Top Museum Exhibits: “STRANGE LIGHT: THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF CLARENCE JOHN LAUGHLIN” At High Museum Of Art, Atlanta

From the High.org website:

The Bat 1940 by CLARENCE JOHN LAUGHLINDubbed “The Father of American Surrealism,” Clarence John Laughlin (American, 1905-1985) was the most important Southern photographer of his time and a singular figure within the burgeoning American school of photography. Known primarily for his atmospheric depictions of decaying antebellum architecture that proliferated his hometown of New Orleans, Laughlin approached photography with a romantic, experimental eye that diverged heavily from his peers who championed realism and social documentary.

High Museum Of Art Atlanta

On view through November 10, 2019

Water Witch 1939 Clarence John LaughlinThe exhibition surveys Laughlin’s signature bodies of work made between 1935 and 1965, emphasizing his inventiveness, artistic influences, and deep connection to the written word. The High began collecting Laughlin’s work in 1974 and Strange Light: The Photography of Clarence John Laughlin is the first major presentation of Laughlin’s photographs by the High Museum following a landmark acquisition of his work in 2015.

The more than one hundred works in this exhibition attest to Laughlin’s innovative approach and prescience for the future of the photographic medium. From allegorical social commentary, to expertly constructed narratives, to bizarre material experimentation, Laughlin’s effort to access a higher artistic potential for photography is evident throughout his career. His desire to push the limits of photographic possibility paved the way for generations of artists and the growth of the medium into a tool of magical potential.

https://high.org/exhibition/strange-light-the-photography-of-clarence-john-laughlin/

Top Culinary Events: Breckenridge Wine Classic In Colorado On September 12-15, 2019

Breckenridge Wine Classic WineriesThe Breckenridge Wine Classic is a premier destination event where master winemakers, culinary greats, and our distinguished guests gather to play, wine, and dine in beautiful Breckenridge, CO. Experience more than 100 food artisans, wineries, breweries, distilleries, epicurean purveyors, and locally-made products at this ultimate food and wine experience. Whether you are a full-fledged foodie or an emerging gourmand, you are sure to find more than one event to whet your appetite at the Wine Classic. There is something for everyone – from food and wine tastings, to seminars and luncheons, to outdoor adventures with food & wine influences, there are tastes and temptations at every turn.

2019 PARTICIPATING WINERIES

Bread & Butter. Chronic Cellars. Copper Cane. Disruption Wine Company. Foley Family Wines. Hahn Family Wines. J. Lohr Vineyards. Marble Distilling Co. Mionetto USA. Oak Ridge Winery. Palm Bay International. Prestige Wine Imports. Riboli Family Wines. Rodney Strong Wine Estates. Scheid Family Wines. Spruce Creek Spirits. Wente Family Estates. Western Spirits.

https://breckenridgewineclassic.com/

Memory Research: Ability To Forget Is Crucial To How The Brain Works

From a Nature.com online article:

Nature Outlook The Brain“What is memory without forgetting?” asks Oliver Hardt, a cognitive psychologist studying the neurobiology of memory at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. “It’s impossible,” he says. “To have proper memory function, you have to have forgetting.”

A growing body of work, cultivated in the past decade, suggests that the loss of memories is not a passive process. Rather, forgetting seems to be an active mechanism that is constantly at work in the brain. In some — perhaps even all — animals, the brain’s standard state is not to remember, but to forget. And a better understanding of that state could lead to breakthroughs in treatments for conditions such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and even Alzheimer’s disease.

To read more click on the following link: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02211-5

Top Scientific Podcasts: Carbon-Based Computing And Depleting Ancient-Human Genomes (Nature)

Nature PodcastA nanotube microprocessor: Scientists are looking beyond silicon, by constructing a computer chip using carbon nanotubes.

Using ancient-human remains conscientiously: While genetic sequencing of ancient-human remains is providing more information than ever, these remains must be safeguarded, warn researchers.

