All posts by She Seeks Serene

My Journey of Reimagining Life, Love and Education
Archaeology, History, Travel, Videos

Archaeology: “The First Egyptian Pyramid” (Video)

Video Leave a comment

The first pyramid ever built was constructed more than 4,500 years ago, and designed by Imhotep. Archaeologists are looking for answers as to how he came up with this design.

About Lost Treasures of Egypt: An immersive, action-packed and discovery-led series following International teams of Egyptologists as they unearth the world’s richest seam of ancient archaeology – Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. For a full season of excavations and with unprecedented access to the teams on the front line of archaeology, we follow these modern-day explorers as they battle searing heat and inhospitable terrain to make the discoveries of a lifetime.

Using innovative technology and age-old intuition in their quest to uncover the secrets of these ancient sites, can the team’s discoveries re-write ancient history?

Art, Arts & Literature, Exhibitions, Reviews, Travel

World’s Top Exhibitions: “Raphael 1520-1483”, Rome’s ‘Scuderie del Quirinale’

Leave a comment

Five hundred years after the death of Raphael Sanzio, Italy pays homage to the supreme Renaissance artist with a great exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinale. Raphael died in Rome on 6 April 1520 and it is in Rome that he owes his universal fame. It is therefore particularly significant that this national tribute should take place in the city where the artist from Urbino fully expressed his formidable talent, and where his life suddenly ended at only 37 years of age. 

More than one hundred masterpieces that are autographed or, in any event, are attributable to Raphaelesque ideas shall be gathered together at the Scuderie for the first time, including paintings, cartoons, drawings, tapestries and architectural projects.They will be joined by an equal number of works for comparison and context (sculptures and other ancient artefacts, Renaissance sculptures, codices, documents and precious masterpieces of applied art) amounting to a total of 204 works on display, including 120 paintings and drawings by Raphael himself.

Read more

International, News, Podcasts

World News Podcast: Hong Kong And Belarus Protests, Covid-19 Surge

Audio Leave a comment

DW Radio News 24/7 reports: Recently arrested Hong Kong media CEO Jimmy Lai vow that pro-democracy protests against China will continue, Belarus protests, and WHO reports 300,000 new Covid-19 cases in last 24 hours.

Aging, Books, Exercise, Science, Studies

Top New Books On Aging: “Exercised” By Daniel E. Lieberman – “Extending Longevity” (Harvard)

Leave a comment

HARVARD MAGAZINE (SEPT – OCT 2020): From the book EXERCISED: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding by Daniel E. Lieberman, to be published on September 8, 2020 by Pantheon Books:

‘….many of the mechanisms that slow aging and extend life are turned on by physical activity, especially as we get older. Human health and longevity are thus extended both by and for physical activity.’

What Happens When We Exercise?
The graph breaks total energy expenditure (TEE) into two parts: active energy expenditure, and resting metabolism. Resting metabolism remains elevated for hours even after exercise ceases, burning additional calories in a phase known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).

Exercise is like scrubbing the kitchen floor so well after a spill that the whole floor ends up being cleaner. The modest stresses caused by exercise trigger a reparative response yielding a general benefit.

In order to elucidate the links between exercise and aging, I propose a corollary to the Grandmother Hypothesis, which I call the Active Grandparent Hypothesis. According to this idea, human longevity was not only selected for but was also made possible by having to work hard during old age to help as many children, grandchildren, and other younger relatives as possible survive and thrive. That is, while there may have been selection for genes (as yet unidentified) that help humans live past the age of 50, there was also selection for genes that repair and maintain our bodies when we are physically active.

Daniel E. Lieberman is a paleoanthropologist at Harvard University, where he is the Edwin M Lerner II Professor of Biological Sciences, and Professor in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology. He is best known for his research on the evolution of the human head and the evolution of the human body.

Read full excerpt from article

Architecture, Art, Profiles

Profiles: Italian Architect & Illustrator Federico Babina – “Abstract Stories”

Leave a comment

“I am an Italian ( since 1969)
architect and graphic designer (since 1994)
that lives and works in Barcelona (since 2007)
but mostly I’m a curious person (since ever).“

Every day I try to rediscover a way to observe the world as through the eyes of a child. Children are able to have a vision of things totally
uninhibited and without the conditioning of the experience. The children’s drawings are always amazing and beautiful in their spontaneous simplicity and clarity.

I like trying to explain the world I see through different techniques of expression. I like the richness of the language and the diversity of its forms. I do not want to confine me in a prison of a style or shape.

Drawing and illustration are for me one of the ways to recount and photograph the thoughts, feelings and emotions. Every picture has a story and every picture is a witness of a story.

Website

Business, History, Transportation, Travel, Videos

Transportation History: “The Rise And Fall Of Hertz” (CNBC Video)

Video Leave a comment

Hertz was a pioneer in car rental and a highly recognized brand nearly as old as the American auto industry itself. Decimated by coronavirus, Hertz tried in mid-2020 to take advantage of an odd Robinhood-driven spike in its share price and sell stock to pay off its debts. At the time, the company admitted the shares it was selling could end up worthless. Will Hertz be able to emerge from bankruptcy in some form, or will this be the end of its century-long story.

Books, Culture, Photography, Travel

Travel & Culture Books: “Marrakech Flair” By Marisa Berenson (2020)

Leave a comment

It has been said that Marrakech awakens all of the senses. Whether it is seeing the intricate zellige tilework; smelling the various spices sold at the souks; hearing the call to prayer emanate from the nearby mosques; touching the supple leather used to make a pair of babouches (leather sandals); tasting a flavorful tagine, Marrakech never fails to excite.

Located just west of the Atlas Mountains, the city has been inhabited by Berber farmers for centuries. It has been dubbed the “Ochre City” because of the proliferation of red sandstone buildings and the red city walls, which now enclose the Medina, home to Jemaa el-Fnaa, one of the busiest squares in Africa.

Marrakech overflows with culture and has been inspiring visitors for decades. From Yves Saint Laurent to Talitha Getty, Winston Churchill to Mick Jagger, Marrakech has attracted great icons inspired by its eternal spirit as well as its sweet, beautiful life. Yves Saint Laurent’s intimate relationship to this city lead to the opening of a museum dedicated to his legendary work.

The annual Marrakech International Film Festival draws a prominent crowd. Museums abound, exhibiting Moroccan arts, photography, carpets, and the Andalusian design aesthetic that permeates the city’s architecture. La Mamounia hotel, opened in 1923, offers a storied history, which includes hosting guests such as Winston Churchill.

Vanessa Branson’s El Fenn is a collection of traditional riads that form a stunning boutique hotel. There are countless ways to be immersed in the culture of Marrakech, but perhaps the best place to start is with a simple glass of mint tea.

Dubbed the “It Girl” by Yves Saint Laurent in the early 1970s, Marisa Berenson is the original modern muse. Berenson transitioned into acting and delivered dazzling performances in iconic films including  Cabaret  directed by Bob Fosse and Stanley Kubrick’s production of Barry Lyndon. She has written several books, including Moments intimes, A Life in Pictures  and Elsa Schiaparelli’s Private Album. Berenson fell in love with Marrakech eight years ago and once she found the perfect riad, she decided to call it home.

Read more or purchase

Homes, Travel, Videos

Italian Home Video Tour: “Moltrasio On Lake Como”

Video Leave a comment

In the heart of Moltrasio, a town on the shores of Lake Como, there is this intimate and luxurious estate with a panoramic view of the lake’s landscape for sale.

Moltrasio is a comune in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 45 kilometres north of Milan and about 6 kilometres north of Como, near the border with Switzerland, on the western shore of Lake Como.