acting as the eastern entrance to Petra. Despite its incredible exterior, the Treasury only contains a meager hall and royal tomb; in fact, many of Petra's other similar tombs, such as the Corinthian Tomb, were larger and more ornate, but have endured heavy erosion. For centuries, the Siq's canyon walls provided the Treasury with ample protection from wind erosion, almost perfectly preserving the entrance.
But recent animal traffic in the Siq has stirred up the topsoil, providing more grains for wind erosion. Nomadic Bedouins living in the area have also peppered the structure with rifle fire, believing treasure to lie within the doorway's solid stone urns. Rockslides, floods, and humidity, among other dangers, threaten the site. At the moment, EAMENA labelled Petra in "fair condition," but the organization believes swift action must be taken to preserve its beauty. Recently, the Bedouins in the area even relocated to help curb the gateway's desecration. Given the recent damages, maybe it's best humans just lose track of Petra again!
Image credit & copyright: National Geographic
One of the Seven Wonders of the World comes under threat.
Between the Dead Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, lies the ancient Nabatean city of Petra, a once thriving trade center carved into the sandstone mountainsides of Jordan. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007—as if it couldn't have been the eighth original wonder! Unfortunately, the Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa (EAMENA) Database recently listed Petra as endangered, citing both human activity and nature as dire threats to its surreal architecture.
The Nabateans had been living in Petra since at least 312 B.C.E. Their empire established an incredible caravan center at the arid site, and by transferring water with a complex management system, they heavily settled the area. But in 106 C.E., the Romans conquered Petra and its importance as a trade center faded; with the Roman's state-of-the-art seafaring trade, old school caravans just weren't lucrative anymore. Petra lost its commercial use and slowly faded into total obscurity around 700 C.E. Western anthropologists wouldn't rediscover the site until the 1800s with the help of locals.
The architectural style of Petra is a blend of Nabatean and Hellenistic designs, or those of the classic Greeks. In the picture above loom the Hellenistic columns of Al-Khazneh: the Treasury. The Treasury lies within the Siq, a 250-foot-high, red and orange slot canyon acting as the eastern entrance to Petra. Despite its incredible exterior, the Treasury only contains a meager hall and royal tomb; in fact, many of Petra's other similar tombs, such as the Corinthian Tomb, were larger and more ornate, but have endured heavy erosion. For centuries, the Siq's canyon walls provided the Treasury with ample protection from wind erosion, almost perfectly preserving the entrance.
But recent animal traffic in the Siq has stirred up the topsoil, providing more grains for wind erosion. Nomadic Bedouins living in the area have also peppered the structure with rifle fire, believing treasure to lie within the doorway's solid stone urns. Rockslides, floods, and humidity, among other dangers, threaten the site. At the moment, EAMENA labelled Petra in "fair condition," but the organization believes swift action must be taken to preserve its beauty. Recently, the Bedouins in the area even relocated to help curb the gateway's desecration. Given the recent damages, maybe it's best humans just lose track of Petra again!
Image credit & copyright: National Geographic
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FREEPhotography Photo CurioFree1 CQ
So much for "travel" photography! Earlier this month, National Geographic awarded the grand prize for the Travel Photographer of the Year Contest to a guy who basically works from his backyard. Born in Colima, Mexico, Sergio Tapiro Velasco has been photographing the neighboring Colima Volcano since 2002. He carefully monitored increases in its activity until it finally erupted on a cold night in 2015. The mountain jettisoned a plume of ash at least a mile into the air, and friction amongst the scattered particles induced a lighting bolt 2,000 feet in length. It's an incredible shot, and the culmination of a great effort; Velasco had taken around 350,000 photos of the volcano, patiently awaiting a moment like this. The photo has since brought Velasco international success, but that's not all he's about: "The most precious gift Colima Volcano has given me is friendship. I feel honored to know generous and outstanding people around the world." But Velasco, we thought the greatest gift it gave was the Nat Geo contest's prizes: $2,500 and all-expenses paid trip to the Galápagos Islands. Now that's travel!
Image credit & copyright: Sergio Tapiro Velasco/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest
So much for "travel" photography! Earlier this month, National Geographic awarded the grand prize for the Travel Photographer of the Year Contest to a guy who basically works from his backyard. Born in Colima, Mexico, Sergio Tapiro Velasco has been photographing the neighboring Colima Volcano since 2002. He carefully monitored increases in its activity until it finally erupted on a cold night in 2015. The mountain jettisoned a plume of ash at least a mile into the air, and friction amongst the scattered particles induced a lighting bolt 2,000 feet in length. It's an incredible shot, and the culmination of a great effort; Velasco had taken around 350,000 photos of the volcano, patiently awaiting a moment like this. The photo has since brought Velasco international success, but that's not all he's about: "The most precious gift Colima Volcano has given me is friendship. I feel honored to know generous and outstanding people around the world." But Velasco, we thought the greatest gift it gave was the Nat Geo contest's prizes: $2,500 and all-expenses paid trip to the Galápagos Islands. Now that's travel!
Image credit & copyright: Sergio Tapiro Velasco/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest
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FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
Title: Knife Angel
Artist: Alfie Bradley (b. 1990)
Created: 2017
Medium: knives
Dimensions: 27 ft high (8.2 m)
Current location: British Ironworks Centre, Shropshire, England
That's quite a few weapons off the streets. To combat knife violence in the United Kingdom, artist Alfie Bradley created his Knife Angel, a 27-feet-tall sculpture comprised of roughly 100,000 knives. All that tapered steel arrived by donation, either from the police, or through an amnesty program called Save a Life, Surrender a Knife. Many were used in crimes, so to be safe, Bradley dulled and sanitized each and every one before adding them to the angel. He created the work to spread awareness about the swelling knife violence rate in Britain, which increased 24 percent last year—a five-year high. But despite support from police, the United Kingdom's government rejected Bradley's plans to display the angel on Trafalgar Square in London, for fear of controversy and bad publicity. Engraved on some of the blunted blades are names of actual victims, a feature some Londoners find too shocking for public display. But Caroline Shearer, whose late son finds his name etched on one of the knives, wrote: "This is a sculpture of hope. I feel privileged to have my son's name on it, as I do not want anyone else living our nightmare."
Below: a picture of the entire Knife Angel and a shot with creator Alfie Bradley.
Image credit & copyright: Alfie Bradley
Title: Knife Angel
Artist: Alfie Bradley (b. 1990)
Created: 2017
Medium: knives
Dimensions: 27 ft high (8.2 m)
Current location: British Ironworks Centre, Shropshire, England
That's quite a few weapons off the streets. To combat knife violence in the United Kingdom, artist Alfie Bradley created his Knife Angel, a 27-feet-tall sculpture comprised of roughly 100,000 knives. All that tapered steel arrived by donation, either from the police, or through an amnesty program called Save a Life, Surrender a Knife. Many were used in crimes, so to be safe, Bradley dulled and sanitized each and every one before adding them to the angel. He created the work to spread awareness about the swelling knife violence rate in Britain, which increased 24 percent last year—a five-year high. But despite support from police, the United Kingdom's government rejected Bradley's plans to display the angel on Trafalgar Square in London, for fear of controversy and bad publicity. Engraved on some of the blunted blades are names of actual victims, a feature some Londoners find too shocking for public display. But Caroline Shearer, whose late son finds his name etched on one of the knives, wrote: "This is a sculpture of hope. I feel privileged to have my son's name on it, as I do not want anyone else living our nightmare."
Below: a picture of the entire Knife Angel and a shot with creator Alfie Bradley.
Image credit & copyright: Alfie Bradley
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2 minFREEScience Nerdy CurioFree2 CQ
In today's Nerdy Curio from Minute Earth, why some earthy spots are actually better off without the trusty earthworm.
with Minute EarthIn today's Nerdy Curio from Minute Earth, why some earthy spots are actually better off without the trusty earthworm.
August 21, 2017
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
Could those symbols of Americana — the Jeep and Ram pickup truck — become Chinese? On today's show, we'll look at news that Great Wall Motor may be intereste...
Could those symbols of Americana — the Jeep and Ram pickup truck — become Chinese? On today's show, we'll look at news that Great Wall Motor may be intereste...
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : August 21, 2017
hebetude \HEB-uh-tood\ noun
Definition
: lethargy, dullness
Examples
Tired from being out late the night before, Jenni...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 21, 2017
hebetude \HEB-uh-tood\ noun
Definition
: lethargy, dullness
Examples
Tired from being out late the night before, Jenni...
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< 1 minFREEPoetry Poem CurioFree1 CQ
Poem of the Day: Dream of Ink Brush Calligraphy. By Karen An-Hwei Lee.
with Poetry FoundationPoem of the Day: Dream of Ink Brush Calligraphy. By Karen An-Hwei Lee.
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FREEPhotography Photo CurioFree1 CQ
On January 24, 1925, astronomers used multiple exposures to capture this stunning photo of a solar eclipse over New York City. The total eclipse was visible to residents of Upper Manhattan, the Bronx, and part of Queens for—get this—an impressive two-and-a-half hours! With that much time, the astronomers were able to capture 15 crisp images of the moon shimmying its way between the sun and earth. Today's eclipse won't be nearly as long, with totality lasting 2 minutes 40 seconds in even the most ideal spots, like southern Illinois and western Kentucky. But since it will be the first solar eclipse in the smartphone era, NASA is expecting plenty of photos to be taken—so much so that they've issued an official smartphone photography guide. Among the tips? Cover camera lens with a solar filter or eclipse glasses during the moments closest to totality, watch out for optical filters, and shoot from a tripod or other stable base. Between your eyes, your pets' eyes, and your camera lens, we hope you've snagged enough eclipse glasses to go around!
Below: a 1926 photo of scientists near an astrograph, a telescope designed for astrophotography that could have been used to take an image like the one above.
Image credit: top, adoc-photos/Corbis via Getty; bottom, Bettman Archive/Getty
On January 24, 1925, astronomers used multiple exposures to capture this stunning photo of a solar eclipse over New York City. The total eclipse was visible to residents of Upper Manhattan, the Bronx, and part of Queens for—get this—an impressive two-and-a-half hours! With that much time, the astronomers were able to capture 15 crisp images of the moon shimmying its way between the sun and earth. Today's eclipse won't be nearly as long, with totality lasting 2 minutes 40 seconds in even the most ideal spots, like southern Illinois and western Kentucky. But since it will be the first solar eclipse in the smartphone era, NASA is expecting plenty of photos to be taken—so much so that they've issued an official smartphone photography guide. Among the tips? Cover camera lens with a solar filter or eclipse glasses during the moments closest to totality, watch out for optical filters, and shoot from a tripod or other stable base. Between your eyes, your pets' eyes, and your camera lens, we hope you've snagged enough eclipse glasses to go around!