In this episode:

00:45 A nanotube microprocessor

Scientists are looking beyond silicon, by constructing a computer chip using carbon nanotubes. Research article: Shulaker et al.News and Views: Nanotube computer scaled up

08:38 Research Highlights

Weighing neutrinos, and discovering a hidden Zika epidemic. Research Highlight: Lightest neutrino is at least 6 million times lighter than an electronResearch Highlight: Cuba’s untold Zika outbreak uncovered

10:29 Using ancient-human remains conscientiously

While genetic sequencing of ancient-human remains is providing more information than ever, these remains must be safeguarded, warn researchers. Comment: Use ancient remains more wisely

17:21 News Chat

The discovery of a 3.8-million-year-old hominin skull, and using CRISPR to make ‘smart’ materials. News: Rare 3.8-million-year-old skull recasts origins of iconic ‘Lucy’ fossil; News: CRISPR cuts turn gels into biological watchdogs

New Historical Fiction: “To Calais, In Ordinary Time” By James Meek Is “Inventive And Original”

From a Canongate.co.uk online release:

to-calais-in-ordinary-time-hardback-cover-9781786896742.600x0“Fans of intelligent historical fiction will be enthralled by a story so original and so fully imagined. Meek shows the era as alien, which it is, and doesn’t falsify it by assimilating it to ours. But his characters are recognisably warm and human”
HILARY MANTEL

“An inventive and original novel that captures the distant past and pins it to the page”
The Times, Book Of The Month

Three journeys. One road.

England, 1348. A gentlewoman flees an odious arranged marriage, a Scots proctor sets out for Avignon and a young ploughman in search of freedom is on his way to volunteer with a company of archers. All come together on the road to Calais.

Coming in their direction from across the Channel is the Black Death, the plague that will wipe out half of the population of Northern Europe. As the journey unfolds, overshadowed by the archers’ past misdeeds and clerical warnings of the imminent end of the world, the wayfarers must confront the nature of their loves and desires.

https://canongate.co.uk/books/2764-to-calais-in-ordinary-time/

Environment: World’s Largest Research Vessel “REV Ocean” Launches, Will Be Towed To Norway

From a REVOcean.org news release:

REV Ocean world’s largest and most advanced research and expedition vessel rear viewREV Ocean will be equipped for conducting missions that cover the entire marine ecosystem. It will be used by scientists and innovators for ‘solutions’ oriented research that explore issues such as the impact CO2 emissions have on the ocean, plastic pollution, and unsustainable fishing. REV Ocean will be an inclusive global vehicle for testing and proliferating ocean solutions. The vessel is 182.9 meters long and will have the capacity of holding 55 scientists and 35 crew. Equipment onboard includes scientific trawls, sonar systems, laboratories, auditorium and classrooms, moonpool, AUV and submarine, an ROV with 6000 meters depth capacity, and advanced communication equipment.

A monumental day for a monumental ship. REV Ocean is thrilled to announce the first water launch of the world’s largest and most advanced research and expedition vessel (REV Ocean). After an extensive and complicated build period over the past 18 months, the vessel was finally lowered into the water today at the VARD Tulcea shipyard in Romania.

Nina Jensen, CEO of REV Ocean, commented: “Today is an especially exciting day, our state-of-the-art research vessel has achieved a major milestone and we are now one step closer to realizing our vision of safeguarding the ocean. We look forward with great anticipation to REV Ocean’s journey to Norway and seeing the next stage of progress towards our ambitions of developing ocean solutions.”

To read more click on the following link: https://www.revocean.org/rev_splash/

Top Museum Exhibits: “Buried by Vesuvius – Treasures from the Villa dei Papiri” At Getty Villa

From a Wall Street Journal article:

Getty Villa Buried by Vesuvius - Treasures from the Villa dei Papiri…the Getty Villa, despite some anomalies and insertions, is considered a strong likeness, which makes it a powerful locale for “Buried by Vesuvius: Treasures From the Villa dei Papiri,” the first major exhibition of works discovered in the Roman residence. The show includes Weber’s 1758 architectural map—used to build the Getty Villa—along with some of the approximately 90 sculptures pulled from the site, showing athletes, philosophers, rulers, poets and mythological figures. The exhibition also displays findings from the recent excavations.

