Extremophiles tell us that everything we think we know about the fragility of life is wrong. Life is indeed extraordinary, not to mention precious and deserving of reverence – but not in any sense miraculous. – Aeon
Tag: 07.30.19
Sculptor Neil Estern, Known For Realistic Public Monuments, Dead At 93
“[He] created sculptures of some of the nation’s leading public figures, works that can be seen today in major cities … He [always] maintained his commitment to verisimilitude, whether depicting a charismatic President Franklin D. Roosevelt or an effervescent Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia of New York.” – The New York Times
Pink Seesaws That Straddle The US/Mexico Border Fence
In an Instagram post that has received tens of thousands of likes, children and adults can be seen playing and interacting on both sides of the fence using the seesaws, which provide “a literal fulcrum” between the countries. – The Guardian
A Wearable Robot Makes You Dance To Its Moves
“My arms jerk up and down and twist from side to side with the beat, but my own muscles aren’t doing the work; my flesh is being pushed around in space by the 45 pounds of metal, cable, and hydraulic cylinders running across my shoulders and down my arms. A robot is making me dance. With me beneath the lights are 11 other humans, each cinched into an exoskeleton of their own.” – Wired
Report: Notre Dame Fire May Have Poisoned Local Residents With Lead
According to confidential documents leaked to the (paywalled) website Mediapart earlier this month and discussed across French media, locations surrounding the fire-damaged cathedral have registered levels of lead contamination ranging between 500 and 800 times the official safe level. – CityLab
Can Delhi Turn Its Most Chaotic Street Back Into An Indian Champs-Élysées?
When Shah Jahan (yes, the one who built the Taj Mahal) built Chandni Chowk in the 1650s, it was lined with trees and elegant buildings and had a canal down its center. Now it has jam-packed crowds, insane traffic, run-down buildings and hawkers everywhere. But the Delhi city government has engaged a team of architects to redesign the street to something like its original splendor. – The Guardian
Metro DC’s National Philharmonic Gets Two Offers To Save It From Closing
“Two weeks ago, the Maryland-based National Philharmonic announced that it was planning to close because it had run out of money. Now, the group has an embarrassment of riches. On Tuesday, the orchestra administration said that it had raised the funds needed to stay open, while on Monday night, a local musician and businessman presented to the board a concrete proposal to save the year-round regional orchestra.” – The Washington Post
The Island Whose Contemporary Dance Company Are Superstars
In Taiwan, Cloud Gate Dance Theater is so beloved that the company’s farewell performance for founding director Lin Hwai-min (who’s reitring after 46 years) drew 50,000 people to the plaza in front of the National Theatre. Roslyn Sulcas talks to Lin and his successor as artistic director, Cheng Tsung-lung. – The New York Times