The Principals’ Sound Journeys

Using field recordings documented by Chris Watson (the guy behind all of David Attenborough’s intoxicating wildlife documentaries), Brooklyn-based design studio The Principals recently created an interactive journey that guides visitors through the sounds of the natural world. Participants walk through three distinct aural zones—forest, canyon and sea—as sound elements like winds gusting across Norwegian islands or seals singing in Antarctica play with one’s sense of …

Long-Lost Leonardo da Vinci Sketch Discovered

Turning up at a Paris auction house, a small sketch (measuring seven by five inches) stood out to a curator, Thaddée Prate, who took a closer look. Indeed, the double-sided illustration proved to date back to 1482 and was the work of Leonardo da Vinci. While one side depicts Saint Sebastian, “the image is not a straightforward religious depiction: the martyr’s twisted pose and defined, …

Fitness Centers and Coffee Shops on Airbus Planes

A new proposal from aircraft maker Airbus’ innovation arm, A3, envisions a modular interior system that would let airlines switch out what’s inside the plane for different types of flights. Known as Transpose, the concept would allow for sleeper beds to be swapped with everything from cafes to fitness centers, or standard seating, depending on the duration of flight. As airlines have been paring down …