Link About It: This Week’s Picks
Celebrating Pride, finding lost cities, how drunk people invented the weekend and more in our look at the web
1. A Colossal Structure Discovered Near Petra, Jordan
A previously undocumented structure, hiding in plain sight next to the ruins of Petra, Jordan, has just been uncovered by archaeologists. Using a combination of Google Earth, satellite imagery and drones, the researchers stumbled upon the Olympic pool-sized structure which consists of two rectangular platforms probably lined with columns in ancient times. According to researcher Sarah Parack, “It’s large, it’s significant, it’s important. It probably would have had some kind of a public function.”
2. Extroverts Like Being Left Alone Too
While one might presume that extroverts thrive off of social interaction, a new study conducted by Finnish researchers shows that everyone—no matter their social aptitude—gets drained from too much talking. After studying 48 participants over the course of 12 days of varying social interactions and conscientious behavior, it became evident that even extroverts become fatigued from socialization. The study is the first to address extroverted and introverted behavior as a whole, suggesting that deep down, everyone likes being left alone.
3. Why We Should Freeze Our Coffee Beans
A recent study has proven that freezing coffee beans before grinding results in a tastier brew. A study published in Scientific Reports has revealed that cold beans “produce smaller, more consistently sized particles when ground, yielding more flavor from less coffee.” The issue of consistency is key, because during brewing, water extracts flavor at different rates from larger and smaller grinds—an inconsistent grind can lead to an inconsistent taste with both sour and bitter flavors. So in order to get a great cup of coffee (cold or hot) every time, just chill your beans.
4. The London Underground Receives a Typography Refresh
For the first time since 1979, London’s Tube is getting a typography refresh. The underground’s iconic Johnston typeface will soon be replaced by Johnston 100, a slimmer, more modern take on the classic. Designed by the type foundry Monotype, the new font features wider characters and looser spacing in order to “bring back some of Johnston’s relaxed feel,” says Malou Verlomme, a senior type designer at Monotype. Additionally, the @ symbol and # sign, initially excluded by Johnston’s original creator, have been updated to feel native to the typeface.
5. How Drunk People Invented the Weekend
Everybody has regrettable drunk moments, but we learned (thanks to Discovery News host Trace Dominguez) that boozed-up British people are to be thanked for inventing the two-day weekend. In his video, Dominguez explains the significance of numbers, days, weeks and time via religion and history. Interestingly, during the Industrial Revolution in England (from around 1760 to sometime between 1820 and 1840) “Britons started using Sabbath days for enjoyment instead of religion—they’d party on Sunday,” which meant Mondays became known as Saint Monday; when people would take the day off to deal with their hangovers. This led to factory-owners offering a deal to their workers: show up on Monday morning, and you can take a half-day on Saturdays. Essentially, hungover workers are the reason we get two days off instead of one. Weekend warriors, we salute you.
6. Researchers Discover Vast Underground Cities in Cambodia
Using cutting-edge laser scanning, archaeologists in Cambodia have just discovered massive underground cities near Angkor Wat. The massive subterranean cities, presumed to be roughly 900 to 1,400 years old, stretch across a staggering 734 square miles—about the size of Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh. Experts believe that the new discovery will dramatically change the longstanding theories on how the Khmer Empire was developed.
7. 13 Remarkable Sculptural Ceilings
From the constellation-filled Grand Central Station to the Michelangelo masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel, historical spaces have always been defined by their spectacular ceilings. Combining modern materials and out-of-this-world ideas, present-day designers have expanded beyond painting and are building incredible sculptures upon a room’s uppermost surface. From a colorful ice cream shop to a conceptual Starbucks, these 13 sculptural ceilings will have you looking up in awe.
8. LGBTQIA Pride Dates Across North America and Beyond
It’s Pride Month in Canada, Mexico and the US—a time when we can (as we always should) show love and respect, and fight for empowerment and equality. But it’s more than a celebration of and for the LGBTQIA community, it’s an important reminder of the 28 June 1969 Stonewall Riots that catapulted the gay rights movement in the US into the spotlight. Further, it’s an opportunity for the LGBTQIA community and allies to take to the streets in unity, for every step forward the queer community makes, there remains substantial (sometimes violent or fatal) opposition. Pride Month allows many to break free from fear. All are welcome and all support is welcomed. While comprehensive, this list is far from complete and if your city isn’t mentioned, there is an array of online resources to pinpoint how you can participate. It’s crucial to stand together, walk together and dance together with love—for those who died to help us come this far and for those who continue the fight for progress.
Link About It is our filtered look at the web, shared daily in Link and on social media, and rounded up every Saturday morning.