Below: a 1926 photo of scientists near an astrograph, a telescope designed for astrophotography that could have been used to take an image like the one above.
Image credit: top, adoc-photos/Corbis via Getty; bottom, Bettman Archive/Getty
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FREESTEM Daily Curio #1407Free1 CQ
Happy total solar eclipse day! For those of you living in a narrow belt of the United States anyway. As you are reading this, millions of people are jamming the towns, campgrounds and highways in the totality path. But while humans have had months to prepare, presumably other animals don't know how weird their day is about to get. There are mostly anecdotal stories of how animals react to a total eclipse, and it's pretty fascinating. In 1239 C.E., an Italian monk documented this during a total eclipse: "all the animals and birds were terrified; and the wild beasts could easily be caught." An 18th-century astronomer claimed "birds ceased singing and fell to the ground." A scientist in the 1800s observed a group of ants "busily carrying their burdens, stopped and remained motionless till the light reappeared." 20th-century anecdotal evidence suggests that orb-weaving spiders immediately destroy their webs; and that honeybees return to their hives. Modern stories include dolphins, llamas, and primates appearing out of nowhere to observe totality with nearby human groups—showing an understanding that a celestial phenomenon is underway. One young chimp at an Atlanta zoo stood and pointed at the sun throughout a 1984 total eclipse. This could be why some "experts" are recommending pets living in today's totality path should be outfitted with protective glasses (see photo above). Seems a little unnatural to me, but maybe there haven't been enough total eclipses for evolution to do its thing.
Happy total solar eclipse day! For those of you living in a narrow belt of the United States anyway. As you are reading this, millions of people are jamming the towns, campgrounds and highways in the totality path. But while humans have had months to prepare, presumably other animals don't know how weird their day is about to get. There are mostly anecdotal stories of how animals react to a total eclipse, and it's pretty fascinating. In 1239 C.E., an Italian monk documented this during a total eclipse: "all the animals and birds were terrified; and the wild beasts could easily be caught." An 18th-century astronomer claimed "birds ceased singing and fell to the ground." A scientist in the 1800s observed a group of ants "busily carrying their burdens, stopped and remained motionless till the light reappeared." 20th-century anecdotal evidence suggests that orb-weaving spiders immediately destroy their webs; and that honeybees return to their hives. Modern stories include dolphins, llamas, and primates appearing out of nowhere to observe totality with nearby human groups—showing an understanding that a celestial phenomenon is underway. One young chimp at an Atlanta zoo stood and pointed at the sun throughout a 1984 total eclipse. This could be why some "experts" are recommending pets living in today's totality path should be outfitted with protective glasses (see photo above). Seems a little unnatural to me, but maybe there haven't been enough total eclipses for evolution to do its thing.
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FREEMusic Song CurioFree2 CQ
There's no cause for facepalms when talking about the success of Pink Floyd's epic Dark Side of the Moon. The concept album was hatched by singer Roger Waters as an exploration of things that "make people mad." The band honed their arrangements during live performances and spent two sessions in '72 and '73 recording innovative multitrack parts at the Beatles' Abbey Road Studios. The closer songs Brain Damage and Eclipse were often treated as a single piece of music in radioplay, covering metaphorical themes of light and darkness in life, and mental illness—the later inspired by former bandmate Syd Barrett's erratic behaviors. Like viewing an eclipse, many listeners thought Dark Side of the Moon was amazing, so much that the record spent a jaw-dropping 700 weeks on the Billboard charts, and sold 45 million records. Recently, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has taken the title of Pink Floyd's album to task, stating all parts of the Moon actually receive sunlight. Though he's scientifically correct, we probably wouldn't trade Pink Floyd's mysterious lunar theme for the more accurate Gary Larson-esque title Far Side of the Moon!
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: Storm Thorgerson
There's no cause for facepalms when talking about the success of Pink Floyd's epic Dark Side of the Moon. The concept album was hatched by singer Roger Waters as an exploration of things that "make people mad." The band honed their arrangements during live performances and spent two sessions in '72 and '73 recording innovative multitrack parts at the Beatles' Abbey Road Studios. The closer songs Brain Damage and Eclipse were often treated as a single piece of music in radioplay, covering metaphorical themes of light and darkness in life, and mental illness—the later inspired by former bandmate Syd Barrett's erratic behaviors. Like viewing an eclipse, many listeners thought Dark Side of the Moon was amazing, so much that the record spent a jaw-dropping 700 weeks on the Billboard charts, and sold 45 million records. Recently, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has taken the title of Pink Floyd's album to task, stating all parts of the Moon actually receive sunlight. Though he's scientifically correct, we probably wouldn't trade Pink Floyd's mysterious lunar theme for the more accurate Gary Larson-esque title Far Side of the Moon!
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: Storm Thorgerson
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4 minFREEWorld History Worldly CurioFree3 CQ
The Austrian government wanted to knock down the house where Hitler was born. But the town said no, you can't stop people from remembering history. But you c...
with PRI's The WorldThe Austrian government wanted to knock down the house where Hitler was born. But the town said no, you can't stop people from remembering history. But you c...
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FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
Title: Solar Eclipse
Artist: Howard Russell Butler (1856-1934)
Created: 1923
Medium: oil on canvas
Current location: Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
Ah, art and science working hand-in-hand. In 1918, the United States Naval Observatory called upon artist Howard Russell Butler to paint a projected solar eclipse. At the time, photographic technology just couldn't handle the dramatic shift in lighting, and Butler was famous for painting fleeting scenes with remarkable accuracy. According to the navy's calculations, he would have just 112 seconds to see the eclipse for his sketches and notes, but Butler never let the pressure break him, even as one officer dramatically counted the seconds down. To achieve veracity, Butler had designed a system of grids in preparation beforehand, using axes to denote the saturation, hue, and colors of the scene—even incorporating variables, such as time. Though his brush hardly touched the canvas during the eclipse, hours later, his calm and methodical approach created the only truthful depiction of an eclipse in existence at the time. In regards to his painting, shown above, naval officers on the scene said he absolutely nailed the whitish blend of gases and plasma brimming the darkened moon. And the public was floored. Butler was too; as a matter of fact, he enjoyed painting that eclipse so much, he painted a few more!
Transient Effects, an exhibit comprising Butler's eclipse paintings, is showing at Princeton University Art Museum until October 15.
Below: Butler's eclipse paintings showcased as a triptych. From right to left, the year of each eclipse painted: 1918, 1923, 1925.
Image credit & copyright: Princeton University
Title: Solar Eclipse
Artist: Howard Russell Butler (1856-1934)
Created: 1923
Medium: oil on canvas
Current location: Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
Ah, art and science working hand-in-hand. In 1918, the United States Naval Observatory called upon artist Howard Russell Butler to paint a projected solar eclipse. At the time, photographic technology just couldn't handle the dramatic shift in lighting, and Butler was famous for painting fleeting scenes with remarkable accuracy. According to the navy's calculations, he would have just 112 seconds to see the eclipse for his sketches and notes, but Butler never let the pressure break him, even as one officer dramatically counted the seconds down. To achieve veracity, Butler had designed a system of grids in preparation beforehand, using axes to denote the saturation, hue, and colors of the scene—even incorporating variables, such as time. Though his brush hardly touched the canvas during the eclipse, hours later, his calm and methodical approach created the only truthful depiction of an eclipse in existence at the time. In regards to his painting, shown above, naval officers on the scene said he absolutely nailed the whitish blend of gases and plasma brimming the darkened moon. And the public was floored. Butler was too; as a matter of fact, he enjoyed painting that eclipse so much, he painted a few more!
Transient Effects, an exhibit comprising Butler's eclipse paintings, is showing at Princeton University Art Museum until October 15.
Below: Butler's eclipse paintings showcased as a triptych. From right to left, the year of each eclipse painted: 1918, 1923, 1925.
Image credit & copyright: Princeton University
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FREEAstronomy PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
A once spooky occurrence now inspires excitement and wonder.
A total solar eclipse is when the moon blocks out all of the sun except for the edges of its atmosphere, and today, we get to experience the first one over American soil in nearly 40 years! And we're not the only ones excited: currently, 11 scientific studies funded by NASA are performing extensive research on this eerie phenomenon—one that has captivated humankind's attention since primordial times.
Unlike today, where we're fluttering with excitement—or in the event we've missed the eclipse, rueing with jealousy—humans once feared the darkening of the sun as a terrible omen. Great leaders ended their wars, because they mistook eclipses for divine disapproval. Natural disasters or tragic events happening within a close timeframe were also blamed on the sun going out. But that doesn't mean everyone was scared. In the fourth century B.C.E., in classic Aristotle fashion, the philosopher noticed a circular shadow projected on the moon during a lunar eclipse—when the Earth passes between the Sun and Moon. From there, the astronomy ace deduced the Earth to be spherical, and began to connect some of the dots—or should we say, celestial bodies.
In the event of a total solar eclipse, a new moon—the moon that rises during the day at the start of a new cycle—perfectly intersects with the Earth's view of the sun. The new moon blocks out all of the sun except for its fiery outer atmosphere called the corona, which radiates at the eclipses' edges. In order to see the eclipse, the viewer must be within 10,000 miles of the path of totality, or the trajectory of the moon's shadow. The enormous shadow travels along this arced path at 1,400 miles per hour, veiling the Earth's surface in darkness. To see the day truly go black as night, the viewer must be within 100 miles of the path, and even then, the daytime twilight only lasts three minutes.
Regardless of how quick it passes, today's solar eclipse is not an event we want to miss! Areas with the greatest view will be those in the path of totality, which begins in Oregon and reaches across the continent to South Carolina. But don't worry, audiences as far away as Canada and Mexico will still have a wonderful view of a partial eclipse. Just be safe and don't forget to wear eclipse shades!
Image credit & copyright: Colleen Pinski, National Geographic Your Shot
A once spooky occurrence now inspires excitement and wonder.
A total solar eclipse is when the moon blocks out all of the sun except for the edges of its atmosphere, and today, we get to experience the first one over American soil in nearly 40 years! And we're not the only ones excited: currently, 11 scientific studies funded by NASA are performing extensive research on this eerie phenomenon—one that has captivated humankind's attention since primordial times.
Unlike today, where we're fluttering with excitement—or in the event we've missed the eclipse, rueing with jealousy—humans once feared the darkening of the sun as a terrible omen. Great leaders ended their wars, because they mistook eclipses for divine disapproval. Natural disasters or tragic events happening within a close timeframe were also blamed on the sun going out. But that doesn't mean everyone was scared. In the fourth century B.C.E., in classic Aristotle fashion, the philosopher noticed a circular shadow projected on the moon during a lunar eclipse—when the Earth passes between the Sun and Moon. From there, the astronomy ace deduced the Earth to be spherical, and began to connect some of the dots—or should we say, celestial bodies.
