Researchers at Melbourne, Australia’s RMIT University developed an acoustic device that can remove performance-inhibiting rust from batteries, tripling their lifespan and, hopefully, reducing how frequently they are discarded. The researchers used MXene, a nano-material that holds promise as an alternative to lithium batteries, yet is prone to rust. They discovered that high-frequency sound waves cause the MXene battery to vibrate with enough force for the …
Handcrafted in the south of France, the “Wall Vase” by designer Lola Mayeras is soft and sophisticated. Featuring rounded, familiar forms and a beige glaze, the earthenware’s flat backside means it can hang flush with the wall—or rest on its side or back for a touch of whimsy. Price is in Euros.
In Terbol, Lebanon, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) stores tens of thousands of seeds sourced from the Fertile Crescent region—an area in Western Asia and North Africa that encompasses modern-day countries including Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and Egypt. The collection, which comprises many seeds from the early origins of agriculture, is part archive, part insurance plan for …
Three tiny fragments were collected by a Japanese spacecraft in 2005 from a 4.2-billion-year-old asteroid known as Itokawa. Smaller than the diameter of a hair, these components contain information that could help prevent an asteroid colliding with Earth. Itokawa, a rubble-pile asteroid (created when “solid asteroids collide and the resulting fragments assemble into new structures”), is almost as old as the solar system itself. Held …
Origami dates back to the 17th century in Japan, but it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that people began to consider the practice an art form due, in large part, to origami master Akira Yoshizawa. Since then, origami has gone on to become a respected art and now a tool to revolutionize science and technology. For example, the patterns and folds in origami, when applied …
Dyaqua is a family-owned Italian company that makes traditional-looking terracotta roof tiles that disguise solar photovoltaic cells. These solar panels, which the company named Invisible Solar, are almost indistinguishable from Italy’s historic roof tiles, yet they are made from a polymer that allows sunlight to filter through. Within, hand-placed photovoltaic cells capture light to convert to energy. Already, Invisible Solar is installed in Pompeii with …
LA-based artist Rob Sato’s Bad Hands series is composed of hand-printed lithographs in various colorways. Essentially a chart of hand and finger configurations (some of which are impossible), the print is on Cougar cover stock paper and is available in an edition of 60.
Comprising 40 recipes for Italian dishes, the new edition of The Silver Spoon for Children celebrates the book’s 10th anniversary with a refreshed, user-friendly layout. Featuring charming, helpful illustrations by Harriet Russell as well as enticing food photography, the updated cookbook (edited by Amanda Grant) includes instructions on making classics like spaghetti all’amatriciana, stuffed peaches and prosciutto-wrapped melon. Intended for kids seven and older, it’s a …
From Clothing The Gaps (a hybrid social enterprise and apparel brand), this long-sleeve “Sovereign Land” T-shirt states a fact and can work as a conversation starter about invasion, sovereignty and land rights. The Melbourne/Naarm-based collective designs and prints the garment in Wurundjeri Country in an ethical manner. Made from 100% cotton, its bold colors also echo those of the Aboriginal Flag. Price is in AUD.
From LA-based creative collective Cactus Store, an updated version of the original Xerophile: Cactus Photographs from Expeditions of the Obsessed includes new archival imagery, that spans 80 years, alongside expanded notes. Cacti surviving the snow-capped mountains of Bolivia, succulents that grow in lava in the Galapagos Islands, a two-leaf plant that has lived for a millennia: these fascinating photos and more complete this stunning collection.
“LUV (I KNOW I WANT THIS FOR REAL)” is another ’80s-inflected jam from singer-songwriter Q (aka Q Steve Marsden). Following the thread of his previous singles “TODAY” and “STEREO DRIVER“, the latest track encapsulates Marsden’s genre-defying panache: it’s retro with synths and an alluring, compressed beat but remains contemporary. With the artist’s soulful vocals and robust percussion, the single is a lush bop.
Maryland-raised rapper Cordae taps Anderson .Paak and J. Cole for the jazzy “Two Tens.” Apparently the track is one of many by the trio, as the artist told Zane Lowe recently, “We literally got a mixtape full of joints of me and Paak… Well, we got an EP full of joints with me, Paak and Cole beats.” Over a mellow soundscape, Cordae and .Paak trade …
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Singer-songwriter Josh Ritter has released an official long-form music video that combines two new singles, “Sawgrass” and “For Your Soul,” drawn from his forthcoming album, Spectral Lines (out 28 April). The melodic first track is driven by hopeful spoken-word lyrics that ultimately yield to Ritter’s signature vocals, while the second track turns the energy up via bold instrumentation and a sing-a-long chorus. Ritter’s longtime collaborator …
There are roughly 550,000 abandoned mines in the US. This vast amount of space might be the solution for scientists who have been researching ways to store renewable energy. In a study led by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, researchers devised a gravity battery using millions of mines worldwide. For this concept, they proposed lowering sand underground when energy is at its peak. …
Ahead of his debut album, Like Dying Stars, We’re Reaching Out (out 17 Feburary), Runnner (aka Noah Weinman) shares “runnning in place at the edge of the map.” The indie-rock track is tender and touching with atmospheric guitar, unhurried percussion and Weinman’s exacting lyrics. “I wrote this song about feeling frustrated in my communication and video games,” says the artist. “I’d work myself into a kind …
From Tokyo-based AMBUSH, founded by YOON (aka South Korean American designer Yoon Ahn) and Verbal (Japanese rapper, producer and director), the silver Bunny Charm Earring celebrates the brand’s playful and experimental aesthetic. The rabbit dangles from a safety pin earring, all crafted from brass but coated in a shiny silver finish. It’s also available in sterling silver and gold-plated sterling silver.
