Kawaakari (Japanese) The glow of a river or stream in darkness or dusk, the gleaming surface of a shadowed river (Japanese 川明かり). Kawaakari can refer to the reflection of the moonlight off flowing water, or the gleam of late sun … Continue reading Ancient Word of the Day: Kawaakari
Men of broader intellect know that there is no sharp distinction betwixt the real and the unreal… — H.P. Lovecraft, The Tomb (1917) During the Belle Époque, or the Beautiful Age, men and women of science and rationality sought comfort from new … Continue reading Strange Victorian Journeys Into the Fourth Dimension
In this stunning short film called Sun Moon London by filmmaker Luke Miller, we witness otherworldly visions of the interplay of the moon, sun and bustling central London. Luke captured the harvest moon on the 5th of October 2017, when … Continue reading Short film: Celestial wonders in downtown London
The traditional seasons in Japan are marked out by impercetibly small changes in nature across 72 miniature seasons in a year, each lasting 5 days and reflecting the fleeting, impermanent and diaphanous beauty of nature and all of its wonders. There are 24 divisions or sekki in the calendar that are split into 72 kō that last around five days each. Originating from China, the calendar was brought to Japan in 1685 by court astronomer Shibukawa Shunkai. I think this is a far more comprehensive, meaningful and meditative way to understand the world. I don’t know how this calendar isn’t … Continue reading Japan’s 72 gossamer-light and poetic microseasons
Many years ago in the late 90’s there was a pretty average movie called To Gillian on her 37th Birthday. It starred Michelle Pfeiffer as the mother Gillian and Clare Danes as her teenage daughter. Anyway, it turns out in … Continue reading To A on her 37th birthday.
Bowie needs no introduction in his ability to induce wonder, awe and beauty in anyone he touches. And now even after death, his legacy lives on in the form of a mannequin Star Man set to take a silence-filled orbit … Continue reading Starman, Bowie and the symbolism of SpaceX’s new world
Every element in the universe is composed of parts of a cataclysmic explosion of supernovae. This encompasses the iron found inside of the hemoglobin of our blood, the primary element of supernovae. That’s what we all are. The instant of … Continue reading We are all made of stars
【360° Movie】Tokyo Light Odyssey (Full) from WOW inc on Vimeo. If Pink Floyd and Stanley Kubrik were to have a baby in 2017 – this is what it would look like. Be taken on a sublime journey of immersive 360 … Continue reading 360 degree VR film of Tokyo: A hyper-creepy and darkly enjoyable feast
Verner Panton (1926-1998) is remembered for his bold, daring furniture design and aesthetic which embodied the fun and turbulent times of the 60’s and 70’s. His most famous pieces are the S chair, which became the world´s first one-piece moulded plastic … Continue reading Verner Panton: The Daring Spirit of 60’s Design
Who made the world? The billowing clouds heading southward. The pillowed reef and a thousand animals beneath my feet. Who made the wind bracing my ankles. The shadows behind and through it all. Who makes the light dance in one … Continue reading Every Picture Tells A Story: Who made the world?
Map makers, Google Earth developers, astronauts and those who gaze at the earth and universe for a living are already convinced of the tremendous beauty of large places seen from space. For most of us mere mortals we won’t ever get the chance to see the earth from space. The ‘Overview Effect’ was a term coined by astronauts in the 1980’s, who, after orbiting around our pale blue dot were overcome by an overwhelming sense of beauty, harmony and fragility of our planetary home. From our largely horizontal access to the world’s surface, we don’t really clock the magnitude of the … Continue reading Grandscale Beauty: The Overview Effect: Cyanobacterial Bloom in the Baltic Sea
Peter and Beatrice Leigh are a childless 30-something British couple who are devoutly evangelical Christians and are living in a Britain of an imagined near future. In this imaginary Britain things look largely similar to how they are right now, … Continue reading Book Review: The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
Nowadays, it’s possible to become not just a participant in scientific studies, but one of the researchers. The internet and crowd-sharing knowledge has made this possible. … Continue reading Explore and classify galaxies and planets for real scientific studies
Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. In Aotearoa Matariki rises in mid-winter–late May or early June. It … Continue reading The magic of Matariki and Māori winter sea navigation
Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. In Aotearoa Matariki rises in mid-winter–late May or early June. It … Continue reading The Māori and Matariki
A composite image of Montmartre and the Milky Way by Faula Thierry Found on Imgur (By Faula Thierry) Continue reading Every Picture Tells A Story: Montmartre and the Milky Way
This spectacular cloud trail was generated by the lift-off of the Orbiter Discovery (STS-96) on May 27th, 1999. Courtesy of NASA on The Commons via Flickr Continue reading Every Picture Tells A Story: Interstellar Cloud Trail in 1999
