Supposedly using his foreknowledge of a lunar eclipse that night, Christopher Columbus (previously) on this day in 1504 frightens a group of hostile Jamaican natives. The ominous but not singular celestial was predicted by astronomer Regiomontanus, where the Moon passes through the umbra of the Earth turning shades of orange and red, enough to rattle superstitious sailors, and reportedly Columbus hoped to convince the caciques, the group’s leaders, of his supernatural prowess and threaten them divine retribution from their Christian god if they didn’t agree to barter for supplies, the crew facing starvation without their help. Cowering in fear once the eclipse started, so the account goes, Columbus fabulistically forgave them their indigence and restored the Moon, promising that they would be spared pestilence and failed crops.
Thursday 29 February 2024
Saturday 17 February 2024
selenology (11. 356)
From the Amusing Planet’s archives, we are directed towards the 1874 work of engineer and hobbyist astronomer and photographer James Nasmyth of Edinburgh through his speculate volume on lunar geology called The Moon: Considered as a Planet, a World, and a Satellite, a compendium of research and observations, supplemented by a number of highly detailed photographic plates produced during a time when it was not technically possible to take such striking images directly through a telescope. Instead, Nasmyth improvised by making sketches from what he could see through his self-made observatory and transforming them into plaster relief scale models and photographing those under electric illumination to highlight the shadows and contours of his topographic globes. This work carried out after retirement from heavy industry, having invented the hydraulic press and the steam hammer and other machine tools, an impact crater (he had incorrectly theorised volcanic origins, though later research confirms lava flows) on the Moon is named in honour of Nasmyth himself, just to the west of the pictured Wargentin, for his lifetime of accomplishments.
catagories: ๐, ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ, ๐ท, ๐ญ
Friday 9 February 2024
zoozve (11. 335)
This is an excellent constellation about how our Cosmos is appearing much harder to classify than at first glance, language and definitions and the predictability and reproducibility of familiar models—even in our own backyard—which Kottke invites us to contemplate in a podcast from Radiolab about a mystery on a child’s poster of the Solar System. Better than a just-so story, it reminds us of the fictive hamlet of Agloe, New York, sort of a trap-street, that became a real settlement then vanished again. The companion satellite labelled for Mercury (a moonless planet as we learn in school) seemed to be sloppy work coming from NASA (the poster’s publishers)—or a bit whimsy—but meriting further investigation yielded some dead ends, googlewhacks or less, but eventually led to the discoverer of the quasi-moon, with the designation for the year of its finding 2002 VE68, the captured asteroid and the first found of its kind (see also) since renamed. Much more at the link up top.
Thursday 18 January 2024
7x7 (11. 278)
you are not a product: the demise of the social network Ello’s ambitions
right: US to UK export Word of the Year—see previouslymystic pizza: a new popular regional style from the US state of Connecticut
arbustum: ancient Roman wine-growing techniques and forest agriculture may help battle modern climate change
sora-q: Japanese space agency is poised to land a transforming robot on the Moon
gloogo: a lexicon of words that don’t exist yet but should (see also) from Burgess Unabridged—the source of the term blurb
๐: time spent pausing is a worthwhile pursuit—see also on the fermata
Friday 29 December 2023
7x7 (11. 221)
pivot point: this year and the next will be judged as humanity’s failure to tackle the climate crisis
fact check: a selection of debunked fake news from the past yearsears & roebuck: through to 1971, a US department commissioned Vincent Price to assemble a collection of fine art to be sold in stores
chronophoto: a challenge similar to GeoGuessr except one has to date an image on the map
๐พ: the natural wonder material returning to the Moon and beyond
jealousy list: articles that Bloomberg contributors wish they had scooped—see previously
1%: the world population will stand at eight billion on the new year
one year ago: assorted links to revisit
two years ago: 2021 in review
three years ago: 2020 in review, Brexit on tech plus cleaning up space junk
