March 27, 2017
“Air-Ink” is made from soot captured from car exhausts and chimneys, with a “really deep black tone.” / It’s Nice That
An average of 3,600 fewer people would die per year if hospitals always acted like inspectors were overseeing them. / STAT
Scientists use spinach leaves to build working human heart muscle—a whole new way to “grow” a vascular system. / National Geographic
The final week in the ToB begins! Five days of madness to go! / The Tournament of Books
Republicans refuse to appear on Univision after network’s yearlong feud with President Trump. / Politico
Opposition leader Navalny jailed as anti-corruption protests rock Russia. / BBC
Scholar Christina Sharpe reflects on the enormous controversy around Dana Schutz’s Emmett Till painting. / Hyperallergic
“Nostalgia, most truly and most meaningfully, is the emotional experience—always momentary, always fragile—of having what you lost or never had, of seeing what you missed seeing, of meeting the people you missed knowing, of sipping coffee in the storied cafés that are now hot-yoga studios.” Michael Chabon on the true meaning of nostalgia. “You have placed a phone call directly into the past and heard an answering voice.” / The New Yorker
Because pedestrians can’t stop/won’t stop texting while walking, a Dutch town put traffic lights in the ground. / World Economic Forum
“Does your minor want to be a miner? How about a McNugget cook?” From our archives, Mike Deri Smith investigates KidZania, the revolutionary theme park chain that lets kids play at corporate-sponsored employment. / TMN
Artist Eva Papamargariti’s fractured digiscapes draw inspiration from architecture and the German language. / It’s Nice That
“Last summer, Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren called the situation ‘ridiculous,’ noting that the US has 7.3 square feet of retail space per capita, versus 1.7 square feet per capita in Japan and France.” The argument for America as “overstored”—too much retail that’s too boring and too expensive to stay open much longer. / Bloomberg
Hong Kong’s Sunday election went exactly as planned (by China’s central government). / Wall Street Journal
“It’s not for the faint of heart.” An increasing number of patients want to be awake during surgery. / New York Times
“Space is hard.” NASA scientists who’ve seen their lives’ work vaporized in failed rocket launches find solace in platitudes. / The Atlantic
New fashion line offers trendy clothing customized for cancer treatment. / NPR
Tinder has kept visiting NBA players from staying out late at clubs, so “home-court advantage” is no longer valid. / ESPN
Notable Arthur Rimbaud fan Patti Smith buys the poet’s reconstructed house near the Belgian border. / Architectural Digest
“A disabled person is killed by a caregiver—usually a family member—at least every week.” These haunting statistics are exacerbated by media reports highlighting the “sacrifice” of the caregivers. / Pacific Standard
Nicole He uses a computer algorithm to determine the “best” art at any moment—then she creates it. / The Best Art