In the event of a total solar eclipse, a new moon—the moon that rises during the day at the start of a new cycle—perfectly intersects with the Earth's view of the sun. The new moon blocks out all of the sun except for its fiery outer atmosphere called the corona, which radiates at the eclipses' edges. In order to see the eclipse, the viewer must be within 10,000 miles of the path of totality, or the trajectory of the moon's shadow. The enormous shadow travels along this arced path at 1,400 miles per hour, veiling the Earth's surface in darkness. To see the day truly go black as night, the viewer must be within 100 miles of the path, and even then, the daytime twilight only lasts three minutes.
Regardless of how quick it passes, today's solar eclipse is not an event we want to miss! Areas with the greatest view will be those in the path of totality, which begins in Oregon and reaches across the continent to South Carolina. But don't worry, audiences as far away as Canada and Mexico will still have a wonderful view of a partial eclipse. Just be safe and don't forget to wear eclipse shades!
Image credit & copyright: Colleen Pinski, National Geographic Your Shot
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5 minFREEAstronomy Nerdy CurioFree3 CQ
In today’s Nerdy Curio from NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, five years of images from Curiosity's front left Hazard Avoidance Camera (Hazcam) were used to create this time-lapse movie.
In today’s Nerdy Curio from NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, five years of images from Curiosity's front left Hazard Avoidance Camera (Hazcam) were used to create this time-lapse movie.
August 20, 2017
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : August 20, 2017
depredate \DEP-ruh-dayt\ verb
Definition
1 : to lay waste : plunder, ravage
2 : to engage in plunder
Examples
The bea...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 20, 2017
depredate \DEP-ruh-dayt\ verb
Definition
1 : to lay waste : plunder, ravage
2 : to engage in plunder
Examples
The bea...
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1 minFREEBusiness CurioFree1 CQ
Marketplace® is your liaison between economics and life. Noted for timely, relevant and accessible coverage of business news across both audio and digital pl...
with MarketplaceMarketplace® is your liaison between economics and life. Noted for timely, relevant and accessible coverage of business news across both audio and digital pl...
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FREEMind + Body Daily CurioFree3 CQ
In SMC #20, we saw how two negotiating parties can work it out. Today let's turn up the heat and tackle conflicts—where the stakes and emotions can be a lot higher.
Negotiations vs. conflicts
Most negotiations are between two parties who see each other's claims and needs as legitimate. They are motivated to reach a mutually satisfactory solution, and they usually remain civil. In the conflicts we'll talk about today, the parties don't really see each other's claims as legitimate. And they're not so cool, calm, and collected. In fact, they're often enraged and looking to hurt each other. This is true whether we're talking about conflicts between partners, peers, or entire nations!
Conflicts with peers
Dr. David Yeager and his team have studied how mindsets affect conflicts among high school students. In his research, they found some students held more of a fixed mindset about themselves and peers, believing that personal qualities were carved in stone: You're either a winner or a loser (or a bully or victim) and you can't really change that. How did this influence the students' reactions to conflict?
Yeager found that when adolescents in a fixed mindset were rejected or excluded, they experienced higher levels of shame and hatred—shame about themselves as potentially deficient, and hatred toward the people who made them feel that way. These feelings created a strong desire for revenge, often violent revenge, and the feelings festered for a long time. This was true for kids from every walk of life.
Cooling down the revenge "hot sauce"
But when Yeager gave some teens a 6-session workshop on growth mindset, it affected their approach to conflict. Change, they learned, is not easy. It's not certain, and it's not their responsibility to change others, but the potential is there in everyone. One month later, Yeager put the workshop participants (and control group participants) into a conflict situation and gave them an opportunity for revenge: They could assign any amount of hot sauce to the offending party—who, it turned out, hated spicy food.
What happened? Those who had taken the growth mindset workshop assigned 40% less hot sauce than kids in the control group. And they were twice as likely to send a compassionate (as opposed to hostile) note with the sauce. From a growth mindset perspective, the offenders remained full human beings with the capacity to grow; not bad people deserving of mouth-burning misery!
Conflicts on a global scale
Could the same lessons apply to conflicts between large factions or even nations? Dr. Eran Halperin and his team investigated this exact question with the mother of all conflicts: The Middle East. Would Israelis and Palestinians have a greater willingness to compromise for peace when viewing each other through a growth mindset lens? In several studies with both Palestinians and Jewish Israelis, Halperin found this to be the case. People who either already believed that groups were capable of positive change, or were taught this growth mindset, were more positively disposed toward the other side—and therefore more willing to entertain serious concessions to advance the peace process.
Applying this to our own conflicts
Assuming you're neither a high school student nor a nation (or aspiring nation), what does all this mean for you? When people offend or betray us, we are tempted to view them as unalterably bad or deficient. We want to retaliate, punish them, make them hurt like we do. This can happen even when—or especially when—the offending person is a friend, relative, or partner. The best of friends, the lovey-doviest of couples, or the closest of business partners, often end up in the most intense conflicts.
How do we resolve these kinds of conflicts? As Yeager taught the teens in his study, people don't do things because they're good or bad people; they do things because of the thoughts and feelings in their brains—thoughts and feelings that can be changed. Most people don't set out to offend or betray. Instead, we're all trying to do our best given the thoughts and feelings in our own brains. By acknowledging this—that most of us are struggling, fallible, but well-meaning and evolving people—we can try to find our way back to a place of reconciliation and growth.
EXERCISE: (Re)writing a conflict story
For this exercise, you'll need to think of someone you are or were close to but, because of a conflict, are currently harboring resentment toward.First, write down a paragraph explaining your relationship to this person, and the actions and events that led to it souring—from the perspective of you and your feelings.
Now write a paragraph trying to understand the situation from the other person's perspective. What thoughts and feelings might have made him/her act that way?
Finally, write a third paragraph about the common goals that still exist between you and your "adversary." What steps could you take to regain a shared perspective on the situation? Is there any action you could take to try and resolve the conflict more amicably?In SMC #20, we saw how two negotiating parties can work it out. Today let's turn up the heat and tackle conflicts—where the stakes and emotions can be a lot higher.
Negotiations vs. conflicts
Most negotiations are between two parties who see each other's claims and needs as legitimate. They are motivated to reach a mutually satisfactory solution, and they usually remain civil. In the conflicts we'll talk about today, the parties don't really see each other's claims as legitimate. And they're not so cool, calm, and collected. In fact, they're often enraged and looking to hurt each other. This is true whether we're talking about conflicts between partners, peers, or entire nations!
Conflicts with peers
Dr. David Yeager and his team have studied how mindsets affect conflicts among high school students. In his research, they found some students held more of a fixed mindset about themselves and peers, believing that personal qualities were carved in stone: You're either a winner or a loser (or a bully or victim) and you can't really change that. How did this influence the students' reactions to conflict?
Yeager found that when adolescents in a fixed mindset were rejected or excluded, they experienced higher levels of shame and hatred—shame about themselves as potentially deficient, and hatred toward the people who made them feel that way. These feelings created a strong desire for revenge, often violent revenge, and the feelings festered for a long time. This was true for kids from every walk of life.
Cooling down the revenge "hot sauce"
But when Yeager gave some teens a 6-session workshop on growth mindset, it affected their approach to conflict. Change, they learned, is not easy. It's not certain, and it's not their responsibility to change others, but the potential is there in everyone. One month later, Yeager put the workshop participants (and control group participants) into a conflict situation and gave them an opportunity for revenge: They could assign any amount of hot sauce to the offending party—who, it turned out, hated spicy food.
What happened? Those who had taken the growth mindset workshop assigned 40% less hot sauce than kids in the control group. And they were twice as likely to send a compassionate (as opposed to hostile) note with the sauce. From a growth mindset perspective, the offenders remained full human beings with the capacity to grow; not bad people deserving of mouth-burning misery!
Conflicts on a global scale
Could the same lessons apply to conflicts between large factions or even nations? Dr. Eran Halperin and his team investigated this exact question with the mother of all conflicts: The Middle East. Would Israelis and Palestinians have a greater willingness to compromise for peace when viewing each other through a growth mindset lens? In several studies with both Palestinians and Jewish Israelis, Halperin found this to be the case. People who either already believed that groups were capable of positive change, or were taught this growth mindset, were more positively disposed toward the other side—and therefore more willing to entertain serious concessions to advance the peace process.
Applying this to our own conflicts
Assuming you're neither a high school student nor a nation (or aspiring nation), what does all this mean for you? When people offend or betray us, we are tempted to view them as unalterably bad or deficient. We want to retaliate, punish them, make them hurt like we do. This can happen even when—or especially when—the offending person is a friend, relative, or partner. The best of friends, the lovey-doviest of couples, or the closest of business partners, often end up in the most intense conflicts.
How do we resolve these kinds of conflicts? As Yeager taught the teens in his study, people don't do things because they're good or bad people; they do things because of the thoughts and feelings in their brains—thoughts and feelings that can be changed. Most people don't set out to offend or betray. Instead, we're all trying to do our best given the thoughts and feelings in our own brains. By acknowledging this—that most of us are struggling, fallible, but well-meaning and evolving people—we can try to find our way back to a place of reconciliation and growth.
EXERCISE: (Re)writing a conflict story
For this exercise, you'll need to think of someone you are or were close to but, because of a conflict, are currently harboring resentment toward.First, write down a paragraph explaining your relationship to this person, and the actions and events that led to it souring—from the perspective of you and your feelings.
Now write a paragraph trying to understand the situation from the other person's perspective. What thoughts and feelings might have made him/her act that way?
Finally, write a third paragraph about the common goals that still exist between you and your "adversary." What steps could you take to regain a shared perspective on the situation? Is there any action you could take to try and resolve the conflict more amicably? -
FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
Title: The Unicorn Is Found
Artist: unknown
Created: 1495-1505
Medium: wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts
Dimensions: 145 x 149 in (368.3 x 378.5 cm)
Current location: The Met Cloisters, New York City, New York
Unicorns galloped into our hearts this year, inspiring frappuccinos, body scrubs, and countless other items. But the ultimate unicorn-inspired gift has to be The Unicorn Tapestries of medieval France. These seven intricate textiles, some as large as 12 feet per side, were likely ordered for Anne of Brittany on the occasion of her marriage to King Louis XII of France in 1499. They depict the capture, death, and ultimate resurrection of a unicorn. One of the tapestries, The Unicorn Is Found, shows the animal just after its discovery. While it purifies water with its magical horn, unaware of its impending fate, twelve hunters examine the mysterious creature that eluded so many. The tapestries are nearly as baffling as the unicorn itself. Many details, like who created them, are still unclear. Debate also swirls around their meaning. Some experts say the unicorn is a symbol of Christ, a theory supported by the creature’s death and resurrection. Others believe the tapestries celebrate romantic love with their use of symbols, like The Unicorn in Captivity's gold chain—an object often used at the time to represent a man’s commitment to his lady. One thing's for sure: our current obsession has long roots!
