Link About It: This Week’s Picks
A Ndebele art-adorned BMW, “high” lobsters, NASA tech and more
Senate and Public Domain Pros Reach Compromise on Copyright Issues
Content companies (seeking stronger protections and arguably additional profit) and digital rights groups (vouching for access) haven’t been able to find common ground on copyright law for the past decade. Current law protects older songs—in some instances—for up to 140 years. Century-long protections for these songs, in the minds of many, is too long. And, currently a quilted-system of laws covers song copyright from state-to-state. Now, under a new bill passed by the Senate, the process—and most importantly the length of protection—is consistent across the country and across decades. Read more about the bill on Ars Technica.
South African Artist Esther Mahlangu Brings Ndebele Art to BMW Once More
The first woman commissioned to create a BMW art car (back in 1991), South African artist Esther Mahlangu, has seen her relationship with BMW reignite once more. The automaker recently tapped Mahlangu for interior paneling that would further employ her colorful motifs—drawn from the Ndebele tradition of message-laden house painting—something she learned from her grandmother. The result is astounding—a joyful punctuation to the vehicle. And as for what’s next for the prolific 82-year-old artist, she’ll get a studio upgrade thanks to BMW South Africa and feature at Burning in Water‘s booth during the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London this coming October. See the final product and a video detailing its creation at designboom.
NASA Technology Could End Food Waste
“Hyperspectral imaging”—technology that allows someone to scan foods for imperfections, ripeness and contamination—will drastically cut the amount of waste in the food industry. Because photographs of produce can be used to determine problems, physical probing or complete destruction won’t be necessary. Thus, contaminated, unripe or imperfect foods can be spotted without ruining consumable ones—hopefully cutting back on our waste rate, which is at about 33% of all food. This technology has long been used by NASA and other big-budget agencies, but it’s becoming more affordable and widespread. Read more about the technology on CNBC.
Call Me By Your Name Director Tries Interior Design
Call Me By Your Name garnered rave reviews for its acting, directorial qualities and, quite frankly, its completeness. But some of the loveliest moments in the film are anchored by beautiful backdrops and stunning corridors. Director Luca Guadagnino admits that he’d always dreamt of working in interior design—that his sets, with their layered details, were his expression of that dream. Now, he has. “Space is the most important thing that comes to my mind when I analyze things,” Guadagnino says to T: The New York Times Style Magazine. “In cinema, you are an impostor, in a way, because you can always edit afterward and change the story. You cannot do that with a house.” The permanence of it all—and the former uses of the building he worked on, as factories for various products—drew Guadagnino. He knew that with this property “everything important is inside” so his dreams came to fruition under pressure—but, like his films, the home is a layered beauty with unique subtleties. Read more about the interior at The New York Times.
Maine Restaurant Gets Lobsters Stoned Before Cooking Them
Charlotte Gill, licensed marijuana caregiver and owner of Charlotte’s Legendary Lobster Pound in Maine, explains that she’s developed a humane way to cook lobster: steam them alive after hotboxing them with marijuana smoke. Gill first experimented on a lobster she named Roscoe, developing a system that would allow the lobster to rest in water while pulling in THC from smoke in the air. Read more about the process and the belief behind it at Mashable.
New Report Finds Four Distinct Personality Types
When one gets past the hurdle of whether or not defined personality types even exist, it becomes easier to embrace a brand new study in the scientific journal Nature Human Behavior. Here, scientists break down humans into four personality types based on “five different major character traits, including neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness,” according to Time. Co-author Luis Amaral, a professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern University, and postdoctoral fellow Martin Gerlach, sorted through 1.5 million answers to four different personality surveys. Participants were all ages and stretched across the globe. Head over to Time to learn more about what each personality type embodies.
Silversea World Cruise 2020 Will Hit All Seven Continents
Once the Silversea World Cruise experience kicks off on 5 January 2020 from Fort Lauderdale, it will stop at 62 ports across all seven continents over 140 days. Aboard the Silver Whisper, 382-people—each paying between $62,000 and $250,000—will touch 32 different countries along the way before concluding in Amsterdam. The experience actually isn’t the world’s longest cruise. That belong to Viking Cruises 245-day extravaganza. However, it’s the only one to touch the seven continents—as well as fold in so many other unique, location-based experiences (from tango in Buenos Aires to a traditional water dance festival in Vanuatu). Read more at Condé Nast Traveler.
Coca-Cola Looks to Marijuana-Derived CBD for its Drinks
The marijuana-derived cannabinoid CBD—already building quite the reputation as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-nausea and anti-seizure aid, in states where it’s being treated as legal—might find a home in Coca-Cola products. According to Bloomberg, “Coca-Cola is exploring the possibility of using CBD as an infusion in ‘wellness beverages.'” Plenty of studies and corroborated results address the benefits of CBD (from weed, not hemp)—and make note of the fact that it does not boast any of the psychoactive properties that THC does. All that’s left to address is national legality. Learn more at Bloomberg.
iRobot’s Latest Roomba Robot Vacuum Empties Itself
With the Roomba i7+, another hassle associated with cleaning has been handled thanks to robotic developments. iRobot’s newest robot vacuum iteration actually empties itself while docked. All detritus makes its way from the Roomba into a bag that’s reportedly good for 30 fillings—and easily lifts out of the dock when full. Another noteworthy change on the model: bristles have been replaced with rubber surfaces on the dual brush system. Learn more, and watch a feature announcement video, on Core77.
A Victory for TSA PreCheck Members
More than five million travelers have enrolled in TSA PreCheck since it launched in 2013. That, alone, hasn’t caused congestion—but TSA’s willingness to shift non-PreCheck travelers into the lane, to ease congestion elsewhere, has lead to longer wait times for those who’ve paid (in time and money) for the pre-screening. Last week, the US House of Representatives passed the PreCheck is PreCheck Act of 2018—which, if it passes the Senate, would mandate only members of the secure traveler program use the service’s lines. Read more about the act’s development at AFAR.
Link About It is our filtered look at the web, shared daily in Link and on social media, and rounded up every Saturday morning.
