DESIGN
- Restless America: state-to-state migration in 2012. While I was working on my data visualization project I stumbled across this and thought it was really neat. It shows what states people migrate between.
- MUCH LOVED Photographer Marc Nixon made ??a series of portraits of teddy bears and other stuffed animals along with their age, size and history. So beautiful! (Here’s a overview tumblr post).
- New MIT Media Lab Tool Lets Anyone Visualize Unwieldy Government Data (Co.Design). This is a great project! Making large government data more accessible! This also came about during my data viz research. But I was like “Not ready for this.”
- ‘The Curious Explorer’s Guide to Exotic Animals’ by Marc Martin (via The Fox is Black). Lovely, unique illustrations of animals. (one example pictured above)
- Fantastic Retro Color Groupings in Hilda Grahnat Photo Series ‘Vintage by Colour’. A veritable feast for the eyes for all you color-vintage-hipsters.
- Pencil | FiftyThree. Ok, so I mean, I try not to product drool, but I AM TOTALLY PRODUCT DROOLING over Pencil by the company FiftyThree. I don’t even have an iPad (yet) and I want this pencil so bad. Also, I want to work for the incredible company that made this and the Paper app. hinthint.
SOCIAL
- A revolution in food storage and preparation – The safest BPA free food container. I was doing obsessive research on lunchboxes for a product analysis paper for class and I came across this lunchbox and thought it was really promising. However, silicon is still a man-made plastic, even if it is more recyclable.
- How Plastic In The Ocean Is Contaminating Your Seafood (via NPR). I was also writing a paper on plastic. I try to eat less meat and instead more fish. So this was particularly disappointing to me.
- A Suit Designed To Make Transgender Men And Butch Women Feel Handsome (via Co.Design). Dapper.
- Sexism in Media: Video Highlights Worst Moments in 2013. I guess it was one of those months where I was like “why sexism, why?!”
- 16 People On Things They Couldn’t Believe About America Until They Moved Here. These were great. It’s like: you’re right, why does meat cost less here than fruits and vegetables?
- One Country’s Plan To Save Unwanted Dogs Is Pure Genius. Cute video pointing out that mutts are any more valuable than pure breeds. Besides, they’re healthier.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
- Origins of Common UI Symbols. Interesting.
- The Trouble with Snooze Buttons (and with Modern Sleep) (via The New Yorker). I thought this was an interesting article, not just another one about how naps are good for you. It talks about sleep science and how bad for you being abruptly waken up is.
- Smarter People Stay Up Later, Do More Drugs and Have More Sex. I mean, it makes sense to me that more eccentric people are also more creative.
- Doodling in Math: Spirals, Fibonacci, and Being a Plant. This was great! Patterns in nature stuff, really well explained.
- Rare Saola, Dubbed “Asian Unicorn,” Sighted for First Time in 21st Century (via National Geographic). I’m mean, obviously I had to click on this link when I saw it come up on my twitter feed.
MEDIA
- Proud Dad Photographs His Photogenic Little Princess (photo above). Really cute. I have to assume he’s making a commentary on how much she screams from the series.
- Corgi on a Carousel. No words, just joy.
- iDiots movie. I just thought this was cute. Sure it’s also a commentary on our obsession with getting the latest technology…but that’s old news, right?
- 10 Things Mark Twain Didn’t Really Say (via Mental Floss). Get yo facts straight, literature nerds.