Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

kottke.org @kottke.org · 10h

For instance, there is an engraved stone erected at the Buddhist Kan’ei-ji temple to “console the spirits of the flies, crickets, and grasshoppers that had been killed in the production of a scientific text”. [atlasobscura.com]

Mushizuka at Kan’ei-ji Temple

A Buddhist temple to honor insects that died for science.

www.atlasobscura.com

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kottke.org @kottke.org · 10h

Current status: looking through Atlas Obscura’s list of things to do in Tokyo. [atlasobscura.com]

226 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Tokyo

Discover 226 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Tokyo from Vampire Café to Pigment.

www.atlasobscura.com

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kottke.org @kottke.org · 16h

Rapper 50 Cent, adjusted for inflation, is 109 Cent. [50centadjustedforinflation.com]

50 Cent Adjusted for Inflation

109 Cent

50centadjustedforinflation.com

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kottke.org @kottke.org · 22h

“The spread of dangerous infections that do not respond to antibiotics has been increasing by as much as 15 percent a year”, says the WHO. “The less people have access to quality care, the more they’re likely to suffer from drug-resistant infection.” [nytimes.com]

W.H.O. Warns of Sharp Increase in Drug-Resistant Infections

The U.N. health agency found that one in six infections worldwide was resistant to the most commonly available antibiotics.

www.nytimes.com

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kottke.org @kottke.org · 1d

From director Kathryn Bigelow comes A House of Dynamite. “When a single, unattributed missile is launched at the United States, a race begins to determine who is responsible and how to respond.” [kottke.org]

A House of Dynamite

From director Kathryn Bigelow comes A House of Dynamite (trailer), starring Rebecca Ferguson, Idris Elba, and Greta Lee. When a single, unattributed missile is launched at the United States, a race begins to determine

kottke.org

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kottke.org @kottke.org · 1d

“The MUTE Series is a collection of one-take microfilms that report on the vagaries of human behaviour.” There are 3 rules for their films: no dialogue, no camera moves, one shot only. [muteseries.com]

The MUTE Series — film snacks served dry

Select a film to watch in the unique short form series of experimental comedy made with adherence to three strict rules, created by Andy Lambert.

www.muteseries.com

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kottke.org @kottke.org · 1d

A short documentary about the groundbreaking sound design of Dune: Part Two, featuring director Denis Villeneuve and sound mixers & designers from the film. I love the sound of both Dunes. [youtube.com]

The Sound of Dune: Part Two with Director Denis Villeneuve

In this exclusive SoundWorks Collection documentary, we dive deep into the mesmerizing world of Dune: Part Two and discover the creative brilliance behind its groundbreaking sound design. Join Writer/Director/Producer Denis Villeneuve, Re-recording Mixers Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill, and Supervi

www.youtube.com

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kottke.org @kottke.org · 1d

“The smartest design move isn’t chasing trends, it’s planting the tree and letting time do the work,” writes Dave Snyder. “Trees don’t pay off tomorrow. They pay off in a decade. They compound quietly, making everything around them better…” [designobserver.com]

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kottke.org @kottke.org · 1d

For the last-ever episode of his WTF podcast, Marc Maron interviewed Barack Obama. You can watch their hour-long conversation here. [openculture.com]

Marc Maron Wraps Up the WTF Podcast: Watch His Final Interview with Barack Obama

Back in 2015, President Obama joined Marc Maron on the WTF podcast, marking the first time a sitting president took part in this new kind of broadcasting format.

www.openculture.com

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kottke.org @kottke.org · 1d

Humans of New York has taken over all of Grand Central Terminal for a huge art installation called Dear New York. “For the first time possibly ever, there is not a single ad to be seen in Grand Central Terminal.” [news.artnet.com]

‘Humans of New York’ Transforms Grand Central Into a Monumental Photo Show

Brandon Stanton, creator of “Humans of New York,” has launched New York’s largest public art installation since “The Gates” at Grand Central.

news.artnet.com

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Reposted by kottke.org

kottke.org @kottke.org · Sep 11

Dan Sinker shares some Amazing Art of the Video Game Marquee. “The marquee had to sell the idea of the game, the excitement around the concept and the story because the on-screen graphics alone weren’t going to do it.” [kottke.org]

The Amazing Art of the Video Game Marquee

Dan Sinker recently visited an arcade full of old school vintage arcade games and documented some of the wonderful typography and design of the game cabinet marquees. After a while though, I became captivated not

kottke.org

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Reposted by kottke.org

kottke.org @kottke.org · Sep 10

Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching. “Two brothers travel across the United States in a used minivan on a mission to find as many bird species as they can in a single year.” I’ve heard amazing things about this documentary (free to watch on YT). [kottke.org]

Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching

I haven’t watched it yet, but I have seen so many recommendations for this gonzo birdwatching documentary called Listers over the past few days that I wanted to share it with you. Two brothers travel across the United S

kottke.org

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Reposted by kottke.org

kottke.org @kottke.org · Sep 9

Watch this musician play covers of Enter Sandman, Daft Punk, and the Doctor Who theme on his electro-acoustic hurdy-gurdy that’s driven by an old Singer sewing machine pedal. [kottke.org]

