Link About It: This Week’s Picks
Ridiculously luxurious dining experiences, art heists gone awry, design lessons from K-popp and more in our look around the web
1. Cambodia Bans Tourists in Inappropriate Clothing From Angkor
Considering how easy it is to respect a country’s culture, it’s wild to think that in 2016, Cambodia’s Apsara authority has had to ban tourists wearing inappropriate clothing from Angkor. The remarkably beautiful and historically rich place calls for visitors to cover their arms (to the elbow) and legs (below the knees) as a mark of respect, but a recent wave of tourists have ignored that—some going so far as to pose naked on the sacred temples and buildings. The World Heritage Site in Siem Reap is made up of the remains of the Khmer empire, dating as far back as the ninth century, and Long Kosal (of the Apsara authority) says skimpy clothing shows “disrespect to our beautiful culture and tradition.”
2. Lessons in Good Design from K-Pop
The world of Korean pop music is as sleek, manufactured and carefully invested in as the next Apple product, so it’s natural that one could take away more than just perfect choreography and a catchy chorus. Designer and developer Jonathan Z White points out how K-pop has become an extremely successful product, from story-driven design to building trust with an audience. All in all, this is a great example of how to observe and approach anything from a design perspective.
3. Nine Sensationally Luxuriant Dining Experiences
While ticking off Michelin-starred restaurants around the globe seems to be the most common foodie adventure, it’s not the most extravagant. From a magma chamber in an Icelandic volcano to a treehouse in the Seychelles, sensational venues exist around the globe in the most uncommon—yet entirely charming—settings. Whether or not eating fresh oysters in the middle of a peaceful Tasmanian oyster farm personally appeals to you, Bloomberg Pursuits’ list of nine extreme dining experiences certainly provides plenty of inspiration.
4. Talking to Fireflies
NYT science writer Joanna Klein road-tests the Firefly Communicator (developed by Joey Stein): a hand-held device with an LED light. Armed with the Communicator and some firefly knowledge, she explains how it’s easy to interact with the creatures—yet tricky at the same time, since different species and genders have different patterns of communication. Apparently, “The key to speaking firefly… is to find out the right time interval” as they differ between males and females.
5. Famous Art Heists Gone Wrong
In an article as fascinating as it is funny, authors Abigail Cain and Isaac Kaplan highlight eight major art theft failures while referencing many more. The tales, even the most grandiose ones, all feature a comedy of errors or simple lack of oversight. From too-small getaway cars and flat tires to ambitious ransom notes and incompetent support staffs, there’s some glamour here but a lot of calamity. Read about it all on Artsy.
6. Tanzania’s Huge Helium Gas Field
Whether or not most are aware, our global helium supplies (used in everything from MRI scanners to nuclear energy) were in short supply and running out. That was until a massive helium gas reserve was found recently in Tanzania. A UK team utilized new Norwegian technology to make the discovery in the Volcano-laden Tanzanian Rift Valley—an uncommon feat in itself, as helium discovery has traditionally been “accidental.” Moreover, it’s expected that the technology will soon reveal more.
7. The Dangers of Building VR Experiences from Personal Memories
Many of us would relish the opportunity to step back into a memory—not just view it in a slideshow or video recording but truly relive the situation. That seems to be a possibility within the developing VR world. According to Google VR vice president Clay Bavor there will be a push toward capturing personal moments in 3D and allowing users of VR technology to interact with them later in life. A very clear risk here, as noted by G Clay Whittaker, is that some might have trouble wanting to step out or step away. This is a very science fiction-like issue (reminiscent of “Inception”) but as VR technology improves, it may provide an opportunity to capture loved ones before they’re gone and live with them in a fully immersive digital world through the same memories, over and over—a potentially addictive escape.
8. Summer of the Wine Slushie
It’s safe to say that rosé has played a dominant role in summertime consumption for over a decade now. How, then, does one up the ante and deliver something new and exciting that retains our love for the pink wine? The Standard Spa, Miami Beach has a new option: the f’rosé. Like frozen drinks before it (including many new booze-driven slushies popping up everywhere), it appears pretty self-explanatory. Icy. Fruity. Fun. But this one has a few unexpected secrets. For the full recipe, head over to Vogue.
Link About It is our filtered look at the web, shared daily in Link and on social media, and rounded up every Saturday morning.