Below: The unicorn’s story unfolds over seven tapestries. The three below show the animal being killed, brought to the castle, and finally alive (albeit captive) after its resurrection.
Title: The Unicorn Is Found
Artist: unknown
Created: 1495-1505
Medium: wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts
Dimensions: 145 x 149 in (368.3 x 378.5 cm)
Current location: The Met Cloisters, New York City, New York
Unicorns galloped into our hearts this year, inspiring frappuccinos, body scrubs, and countless other items. But the ultimate unicorn-inspired gift has to be The Unicorn Tapestries of medieval France. These seven intricate textiles, some as large as 12 feet per side, were likely ordered for Anne of Brittany on the occasion of her marriage to King Louis XII of France in 1499. They depict the capture, death, and ultimate resurrection of a unicorn. One of the tapestries, The Unicorn Is Found, shows the animal just after its discovery. While it purifies water with its magical horn, unaware of its impending fate, twelve hunters examine the mysterious creature that eluded so many. The tapestries are nearly as baffling as the unicorn itself. Many details, like who created them, are still unclear. Debate also swirls around their meaning. Some experts say the unicorn is a symbol of Christ, a theory supported by the creature’s death and resurrection. Others believe the tapestries celebrate romantic love with their use of symbols, like The Unicorn in Captivity's gold chain—an object often used at the time to represent a man’s commitment to his lady. One thing's for sure: our current obsession has long roots!
Below: The unicorn’s story unfolds over seven tapestries. The three below show the animal being killed, brought to the castle, and finally alive (albeit captive) after its resurrection.
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FREEMusic Song CurioFree2 CQ
How did four bohemian kids from LA end up with one of the biggest and most controversial albums of the '90s? Jane's Addiction learned pretty early on that Nothing's Shocking. Their third record Ritual de lo Habitual was released on August 21, 1990 with cover art by lead singer Perry Farrell, which perfectly represented the hedonistic rock 'n' roll spirit of the album. When record stores refused to sell it because of the depictions of nudity, Farrell created a "clean" version of the cover, with the band's name and the text of the First Amendment written on a plain white background. Controversial artistic statements aside—or amplified—the single Been Caught Stealing hit #1 on the U.S. modern rock charts and is credited with making alternative rock mainstream. The song, like its main character, takes in a little bit of everything: from a funky rhythm section, to hard rock guitar textures, to the opening dog barks from Farrell's dog! We were going to listen to this one with our headphones on, but they seem to be missing. They were here just a second ago....
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: Warner Bros.
How did four bohemian kids from LA end up with one of the biggest and most controversial albums of the '90s? Jane's Addiction learned pretty early on that Nothing's Shocking. Their third record Ritual de lo Habitual was released on August 21, 1990 with cover art by lead singer Perry Farrell, which perfectly represented the hedonistic rock 'n' roll spirit of the album. When record stores refused to sell it because of the depictions of nudity, Farrell created a "clean" version of the cover, with the band's name and the text of the First Amendment written on a plain white background. Controversial artistic statements aside—or amplified—the single Been Caught Stealing hit #1 on the U.S. modern rock charts and is credited with making alternative rock mainstream. The song, like its main character, takes in a little bit of everything: from a funky rhythm section, to hard rock guitar textures, to the opening dog barks from Farrell's dog! We were going to listen to this one with our headphones on, but they seem to be missing. They were here just a second ago....
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: Warner Bros.
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FREEAstronomy PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
Meet the two probes trailblazing our understanding of the solar system.
Two legends from our middle school science textbooks were launched 40 years ago today from Cape Canaveral: Voyager 1 and 2. The numerous discoveries by the far-out duo have since revolutionized our understanding of planetary science. What's more, they're still trucking; in 2012, Voyager 1 became the first man-made object to enter interstellar space!
The two vessels were originally designed to study "nearby" planetary wonders, like the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. NASA fitted each Voyager with a plutonium-powered battery and its very own golden record—a 12" gold-plated record designed to teach extraterrestrials about Earth's languages and cultures, much like the Rosetta Stone, should any of them find it. Both of the Voyagers experienced precarious launches, with Voyager 1 leaking fuel and Voyager 2 momentarily confusing its navigation system. Regardless, they managed to enter space.
When they reached Jupiter, the Voyagers studied the moon Lo, discovering the first known volcanic activity outside Earth's. As for Saturn, the probes' cameras revealed disunity among the gas giant's brilliant rings, with ice and fine debris spaced between them. Since the probes spent most of their fuel reaching Jupiter, NASA utilized the gravity of each planet to slingshot the Voyagers to the next one. In the case of Jupiter, the transfer of inertia to the probe actually caused the behemoth planet's orbit to slow by a trillionth of a mile per hour.
With the aide of the planets' compounding gravities, the Voyagers now race at speeds of 38,000 miles per hour, with Voyager 1 just a few years ahead of its twin. Although Voyager 2 is still in the heliopause boundary, the area between the sun's solar winds and interstellar space, it's expected to enter the great, black void in short time. At this point, Voyager 1 is roughly 13 billion miles from the Earth, with Voyager 2 trailing at 10.6 billion miles. Radio waves from the probes take 17 hours to reach NASA over the Deep Space Network, the most expansive scientific telecommunications system in the world. Both of the probes continue to adeptly execute their missions, but sadly, their batteries are projected to fade by 2025. Don't fret; the Voyagers might no longer be able to transmit their findings when that date comes, but that doesn't mean their adventures are ending anytime soon!
Image credit & copyright: MacRebisz
Meet the two probes trailblazing our understanding of the solar system.
Two legends from our middle school science textbooks were launched 40 years ago today from Cape Canaveral: Voyager 1 and 2. The numerous discoveries by the far-out duo have since revolutionized our understanding of planetary science. What's more, they're still trucking; in 2012, Voyager 1 became the first man-made object to enter interstellar space!
The two vessels were originally designed to study "nearby" planetary wonders, like the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. NASA fitted each Voyager with a plutonium-powered battery and its very own golden record—a 12" gold-plated record designed to teach extraterrestrials about Earth's languages and cultures, much like the Rosetta Stone, should any of them find it. Both of the Voyagers experienced precarious launches, with Voyager 1 leaking fuel and Voyager 2 momentarily confusing its navigation system. Regardless, they managed to enter space.
When they reached Jupiter, the Voyagers studied the moon Lo, discovering the first known volcanic activity outside Earth's. As for Saturn, the probes' cameras revealed disunity among the gas giant's brilliant rings, with ice and fine debris spaced between them. Since the probes spent most of their fuel reaching Jupiter, NASA utilized the gravity of each planet to slingshot the Voyagers to the next one. In the case of Jupiter, the transfer of inertia to the probe actually caused the behemoth planet's orbit to slow by a trillionth of a mile per hour.
With the aide of the planets' compounding gravities, the Voyagers now race at speeds of 38,000 miles per hour, with Voyager 1 just a few years ahead of its twin. Although Voyager 2 is still in the heliopause boundary, the area between the sun's solar winds and interstellar space, it's expected to enter the great, black void in short time. At this point, Voyager 1 is roughly 13 billion miles from the Earth, with Voyager 2 trailing at 10.6 billion miles. Radio waves from the probes take 17 hours to reach NASA over the Deep Space Network, the most expansive scientific telecommunications system in the world. Both of the probes continue to adeptly execute their missions, but sadly, their batteries are projected to fade by 2025. Don't fret; the Voyagers might no longer be able to transmit their findings when that date comes, but that doesn't mean their adventures are ending anytime soon!
Image credit & copyright: MacRebisz
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FREEMixed Media Art Photo CurioFree1 CQ
In 1977, artist Helena Almeida got the blues, but not in the way you might think. For a series entitled Study for Inner Improvement, the Portuguese-born photographer shows herself in various interactions with vibrant swaths of the sapphire color painted onto her black-and-white portraits. Almeida was a painter and performance artist who once decided there would be no boundaries between her two chosen mediums. That fluidity of form spilled over into her photography, where she treated still shots as if they were an animated sequence of interactions between her body, the paint, and the photo itself. There's been speculation about Almeida's choice of blue hue, with some pointing to her critique of artist Yves Klein's objectification of the female form, and her own consumption of a color similar to one named after him, Yves Klein blue. But the artist has stated this was not her intent with the series. An exhibit of Almeida's work is currently on display at the Art Institute Chicago, though their guess as to which medium to actually classify her work in is as good as ours!
Image credit & copyright: Collection Portugal Telecom
In 1977, artist Helena Almeida got the blues, but not in the way you might think. For a series entitled Study for Inner Improvement, the Portuguese-born photographer shows herself in various interactions with vibrant swaths of the sapphire color painted onto her black-and-white portraits. Almeida was a painter and performance artist who once decided there would be no boundaries between her two chosen mediums. That fluidity of form spilled over into her photography, where she treated still shots as if they were an animated sequence of interactions between her body, the paint, and the photo itself. There's been speculation about Almeida's choice of blue hue, with some pointing to her critique of artist Yves Klein's objectification of the female form, and her own consumption of a color similar to one named after him, Yves Klein blue. But the artist has stated this was not her intent with the series. An exhibit of Almeida's work is currently on display at the Art Institute Chicago, though their guess as to which medium to actually classify her work in is as good as ours!
Image credit & copyright: Collection Portugal Telecom
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5 minFREEVideography Worldly CurioFree3 CQ
Film critic Matt Holzman recommends these four must-see summer documentaries.
with PRI's The WorldFilm critic Matt Holzman recommends these four must-see summer documentaries.
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4 minFREEWork Nerdy CurioFree3 CQ
In today's Nerdy Curio from Engines of our Ingenuity, The Whale Oil Myth: the unrelated collapse of whaling and rise of petroleum. Today, did big oil save the whales?
In today's Nerdy Curio from Engines of our Ingenuity, The Whale Oil Myth: the unrelated collapse of whaling and rise of petroleum. Today, did big oil save the whales?
