Polaroid Pleas September 30, 2009

 

More imaging, and more “old” stuff, although this time not quite as old:

Late last year when Kodak announced it would no longer be manufacturing polaroid film, there was a loud outcry by fans and photographers. Back in May, the New York Times captured some of the polaroid-angst of five photographers who love the Polaroid medium:

Here is a slideshow of the photographers plea for Polaroid (with audio)

NYT also had a related article about how “a small group of Dutch scientists and one irrepressible Austrian salesman have dedicated themselves to the task of reinventing one of the great inventions of the 20th century — Polaroid’s instant film.”

You can also upload scanned images of Polaroid pics and see others’ work here.

An art exhibit in the UK this past week featured some of the finest photos taken on Polaroid film.

Swinger, 2008, by David Bailey

 

So far, Kodak stands firm on its decision.

RIP Polaroid

Ancient Manhatten Tour September 30, 2009

As featured on GeekDad, a virtual tour of what Manhatten Island looked like at the turn of the 17th century:

Mannahatta by Eric W. Sanderson, illustrated by Markley Boyer

The tour shows Manhattan and the surrounding land in its original shape and topography. They’re all there: the salt marshes, ponds, rivers and native  settlements, all available at the click of a mouse.

The virtual tour is part of the Mannahatta Project, a decade-long project of the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo. It includes not only the website but a beautifully illustrated hardcover book, and an exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York that closes on October 12.

I found the book when I was researching for a fiction story I’m writing  set in ancient Manhattan.  I quickly discovered that information on this period is scarce. When I found this book, I thought “hey! someone wrote a research book just for me!”

It’s more than a dry list of maps, it’s a  fascinating comparison of now and then and a detective story that relied on modern technology for the solution.

The project started with the discovery of a detailed map created by the British military in 1782. This inspired the Wildlife Conservation Society to re-create the island all the way back to 1609 when Henry Hudson sailed in New York Bay. The re-creation relied on old maps, soil cores, and other information which was fed into a geographic information system (GIS) database developed for the project.  The result is a virtual map that can be laid over present-day  Manhattan with an error of less than 40 meters, or half a block.

Check it out and leave your review in the comments.

Word Clock September 29, 2009

A cool, if perhaps slightly involved, DIY: A clock that shows the time using words, not numbers. Great for the numeriphobe in your life!

This is actually a pretty cool piece of art and technology.

MAKE subscriber Doug took up the challenge to re-make the word clock he saw here a few weeks ago, and wrote in to share his project with us. He built the front panel using an etched PCB (no laser cutter required!), and constructed a circuit board to illuminate the proper display sections using LEDs. Instructions and board layouts are available on his Instructable.

Review of the latest in science culture September 29, 2009

I’m a little late today with my posts (and not very insightful), my apologies. I’m also taking the rest of this week off, so we’ll see if this blog will magically keep itself alive.

From Discover Magazine, a review of all the latest in science culture, including cinema, books, and other art/science goodies.

The most intriguing to me?

How to Build Your Own Spaceship, by Piers Bizony
When it comes to actually building a craft, your mileage may vary, but Bizony delivers an engaging survey of the commercial space technology that could soon send multitudes of civilians into orbit. Explanations of modern rocketry are remarkably readable, and there are even tips for space-bound entrepreneurs on lunar-base placement and space suit redesign.

robotic housefly September 28, 2009

A how-to from MAKE magazine:

More at Makezine online

Photosynth September 28, 2009

Coolest toy ever!

Photosynth,  from Microsoft, is a program that allows you to combine images, create maps, and use other people’s photos to expand your “view” so to speak.

I love the horse statue, for example.

I haven’t had a chance to try it out for myself yet, but send me links to pics that you’ve created. You can also check out their blog.

Art restoration September 25, 2009

The latest science behind restoring and preserving art. From BBC News:

Porcupine quills and cactus spines are among the tools used to prepare a £1m hoard of Viking treasure that went on public show in York on 17 September.

We will never know if the Vikings who buried a princely hoard of silver in a gilded cup near Harrogate in the 10th century expected to see it again.

They surely did not anticipate that the treasure would emerge from the earth after 1,100 years, to be set upon by highly-skilled conservators wielding items such as quills and ultrasound vibrators.

But that is what has happened.

After a “quick turn-round” in the conservation department of the British Museum (BM) the hoard – or some of it; only some 100 of 617 coins have yet been cleaned – is ready to go on show at the Yorkshire Museum.

Much more work remains to be done, say the conservators – but already they are enthusiastic about the quality of the find.

“We had a very tight turn-round time and very few people to deliver it. We were trying to get this to look as good as possible in the least time possible… We only had two or three weeks,” says Fleur Shearman, a metals conservator at the BM.

But, she adds: “apart from soil encrustations and the corrosion related to the lead and a little bit related to the copper in the cup, it’s in superb, really outstanding condition.”

Read full story.

Free Museum Day tomorrow September 25, 2009

September 26th is Annual Museum Day, and lots of museums and parks are offering free admission in celebration. Read on for more:

On Sept. 26, as part of the fifth annual Museum Day program, Smithsonian magazine has convinced more than 1,200 other museums, zoos, and arts and cultural attractions across the country to also welcome visitors for free.

In California, you’ll can use your Museum Day admission card to visit the classic cars displayed at the California Automobile Museum in Sacramento (regular adult admission: $8), in New York City you can use your pass at the South Street Seaport Museum (regular adult admission: $10), and in Dallas, your pass will get you into the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza (regular admission: $13.50), which explores the assassination and legacy of President John F. Kennedy. 

To see the full list of all the participating museums so you can plan your day, visit the Smithsonian’s Museum Day 2009 Web site and poke around. Be ready to be a bit overwhelmed.

Photo exhibition documents species’ struggle to survive September 24, 2009

From BBC News: Using art to promote biological preservation and conservation. Plus, I just love this shrimp’s facial expression.

 Mantis Shrimp

 Muriqui mom and kid

Tie with hidden ipod pocket September 24, 2009

Fashion keeps adapting itself to new technologies, and now even business-types can accomodate for their need for constant tunes.

From MAKE (he-he, tie-pod):

The company’s name is Pink–Thomas Pink, of London. And to be fair they are sold in eight colors. Pink gets €55 for one such “commuter tie” online, but if you are crafty or have a crafty friend it should be a fairly simple sew job.