four years ago: the legacy of Thomas Beckett, nanotechology, a visit to a bunker museum plus flat-earther and other science denialism
five years ago: the Fifth Day of Christmas, long-lived trees, dinosaurs of the year plus the competition to host Amazon’s second headquarters
Tuesday 29 August 2023
7x7 (10. 970)
pagerank: Google has lost the quarter-century battle over overindexing versus useful search results—via Waxy
1 346 000/km²: a tour of what was once the most densely populated area in the world, a largely ungoverned Chinese exclave within the territory of Hong Kong—see previously here and herecorner suite: a visit to a unique corporate headquarters in Czechia with an office in an elevator—see previously
lunar codex: an archive and time capsule of human creativity launched to the Moon—see also
motor overflow: sticking out our tongues during complicated manual tasks reveal truths about our brains’ connections—via Damn Interesting
gone to pasture: an abandoned luxury development in China overtaken by farmers and livestock—via Messy Nessy Chic
cryogenics: Wordpress offers to archive one’s digital estate for a century
synchronoptica
one year ago: another MST3K classic plus assorted links to revisit
two years ago: the chemical element meitnerium, the founding of Greenland, white-winged doves and saguaro cactuses plus introducing Nirvana (1991)
three years ago: mystic Manly Palmer Hall, Wuppertal’s Schwebebahn, inventor Otis Frank Boykin, liturgical cheese plus Netflix (1997)
five years ago: Trump lashes out against perceived social media bias against him plus Keith Houston on the history of emoji
catagories: ๐จ๐ณ, ๐จ๐ฟ, ๐ญ๐ฐ, ๐, ๐ข, ๐พ, ๐ง , libraries and museums, networking and blogging
Friday 25 August 2023
the secret of the selenites (10. 964)
The first of a series of six articles published on this day in 1835 by the New York newspaper The Sun, blatantly plagiarised from a short story from Edgar Allen Poe began just a month prior in a literary journal though further instalments were pre-empted by the appearance of this series about a voyage to the lunar surface in a balloon, The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall (lifting some of the tropes in turn from The Adventures of Baron Munchausen), what became subsequently known as “The Great Moon Hoax,” rather libellously attributed to Sir Jon Herschel, one the great astronomers of the day, caused a not insignificant bump in circulation with its account on observations that revealed various selenographic features with terrestrial analogues and the existence of flora and fauna and lunarians—bat-winged humanoids described as “Vespertilio-homo.” Further studies were called off when the magnifying power of the telescope caught a glimpse of the sun’s rays and burned down the observatory. Herschel found the stories exciting and aspiration at first but became annoyed with the press coverage once people started to take it seriously.
Saturday 19 August 2023
8x8 (10. 951)
egress: the oldest door in Britain, a side-entrance to Westminister Abbey—via Strange Company
hold on to my fur: another collaboration with the Kiffness—this time with a talkative orange cat from China
isokon estate: Lawn Road Flats housed those displaced by WWII and its share of espionage
i want to believe: vintage UFO photos taken by Eduard Albert “Billy” Meier in Switzerland in the mid-70s made iconic when featured on the X-Files up for auction—via Things Magazinemeow-practise: a limited-run series in the tradition of American day-time soap opera classics like General Hospital and All My Children but with a feline twist
countdown: both Russia and India have Moon missions next week with the goal of being the first to reach the lunar south pole—via Super Punch
no dark sarcasm in the classroom: impressively, researchers recreate Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” by analysing listeners’ brain scans but we wonder—like in the above duet—there isn’t an element of backmasking and suggestion—via Kottke
ingress: the oldest known cat door at Exeter Cathedra
synchroptica
one year ago: the daguerrotype process is gifted to the world (1839)
two years ago: the Ninety-Five Theses as an email, the Treaty of Rawalpindi (1919) plus the Lithuanian sun goddess
three years ago: the launch of Sputnik 2 (1960) plus the album cover art of Milton Glaser
four years ago: more Brexit omnishambles plus the Pan-European Picnic of 1989
five years ago: assorted links to revisit
Saturday 10 June 2023
8x8 (10. 799)
within the wok’s embrace, the dance begins, as secrets blend with savoury sins: Scott D Seligman asked ChatGPT for a pad thai recipe in the style of Emily Dickinson and got an epic
