The first woman to get a PhD in chemistry in Japan, geochemist Katsuko Saruhashi would have been 98 today and Google has honored her with her very own Google Doodle. Saruhashi’s research (measuring molecules in seawater) revealed the radioactive fallout that occurred after the United States began nuclear testing in the Pacific. She and her colleagues found that “fallout didn’t disperse evenly in the ocean.” …
Known as “plyscrapers,” several towers of wood are planned for development around the world. None impresses quite as much as Sumitomo Forestry’s 1,148-foot-tall and $5.6 billion project: the W350 tower. It’s slated to be the tallest wooden building in the world, and its construction will honor the company’s 350-year anniversary. Completion of the 70-story tower is expected in 2041. Green balconies will define the exterior, …
Equal parts luxuriant oak furniture and technically-advanced musical keyboard, the Roland Kiyola Piano is a MoMA Design Store exclusive. Handcrafted in Japan by furniture-maker Karimoku, the minimalist instrument features unique grain patterns, with 88 keys crafted from a wood and plastic hybrid structure. In contrast to most other digital pianos (which employ sampling/pre-recorded sounds from other pianos), this particular machine employs Roland’s heartier piano modeling, …