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Thesaurus Rex
Forty-four years in the making: the world’s first historical thesaurus. Ever wonder how people really talked in the 1800s, or 1500s, or earlier? You can stop building the time machine. Such questions are now easier to answer than ever before, with the publication—after 44 years of work—of the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary. At almost 4,000 pages and about 800,000 meanings, this mind-boggling reference work is the biggest thesaurus ever and the world’s first historical… -
How Would Los Angeles Look with No Cars?
Apparently, it would look just like this. Tom Baker (via NotCot) has produced a stunning set of photographs of a car-free Los Angeles. It’s a tough concept to imagine, but it sure is a beautiful one to behold. Photoshopped or not, these images fill me with a bizarrely wonderful feeling. Though they do make me realize just how much asphalt there is in this city. Thanks, Amrit. -
Recyclable Paper Laptop
How often do you buy a new computer? After two years? Four? For such complex products, we go through them pretty quick, and that adds up to a lot of ultra harmful e-waste. It’s something computer companies are already striving for, but designer Je Sung Park is taking the idea of a recyclable computer to its furthest limits. His Recyclable Paper Laptop is made from pulp and reprocessed materials, and would be broken down into the…
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How Many Books Do You Read Each Year?
There’s a post on Kottke today with the headline “I don’t read books anymore” that has me thinking. As recently as two years ago, I was reading between 15 and 20 books a year, most of them novels—and that was in addition to my magazine and blog roll. This year, I haven’t finished reading a single novel. I made it about 400 pages into Infinite Jest, and was absolutely loving it, but I put it… -
Thirty-seven Picture Shows from around the World
Earlier this year, we started running new collections of photos from prominent and up-and-coming photographers who are exploring the world in interesting ways. We call them Picture Shows, and each Wednesday we feature a new artist’s work. So far we’ve run 37 of these Picture Shows, which have offered visual explorations on a range of topics: the closing of a GM plant in Ohio, the contents of strangers’ refrigerators, and the way of life in… -
Intermission: Ridiculously Cool Half Pipe Performance Painting
The Rinpa Eshidan art crew takes a half pipe by storm and performance-paints the hell out of it in this awesome time lapse. Via Pink Tentacle. -
First meeting for the “Create, Don’t Hate” billboard project
Seven designers/design studios connected with seven youth in a speed-dating session to getting to know each other, fast. Five (or so) minutes per person. It went fast and we were able to make the pairings of Designer/Student soon after. The event was held at p:ear in downtown. I’d have to say that, both groups were a little tentative at first but everyone loosened up and had a good time finding out about each other’s work. Maybe… -
The Greatest Guerrilla Art Mystery You’ve Never Heard Of (But May Have Walked Over)
The curious case of the Toynebee Tiles and their continuing legacy The most culturally revered street art is often wrapped in an element of intrigue: Banksy’s quasi-anonymity has garnered as much attention as his artwork. But what happens when that intrigue swells far beyond the bounds of mere mystery and consumes the very message of the art? The biggest guerrilla art movement of our time is older than Banksy, more geographically promiscuous than JR, and has remained unsolved… -
Mixed News On Same-Sex Marriage
So in Maine yesterday, the voters reversed the state’s law allowing gay marriage by a margin of 47-53. This is unfortunate news, especially on the heels of the passage Prop 8 in California. But here’s some encouragement. Over at The Baseline Scenario, James Kwak presents the following chart, which shows how much different age groups support same-sex marriage, and concludes that “Barring a backlash even bigger than the one we’ve seen over the last ten years (during which… -
Phone texting reveals sensitive new “metrotextual” by Reuters
I’m so not in this generation apparently but this is hilarious and a sign of the brilliant future of openness bound to come as these youths come of age. “Men have become so openly affectionate with each other using mobile technology they’ve taken to signing off text messages to male friends with a kiss (x), … [being] dubbed ‘Metrotextuals.’” Original article: Phone texting reveals sensitive new “metrotextual” by Reuters: Yahoo! Tech
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Culture
How can art, music, film, and literature enrich, empower, and engage the citizens of the world?
