Geologist finds setting for Leonardo’s Mona Lisa . “Art historians said Leonardo always used his imagination, but you can give this picture to any geologist in the world and they’ll say what I’m saying about Lecco.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
A new LoTR movie is coming: Andy Serkis is starring and directing in Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum . Peter Jackson is producing and Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens are writing the script. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
In the mid-20th century, during reconstruction following World War II, an architectural style emerged in the U.K. and Europe that favored bare, industrial building materials, a monochrome palette, and angular geometry. Both iconic and divisive, the hulking, concrete facades can
In order to help improve my students’ mental health, I offered a course on the science of happiness. It worked – but why? - by Bruce Hood Read at Aeon
Despite the intense scrutiny paid to the life and work of Ludwig van Beethoven for a couple of centuries now, the revered composer still has certain mysteries about him. Some of them he surely never intended to clarify, like the identity of “Immortal Beloved”; others he
Peeves make lousy pets. They undermine us and put us on edge. But quirks? Little eccentricities we see in the world that offer a cost-free smile. Habits or interactions that always make us a little lighter on our feet and open the door to better… They’re easy to find, not hard
This weekend, Jerry Seinfeld gave the commencement speech at Duke University and offered the graduates his three keys to life: 1. bust your ass, 2. pay attention, and 3. fall in love. Then, 10 minutes later, he added essentially a fourth key to life: “Do not lose your sense of
There was a big solar storm this weekend and photos of the aurora borealis took over social media; it was delightful. For round-ups, check out the NY Times , the Guardian , @itsjackcohen , PBS NewsHour , Spaceweather.com , Forbes , and MSN . The photos above are by Albert Dros
We owe the stories of Louise Nevelson, Tamara de Lempicka, and Anna Walinska to those behind the scenes working to preserve them.
Hidden in the bowels of the London Library, a 19th-century pamphlet contains its founder’s most bigoted views.
Combining the provocative spirit of internet trolling, clickbait scamming, and MTV’s Punk’d , the collective satirizes consumerism while making bank.