August 11, 2021
Summer of Soul
In 1969 Harlem, a Music Festival Stuns [ungated link] - "Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, Mavis Staples and others shine in a documentary about the Harlem Cultural Festival from Questlove." (via) [1,2,3; fanfare] [more inside]
Mechanisms at Play: The Audio-Kinetic Sculptures of George Rhoads
May I interest you in a moment of mechanical joy? George Rhoads, the man who designed delightful kinetic sculptures made of twists and turns and gears and track, died on July 9, 2021. His audio-kinetic ball machines can be found across the United States, from the New York Port Authority (42nd Street Ballroom; YT), to the Radys Children's Hospital in San Diego, California, and beyond. He spoke about his life's work in an interview in 2015. [more inside]
Ultraprocessed Foods Now 2/3 of Calories in Children and Teen's Diets
Two-thirds of children’s calories are now coming from “ultraprocessed” junk food and sweets. Researchers from Tufts University say these foods have a link to diabetes, obesity, and other serious medical conditions, including cancer.
A question of guts and brains
Fecal transplants reverse signs of brain aging in mice (Science Magazine) – A new study published in Nature Aging shows a transplant of gut microbes, in the form of feces, from young mice to old ones can turn back the clock on the aging brain. [more inside]
Frank Herbert heard "shows within shows" and got excited
Do you like fake movies and shows that only exist within the fiction of real movies and shows? Then you will enjoy Nestflix, a catalogue of metafictional entertainment from Lynn Fisher.
Beyoncé's Evolution
After more than two decades in the spotlight, Beyoncé has become much more than a pop icon. She’s a cultural force who has routinely defied expectations and transformed the way we understand the power of art to change how we see ourselves and each other. But at 40, she feels like she’s just scratched the surface. [Harper's Bazaar]
Leaping squirrels!
Parkour is one of their many feats of agility (from UC Berkeley/Berkeley News): Their claws are so failproof, Hunt said, that none of the squirrels ever fell, despite wobbly leaps and over- or undershot landings.. [more inside]
Scooter theft success story
"My scooter was stolen last week. Unknown to the thief, I hid two Airtags inside it." Dan Guido, CEO of Trail of Bits, a digital security company, documents the steps he took to get his stolen scooter back. Threadreader.
Let there be light
Physicists Detect Strongest Evidence Yet of Matter Generated by Collisions of Light.
If you smash some photons together with enough energy you get matter!!!!
Go figure.
A[BillionBillionBillion]undant Prochlorococcus
Penny Chisholm won the 2019 Crafoord Prize for her 1985 discovery of the most abundant living thing on the blue dot. Obligatory TED talk. [more inside]
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