Preview: New York Times Magazine – April 3, 2022

Science: Navigating Life, Coastal Storminess, Boa Constrictors, Old Trees

Your ability to find your way may depend on where you grew up and how coastal storminess is changing.

00:47 Your ability to find your way may depend on where you grew up

Researchers have long been trying to understand why some humans are better at navigating than others. This week, researchers show that where someone grew up plays an important role in their ability to find their way; the more winding and disorganised the layouts of your childhood were, the better navigator you’ll be later in life.
Research article: Coutrot et al.

08:57 Research Highlights

How boas can squeeze without suffocating themselves, and why being far from humans helps trees live a long life.
Research Highlight: How boa constrictors squeeze and breathe at the same time

Research Highlight: Where are Earth’s oldest trees? Far from prying eyes

11:39 How coastal storminess is changing

Coastal flooding causes billions of dollars in damage each year. Rising sea levels are known to be a key driver, but the importance of another factor, storm surges, is less clear. Typically after accounting for increasing sea level, they’re not thought to make much of an impact. However new research suggests that this may not be the case.
Research article: Calafat et al.

16:10 Briefing Chat

We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, a brain implant allows a person who is completely paralysed to communicate, and penguin-like bone density suggests Spinosaurus may have hunted underwater.
Science: In a first, brain implant lets man with complete paralysis spell out thoughts: ‘I love my cool son.’

National Geographic: Spinosaurus had penguin-like bones, a sign of hunting underwater

Video: A swimming dinosaur: The tail of Spinosaurus

Preview: New Scientist Magazine – April 2, 2022

COVER STORIES

  • CULTURE Cow review: A moving and uncomfortable cow’s-eye-view of farming
  • FEATURES Martin Wikelski interview: Tracking animals reveals their sixth sense
  • FEATURES How do we decide what counts as trauma – and have we got it all wrong?

Preview: London Review Of Books – April 7, 2022

Views: Markets & Street Food In Lahore, Pakistan

The city is a cultural center in the North of Pakistan with over 11 million inhabitants. It’s vibrant, bustling and full of historic buildings and traditions. Eva meets unique characters from Lahore who take her on a tour through their city. The ancient Wazir Khan Mosque is a must-see, and don’t miss a spontaneous visit to a local barber shop 😉. And look forward to meeting @Zenith Irfan, who was the first Pakistani woman to cross the country on a motorcycle, earning her the nickname “motorcycle woman”.

Follow @Eva zu Beck on her adventures in Lahore.

Architectural Tours: Malvern House – 100-Year Old ‘Modern’ In Australia

Malvern House sees Lande Architects convert a one-hundred-year-old house into a modern home with a minimal addition. Traditionally, when architects convert a one-hundred-year-old house into a refreshed dwelling, they take care to preserve the heritage features of the property – Malvern House was no different.

Video Timeline: 00:00 – Blueland 00:09 – Introduction to the 100 Year Old House 00:45 – Modernising a Weatherboard Victorian Cottage 01:23 – The Client Brief 02:08 – Green Motif Throughout the House 03:30 – Utilising Natural Light 04:10 – Outdoor Areas 04:25 – Working Together with the Clients 04:58 – Blueland Home Cleaning Products 06:24 – Final Look at the Converted House

Lande Architects retains the original, decorative front of the Victorian weatherboard cottage, maintaining a connection to the defining architecture of the location. Lande Architects reconfigures the extension of Malvern House – located to the rear of the structure and comprising of the kitchen, living and dining spaces – to propose a larger footprint. Seven internal courtyards are added in adherence to the brief, which stipulated that the pockets of green space should feature within the interior design.

Softly defined by functional glazing, the courtyards form an important part of the overall scheme as Lande Architects convert a one-hundred-year-old house into a modern home. The design of Malvern House champions efficiency. Lande Architects insulates the home with double brick walls and a large concrete slab positioned to the north orientation, with the slab absorbing heat during the day and radiating the heat back into the house overnight.

Cross-flow ventilation is provided via the seven courtyards. Such mastery over the internal environment of Malvern House sees Lande Architects convert a one-hundred-year-old house into a home that can meet 21st century standards of liveability. Whilst the heritage front of Malvern House remains purposefully untouched, the rear extension is changed for the better. Lande Architects converts a one-hundred-year-old-house into a residence with a rich and evolving narrative.

Exhibits: ‘Woody Guthrie – People Are The Song’ At The Morgan Library, NYC

The author of more than three thousand folk songs, Woody Guthrie (1912–1967) is one of the most influential songwriters and recording artists in American history. He is an icon of the Depression era and wrote the world’s most famous protest song, “This Land Is Your Land.”

But he was not only a songwriter, and his subject matter extended well beyond labor politics. The full corpus of his creativity—including lyrics, poetry, artwork, and largely unpublished prose writings—encompassed topics such as the environment, love, sex, spirituality, family, and racial justice. Guthrie created a personal philosophy that has impacted generations of Americans and inspired musician-activists from Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen to Ani DiFranco and Chuck D. As Bob Dylan noted of Guthrie, “You could listen to his songs and actually learn how to live.”