August 19, 2017
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2 minFREEAstronomy Nerdy CurioFree2 CQ
Learn what to look for in the night sky with today’s Nerdy Curio from Stardate. Venus, the “morning star,” looks down on the Moon at first light tomorrow. It...
with StardateLearn what to look for in the night sky with today’s Nerdy Curio from Stardate. Venus, the “morning star,” looks down on the Moon at first light tomorrow. It...
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : August 19, 2017
alleviate \uh-LEE-vee-ayt\ verb
Definition
: relieve, lessen such as a : to make (something, such as suffering) more bea...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 19, 2017
alleviate \uh-LEE-vee-ayt\ verb
Definition
: relieve, lessen such as a : to make (something, such as suffering) more bea...
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2 minFREEWork Business CurioFree2 CQ
They're not as interested in those formal candle-light suppers.
with MarketplaceThey're not as interested in those formal candle-light suppers.
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4 minFREEPolitical Science Worldly CurioFree3 CQ
Kenyan hip-hop artist Octopizzo says he witnessed police officers firing live bullets on protesters and bystanders in Kibera. Kenyan authorities deny that po...
with PRI's The WorldKenyan hip-hop artist Octopizzo says he witnessed police officers firing live bullets on protesters and bystanders in Kibera. Kenyan authorities deny that po...
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FREEPlay Teaser Curio #101Free1 CQ
This week's Teaser was going to be wrapped in some prose about racism, politics, North Korea, or even the start of the NFL season, but you'll have to clear your head a little bit to work on this one. Take a break from the world and enjoy a little "me"-time with some math.
What is the largest 4-digit number where the sum of the digits and the product of the digits are the same?
Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #101" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!This week's Teaser was going to be wrapped in some prose about racism, politics, North Korea, or even the start of the NFL season, but you'll have to clear your head a little bit to work on this one. Take a break from the world and enjoy a little "me"-time with some math.
What is the largest 4-digit number where the sum of the digits and the product of the digits are the same?
Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #101" and let us know, or check back next week to find out! -
< 1 minFREEPoetry Poem CurioFree1 CQ
Poem of the Day: Sense of Time. By George Bowering.
with Poetry FoundationPoem of the Day: Sense of Time. By George Bowering.
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FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
Title: Forms in Space… by Light (in Time)
Artist: Cerith Wyn Evans (b. 1958)
Created: 2016
Medium: neon lighting
Dimensions: 1.2 miles of neon lighting (2 km)
Current location: Tate Britain, London, England
Tired of always searching for that "correct answer" to the meaning of an artwork? British artist Cerith Wyn Evans finds himself captivated with the instability of meaning, and creates sculptures that seem to defy it. His latest work, Forms in Space… by Light (in Time), consists of over a mile's worth of neon lighting bent into various flares, loops, and sudden straight lines. On exhibit at Tate Britain until tomorrow, the tubes of neon gas seem to take on the forms of kinetic motion and other recognizable representations; but just as soon, the lights' trajectory unravels and contradicts itself. When considering the show's elusive message, many art critics even assert that Wyn Evans' light show is supposed to be looked through, and not upon. At times frustrating, at times liberating, Wyn Evans' works drag the viewer down a rabbit hole of existential musings. In an older project, he translated poetry from Emily Dickinson and prose from Gertrude Stein into Morse Code, if only to make a statement that the content remained exactly the same, yet wasn't the same at all. Jeez—we're starting to miss that "correct answer" from before!
Below: more views of Evans' Forms in Space … by Light (in Time).
Image credit & copyright: Joe Humphreys/Tate; Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images; Guy Bell/Rex/Shutterstock
Title: Forms in Space… by Light (in Time)
Artist: Cerith Wyn Evans (b. 1958)
Created: 2016
Medium: neon lighting
Dimensions: 1.2 miles of neon lighting (2 km)
Current location: Tate Britain, London, England
Tired of always searching for that "correct answer" to the meaning of an artwork? British artist Cerith Wyn Evans finds himself captivated with the instability of meaning, and creates sculptures that seem to defy it. His latest work, Forms in Space… by Light (in Time), consists of over a mile's worth of neon lighting bent into various flares, loops, and sudden straight lines. On exhibit at Tate Britain until tomorrow, the tubes of neon gas seem to take on the forms of kinetic motion and other recognizable representations; but just as soon, the lights' trajectory unravels and contradicts itself. When considering the show's elusive message, many art critics even assert that Wyn Evans' light show is supposed to be looked through, and not upon. At times frustrating, at times liberating, Wyn Evans' works drag the viewer down a rabbit hole of existential musings. In an older project, he translated poetry from Emily Dickinson and prose from Gertrude Stein into Morse Code, if only to make a statement that the content remained exactly the same, yet wasn't the same at all. Jeez—we're starting to miss that "correct answer" from before!
Below: more views of Evans' Forms in Space … by Light (in Time).
Image credit & copyright: Joe Humphreys/Tate; Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images; Guy Bell/Rex/Shutterstock
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FREEPolitical Science PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
How a traumatic childhood forged the steel willpower of Genghis Khan.
History books often depict Mongol Emperor Genghis Khan as a tyrant comparable to Napoleon. After the ruthless conquests of numerous kingdoms, he finally died on yesterday's date in 1227… but was he such a bad guy? Well, yeah.
The Khan was born Temujin in 1162 on the borders of modern-day Mongolia and Siberia to a chieftain father. Life in Mongolia was an unending fight for survival at the time, and Temujin's father was poisoned before the boy turned ten. Despite being the heir, Temujin's clan exiled him and his family to avoid having extra mouths to feed. In this semi-feral state, a hunger-stricken hunt ended with Temujin killing his half-brother and asserting his leadership over the family. The whole world-conqueror complex kinda makes sense now, huh?
Temujin married his first wife of many, Borte, and united their families. She was abducted by rival tribesmen, only to be freed by Temujin, who was in turn kidnapped by the rivals, only to escape by his own means. By the time he became a man, Temujin had united the warring Mongol tribes, boiled his enemies alive, and abolished the blood rivalries that had ruined his childhood. He was proclaimed Genghis Khan, or universal ruler, and with Mongolia securely under his belt, he flooded the kingdoms of China with his armies.
A brilliant statistician, the Khan allowed the populations of each of his captured cities to flee to the next stronghold, until the growing population burden broke his enemies' wills. He often killed ruling aristocrats and incorporated conquered peoples into his armies much like the Romans, offering commoners the chance to become aristocrats. As for the princesses, well, they became the Khan's wives. The Khan had so many wives, in fact, that in a large swath of Asia, as much as eight percent of men share his chromosomes.
In 1227, the Khan's horse bucked the aging ruler to the ground, causing internal injuries that led to his death shortly thereafter. By that time, Genghis Khan had established the largest land empire ever, bridging present-day Poland, Iran, and Korea: a tremendous civilization left in the capable hands of his son, Ögedei Khan. But surprisingly, Genghis Khan's legal code—Yassa—enforced total religious tolerance, among other favorable laws, such as punishments for littering. So maybe the Great Khan wasn't a complete monster, but a sensitive man with serious daddy issues—and quite the temper!
Image credit & copyright: History
How a traumatic childhood forged the steel willpower of Genghis Khan.
History books often depict Mongol Emperor Genghis Khan as a tyrant comparable to Napoleon. After the ruthless conquests of numerous kingdoms, he finally died on yesterday's date in 1227… but was he such a bad guy? Well, yeah.
The Khan was born Temujin in 1162 on the borders of modern-day Mongolia and Siberia to a chieftain father. Life in Mongolia was an unending fight for survival at the time, and Temujin's father was poisoned before the boy turned ten. Despite being the heir, Temujin's clan exiled him and his family to avoid having extra mouths to feed. In this semi-feral state, a hunger-stricken hunt ended with Temujin killing his half-brother and asserting his leadership over the family. The whole world-conqueror complex kinda makes sense now, huh?
Temujin married his first wife of many, Borte, and united their families. She was abducted by rival tribesmen, only to be freed by Temujin, who was in turn kidnapped by the rivals, only to escape by his own means. By the time he became a man, Temujin had united the warring Mongol tribes, boiled his enemies alive, and abolished the blood rivalries that had ruined his childhood. He was proclaimed Genghis Khan, or universal ruler, and with Mongolia securely under his belt, he flooded the kingdoms of China with his armies.
A brilliant statistician, the Khan allowed the populations of each of his captured cities to flee to the next stronghold, until the growing population burden broke his enemies' wills. He often killed ruling aristocrats and incorporated conquered peoples into his armies much like the Romans, offering commoners the chance to become aristocrats. As for the princesses, well, they became the Khan's wives. The Khan had so many wives, in fact, that in a large swath of Asia, as much as eight percent of men share his chromosomes.
In 1227, the Khan's horse bucked the aging ruler to the ground, causing internal injuries that led to his death shortly thereafter. By that time, Genghis Khan had established the largest land empire ever, bridging present-day Poland, Iran, and Korea: a tremendous civilization left in the capable hands of his son, Ögedei Khan. But surprisingly, Genghis Khan's legal code—Yassa—enforced total religious tolerance, among other favorable laws, such as punishments for littering. So maybe the Great Khan wasn't a complete monster, but a sensitive man with serious daddy issues—and quite the temper!
Image credit & copyright: History
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FREEPhoto Editing Photo CurioFree1 CQ
What Instagram filter is that? Food has long been the subject of the photographer's gaze, and in a new book called Feast for the Eyes, author Susan Bright traces historical trends in food photography, like Nickolas Muray's extravagant Lemonade and Fruit Salad from a 1943 McCall's magazine. Muray's layouts were often lavish, colorful, and bountiful, making home meals presentation seem like art forms unto themselves. He even employed his own Instagram-like "filters," pioneering a three-color carbro process that used layered yellow, magenta, and cyan pigment sheets to create especially vibrant photos. It's no wonder, though; Muray was somewhat of an Annie Leibovitz of his time, taking epic portraits of Babe Ruth, George Gershwin, and Frida Kahlo, to name a few. After the stock market crash of 1929, Muray turned his eye to color photo advertisements, bringing his sense of perfectionism to the American plate. But we must admit: his perfect plate doesn't look nearly as appetizing as the avocado toast on today's feeds.
Below: more of Nikolas Muray's food photography: dessert pie, puttin' some ketchup on it, and a saucy display.
Image credit & copyright: Nickolas Muray Photo Archives
What Instagram filter is that? Food has long been the subject of the photographer's gaze, and in a new book called Feast for the Eyes, author Susan Bright traces historical trends in food photography, like Nickolas Muray's extravagant Lemonade and Fruit Salad from a 1943 McCall's magazine. Muray's layouts were often lavish, colorful, and bountiful, making home meals presentation seem like art forms unto themselves. He even employed his own Instagram-like "filters," pioneering a three-color carbro process that used layered yellow, magenta, and cyan pigment sheets to create especially vibrant photos. It's no wonder, though; Muray was somewhat of an Annie Leibovitz of his time, taking epic portraits of Babe Ruth, George Gershwin, and Frida Kahlo, to name a few. After the stock market crash of 1929, Muray turned his eye to color photo advertisements, bringing his sense of perfectionism to the American plate. But we must admit: his perfect plate doesn't look nearly as appetizing as the avocado toast on today's feeds.
