Philosophical Friday: The Pleasure of Being a Homebody

This poster is absolutely priceless, I found it on Reddit.  While there’s much to be said for going on an epic journey into the unknown, or gearing up for a massive weekend festival, we are often champing at the bit when we see a line-up for a festival. Yet the reality is, we end upContinue reading “Philosophical Friday: The Pleasure of Being a Homebody”

Ancient Mineral, Art or Book?

San Fran based artist Alexis Arnold has managed to reimagine National Geographic magazines with the use of Borax crystals for a strange geological marvel of colourful striations. Glittering crystals are alive and growing on the gradients of colour, turning them from mere functional books to something akin to living art and also uncannily like aContinue reading “Ancient Mineral, Art or Book?”

Cats Love Species-Specific Meowsic

Cats can hear weird things that are beyond our comprehension. Yet what makes their feline eyes narrow in a gesture of sublime enjoyment? Scientists have discovered the catnip track that makes cats contented. The Applied Animal Behaviour Science Journal published a paper in February 2015 which sought to “design sound for the auditory enrichment of nonhumanContinue reading “Cats Love Species-Specific Meowsic”

Technobiophilia and why our digital lives don’t need to be frantic

According to Author Sue Thomas who wrote the book Technobiophilia: Nature and Cyberspace there’s an intimate relationship between the language we use online: clouds, rivers, streams, viruses, and bugs and the way that we use our devices to reconnect with nature. According to Thomas, technobiophilia is the ‘innate attraction to life and lifelike processes as they appearContinue reading “Technobiophilia and why our digital lives don’t need to be frantic”

Eclipse Hunting For Star-gazing Dreamers

A solar eclipse is an awe-inspiring phenomenon that visits earth only once every couple of years or even decades. Ever since ancient times, humans have been fascinated, fearful and reverent of eclipses. Myth and the Solar Eclipse Ancient Greeks, Mesopotamians and Egyptians were the first to record solar eclipses. In 585 BC, Herodotus wrote ‘DayContinue reading “Eclipse Hunting For Star-gazing Dreamers”

Hypothetical Banks Notes from Hungary Feature Woodland Animals

Hungarian artist Barbara Bernát has created a wonderfully poetic illustrations of woodland creatures native to her country.   The hypothetical currency was created as an MA project and sees the Euro featuring pretty European animals on one side while the other shows a related botanical wonder. To add a dramatic, true-to-life  feeling she has based theContinue reading “Hypothetical Banks Notes from Hungary Feature Woodland Animals”

The World of Tomorrow – Yesterday: The World’s Fair in 1939, New York

This  bright bold fold-out map from the World’s Fair in 1939 along with postcards, pictures and a documentary speak volumes about a new optimism following the bleakness of the Depression and a blind faith in technology and all of the hopes and possibilities of the future. Click image to see larger detailed version. Watch anContinue reading “The World of Tomorrow – Yesterday: The World’s Fair in 1939, New York”

Travel: Welcome To The End Of The World – And It’s Amazing

Welcome to Slope Point. This is no man’s land – southernmost tip on New Zealand’s South Island. Basically what happens is that air circulating from Antarctica bursts forth towards these shores and create ongoing turbulence that’s so violent that trees are warped and gnarled in perpetuity, and envelop the landscape in twisted, morphed shapes. This isContinue reading “Travel: Welcome To The End Of The World – And It’s Amazing”

Seven Products from Lush That Will Convert You To The Cult (Of Lush)

As you probably already know, I am obsessed with Lush. Although for good reason, it does exactly what it claims on the tin. Which is completely refreshing given the amount of bullshit that’s touted by cosmetic companies, all trying to make a buck out of crappy products. For a change, with Lush, what they sayContinue reading “Seven Products from Lush That Will Convert You To The Cult (Of Lush)”

Tangible Things: How Do Cultures Measure the Past?

Tangible Things is a fascinating MOOC by Harvard University about material culture. Now finished, you can still cruise through the videos. You will be taken on a journey into the living, breathing history of material objects. Sound boring? It’s anything but! It may well change the way that you view mundane things like chairs, rocks andContinue reading “Tangible Things: How Do Cultures Measure the Past?”