Electrons composing signals representing bits abstracted into data presented as visual and aural stimuli intended to convey meaning
How to split up the U.S. according to Facebook profiles
Pete Warden analyzed 210 million Facebook profiles and identified 7 distinct geographic clusters.
Some of these clusters are intuitive, like the old south, but there’s some surprises too, like Missouri, Louisiana and Arkansas having closer ties to Texas than Georgia.
International Year of Astronomy posters
Riffing off another of Jason Kottke’s linkages, these minimalist posters are at once timeless and retro looking.
Initially designed as self-promotional pieces, the posters eventually caught the eye of the IYA 09 organisation which approached him a few months ago to see if they could use them in their own promotional work.
Nobody fucks with the Captain No
This is another MoMA-related bragging post, which I hope doesn’t turn into a regular feature here. Out of the dozens of questions we fielded that night I contributed (correct!) answers to exactly two, neither of which had to do with art history. Best team name goes to Glenn Lowry’s Apt (no official affiliation).
The School of Mathematics
Kottke recently linked to the first post in a series of articles meant to “give you a better feeling for what math is all about.”
I am a big proponent of this type of informal education and must share a related effort called The School of Mathematics. It’s a free, ongoing workshop that meets in a Brooklyn studio on Saturdays. From the most recent email announcement:
We will discuss probability: either its origins (what does it even mean?) or its applications (game theory).
Meeting at 11am, bagels at 10:45.
Videos of dogs howling along with the Law & Order theme song
I’m so glad that nasty nets is back! From the comments:
If it’s something peculiar to Law & Order, two theories:
1. The show comes on at canine dinnertime
2. That wah-wah guitar sounds like barking.
The Days of Miracles and Wonder
Greg Knauss travels back in time and has a conversation with himself about the future:
That’s why I wanted to talk to you, 1990 me. Your cynicism is important, even vital. God knows, there are times when it will seem like bunnies-and-rainbows optimism given what actually happens. Things get really, really bad for a while, and no amount of cynicism seems like enough.
But I also wanted to make sure that there are some things that are, in fact, awesome. The world’s been through a hell of a lot, and I’m not sure I trust my own eyes anymore.