An Electro-Acoustic Instrument Made Out of an Old Singer Sewing Machine

Gabriel Bonnin, aka Singer Sound System, plays an electro-acoustic hurdy-gurdy that’s driven by an old Singer sewing machine pedal. My instrument is an electro-acoustic hurdy-gurdy. I just removed the crank and use a Si

kottke.org

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kottke.org @kottke.org · Sep 8

How to Make Rope the Old-Fashioned Way, using a very simple hand-cranked machine. “It’s amazing what you can do with just a simple machine that cleverly leverages the laws of physics.” [kottke.org]

How to Make Rope the Old-Fashioned Way

Watch a man named Ozzie make rope using a very simple hand-cranked machine. The real magic happens starting at about the 12-minute mark, where the three strands of the rope come together — my mouth actually fell open a

kottke.org

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Reposted by kottke.org

kottke.org @kottke.org · Sep 4

Lucasfilm recently released an official interactive map of the Star Wars galaxy. It’s *massive* and very cool to explore. [kottke.org]

The Official Map of the Star Wars Galaxy

Lucasfilm recently released an official map of the galaxy that Star Wars takes place in. And it’s huge. The map is slightly interactive; you can zoom and scroll it, but you can’t search or, say, click to highlight all

kottke.org

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kottke.org @kottke.org · Sep 3

Thetrusize.com, by James Talmage and Damon Maneice, is a website that lets you move a country or state around a Mercator projection map of the world so you can see how big or small a country really is.

[thetruesize.com]

Compare Countries With This Simple Tool

Drag and drop countries around the map to compare their relative size. Is Greenland really as big as all of Africa? You may be surprised at what you find! A great tool for educators.

thetruesize.com

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Reposted by kottke.org

Jenny Holzer @jennyholzer.bsky.social · 3d

ABUSE OF POWER COMES AS NO SURPRISE

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Reposted by kottke.org

kottke.org @kottke.org · Sep 2

Eels Shouldn’t be Able to Exist. “No one has ever seen an eel reproduce naturally. Not in the wild, not in captivity, not even once. And yet, eels are everywhere. In rivers, in lakes, in oceans, slippery, ancient, and inexplicably present.” [kottke.org]

Eels Shouldn’t be Able to Exist

I didn’t know this about eels: No one has ever seen an eel reproduce naturally. Not in the wild, not in captivity, not even once. And yet, eels are everywhere. In rivers, in lakes, in oceans, slippery, ancient, and in

kottke.org

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kottke.org @kottke.org · 3d

There's no such thing as an idyllic place in a country this awash in guns.

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 3d

BREAKING: Four dead and 20 more injured in a shooting at a bar on an idyllic South Carolina island.

4 people were killed and 20 more were injured in a shooting at a bar in South Carolina, sheriff says

A mass shooting at a crowded bar on the idyllic South Carolina island of St. Helena left four people dead and at least 20 injured.

bit.ly

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kottke.org @kottke.org · 3d

Diane Keaton, Oscar-Winning ‘Annie Hall’ Star, Dies at 79. [variety.com]

Diane Keaton, Oscar-Winning ‘Annie Hall’ Star, Dies at 79

Diane Keaton, who starred in “Annie Hall,” has died. She was 79.

variety.com

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kottke.org @kottke.org · 4d

I listen to music all day while I work. But choosing what to listen to was starting to become a repetitive chore. So I built Underscore, an opinionated “home-cooked meal” music player. Here’s how it works. [kottke.org]

The Underscore Music Player

For the past several months, I’ve been using a web-based music player I built called Underscore. It’s playing music for me right now. I recently revamped & improved it and thought it was time to show it off. Here’s a scr

kottke.org

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kottke.org @kottke.org · 4d

Minute/Year is an art piece/installation where the sound occurring in a space for a single minute is recorded each day. Simultaneously, the previous day’s recording is played back. So each day’s recording features something of the previous day. [kkto.net]

Minute/Year

Minute/Year is an automated, process-based, durational work, in which sound is played, recorded, and layered, in a resonant space, for one minute each day. This process has been ongoing, daily, since 2016. The location of the space in which the work runs alters annually. Over time, this has meant th

kkto.net

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kottke.org @kottke.org · 4d

Missed this from a few days ago: the winners of the 2025 MacArthur Fellowship. “I think this year, we see empathy and deep engagement with community figures prominently in this class.” [macfound.org]

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kottke.org @kottke.org · 5d

This is great: ILM visual effects artist Todd Vaziri breaks down some of the “hidden” special effects that he and his team have worked on, incl. for Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and Transformers. “I make the stars in Star Wars.” [kottke.org]

ILM Visual Effects Artist Breaks Down Hidden VFX

If you were one of those people who loved watching DVD extras, you’ll enjoy the hell out of ILM visual effects artist Todd Vaziri breaking down some of the special effects that he and his team have worked on, including

kottke.org

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kottke.org @kottke.org · 5d

An oddly fascinating video on the Barney Google comic strip, which began in 1919 and is somehow still running (it’s called Snuffy Smith now). Interesting how art forms shift through innovation and evolution with society at large. [youtube.com]

The comic strip that won’t die

The comic strip Barney Google first appeared on a comics page in 1919, and over 100 years later it’s still running. For the last 70 years or so, Snuffy Smith has taken over as the star of the comic, but Barney still makes the occasional appearance.

www.youtube.com

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