How and Why the Kilogram Value Changed

At this year’s General Conference of Weights and Measures, a collective of 60 countries voted to change the kilogram’s value. Up until this vote, the kilogram was based on a platinum and iridium fragment, called the “Le Grande K,” which is stored in a chamber in the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Sèvres, France. Over time, Big K seemed to be losing weight—or its replicas …

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

Inside Japan's KitKat factory, Hockney's $90 million painting, hidden continents and more

Tavares Strachan and SpaceX Send Art to Space On Monday, 19 November, SpaceX will send its Falcon 9 rocket into space. But, this time the launch will be adorned with a Tavares Strachan sculpture of Robert Henry Lawrence Jr, the first African-American NASA-trained astronaut. Sadly, Lawrence Jr never made it to space (he died in a jet crash in 1967) but, thanks to this collaboration, …

Ascertaining the Value of David Hockney’s $90 Million Painting

When Christie’s set the $80 million estimate for David Hockney’s masterpiece “Portrait of an Artist (Pool With Two Figures),” which would ultimately pale in comparison to the actual record-setting (for a work by a living artist) hammer cost of $90 million, they took many factors into account. More than arguing that it’s one of the iconic artist’s best compositions, the team at Christie’s made note of …