Below: more of Nikolas Muray's food photography: dessert pie, puttin' some ketchup on it, and a saucy display.
Image credit & copyright: Nickolas Muray Photo Archives
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FREEMusic Song CurioFree2 CQ
Here's a pair of true buckaroos if we ever saw one. Country musician and co-host Buck Owens teamed up with Ray Charles for the latter's 1970 appearance on the country comedy show Hee Haw. The performance included Charles' cover of Owens' own Crying Time. Owens was at the peak of his career when he began his stint on the show, which premiered on August 17, 1969. As for Charles, he knew a good song regardless of genre when he came across it, and his cover of Crying Time reached #6 on the Billboard charts. The Hee Haw performance brought the two giants together to harmonize with Owens' band the Buckaroos' melancholy pedal steel guitar and harmonica. It was all part of Owens' signature Bakersfield sound—adding a lil' bit country and lil' bit soul music perspective to the pickin' and grinnin' popularity of Hee Haw.
Other streaming options
Image credit & CBS: Name
Here's a pair of true buckaroos if we ever saw one. Country musician and co-host Buck Owens teamed up with Ray Charles for the latter's 1970 appearance on the country comedy show Hee Haw. The performance included Charles' cover of Owens' own Crying Time. Owens was at the peak of his career when he began his stint on the show, which premiered on August 17, 1969. As for Charles, he knew a good song regardless of genre when he came across it, and his cover of Crying Time reached #6 on the Billboard charts. The Hee Haw performance brought the two giants together to harmonize with Owens' band the Buckaroos' melancholy pedal steel guitar and harmonica. It was all part of Owens' signature Bakersfield sound—adding a lil' bit country and lil' bit soul music perspective to the pickin' and grinnin' popularity of Hee Haw.
Other streaming options
Image credit & CBS: Name
August 18, 2017
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7 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
Markets are down in Europe today, after they dropped by more than 1 percent in the U.S. We'll discuss what's contributing to the ongoing downturn. Afterwards...
Markets are down in Europe today, after they dropped by more than 1 percent in the U.S. We'll discuss what's contributing to the ongoing downturn. Afterwards...
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2 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree2 CQ
Word of the Day : August 18, 2017
waif \WAYF\ noun
Definition
1 a : a piece of property found (as washed up by the sea) but unclaimed
b : (plural) stole...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 18, 2017
waif \WAYF\ noun
Definition
1 a : a piece of property found (as washed up by the sea) but unclaimed
b : (plural) stole...
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4 minFREEHumanities Worldly CurioFree3 CQ
After a deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Americans are debating whether Confederate monuments should appear in public places. In ...
with PRI's The WorldAfter a deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Americans are debating whether Confederate monuments should appear in public places. In ...
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FREEHumanities Daily Curio #1406Free1 CQ
Here's a familiar story of discrimination. Government requires license for a certain activity (like voting or owning property). Government refuses to issue license to a certain group. Government then prosecutes or refuses service to disenfranchised group for not having the proper license. That's exactly what New York was doing to the LGBT community in the 1960s. The New York State Liquor Authority refused to issue licenses to bars it deemed "homosexual." As a result, the bars—the only safe public places for gays to congregate with each other in the City—were forced to operate as illegal saloons. Then the "Public Morals" squad of the New York City police department would raid the bars and arrest all the employees and patrons. That's what happened on June 24th, 1969 to the Stonewall Inn. (Pause for one moment to contemplate that only 50 years ago, the NYPD had a Public Morals squad.)
One of the most popular gay bars in New York City's Greenwich Village, the Stonewall Inn was used to getting raided, and patrons and employees scattered. So the police planned a second surprise raid for the night of June 28th, using undercover officers this time. When the officers started making arrests at 1:15 a.m., the patrons were ready. They refused to cooperate, show identification, or yield to "gender-verification" checks in the bathroom—a common humiliation forced upon transvestites at the time. Customers gathered outside the bar in the tiny triangular Christopher Park, and soon reinforcement protesters from the neighborhood appeared. By 3 a.m. it was a full-fledged riot, spreading to nearby streets. Protests and demonstrations lasted for six days and included firehoses, barricades, and gay cheerleaders performing kick-lines in front of policeman in riot gear. A drag queen assaulted a police officer with her purse. When the dust finally settled, the LGBT community of New York City had publicly organized like never before. They formed the first formal LGBT rights organization. Within two years similar groups had been started in every major city in the U.S. A new civil rights movement was underway. The NYPD has long ago abandoned their Public Morals squad, and today they play a critical role in serving and protecting the city's massive LGBT community, with a dedicated LGBT Liaison Unit. As for Christopher Park, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2016 by President Obama. When U.S. Presidents used to do such things….Here's a familiar story of discrimination. Government requires license for a certain activity (like voting or owning property). Government refuses to issue license to a certain group. Government then prosecutes or refuses service to disenfranchised group for not having the proper license. That's exactly what New York was doing to the LGBT community in the 1960s. The New York State Liquor Authority refused to issue licenses to bars it deemed "homosexual." As a result, the bars—the only safe public places for gays to congregate with each other in the City—were forced to operate as illegal saloons. Then the "Public Morals" squad of the New York City police department would raid the bars and arrest all the employees and patrons. That's what happened on June 24th, 1969 to the Stonewall Inn. (Pause for one moment to contemplate that only 50 years ago, the NYPD had a Public Morals squad.)
One of the most popular gay bars in New York City's Greenwich Village, the Stonewall Inn was used to getting raided, and patrons and employees scattered. So the police planned a second surprise raid for the night of June 28th, using undercover officers this time. When the officers started making arrests at 1:15 a.m., the patrons were ready. They refused to cooperate, show identification, or yield to "gender-verification" checks in the bathroom—a common humiliation forced upon transvestites at the time. Customers gathered outside the bar in the tiny triangular Christopher Park, and soon reinforcement protesters from the neighborhood appeared. By 3 a.m. it was a full-fledged riot, spreading to nearby streets. Protests and demonstrations lasted for six days and included firehoses, barricades, and gay cheerleaders performing kick-lines in front of policeman in riot gear. A drag queen assaulted a police officer with her purse. When the dust finally settled, the LGBT community of New York City had publicly organized like never before. They formed the first formal LGBT rights organization. Within two years similar groups had been started in every major city in the U.S. A new civil rights movement was underway. The NYPD has long ago abandoned their Public Morals squad, and today they play a critical role in serving and protecting the city's massive LGBT community, with a dedicated LGBT Liaison Unit. As for Christopher Park, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2016 by President Obama. When U.S. Presidents used to do such things…. -
< 1 minFREEPoetry Poem CurioFree1 CQ
Poem of the Day: Indian River. by Wallace Stevens.
with Poetry FoundationPoem of the Day: Indian River. by Wallace Stevens.
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FREELiterature PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
The life of the acclaimed essayist and Civil Rights Activist.
Born on this day in 1924, acclaimed writer James Baldwin wrote about his experiences as a homosexual, African-American male in an America at odds with his very existence. At almost Freudian depths, he sought to understand the intricate workings of white-black relationships and the injustices that pained him as a humanist and a prominent figure of the Civil Rights Movement. As tragic and angry as his language could often become, Baldwin never fully lost hope that equality could be reached.
Baldwin was born to a single mother in Harlem and never learned the identity of his biological father. Instead, he sought to follow in the footsteps of his stepfather, Baptist minister David Baldwin. From the ages of 14 to 16, Baldwin served as a youth pastor at Harlem Pentecostal Church, where he developed a profound appreciation for language. But, recognizing his homosexuality, he ultimately rejected the pulpit—a choice that drove his family to exile him from their home. Baldwin moved to Greenwich, New York, and worked writing gigs to survive.
At the age of 24, Baldwin moved to France to write on a grant. Looking from the outside in at America and his experiences therein, Baldwin published the autobiographical Go Tell It on a Mountain in 1953. The book detailed the struggles of racism against African Americans—struggles ignored by western society—and used the biblical story of Exodus as an analogy for their mistreatment. In 1956, he published his second novel, Giovanni's Room, a controversial book dealing with themes of homosexuality and bisexuality.
When the Civil Rights Movement unfolded, an established Baldwin returned to America to help. His essays, such as Notes of a Native Son, began to receive attention stateside. Unfortunately, after the assassinations of Civil Rights leaders Martin Luther King, Jr and Malcolm X, Baldwin became further disillusioned. The more strident voice of his newer writings failed to achieve the recognition of his earlier works; but he continued sharing his experiences as a professor at the University of Massachusetts until his death in 1987. Nowadays, Baldwin is considered one of the greatest essayists of the 20th century; his incredible use of language, coupled with his profound insights on race, spirituality, and humanity have established him as a must-read. Over the past year, his book sales have risen 110 percent—perhaps a sign Baldwin's wisdom is as essential as ever.
Image credit & copyright: The National Jazz Museum in Harlem
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
The life of the acclaimed essayist and Civil Rights Activist.
Born on this day in 1924, acclaimed writer James Baldwin wrote about his experiences as a homosexual, African-American male in an America at odds with his very existence. At almost Freudian depths, he sought to understand the intricate workings of white-black relationships and the injustices that pained him as a humanist and a prominent figure of the Civil Rights Movement. As tragic and angry as his language could often become, Baldwin never fully lost hope that equality could be reached.
Baldwin was born to a single mother in Harlem and never learned the identity of his biological father. Instead, he sought to follow in the footsteps of his stepfather, Baptist minister David Baldwin. From the ages of 14 to 16, Baldwin served as a youth pastor at Harlem Pentecostal Church, where he developed a profound appreciation for language. But, recognizing his homosexuality, he ultimately rejected the pulpit—a choice that drove his family to exile him from their home. Baldwin moved to Greenwich, New York, and worked writing gigs to survive.
At the age of 24, Baldwin moved to France to write on a grant. Looking from the outside in at America and his experiences therein, Baldwin published the autobiographical Go Tell It on a Mountain in 1953. The book detailed the struggles of racism against African Americans—struggles ignored by western society—and used the biblical story of Exodus as an analogy for their mistreatment. In 1956, he published his second novel, Giovanni's Room, a controversial book dealing with themes of homosexuality and bisexuality.
