Link About It: This Week’s Picks
Gloria Steinem talks learning feminism from women of color, Boeing patents a “force field,” The X-Files returns and more in this week’s look at the web
1. Gloria Steinem on Black Women and Feminism
Feminist, journalist and activist Gloria Steinem told Black Enterprise that she thinks black women invented the feminist movement. The Medal of Freedom award winner further discusses the role black women played in her 50-year career, explaining that they were actually twice as likely to support feminist issues compared with white women. When asked what she has to say to African American women who feel the movement isn’t about them, she thoughtfully responds, “I don’t say anything, I listen. Because the point is that we help each other.” Sage words from an icon.
2. Tinker Hatfield on the Air Max Zero
Since its introduction in 1987, the Nike Air Max 1 has become a global icon in sneaker design, yet very few know its origin story—until now. To celebrate its self-proclaimed Air Max Day on 26 March 2015, Nike will launch the Air Max Zero, the very first shoe design to include a built-in, see-through bubble, which was eventually scrapped due to marketing issues. To learn more about the “one before the 1,” Design Boom spoke with its creator, legendary sneaker designer Tinker Hatfield.
3. Sweeter, Healthier Chocolate
Researchers have found a natural way to make chocolate not only healthier, but also tastier. After analyzing the production process of chocolate bars, the researchers decided to make a few tweaks. By storing the cocoa pods for a few days after they were picked and by roasting them at lower temperatures for longer times, they were able to help retain more of the natural antioxidants produced in cocoa while actually making the chocolate sweeter. The team hopes to find more ways to improve the roasting process.
4. The X-Files Returns
Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully will return to the small screen in a revival of the paranormal crime drama The X-Files. After some speculation, Fox has officially announced that the cult-classic’s comeback will be in the form of a six-part television event series with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprising their roles. Creator and executive producer Chris Carter calls the show’s absence “a 13-year commercial break” in which “the world has only gotten that much stranger.” There’s no word yet on when it will air.
5. Rare Interview with Massimo Vignelli
In an excerpt from his book “Helvetica/Objectified/Urbanized: The Complete Interviews,” filmmaker Gary Hustwit reveals an exclusive conversation he had with legendary designer Massimo Vignelli. In the interview—which took place nearly a decade ago—Vignelli discusses the story behind is iconic subway map and signage, his biggest regret in design, the impact computers had on typography and what he thinks the future of design looks like. Read a condensed version of the interview on Fast Co. Design.
6. Boeing’s “Force Field” Patent
Boeing has just filed a patent for “shockwave attenuation via electromagnetic arc” or more simply put: force fields. The defense company plans to use the patent to help protect military vehicles from incoming shockwaves generated by explosions. When a nearby blast is detected, vehicles equipped with the technology will be able to immediately neutralize them by emitting a blast of its own. While it won’t be able to protect from shrapnel or other physical threats, the technology could lead much further.
7. Asking for Hugs in Australia
In 2012, a depressing survey revealed that just 13% of all Australians said they trusted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The dismal statistics prompted Australian artist Peter Sharpe to set up a social experiment in which schoolgirl Jasirah Bin Hitam bravely stood—blindfolded and open-armed—on a busy beach with a sign saying, “I trust you. Do you trust me? Let’s hug.” At first, people observe from afar, but after the first embrace, a flood of other huggers roll through and so do the warm, fuzzy feelings.
8. New Photos of Studio 54
During the disco craze of the ‘70s, photographer Hasse Persson spent many of his nights capturing the debauchery taking place at NYC hotspot Studio 54—a nightclub whose guest list regularly included Andy Warhol, Grace Jones, Tina Turner and more. And though the images he captured there have become legendary, they’ve yet to see publication—until now. Thanks to publisher Max Ström, you’ll now be able to experience the glorious golden age of NYC disco in Persson’s new book “Studio 54.”
Link About It is our filtered look at the web, shared daily in Link and on Twitter, and rounded up every Saturday morning.
