Trivia (should have been 22 November)

Brakeman Capsey: 1943
via Shorpy Historical Photo Archive – Vintage Fine Art Prints by Dave

March 1943
“Acomita, New Mexico. Brakeman R.E. Capsey repacking a journal box of a special car as the train on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad between Belen and Gallup, New Mexico, waits on a siding.”
Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information
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Rembrandt’s lessons for the selfie era: why we must learn to look again
via Guardian by Jenny Judge
The selfie threatens to distract us from what Rembrandt did: looking at ourselves closely, honestly, but compassionately

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Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate

Writers and gardens
Voltaire’s garden was an ethical statement; Emily Dickinson’s was a place for private retreat. What – if anything – can we learn from an author’s garden?… more

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New Video: The Internet of Things - Explained
via CommonCraft by Lee LeFever
About This video:
The internet is evolving. It used to be made of computers, but today, the internet includes all sorts of “things” that can work together. This video explains the Internet of Things and what it can mean for both individuals and communities.
What it teaches:
— Why the internet in changing to include more “smart” devices
— What has enabled these “things” to become connected
— How increased connections could impact households
— How the internet of things could lead to greater efficiency and safety
Watch the video now

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Urban “Fingerprints” Finally Reveal the Similarities (and Differences) Between American and European Cities
via MIT Technology Review
Travelers have long noticed that some American cities “feel” more European than others. Now physicists have discovered a way to measure the “fingerprint” of a city that captures this sense.
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Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate

Mr and Mrs Disraeli
He was a dandified outsider with outsize ambitions. She was 10 years older and married – well, but not happily. Notes on a strange romance… more

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16 cartoonists who changed the world
via Boing Boing by Monte Beauchamp
Who were the original comic artists that left an indelible mark upon the world, paving the way for those who followed? Monte Beauchamp identifies the genre’s early masters.

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How cancer cells assure immortality by lengthening the ends of chromosomes
via 3 Quarks Daily from KurzweilAI

“Telomeres as fish”
On Sept. 23, KurzweilAI noted that scientists at the Salk Institute had discovered an on-and-off “switch” in cells that might allow for increasing telomerase, which rebuilds telomeres at the ends of chromosomes to keep cells dividing and generating.
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Arts & Letters Daily – ideas, criticism, debate

The dark and light
Goya’s etchings of war exemplify one aspect of his talent, but it showed up in many guises. The irreducible breadth of an artist’s vision… more

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Man From Mars Radio Hat
via Boing Boing by Cory Doctorow
It’s been three years since we last mentioned the astounding Man From Mars Radio Hat, so here is your triennial reminder that we are a fallen people, our glory years long behind us.
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