At the center of our galaxy is the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*. Though it has a history of flickering, it has never glowed like it did in April and May, new research tells us. Twice, both times over the course of four nights, the light around its core glowed at “unprecedented” levels—so much that some astronomers believed they’d discovered a star. Minutes later, the …
Legendary DJ/producer/composer Jeff Mills (aka The Wizard) is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing by releasing a conceptual album inspired by the moon. Available as a double-LP (or on CD), the record, called Moon — The Area of Influence, will be made up of Mills’ nuanced, cinematic and Detroit-rooted techno. In his words, “This album and the imagination that helped to produce it …
The Elusive Smile in Art History It’s a common misconception that the reason subjects in portraits of yesteryear didn’t smile is because of unappealing looking teeth. In fact, the reason is quite logical: smiling for hours on end is awkward and straining for models. In an essay on the topic, writer Nicholas Jeeves says, “A smile is like a blush. It is a response, not …
