Link About It: This Week’s Picks
Designing apparel for people of all abilities, discovering the world’s oldest computer, the quest for the Twin Peaks cherry pie and more
1. The Most Impressive Fossil Discovered To Date
Looking through photographer Robert Clark’s photo set for the June 2017 issue of National Geographic, taken at Alberta’s Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, one cannot help but feel they’re witnessing a character study still life from Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park.” Clark photographed their 110 million-year-old fossil of an armored nodosaur. Due to its undersea burial, elements of the dinosaur’s armor, skin and even soft tissue were preserved. It’s one of the most compelling fossils exposed thus far and Clark’s access to the piece (without the protection of glass) guarantees visuals unlike any we’ve seen before. See the full set at National Geographic.
2. This Invention Translates Colors Into Smells
An innovation that is reminiscent of scratch-n-sniff stickers of yesteryear, the Bouquet is a “synesthetic olfactory device” that essentially turns colors into smells. The cone-shaped invention is an ECAL project (from the Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne in Switzerland) by Erika Marthins, Arthur Moscatelli, Pietro Alberti, and Andrea Ramìrez Aburto. The user simply points the Bouquet and the device perceives the color, then sends a the corresponding fragrance (oftentimes a blend) to the user. To learn more, take a look at their video.
3. Open Style Lab + Parsons Design Clothes for People of All Abilities
As the New York Times notes, nearly 40 million Americans have disabilities. That’s almost 12% of the population, and a percentage that’s severely under-serviced by the fashion and apparel industries. Through an academic partnership with NYC’s Parsons School of Design, non-profit Open Style Lab worked with teams of students to imagine and produce clothing both functional and fashionable that met specific needs. From addressing spastic quad cerebral palsy to a rare form A.L.S., the output was impressive—and hopefully just the start. Read more at the Times.
4. From High School To Fashion Trade Shows And International Sales
From fashion design doodles in his high school notebooks to Japanese retailers carrying his wares, a lot has transpired in the life of Taofeek Abijako over the last year. One year ago, Abijako was still a senior in Albany when he tweeted out the first-ever lookbook for his luxury streetwear brand Head of State+. The tweet made its way to the buyer of Japan’s United Arrows and after a meeting in Manhattan, they took on his entire collection. Abijako’s pieces are made in NYC, but they make clear reference to his homeland, Nigeria. The 18 year old looked to the DIY aesthetic of Nigerian youth in the post civil war time period. The result is a strong A/W collection known as “Hooligans” which will make its way to even more retailers around the world.
5. A Quest for the “Twin Peaks” Cherry Pie
From damn fine coffee to the Log Lady, the Black Lodge, owls and One Eyed Jack’s casino, David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” offered plenty of significant tidbits, characters, places, and—of course—metaphors that stuck with viewers over 26 years. Special Agent Dale Cooper’s obsession with the cherry pie at the Double R Diner is one of the most earnest. The NY Times’ Sara Bonisteel went on a mission to find an authentic slice of Twin Peaks pie—from the version at Twede’s Cafe (which was the location of the Triple R) to the Salish Lodge & Spa, and even trying to get secret recipes from various other famous diners. Read more at the Times.
6. A Smartwatch For People With Parkinson’s
With a mission to use technology to empower humans of all abilities, Microsoft’s latest smartwatch aims to help minimize hand tremors experienced by people with Parkinson’s disease. Known as the Emma Watch, the device uses “vibrating motors—similar to those found in mobile phones—to distract the brain into focusing on something other than trying to control the patient’s limbs,” explains Microsoft. In essence, the motor’s vibrations counteract those of the wearer. There’s still a long way for the technology to go, but as there’s no cure for Parkinson’s in site, it’s a beacon of hope and a powerful use of technology and Microsoft’s resources.
7. Kris Provoost Captures China’s Architectural Icons
In an impressive photo study called “Beautified China,” Beligan architect Kris Provoost has documented a bulk of the most extraordinary architectural phenomena in China. Provoost has been based in Shanghai for six years now, studying Asian megacities and large-scale structural experiments there. From the CCTV headquarters by Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren to the Shanghai Tower by Gensler, Provoost’s imagery (and videos) capture the spectacular. Head over to designboom to see more.
8. A 2000-Year-Old Brass Computer
In a 2000-year-old shipwreck off the coast of the Greek island Antikythera, scientists discovered the oldest known example of a computer—a complex, computational device that predicted astrological events along a calendar year. This ancient hybrid clock/calculator, known as the Antikythera mechanism, featured brass gears and dials built from mathematical ratios. While discovered 115 years ago, it wasn’t until 1959 that Princeton science historian Derek J. de Solla Price would refer to it as a computer, because it employed “mechanical parts to save tedious calculation.” Arguably most important though, is that this level of technology is traditionally dated to the 16th century—not the first. To learn more about the incredibly piece, head over to Vox.
Link About It is our filtered look at the web, shared daily in Link and on social media, and rounded up every Saturday morning.
