December 08, 2013
The USAF Band Holiday Flash Mob at the National Air and Space Museum 2013
December 07, 2013
Nova - Lord of the Ants (2008)
"At age 78, E.O. Wilson is still going through his 'little savage' phase of boyhood exploration of the natural world. In 'Lord of the Ants,' NOVA profiles this soft-spoken Southerner and Harvard professor, who is an acclaimed advocate for ants, biological diversity, and the controversial extension of Darwinian ideas to human society."
Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind
Documentarian James Barrat, author of Our Final Invention: Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era
And here's where things get interesting. And by interesting I mean terrible.
What weather they shall have is not ours to rule
"The Lord Of The Rings has a specific climate, described in J.R.R. Tolkien novels and a scientist claims he has mapped it with the help of a computer and discovered that director Peter Jackson may have made a mistake in choosing the location for his films."
Jupiter song
"There are two varieties of Jovian radio bursts: Through the loudspeaker of a shortwave receiver, the so-called 'L-burst' sounds like ocean waves crashing on a distant beach. The 'L' stands for long. If a recording is slowed down dramatically, the S-burst sound like eerie drifting whistlers. Through the loudspeaker of a shortwave receiver, the so-called 'S-burst' produces a staccato of rapid popping sound with a beat that reminds some of woodpeckers. The 'S' stands for short."
December 06, 2013
Union Fragrances
Lawrence Roullier White considers a "near impossible task" in perfumery; "a range celebrating the botany of the British Isles using ingredients from our somewhat challenged natural history. Perhaps it was the focussing brief, perhaps it was the skill of the perfumer, Anastasia Brozler, or the foresight of the brand’s creator, John O’Sullivan, but most probably it was the combination of all three; a trinity which has yielded one of the most interesting collections of late."
Dior Homme Spring 2014
"Discover the Dior Homme Spring 2014 collection by Kris Van Assche."
December 05, 2013
Non-linear narrative
"Device 6 is a metaphysical thriller in which the world is made almost entirely from words. Playing it is like reading a book—except, in this book, the words veer off in unexpected directions, rather than progressing in orderly fashion down the page. When Anna, the game’s protagonist, turns a corner in the narrative, the text does too, swerving off to one side at a right angle, forcing the player to rotate the screen."
Where: Sculpture, Room 111
Turner Prize 2013
"Installation artist Laure Prouvost has won this year's Turner Prize for her piece Wantee, which takes the audience in search of her fictional grandfather."
Also: Behind the scenes at the 2013 Turner Prize.
December 04, 2013
Alexander McQueen & Damien Hirst Scarf Collaboration| A Film
"In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the skull scarf, Alexander McQueen presents an exclusive collaboration with Damien Hirst. The iconic skull scarf has been a signature accessory of the house first seen in the 2003 Irere collection."
Glenmorangie 18
A Wallpaper* design collaboration.
December 03, 2013
Behind the scenes at Guerlain, exploring the perfume production site in Orphin
Behind the scenes at Guerlain, exploring the... by afp-fashion
"Today, the press is offered a rare glimpse into Orphin, where all Guerlain fragrances are manufactured from blending to packaging: the 10,000 m2 plant will be open to the public, as part of LVMH’s 'Journées Particulières' operation, an open-doors weekend in several of the group's facilities and private rooms."
Vocabulary builder: "Made by hand, the baudruchage consists of applying a waterproofing membrane on the neck of the bottle of perfume. Today, the baudruchage is exclusively reserved for the perfumes of Chanel and Guerlain."
Lingua franca
"Given the economic problems created by the euro, it might seem like a non sequitur to encourage a single language for the continent. But a hard core of Latin enthusiasts say the language would foster a sense of European unity that's been lacking since the decline of the Holy Roman Empire, which used Latin as one of its official languages."
December 02, 2013
Haas Brothers
"Simon and Nikolai Haas have always been makers. Their studio spawns anything from set design to wearable art, masks for Lady Gaga and gold-leafed furniture for Louis Vuitton stores. Donatella Versace recently commissioned the design duo to make a limited edition collection of fashion and design items covered in the brand's signature Medusa heads and honeycomb patterns. Ahead of Design Miami the twins let us into their 'weird alien ecosystem.'"
Hat tip to Alexei.
Babylon 5 for Blu-Ray
"Like most US TV shows of the time, Babylon 5 was recorded on film but mastered - having special effects, music and sound effects added - on video tape. Video tape cannot be upscaled to high-definition resolution, preventing the show from being upscaled as-is and released on Blu-Ray. Instead, the only way to upscale the entire show is to go back to the original film elements, extract a HD image and then re-edit each episode from scratch. Whilst the original audio tracks can be re-used, the special effects would also all have to be remade from scratch and edited back in. In the case of Babylon 5, which sometimes had 100 CGI shots per episode, this would be extremely expensive and time-consuming."