dockhands: the latest line from Faith O’Hare is inspired by the workwear of the shipyards of the Cylde
hongmeng project: China’s space agency is placing a ring of telescopes in orbit around the Moon to explore the cosmic Dark Age just after the Big Bangtake care now: inclusive Pride post by Cracker Barrel provokes conservative fury over the loss of this family-friendly bastion—see previously
reference material: Ars Technica contributor Benj Edwards purchased a copy of the only encyclopaedia still in print
supergranulation: Parker probe exploring the Sun offers science clues on the origin of solar wind
blitz kids: a celebration of the fashion of Gary Kemp and Spandau Ballet—previously here and here
expandart: B3ta community teaching AI how to think beyond the frame—see previously—via Waxy
Sunday 28 May 2023
path of totality (10. 774)
Hailed by Isaac Asimov and others as the singular advent of science though some doubts persist to the accuracy of the claims of having forecasted the event in advance and what method was used, the 585 BC solar eclipse over Anatolia predicted by Thales of Miletus (the first philosopher to have broke with the tradition of mythology as a explanation for the state of the Cosmos, used deductive reasoning, proposed navigating by the stars and credited with the maxim “Know Thyself” as well as being a shrewd entrepreneur, having bought up all the olive presses in his archontes ahead of what was a very good harvest) that occurred on this day is a cardinal date used for triangulating other historical events, and, if true, is the earliest instance known of such an advanced vaticination. The announced event happened during a skirmish in the protracted war between the Medes and the Lydians, under the leadership of Cyaxares and Alyattes respectively, at Halys—the river bordering the two kingdoms, with the belligerents taking it as an omen to call a truce, though Miletus had no dog in this fight. Though astronomical knowledge at this point in history was not sufficiently advanced to know that the shadow of the Moon caused eclipses (not an avowed flat-earther, he provisionally believed that the continents floated on an infinite ocean under the dome of the firmament until a better idea came along)—that would come a century later—it is speculated that Miletus had noticed patterns in the periodicity, known to the Babylonians and programmed into the Antikythera Mechanism.
Wednesday 3 May 2023
but that that learn these letters fair, shall have a coach to take the air (10. 715)
Written by Irene Zacks and illustrated by Peter P Plasencia (previously and with another mission out of this world), we thought that this 1964 “Space Alphabet” was pretty keen and inspiring although we wonder why the authors went a bit dark with “M is for the Moon—a dead, dead world” and took exception with “U”—our United States as seen from outer space—instead of going for something existential like Universe. This abecedarium otherwise still holds up. What topics would you include on your adventure?
Thursday 30 March 2023
8x8 (10. 645)
maximum fun: Jessie Thorn is turning the podcast network into a worker-owned cooperative
gearing-ratio: a nifty explainer on the physics of riding a bike—via Waxy
glass-bead game: fascinating insights into the lunar water-cycle and stellar mist—see alsostop making sense: David Byrne on his Big Suit
retrotopia: Berlin’s Kunst-gewer-bemuseum explores Socialist design—see previously here and here
sit up & listen: a Thames Television station closedown (see also) routine
the panopticon effect: 99% Invisible explores the nineteenth century prison of Breda—see also
Tuesday 21 March 2023
goodwill sample displays (10. 626)
Reversing his tone from a wide-ranging and contentious press conference delivered five days before that forbid the Federal Bureau of Investigations from turning over its findings to a special congressional committee investigating the Watergate burglary and threatened to re-enter the Vietnam War and eliciting such a negative public response that a law was passed prohibiting the US from engaging in conflict in Indochina without the approval of Congress, Richard Nixon on this day in 1973 distributed fragments of lunar rocks to the fifty states of American and every country of the world collected during the final Apollo mission. Presented on wooden plaques with a miniture flag that went into the orbit around the Moon and back, each gift (see also) included a message of peace, acknowledging that the exploration of our satellite was an international effort and than humankind could surely achieve harmony on Earth.
