Link About It: This Week’s Picks

Computer-generated candy hearts, a dating site for gorillas, an LGBTQ+ plaid from Burberry and more

1. Official Barack and Michelle Obama Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery Today, at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald became the first black painters to unveil commissioned presidential portraits from and at the museum. Wiley’s portrayal of a thoughtful, sitting President Obama falls upon a pattern of vibrant foliage, typical of his style. Baltimore-based Sherald’s work features …

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

NASA's long-lost spacecraft reappears, ice that's solid and liquid, diamond phone screens and more

1. Silent for 13 Years, a NASA Spacecraft Makes Communication The IMAGE spacecraft, an acronym of Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration, launched back in March 2000 to observe activity in the Earth’s magnetosphere. It ceased communication with NASA in December 2005. Entirely unexpected and sudden, after years of successful data-gathering, the disappearance was considered quite mysterious. IMAGE was believed to be damaged beyond repair and …

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

The changing image of UFOs, 28 films for Black History Month, underwater caves and more

1. 28 Films for Black History Month For the 28 days of Black History Month, the New York Times’ film critics have selected 28 films centered on African Americans’ experiences in 20th century USA. Beginning with “Within Our Gates” (1920), the list is in chronological order and includes some controversial, powerful and problematic issues. (For example, “Shadows” (1959) is about three black siblings, but two …