This imagÂiÂnaÂtive bit was a stuÂdenÂt’s final project for an art course. The flipÂbook, made entireÂly out of biro pens, was creÂatÂed with 2100 pages of drawÂings and took about 3 weeks to develÂop. NeedÂless to say, the stuÂdent got an A.
WorkÂing with the BBC, Neil MacÂGreÂgor, the DirecÂtor of the British MuseÂum, has launched a downÂright smart project. A HisÂtoÂry of the World in 100Objects uses imporÂtant pieces from the museÂum’s colÂlecÂtions to recount the long hisÂtoÂry of humanÂiÂty. ThroughÂout the year, the seriÂalÂized radio proÂgram will air 100 episodes, each averÂagÂing 15 minÂutes, and they will covÂer two milÂlion years of human innoÂvaÂtion and artisÂtic creÂation. Below, I’ve includÂed a recent episode that revisÂits the OlduÂvai hand axe, a tool inventÂed some 1.2 milÂlion years ago that proved vital to human evoÂluÂtion and our migraÂtion out of Africa. You can access the full series in audio via iTunes, RSS Feed, as well as othÂer forÂmats found here. A big thanks to Stephen in the UK for flagÂging this proÂducÂtion for us.
AnothÂer “eggman913″ movÂing art speÂcial. (Check out his full colÂlecÂtion on YouTube.) This time, the images morph in sync with Bach’s PreÂlude And Fugue No. 6 In D Minor BWV 851 — PraeÂludiÂum from the Well-TemÂpered Clavier, Book 1 perÂformed by Daniel Ben PienÂaar (availÂable at MagÂnatune).
Since 1995, Ira Glass has hostÂed and proÂduced This AmerÂiÂcan Life (iTunes — Feed — Web Site), the award-winÂning radio show that presents masÂterÂfulÂly-craftÂed stoÂries to almost 2 milÂlion lisÂtenÂers each week. What’s the secret sauce that goes into makÂing a great stoÂry, parÂticÂuÂlarÂly one primed for radio or TV? Glass spells it out in four parts. Part 1 (above) gets into the buildÂing blocks of a good stoÂry. Part 2 talks about the imporÂtance of findÂing the right stoÂry. Part 3 reasÂsures you that creÂative excelÂlence takes time to develÂop. It also comes with hard work. And Part 4 flags comÂmon errors to avoid. Give Glass 17 minÂutes, and you will be a betÂter stoÂryÂteller for it…
This year, Nikon held a conÂtest and selectÂed the best “phoÂtomiÂcroÂgraphs,” essenÂtialÂly picÂtures takÂen through the microÂscope. 20 finalÂists were selectÂed in total, and you can view them on Nikon’s web site, or even more easÂiÂly on Wired’s web site. Among the finalÂists, you’ll find the picÂture above. Nope, it isn’t a Van Gogh. It’s a “10-year old prepaÂraÂtion of barÂbiÂtal, fenaceÂtine, valÂiÂum and acetic acid” capÂtured under a microÂscope.
Taryn Simon phoÂtographs the hidÂden and unfaÂmilÂiar in AmerÂiÂca (see book here). Above, her 18 minute preÂsenÂtaÂtion takes you inside the AmerÂiÂca not often seen, proÂvidÂing glimpses of the CIA’s abstract art colÂlecÂtion, the fedÂerÂal govÂernÂmenÂt’s marÂiÂjuaÂna grow room, a Braille ediÂtion of PlayÂboy proÂduced by the Library of ConÂgress (just the artiÂcles, not the picÂtures, of course), and more. I’ve added this clip to our YouTube Favorites. Thanks to the varÂiÂous TwitÂter streams that flagged this clip for me this weekÂend.
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