When the Civil Rights Movement unfolded, an established Baldwin returned to America to help. His essays, such as Notes of a Native Son, began to receive attention stateside. Unfortunately, after the assassinations of Civil Rights leaders Martin Luther King, Jr and Malcolm X, Baldwin became further disillusioned. The more strident voice of his newer writings failed to achieve the recognition of his earlier works; but he continued sharing his experiences as a professor at the University of Massachusetts until his death in 1987. Nowadays, Baldwin is considered one of the greatest essayists of the 20th century; his incredible use of language, coupled with his profound insights on race, spirituality, and humanity have established him as a must-read. Over the past year, his book sales have risen 110 percent—perhaps a sign Baldwin's wisdom is as essential as ever.
Image credit & copyright: The National Jazz Museum in Harlem
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FREEMusic Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
What better way to celebrate Cesar Chavez Day than by listening to the UFW's anthem, De Colores. (Hop on over to today's Person, Place or Thing to read more about Chavez and the UFW.) Each Friday during the five-year-long Delano Grape Strike, UFW members would convene for a meeting that always ended the same way: a group rendition of the traditional Spanish folk song. The lyrics don't really offer much in the way of protest. They are more spiritually oriented, describing the transcendent beauty of nature in the springtime. But Chavez chose it to foster a sense of unity in hope among his followers. Listening to this version, led by Baldemar Velásquez—another labor leader inspired by Chavez—we can't help but get a similar feeling.
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It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
What better way to celebrate Cesar Chavez Day than by listening to the UFW's anthem, De Colores. (Hop on over to today's Person, Place or Thing to read more about Chavez and the UFW.) Each Friday during the five-year-long Delano Grape Strike, UFW members would convene for a meeting that always ended the same way: a group rendition of the traditional Spanish folk song. The lyrics don't really offer much in the way of protest. They are more spiritually oriented, describing the transcendent beauty of nature in the springtime. But Chavez chose it to foster a sense of unity in hope among his followers. Listening to this version, led by Baldemar Velásquez—another labor leader inspired by Chavez—we can't help but get a similar feeling.
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FREEPhotography Photo CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
25,000 strong for voting rights. Rarely do we get to see an image from the orator's point of view like this one, captured by Stephen Somerstein. Here, Dr. King delivers his speech "How Long, Not Long" at the conclusion of the Selma to Montgomery civil rights march on March 25, 1965. The event occurred on the steps of the Alabama state house in Montgomery, after five days and 54 miles of marching. Somerstein, who snapped the photo as a 24-year-old picture editor for the City College of New York's student newspaper, was just as interested in documenting civilians as he was the Civil Rights Movement leaders and icons. The faces in the packed streets—mostly black activists and students—were instrumental in making the march happen after two previous attempts ended in violence. Their efforts were not in vain; the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed five months later, prohibiting racial discrimination in voting. Eight years ago, Somerstein recovered this and other photographs of the march from storage; they were exhibited for the very first time in 2010. The image is a powerful testament to the importance of documentary photography can have in telling our nation's history. It also reminds us that despite progress, the fight for equal rights is far from over. In King's words: "I know you are asking today, How long will it take? … Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."
Image credit & copyright: Stephen Somerstein
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
25,000 strong for voting rights. Rarely do we get to see an image from the orator's point of view like this one, captured by Stephen Somerstein. Here, Dr. King delivers his speech "How Long, Not Long" at the conclusion of the Selma to Montgomery civil rights march on March 25, 1965. The event occurred on the steps of the Alabama state house in Montgomery, after five days and 54 miles of marching. Somerstein, who snapped the photo as a 24-year-old picture editor for the City College of New York's student newspaper, was just as interested in documenting civilians as he was the Civil Rights Movement leaders and icons. The faces in the packed streets—mostly black activists and students—were instrumental in making the march happen after two previous attempts ended in violence. Their efforts were not in vain; the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed five months later, prohibiting racial discrimination in voting. Eight years ago, Somerstein recovered this and other photographs of the march from storage; they were exhibited for the very first time in 2010. The image is a powerful testament to the importance of documentary photography can have in telling our nation's history. It also reminds us that despite progress, the fight for equal rights is far from over. In King's words: "I know you are asking today, How long will it take? … Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."
Image credit & copyright: Stephen Somerstein
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FREEPolitical Science Art CurioFree1 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Title: We the People Defend Dignity; We the People Are Greater Than Fear; We the People Protect Each Other
Artist: Shepard Fairey
Created: 2017
Medium: stencil, screenprint, digital
Hope lives on. Nine years after creating the original "Hope" campaign posters for President Obama's 2008 campaign, street artist Shepard Fairey has revived the patriotic theme for today's inauguration. His three stenciled posters, along with two additional designs by artists Ernesto Yerena and Jessica Sabogal, capture "the shared humanity of our diverse America" in a series entitled We the People. According to the Amplifier Foundation, the nonprofit group that commissioned the images, their main purpose is to promote tolerance and unity in the face of partisan gridlock. To make the images more accessible to the estimated one million people attending today's inauguration events, the foundation took out full-page ads of the artwork in the Washington Post. Ads paid by none other than "we the people"; nearly 23,000 people contributed $1,365,105 to a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds. For those not in Washington, the artists have made the images downloadable to all for free. The Amplifier Foundation hopes to turn observers into active participants in democracy, a great goal today and every day.It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Title: We the People Defend Dignity; We the People Are Greater Than Fear; We the People Protect Each Other
Artist: Shepard Fairey
Created: 2017
Medium: stencil, screenprint, digital
Hope lives on. Nine years after creating the original "Hope" campaign posters for President Obama's 2008 campaign, street artist Shepard Fairey has revived the patriotic theme for today's inauguration. His three stenciled posters, along with two additional designs by artists Ernesto Yerena and Jessica Sabogal, capture "the shared humanity of our diverse America" in a series entitled We the People. According to the Amplifier Foundation, the nonprofit group that commissioned the images, their main purpose is to promote tolerance and unity in the face of partisan gridlock. To make the images more accessible to the estimated one million people attending today's inauguration events, the foundation took out full-page ads of the artwork in the Washington Post. Ads paid by none other than "we the people"; nearly 23,000 people contributed $1,365,105 to a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds. For those not in Washington, the artists have made the images downloadable to all for free. The Amplifier Foundation hopes to turn observers into active participants in democracy, a great goal today and every day. -
5 minFREEPhysics Nerdy CurioFree3 CQ
Did the Universe have a beginning? In today's Nerdy Curio from Minute Physics, how a Catholic priest proposed the theory of the expansion of the universe.
with Minute PhysicsDid the Universe have a beginning? In today's Nerdy Curio from Minute Physics, how a Catholic priest proposed the theory of the expansion of the universe.
August 17, 2017
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1 minFREEPoetry Poem CurioFree1 CQ
Poem of the Day: The Beach in August. By Weldon Kees.
with Poetry FoundationPoem of the Day: The Beach in August. By Weldon Kees.
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6 minFREEWork Business CurioFree4 CQ
Discover Financial Services is ending merchant agreements with what it deems as hate groups, while Visa and Mastercard are taking a similar stand. On today's...
Discover Financial Services is ending merchant agreements with what it deems as hate groups, while Visa and Mastercard are taking a similar stand. On today's...
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1 minFREEHumanities Word CurioFree1 CQ
Word of the Day : August 17, 2017
oppugn \uh-PYOON\ verb
Definition
1 : to fight against
2 : to call in question
Examples
"Carmel Valley speller Justin...
with Merriam-WebsterWord of the Day : August 17, 2017
oppugn \uh-PYOON\ verb
Definition
1 : to fight against
2 : to call in question
Examples
"Carmel Valley speller Justin...
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4 minFREEAstronomy Worldly CurioFree3 CQ
Terry Cuttle relishes the challenge of finding the best weather odds and getting half a dozen cameras to far-flung locations.
with PRI's The WorldTerry Cuttle relishes the challenge of finding the best weather odds and getting half a dozen cameras to far-flung locations.
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FREEHumanities Daily Curio #1405Free1 CQ
Will this coming Monday's total solar eclipse—the first in the contiguous USA in 38 years—provide a much needed reminder that we are all in this together? It wouldn't be the first time an eclipse brought peace. A total solar eclipse in 585 B.C.E. halted a five-year border war between the Lydians and the Medes, in present-day Turkey. Both sides ceased their fighting as the sun appeared to be snuffed from the sky. When daylight returned, according to the Greek historian Herodotus, the armies "ceased from their fighting and were much more eager… that peace should be made between them." The philosopher and mathematician Thales is said to have accurately predicted the eclipse years earlier. This may be the earliest recorded example of a philosopher not explaining natural phenomenon with mythology. Instead he used theories, hypotheses, and observation—a.k.a. scientific reason—over 100 years before Socrates was born. Predicting solar eclipses is extremely difficult because the moon has to be directly aligned between a specific geographical area and the sun. Even then the affected area is only a few miles wide and lasts for just 7 minutes. So Thales' eclipse prediction probably contributed to the magical effect on the war between the Lydians and the Medes, known today as the Battle of the Eclipse. Just to be safe, the daughter of the king of Lydia was married off to the son of the king of Medes, as a covenant of the new peace. Hmm, I wonder if we should consider a modern day version of that?
Will this coming Monday's total solar eclipse—the first in the contiguous USA in 38 years—provide a much needed reminder that we are all in this together? It wouldn't be the first time an eclipse brought peace. A total solar eclipse in 585 B.C.E. halted a five-year border war between the Lydians and the Medes, in present-day Turkey. Both sides ceased their fighting as the sun appeared to be snuffed from the sky. When daylight returned, according to the Greek historian Herodotus, the armies "ceased from their fighting and were much more eager… that peace should be made between them." The philosopher and mathematician Thales is said to have accurately predicted the eclipse years earlier. This may be the earliest recorded example of a philosopher not explaining natural phenomenon with mythology. Instead he used theories, hypotheses, and observation—a.k.a. scientific reason—over 100 years before Socrates was born. Predicting solar eclipses is extremely difficult because the moon has to be directly aligned between a specific geographical area and the sun. Even then the affected area is only a few miles wide and lasts for just 7 minutes. So Thales' eclipse prediction probably contributed to the magical effect on the war between the Lydians and the Medes, known today as the Battle of the Eclipse. Just to be safe, the daughter of the king of Lydia was married off to the son of the king of Medes, as a covenant of the new peace. Hmm, I wonder if we should consider a modern day version of that?
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FREESTEM PP&T CurioFree1 CQ
The world's oldest analog computer reminds us technology isn't invulnerable to regression.
