by Asia Leonardi From fires to bombings, from building speculation to structural risks, the list of edifices, neighborhoods, avant-garde buildings that we have lost in the course of our history is endless. Sometimes, this was due to unforeseeable agents, causes of force majeure, such as environmental disasters, war, invasions; other times, ignorance, superficiality, consumerism: such … [Read more…]
by Fraser Hibbitt In 1894, two ordinary men set off on a three-day walk through the south downs in England. Their names were Thomas Oakley and Hans Eagerton, and both hailed from London. A short fragment of their journey was preserved by a certain anthologist, Richard Eseat, who compiled a work dedicated to the summer: … [Read more…]
by Vittorio Compagno A bright red sphere millions of kilometers from here is what Mars meant for most people throughout human history. At first, it was just dance on the stage where the Sun and other stars revolved around the Earth, a luminous celestial body with its reddish reflections, until finally we recognized it as a planet. Before recent space missions, little was known about the red planet, … [Read more…]
by Hazel Anna Rogers Intro by Carl Kruse Intro Every year we take some time to celebrate that moment on 25 April 1953 when Crick and Watson issued their findings on the structure of DNA, and of the benefits to humanity that such knowledge has wrought. Our previous celebrations of DNA Day on the blog … [Read more…]
by Carl Kruse Steven Spurrier, who almost single-handedly put California wines on the world map, died recently. Steven Spurrier in Paris, 1978. Photo: Alamy. In May 24, 1976 he organized what has come to be known as the “Judgment of Paris,” where he presented a blind mix of 10 whites and 10 reds from California … [Read more…]
by Hazel Anna Rogers North-east of Brighton, continuing past both the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex, one eventually comes to the gated entrance of Stanmer Park, a green haven of around 470 acres. To the south-west, the park connects all the way through the smaller Wild Park and then onto Hollingbury Golf … [Read more…]
by Fraser Hibbitt and Carl Kruse Einstein’s house in Princeton, New Jersey saw some of the most brilliant minds of the twentieth century. The little unassuming place stands today as private property due to the expressed wish in Einstein’s will that the house be not turned into a museum or memorial. The Historical Society of … [Read more…]