Internal Time: The Science of Chronotypes, Social Jet Lag, and Why You're So Tired. By Maria Popova.
The Bayeux Tapestry Animated. We had to do it.
We had to bring back a wonderful little animation of The Bayeux Tapestry -- you know, the famous embroidery that offers a pictorial interpretation of the Norman Conquest of England (1066) and the events leading up to this pivotal moment in medieval history. Currently residing in France, the tapestry measures 20 inches by 230 feet, and you can now see an animated version of the story it narrates. The clip above starts roughly halfway through the historical narrative, with the appearance of Halley's Comet, and it concludes with the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The video created by David Newton began as a student project at Goldsmiths College. Systematic Wonder: A Definition of Science That Accounts for Whimsy. 15 Years of Cutting-Edge Thinking on Understanding the Mind.
By Maria Popova What mirror neurons have to do with Abu Ghraib, the science of religion, and how happiness flourishes. For the past 15 years, literary-agent-turned-crusader-of-human-progress John Brockman has been a remarkable curator of curiosity, long before either “curator” or “curiosity” was a frivolously tossed around buzzword. His Edge.org has become an epicenter of bleeding-edge insight across science, technology and beyond, hosting conversations with some of our era’s greatest thinkers (and, once a year, asking them some big questions.) Last month marked the release of The Mind, the first volume in The Best of Edge Series, presenting eighteen provocative, landmark pieces — essays, interviews, transcribed talks — from the Edge archive.
The anthology reads like a who’s who of Brain Pickings favorites across psychology, evolutionary biology, social science, technology and more. Graphic Artifacts from Down Under. Architecture Without Architects: What Ancient Structures Reveal About Collaborative Design. By Maria Popova From Rome’s theater districts to China’s underground cities, or what pleasure has to do with utility.
The mythology of the sole genius underpins most contemporary creative disciplines, but it is particularly pronounced in architecture, where the image of the visionary diva-architect endures as the gold standard of the discipline’s success. In 1964, Moravian-born American writer, architect, designer, collector, educator, designer, and social historian Bernard Rudofsky examined a whole other side of architecture in Architecture Without Architects: A Short Introduction to Non-Pedigreed Architecture — a fascinating lens on “primitive” and communal architecture, exploring both its functional value and its artistic richness, with a focus on indigenous tribal structures and ancient dwellings. I believe that sensory pleasure should take precedence over intellectual pleasure in art and architecture.” ~ Bernard Rudofsky Underground city near Tungkwan (China) Incognito: David Eagleman Unravels the Secret Lives of the Brain. By Maria Popova.
Chart Wars: The Steering Power of Data Visualization. CREATURES - the card game. by Tyler Panian. CREATURES: The Card Game will be available for purchase directly from us at www.creaturescardgame.com, along with shirts and magnets, but only after we have finished sending all of our Kickstarter rewards out (check back sometime late December 2011).
Look for CREATURES also on www.amazon.com, www.boardgamegeek.com and other distribution outlets in the future! Our backers voted for their favorite T-shirt design--here it is! : But we'll be offering two additional designs if we hit $40k and $45k! Find out more information on our latest stretch goals at Update #12. Thank you all so much for putting us over our goal in less than 72 hours! If/when we hit the $6000 goal, there will be an extra special bonus reward added to EVERY backer level $5 and above-- a special, limited edition animal to be added to your deck available only to kickstarter backers! CREATURES is a creative, strategic card game that blends friendly competition with a good laugh! Happiness Hot Spots. Designing Minds: Uncovered Video Profiles of Prominent Designers. Multimedia Spotlight: Animating Vocal Improvisation. By Maria Popova How a laptop and a highway play together, or what geometry has to do with music.
Today’s short-and-sweet is Improvisation 2 — an audiovisual experiment by multimedia artist/singer Fredo Viola, who explores the environment solely with his voice and what he sees around him. The vocal improvisation was recorded on a laptop mic, then stunningly animated using footage from New York’s West Side Highway arranged into a mesmerizing swirl of circles and hexagons. The video is intended to be experienced in a more interactive way that allows you to drag, drop and play with the various spinning shapes — give it a spin. Brain Pickings has a free weekly newsletter and people say it’s cool. Share on Tumblr. How teenagers keep reinventing language. 21 October 2011Last updated at 03:17 By Catrin Nye and Denise Winterman BBC News Ex-gang members were used as script advisers on a new British film about girl gangs so that the language would be authentic.
How hard is it to write in the way that young people speak to each other? "The word Sket means ho (whore) basically, someone who sleeps around. Some guys might call girls a ho when they're not actually, they're just trying to tarnish their name. " Charles Eames on Design: Rare Q&A from 1972. By Maria Popova A lucid reflection on the role and culture of design by one of the most iconic and influential designers of all time.
Legendary design duo Charles and Ray Eames shaped the mid-century modern aesthetic and influenced the voice of design for decades to come. They were also prolific filmmakers, perhaps best known for the iconic Powers of Ten film. In this fantastic Q&A from 1972, found on the excellent compilation The Films of Charles & Ray Eames and reproduced here in House Industries’ typography journal, Madame L’Amic of the Musee des Art s Decoratifs in Paris asks Charles Eames 29 questions about design, covering everything from the balance between form and function to the role of computers in creativity to the impact of influences. Morality Is Other People.