The invention of the computer is largely associated with the 20th century—which is true of digital computers. But between 1900 and 1901, divers retrieved a bronze artifact from the Antikythera, a Greek ship that sank in the Aegean Sea near Crete over 2,000 years ago. The Antikythera mechanism, as the artifact is now called, was used to calculate all the planet's orbits in conjunction with a calendar, and is widely cited as the oldest analog computer in existence.
In fact, the now calcified and corroded Antikythera mechanism was already fairly old at the time of the ship's wreck, unlike the brand new 3D reproduction pictured above. Historians and anthropologists alike figured the Antikythera to be a Roman vessel, transporting antiques and treasures to wealthy Romans from Grecian ports. Considering the more conspicuous cargo, the aesthetically displeasing Antikythera mechanism was passed over by anthropologists for the glittering art works lying around it. But X-ray imaging in the '70s revealed the hunk of bronze held a universe of secrets underneath all that rust.
Inside the remains, tests showed that the bronze mechanism utilized at least 30 gears in conjunction with a few dials, and all the fine components were housed within a shoebox-sized, wooden case. By turning a single hand crank, the teeth of the gears translated the respective orbits of the planets and the moon to revolving arms, in a layout similar to a clock's face. As the user cranked, the concentric planets circled the earth, with a small model of the Moon painted black on one side, so when it spun it matched the real Moon's waxing and waning. Inside, a pin followed a spiral groove, which translated Greek celestial time to a calendar dial. Among other dials, there was one for predicting eclipses and one for the Olympics. For 500 years, the machine was accurate to one degree!
The existence of this remarkable machine raises a frightening question: why did this crucial technology fade from use? Similar gear innovations wouldn't be rediscovered until the European invention of mechanical clocks 1,400 years later. Imagine if we somehow lost the internet for 1,400 years—think of how far we'd set technological progress back. Here's to hoping our innovations don't end up at the bottom of the Aegean Sea like the Greeks' did.
Below: the Antikythera mechanism in its current condition.
Image credit & copyright: PBS
The world's oldest analog computer reminds us technology isn't invulnerable to regression.
The invention of the computer is largely associated with the 20th century—which is true of digital computers. But between 1900 and 1901, divers retrieved a bronze artifact from the Antikythera, a Greek ship that sank in the Aegean Sea near Crete over 2,000 years ago. The Antikythera mechanism, as the artifact is now called, was used to calculate all the planet's orbits in conjunction with a calendar, and is widely cited as the oldest analog computer in existence.
In fact, the now calcified and corroded Antikythera mechanism was already fairly old at the time of the ship's wreck, unlike the brand new 3D reproduction pictured above. Historians and anthropologists alike figured the Antikythera to be a Roman vessel, transporting antiques and treasures to wealthy Romans from Grecian ports. Considering the more conspicuous cargo, the aesthetically displeasing Antikythera mechanism was passed over by anthropologists for the glittering art works lying around it. But X-ray imaging in the '70s revealed the hunk of bronze held a universe of secrets underneath all that rust.
Inside the remains, tests showed that the bronze mechanism utilized at least 30 gears in conjunction with a few dials, and all the fine components were housed within a shoebox-sized, wooden case. By turning a single hand crank, the teeth of the gears translated the respective orbits of the planets and the moon to revolving arms, in a layout similar to a clock's face. As the user cranked, the concentric planets circled the earth, with a small model of the Moon painted black on one side, so when it spun it matched the real Moon's waxing and waning. Inside, a pin followed a spiral groove, which translated Greek celestial time to a calendar dial. Among other dials, there was one for predicting eclipses and one for the Olympics. For 500 years, the machine was accurate to one degree!
The existence of this remarkable machine raises a frightening question: why did this crucial technology fade from use? Similar gear innovations wouldn't be rediscovered until the European invention of mechanical clocks 1,400 years later. Imagine if we somehow lost the internet for 1,400 years—think of how far we'd set technological progress back. Here's to hoping our innovations don't end up at the bottom of the Aegean Sea like the Greeks' did.
Below: the Antikythera mechanism in its current condition.
Image credit & copyright: PBS
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FREEComposition Photo CurioFree1 CQ
Worried about missing Monday's eclipse? Well, be at ease; an array of satellites have our backs. On March 9, 2016, one such satellite—Japan's Himawari 8—traced a solar eclipse as it crept across Southeast Asia and managed to snap a few stellar pics, too. Shown above, the weather satellite's camera photographed the moon's shadow just as it entered Polynesia. Himawari 8's camera, a multispectral imager, records visible-light and infrared wavelengths for meteorological uses, like monitoring cloud cover, temperature, and precipitation. But the camera also has a knack for photojournalism. The 2016 eclipse's shade was the size of Australia, and most cameras wouldn't have been able to handle the immense scope of this subject; but Himawari 8's high-tech lenses can produce images over 1,600 feet in spatial resolution! Himawari 8, or "sunflower" in Japanese, was launched in 2014 and is expected to last eight to 15 years. It's a tragically short life span for our favorite freelance imager, but at least the satellite has the coolest job in the world. Excuse us—above the world!
Image credit & copyright: NPR
Worried about missing Monday's eclipse? Well, be at ease; an array of satellites have our backs. On March 9, 2016, one such satellite—Japan's Himawari 8—traced a solar eclipse as it crept across Southeast Asia and managed to snap a few stellar pics, too. Shown above, the weather satellite's camera photographed the moon's shadow just as it entered Polynesia. Himawari 8's camera, a multispectral imager, records visible-light and infrared wavelengths for meteorological uses, like monitoring cloud cover, temperature, and precipitation. But the camera also has a knack for photojournalism. The 2016 eclipse's shade was the size of Australia, and most cameras wouldn't have been able to handle the immense scope of this subject; but Himawari 8's high-tech lenses can produce images over 1,600 feet in spatial resolution! Himawari 8, or "sunflower" in Japanese, was launched in 2014 and is expected to last eight to 15 years. It's a tragically short life span for our favorite freelance imager, but at least the satellite has the coolest job in the world. Excuse us—above the world!
Image credit & copyright: NPR
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FREEMusic Song CurioFree2 CQ
Break out the Aqua Net and shoulder pads because we're heading back to the '80s with Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart! The power-ballad by songwriter Jim Steinman slipped out of singer Meat Loaf's grasp and Steinman's own musical called Vampires in Love before it landed in Bonnie Tyler's lap. With a new voice and lyrics drained of all bloodsucker references, Tyler took the song to a different sort of mythical proportions. The video for Total Eclipse was filmed at Holloway Sanitorium, an abandoned British asylum, and it featured ninjas, nocturnal angels, and a possessed boys' choir. Luckily, the bizarre visuals didn't overshadow the song's popularity. In 1983, Total Eclipse of the Heart was the first song by a Welsh performer to hit #1 on the U.S. charts, selling over six million copies in the process. Tyler continues to perform the song live over 30 years after its release, because even if Total Eclipse isn't about the immortal undead anymore, it still has bite! Just ask Royal Caribbean; Tyler will be performing her hit song aboard the company's Total Eclipse Cruise on Monday.
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Image credit & copyright: Colombia Records
Break out the Aqua Net and shoulder pads because we're heading back to the '80s with Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart! The power-ballad by songwriter Jim Steinman slipped out of singer Meat Loaf's grasp and Steinman's own musical called Vampires in Love before it landed in Bonnie Tyler's lap. With a new voice and lyrics drained of all bloodsucker references, Tyler took the song to a different sort of mythical proportions. The video for Total Eclipse was filmed at Holloway Sanitorium, an abandoned British asylum, and it featured ninjas, nocturnal angels, and a possessed boys' choir. Luckily, the bizarre visuals didn't overshadow the song's popularity. In 1983, Total Eclipse of the Heart was the first song by a Welsh performer to hit #1 on the U.S. charts, selling over six million copies in the process. Tyler continues to perform the song live over 30 years after its release, because even if Total Eclipse isn't about the immortal undead anymore, it still has bite! Just ask Royal Caribbean; Tyler will be performing her hit song aboard the company's Total Eclipse Cruise on Monday.
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: Colombia Records
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FREEArt Appreciation Art CurioFree1 CQ
Title: Dionysius the Areopagite Converting the Pagan Philosophers
Artist: Antoine Caron (1521-1599)
Created: 1571
Medium: oil on panel
Dimensions: 36.5 x 28.4 in (92.7 x 72.1 cm)
Current location: Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California
If Renaissance artist Antoine Caron were still alive, Monday's eclipse wouldn't be his first walk under the veiled sun. A January 1571 eclipse is widely considered the impetus for Caron's oil piece Dionysius the Areopagite Converting the Pagan Philosophers. At the time, he was being commissioned to create paintings for Catherine de Medici, Queen of France, and it's easy to imagine her guard thrusting Caron in front of his easel with the express order to paint the ominous, blackening sky. In Caron's fanciful version of the scene, astronomers with wispy beards frantically coral their instruments at the steps, including a celestial globe and an armillary sphere—a mapping tool with rings to signify the orbit of cosmic bodies. Fifth-century philosopher Dionysius the Areopagite stands at the center with his finger held aloft, and at his feet, a divine cherub doodles on a tablet. There's plenty of detail drawn into in these symbols and historic references, so feel free to zoom in and peep a closer look. But for the eyes' sake, don't stare at the actual eclipse the same way!
Title: Dionysius the Areopagite Converting the Pagan Philosophers
Artist: Antoine Caron (1521-1599)
Created: 1571
Medium: oil on panel
Dimensions: 36.5 x 28.4 in (92.7 x 72.1 cm)
Current location: Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California
If Renaissance artist Antoine Caron were still alive, Monday's eclipse wouldn't be his first walk under the veiled sun. A January 1571 eclipse is widely considered the impetus for Caron's oil piece Dionysius the Areopagite Converting the Pagan Philosophers. At the time, he was being commissioned to create paintings for Catherine de Medici, Queen of France, and it's easy to imagine her guard thrusting Caron in front of his easel with the express order to paint the ominous, blackening sky. In Caron's fanciful version of the scene, astronomers with wispy beards frantically coral their instruments at the steps, including a celestial globe and an armillary sphere—a mapping tool with rings to signify the orbit of cosmic bodies. Fifth-century philosopher Dionysius the Areopagite stands at the center with his finger held aloft, and at his feet, a divine cherub doodles on a tablet. There's plenty of detail drawn into in these symbols and historic references, so feel free to zoom in and peep a closer look. But for the eyes' sake, don't stare at the actual eclipse the same way!
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3 minFREEAstronomy Nerdy CurioFree2 CQ
The total solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017, will traces a narrow path across the nation, though most of the U.S. will see a partial eclipse.
The total solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017, will traces a narrow path across the nation, though most of the U.S. will see a partial eclipse.