The idea was half-mad: building a museum to look like an ancient Roman villa that was buried under 75 feet of debris when Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79 and had never really been seen since. But J. Paul Getty made his immense fortune by bringing ancient subterranean material (i.e. oil) to the surface, so he must have felt similar excitement in exhuming this villa, in concept if not reality. It opened as the home for his eponymous museum in 1974; now called the Getty Villa, and located in Los Angeles, it holds the institution’s Classical collections.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/buried-by-vesuvius-treasures-from-the-villa-dei-papiri-review-a-homecoming-of-sorts-11566941174

French Wine Values: Red Burgundies Are Top Long-Term Values (Exceeding S&P 500 Over Last 15 Years)

From an Economist.com online article:

Collectors who have drunk most of their Pinot already may need another glass after seeing the results. By the end of 2018, red Burgundy had returned 497%, versus 279% for the s&p 500. (Our index does not extend to 2019, since many of the wines it contains have not been traded this year.)

Wine Price Index Economist August 2019

 

The index has also been less volatile than stocks are, though this may be an artefact of how it is calculated: no one knows what each wine would have sold for in the crash of 2008-09. Bordeaux and Champagne rose by 214% in 2003-18; everywhere else did worse.

Predicted Wine Appreciation from Economist August 2019

 

Wine collectors like to proclaim that “all roads lead to Burgundy.” They often wince at the plonk they drank when starting their hobby. In America and Australia, a common entry point is local “fruit bombs”: heavy, alcoholic wines that taste of plum or blackberry; bear the vanilla or mocha imprint of oak barrels; and should be drunk within a few years of bottling.

To read more click on the following link: https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/08/24/burgundy-wine-investors-have-beaten-the-stockmarket?cid1=cust/dailypicks1/n/bl/n/20190828n/owned/n/n/dailypicks1/n/n/NA/299647/n

Boomers Hobbies: 75-Year Old Dave Hinz Of Michigan Spent Ten Years Building His 1936 A.J. Speciale

From a Wall Street Journal article by A.J. Baime:

Dave Hinz 1936 A.J. Speciale Interior Photo by Erin Kirkland for the Wall Street JournalI built a frame out of ash wood. Then I hand-formed and welded body panels onto the frame. I re-engineered the brakes, the steering and the clutch system to fit properly, and I hand-formed the grille out of aluminum. The seats I built out of plywood, foam and vinyl that looks like leather. When I started, I had no idea how to do any of this.

Dave Hinz, 75, a retired former software company co-owner from Harbor Springs, Mich., on what he calls his homemade 1936 A.J. Speciale, as told to A.J. Baime.

After I retired in 2005, I found a photo of a beautiful Bugatti online. I made the mistake of telling my friends that I was going to build a car just like it. I had no experience in metal forming. I knew nothing about car mechanics. But I had made this statement, and I was the butt of so many jokes, I had to try.

To read more click on the following link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/its-not-an-alfa-romeo-or-a-jaguarits-a-tribute-to-both-11566914306

Health Studies: Patients With Gout Face Double The Risk Of Kidney Failure

From a  Eurekalert.org online release:

Gout Study - Increased Kidney Failure Risk UL“While we always believed that high levels of uric acid might be bad for kidneys and that patients with gout may have a higher risk of kidney failure, we were quite surprised by the magnitude of the risk imposed by gout in these patients. We were particularly interested in the risk of advanced kidney disease, as these patients in general have a higher risk of kidney failure and death.

Patients with gout are at increased risk of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure, according to new University of Limerick (UL), Ireland led research.

In one of the largest and most detailed studies ever conducted, patients recruited in general practice with a diagnosis of gout were more than twice as likely to develop kidney failure than those without, according to the study led by researchers at University of Limerick’s (UL) Graduate Entry Medical School (GEMS).

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