This week marks the fiftieth anniversary of the premier of Star Trek and the launch of an amazing franchise—the Next Generation itself already having passed the half-way mark towards that milestone. Though NBC aired the pilot episode on 8 September 1966, it was actually screened by a Canadian broadcaster two days prior. Here and here are some fun commemorations from earlier in the year. Although it only ran for three seasons before being canceled (two years shy of its stated mission)—having been kept aloft by a tremendous fan-base, the cultural impact and endurance (not to mention the predictive aspect) of the show are immeasurable.
Wednesday 7 September 2016
star date 1312.4
beltway
The Houses of Parliament in London are in dire need of refurbishment—removing asbestos and updating wiring, the brilliant and sly Tom Shakespeare reports, not just bringing condemnation to these corridors of power but by way of an alternative a modest proposal that might improve the public image of the ruling-class among those whom they represent and provide important insights into their short-comings.
The two contingencies presented either allow for a three decades’ piecemeal restoration in situ or the displacement of lords and commoners for a period of six years whilst refurbishments go on whilst the representatives have been removed to other chambers. While recognising the importance of metonymy and the ability of an address to be the focus or praise or ire, Shakespeare rather proposes that the Houses of Parliament take to the road, harking back to the procession of kingly courts on the move of five centuries prior. Can you see it Gwen? A round table! What do you think? Despite the venom directed at the establishment and the unsavouriness of hosting other big events recently, surely constituencies would walk over the necks of competition to host a moveable parliament. There’s certainly a modern counterpart in the mobile three-ring circus (through not without its detractors) that decamps Brussels for Strasbourg regularly. Perhaps that arrangement should be expanded and jar the privilege of Washington or Berlin. Just as England had its roving trappings, residences were built for the Holy Roman Emperor all over his domain and the rotation was a welcome event, despite the logistical hassles. Maybe bringing the processes of representative democracy to the people might make those elected officials more conscientious and accountable—and perhaps win back some measure of esteem from their constituents.
Tuesday 6 September 2016
baubotanik
An architect and gardener in Nagold, a town south of Stuttgart, finding inspiration in the gentle, patient coaxing of bonsai trees and topiary cultivating, has grown a series of towers that fuse a minimum of man-made construction materials with living branches. These creations won’t be supplanting traditional building for human habitation but could also prove very suitable sanctuaries for other fauna and the extensive research that went into their design will surely inspire others. You can read more about tree-houses here, here and here.
who ever heard of a snozzberry?
Via Messy Nessy Chic’s latest virtual lost-and-found, we discover that there is a museum that exclusively curates discarded and retrieved shopping lists. The collection is approaching four thousand pieces of ephemera and shows that we are not alone in standing at the check-out line with non-sequitur items, not always being able to retrieve the proper name for something and that penmanship and spelling can be tough things.
bespin cloud city
As part of a brilliant series about colonising the Solar System (responsibly and not in manner that might threaten native life forms), Universe Today looks at some of the proposed platforms for human settlement on Venus, which don’t make our Doppelganger out to be Evil Twin, failed Earth it is in our imaginations. Conditions on the surface are pretty inhospitable, nonetheless, but one clever plan from NASA would see colonies floating in dirigibles high above the Venusian clouds, High Altitude Venus Operational Concept (HAVOC), that would mine the sky for chemical elements. Be sure to check out the whole article and more stories about space exploration at the link up top.
pudding lane
After the devastation, the mostly timber urban core was rebuilt with the signature grey Portland limestone, but the social and economic disruption must have endured for generations and surely many who lost family and fortune never recovered. The event included a street fair with food and burn treatments from the time.
