“‘Smart textiles’ originally developed for spacesuits use microencapsulated materials that melt when they get hot, keeping wearers comfortable by absorbing body heat; when temperatures fall, the materials solidify and warm the body.”
Tag: 06.05.15
Ruth Feldman, The Famous Quiz Show Kid, Dead at 80
“The question was reasonably obscure — What was the last opera in Wagner’s “Ring” cycle? — but Ruthie Duskin knew the answer. ‘The Dusk of the Gods,’ she intoned into the microphone. A fellow panelist leapt to correct her. ‘It’s Gott-dam … Gott-dam,’ he stammered, as the producers of the live radio broadcast winced. ‘He means the German name, Götterdämmerung,’ Ruthie interrupted. ‘But in English, it’s what I said.’ She was 7 years old.”
The NY Phil’s Next Emerging Composer: Anna Thorvaldsdattir
Alan Gilbert, the orchestra’s music director, praised what he described as her unique, expressive voice. ‘Her uncompromising approach to building soundscapes creates a visceral, pictorial aesthetic.'”
Texas Is A Deeply Latina/Latino State, But How Does That Affect Its Theatre?
“Despite the Encuentro’s diverse programming, which featured 15 plays from the four corners and Puerto Rico, no Texas-based theatre companies were represented. On the surface, this could suggest that Texas is not producing the quantity or the quality of Latina/o theatre as other parts of the United States. But those of us working to historicize Texas theatre are providing other evidence.”
The Hottest Battles Of The Tony Awards
Who will triumph tonight?
Broadway Casts Get Stuck At LaGuardia And Have A Sing-Off [VIDEO]
“To pass the time, the actors performed impromptu renditions of ‘The Circle of Life’ and ‘Arabian Nights, and [Tony winner James Monroe] Iglehart dropped an impressive freestyle to the tune of Black Star’s ‘Lions of Hip-Hop.'”
Painting: Doomed By Cliché And A Lack Of Feeling?
“The problem is optical: two parties, critics and artists, look past each other with incompatible expectations.”
Cyber-Archaeologists Working To Digitally Recreate Endangered Artifacts
“Project Mosul has been launched by researchers from the Initial Training Network for Digital Cultural Heritage, an EU-funded initiative aimed at preserving cultural heritage using digital technology. The project consists of a team of volunteers working to digitally reconstruct ancient artifacts from the museum by using photographs and even video taken by tourists.”
A Japanese Library Is Attempting To Break The World Record For “Book Dominos” (Yes, It’s A Thing)
But the Asian news site Rocket News 24 reports that disgruntled readers have criticised the library’s decision, with one critic of the plan explaining that “Japanese people hold books in high regard, almost as sacred.”
UK Musicians Account For 13 Percent Of Global Album Sales
“With 13.7% of worldwide sales, it’s the highest British share since the BPI began recording those figures in 2000. Sales of albums by British artists rose in Canada, Australia, Italy and Sweden, as well as the US.”