Sunday 26 February 2023
8x8 (10. 575)
of bunkers and bridges: the government fall-out shelter behind Reykjavรญk’s Bรบstaรฐakirkja
the outfit says soundgarden, and the zine says bikini kill but the bedroom set definite says chemical brothers: the new historical American Girl Doll is from the 90s
hobbyist for hire: a tribute to the amateurs that inform so much of our professional base knowledgetiger by the tail: exploring the forgotten history of the big cat on the edges of Hong Kong
a project for a metropole: the impossible, monumental architecture proposed eighteenth century influencer รtienne-Louis Boullรฉe—see also
ahh ridiculous: the 1960 space exploration film 12 to the Moon, with an international crew, which also received the MST3K send-up
internyet: a look inside the obscure Russian agency charged with censoring the web
Saturday 11 February 2023
7x7 (10. 541)
sky survey: a massive, high resolution picture of the Milky Way with three billion distinct objects
pachyderm prototype: presenting the Platybelodon—see also
hobohemian: a primer for Tramp Art
book renewal: the New York Public Library has found that the majority of literature published prior to 1964 may already be in the public domain—via Kottke
opuntia: invasive cacti are spreading in the Swiss Alps
stardust to dust: researchers propose kicking up lunar debris to create a sunshade and cool the Earth—see also
Monday 30 January 2023
7x7 (10. 510)
loft apartment: a unique flat inside St Louis’ City Museum up for rent—via Miss Cellania
relaxed minimalism: a happy medium combining clarity and comfort
namensverbreitungskarte: an interactive maps illustrating the distribution of surnames in Germanynocebo: even when the patient is aware of taking an inert pill, a substance designed with no therapeutic value can lessen feelings of guilt and loathing—via the new shelton wet/dry
synodic and sidereal: the question of lunar standard time is a challenge—particularly with multiple missions operating at once—via jwz
kurashi: tidying guru Marie Kondo have accepted messiness after the arrival of her third child
arragon mooar: the purportedly the most complicated home ever built—by inventor John C Taylor—on the market—via Things Magazine
Wednesday 14 December 2022
6x6 (10. 384)
strife wins out: ๆฆ (ikusa, tatakau meaning war) is voted kanji of 2022—previously, see also—via Language Log
dunston checks in: Poseidon’s Underworld reviews the 1996 comedic film starring Jason Alexander, Paul Reubens, Rupert Everett and Faye Dunawayhearth and home: more animated Yule Log loops—see previously—via Waxy
twitterpated: a survey of possible dinosaur vocalisations
mission highlights: arresting imagery from Artemis I—see also
diwhy and regretsy: a collection of jargon and slang terms from the crafting community
Tuesday 13 December 2022
9x9 (10. 381)
deep field: JWST scans the skies
mar1d: in-game action as our protagonist would experience the Mushroom Kingdom—like Flatland—via Kottke
ny๐ณ: the City’s popular tree map updated to include a hundred thousand park residents—via Map Roomeven a cat can look at the queen: an exhibition of fine feline art
tumbleword: a daily challenge from Jer Thorp—via Waxy
math and the mechanics: the surprising origin story of the Cura Calculator
cervoise: brewer informed by ancient herbal and unhopped beer predecessor
world in motion: New Order’s 1990 World Cup anthem—via Digg
splash down: Artemis’ Orion capsule (previously) returns after a perfectly executed trial run
Saturday 10 December 2022
7x7 (10. 376)
symphony № 9 boogie: a one hundred and seventy piece orchestra plays Beethoven on the Matryomin—a theremin inside a Russian nesting doll
psychopomp: Santa Claus has origins as a magic-mushroom dispensing Sami shaman—see previously
your yolo years: Pinterest Predicts for 2023 with their not-yet-trending report—via The Curious Brain
747: after fifty-four years, the final production model of the Boeing aircraft leaves the factory
cancel couture: at just under a thousand dollars and designed to filter out noise and air pollution, the Dyson Zone is perfect for the misanthrope on your Christmas list
dumpster fire: marginal Democrat now declared independent as trash receptacles—via The Everlasting Blรถrt
dearmoon: billionaire selects eight artists for first voyage around Earth’s satellite aboard private orbiter
Wednesday 7 December 2022
blue marble (10. 368)
Photographed by one of the crew, likely Harrison Schmitt or Gene Cernan but ever member took turns taking pictures with the Hasselblad camera, of the Apollo XVII mission on its way to the Moon from a distance of just under thirty thousand kilometers on this day in 1972. Backlit and slightly rounded—gibbous and hence the name—from the astronauts’ perspective and after Earthrise only the second whole planet image captured by a human photographer, the Blue Marble is among the most widely reproduced and circulated images in existence, it was received by the public at a moment of increased environmental activism and awareness and helped focus the movement by framing Earth’s uniqueness and vulnerability set against the endless expanse of space. Although recreated by satellite imagining, there have been no crewed excursions since that taken us high enough aloft—yet—to fit the entire planet in the view-finder.