I'm running late and barely made it, but here are this week's recommended links! Paul Verhoeven, Asian films, the global sand crisis, the depressing food of the future, sordidness and hyperrealism. Want more? Let's get to it. Enjoy!
In search of solutions to the global sand crisis: "In the science fiction saga Dune, the action takes place on Arrakis, a desert planet wrapped in sand where powerful families compete for control of the extraction of spice, the most valuable substance in the universe. On our planet, dominated by the oceans, sand itself is extracted. In a way it is the most valuable solid substance in our world, since our buildings, infrastructures and much of our modern technology are literally built with its grains."
The food of the future is depressing, but sadly necessary: "If you like to eat, eat well across the wide range of products from national or international gastronomy, the future is not for you. It's hard to say that, but the sooner you accept it, the better. (...) We have tested the food of the future through bioprinting and with plant or cell-reproduction products. The summary is that it's not bad, but it's not the same by a long shot. It still has a long way to go in research. Especially for lovers of meat, fish and dishes centered on product quality."
How the descendants of the richest tech millionaire in the world stopped being rich: "In 1973, 120 descendants of the millionaire Vanderbilt gathered for a family meeting, not one of them was a millionaire. Instead, 100 years earlier Cornelius Vanderbilt (known as the Commodore) was considered the richest man in the USA, and he held that position between 1850 and 1875. Moreover, after his death in 1877, his son William Henry Vanderbilt maintained that position as the richest man between 1880 and 1885. However, his descendants do not stand out for their wealth. What happened?"
Optic neuropathy, the doctor who solved the mystery of an epidemic that left 50,000 Cubans with vision problems: "While Cuba faced a serious economic crisis in the early 1990s, around 50,000 Cubans suffered, apparently inexplicably, some type of vision loss. Initially, the island's health authorities, as well as experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), believed it was a viral infection spreading through the Cuban population. But they were wrong."
To cut or not to cut the rope to survive?: "In his urgency, Simpson slipped, fell and fractured a tibia: staying alive no longer depended on himself, but on Yates's empathy. They were not friends, just a rope team of circumstances, a pact signed to satisfy their thirst for adventure. Yates could have left Simpson up there, promised to return with help, fled to save his own life. But he didn't. Simpson would have died and Yates would have been saved. Now, both were condemned to perish together or wait for a miracle and be saved."
Portsmouth Sinfonia, the worst orchestra in the world and the sound that defined post-anarchism: "The backbone of the orchestra was Gavin Bryars. His training was deeply academic, although he had a great fascination with the nature of sound, rather than the aesthetics of classical or even pop culture. Bryars first opened the doors of conceptualism to Portsmouth in 1970 with a peculiar call that said more or less this: 1. Anyone can be part of the orchestra. 2. Attendance at rehearsals was mandatory. 3. Those who have studied music cannot play their base instrument."
The sordid posters of Times Square in the 70s and 80s - Clubs, sex shops and porno cinemas: "As the city of New York began to grow, Times Square became a multicultural center full of theaters, auditoriums, hotels and luxury restaurants at the beginning of the 20th century. However, this iconic place in New York has undergone numerous image changes over time. During the 1970s and 1980s, New York experienced a time of decadence, and this was also reflected in Times Square, which filled with strip shows, nightclubs, sex shops, porn cinemas, and all kinds of adult entertainment."
10 impressive hyperrealistic works you won't believe are pieces of art: "Hyperrealism has become one of the most fascinating movements of recent decades both in the United States and Europe and the rest of the world. It is a current that seeks precise and millimeter perfection, resulting in paintings that look like photographs and large-scale sculptures so exact that they border on the disturbing. (...) This pictorial current was born in the 60s as a response to the insatiable search for perfection."
Tuberculosis, syphilis and vampires: "Apparently, Stoker was inspired by the story of Mercy Brown to design the character of Lucy. The Browns were a family of five members living in Rhode Island. The mother and eldest daughter fell ill with tuberculosis and died. Soon the son also fell ill, so the father decided to send him to Colorado Springs, trusting that the climate of that town would improve his health. But then his sister Mercy fell ill and died. The son returned home, although his health worsened day by day. Desperate, his father decided to apply a ritual that had been carried out in New England since the end of the 18th century."
1899 - When the Sleeper Wakes (H.G. Wells): "But all that technological display has not improved in any way the foundations of society or politics. And in this aspect, Wells introduces a novel idea by proposing a dystopia that is far from the socialist utopian paradise that other authors of the genre had imagined (in fact, Graham himself, disappointed by what he sees, remembers those books, which we have already commented on this blog: "News from Nowhere", "The Crystal Age" or "The Year 2000: A Retrospective Look"). Wells's future has not become egalitarianism and social justice nor an interventionist, omnipresent and protective state that cordially takes care of its citizens. Quite the opposite."
Paul Verhoeven the Great: "Beyond tastes, his contribution to popular culture is evident and the influence of many of his films has been felt for years on screens, with directors trying to copy his style but not even close. Three decades without a slip that deserve a tribute with the coolest thing the Dutch pain in the ass has, or what is the same; review almost all his filmography. And it is that almost everything he has directed is good or better. Let's see who has a career that comes close."
Twenty Asian films worth pausing for: "The stir of this series has made me think of all the Asian films I have seen before this series and that are worth it, of all the Asian films that have created deserved buzz and have been box office successes. Also those that may have gone more unnoticed, but have been deserving of praise or awards. Here is a list of twenty Asian films that deserve to be seen. As always, the list is subjective and finite, so I leave many out."
Videos: A tombstone with video, The Matrix light show, how to make a ghost hologram, vomiting skeleton, moths in slow motion, current special effects that weren't CGI, how to make the cookie from "El Juego del Calamar", climbing a building with a ladder, Paranormal Gativity, Psychosocial - Baby Shark Edition, all Kurzgesagt videos (parody), Newton's fractal, the true number of the beast, Skiercise!, what dinosaurs really looked like, Iron Maiden orchestral medley, Game of Thrones for PS1, weird short from 1950, the first horror movie written by bots. More? 60s TV emulator.
Galleries: Forbidden toys, logos before and now, China in 1870, the art of Alanna Vanacore, popular characters made of horror, NASA's stoned spiders, 40 award-winning photos from around the world, Soviet control rooms, colorful illustrations of wildlife, the best photos from Royal Society of Biology 2021, serial killer dolls, cakes with the help of a 3D printer, the Animated Dump of the Week and the Visual Dump to fill up on images.
Phew, we're done. But there will be more in a week. Thanks for stopping by and see you!
