CBS Mornings (December 23, 2023) – After writing “The Grapes of Wrath,” author John Steinbeck explored the Gulf of Mexico in a famous boat called the Western Flyer.
Since then, the boat has inspired adventurers and scientists for generations, but the original ship was nearly lost. CBS News’ Jeff Glor reports on the person determined to give it new life.
Harmen Hoek Films (December 22, 2023) – In November 2023, I hiked the O-trek (including the W-trek) in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile in southern Patagonia.
Video timeline:0:00 Puerto Natales 0:50 Mirador Base Las Torres (1st time) 3:40 Day 1 – Glacier and Camp Dickson 10:06 Day 2 – Glacier and Camp Los Perros 13:46 Exploring the Puma Glacier 15:45 Day 3 – Glacier Grey and Paso John Garner 21:08 Day 4 – Storm to Mirador Británico 24:35 Day 5 – Sunrise at Mirador Base Las Torres 26:38 Outro with photos
Day 1: I traveled by bus from Puerto Natales, entered the park at Laguna Amarga, and set up camp at Las Torres. I hiked to Mirador Base Las Torres, covering 23 kilometers.
Day 2: I trekked 39 kilometers to Campamento Dickson, passing Rio Paine, Campamento Seron, and Lago Paine, with the glacier Dickson in the distance.
Day 3: I covered 25 kilometers through a stunning forest to Los Perros, passing the Perros Glacier, and did a day-hike to the Puma Glacier on a non-maintained trail.
Day 4: The day started with a climb to the Paso John Garner pass in snow. At top I got a mesmerizing view of the white expanse of Grey Glacier. I followed the trail along the glacier to Campamento Grey, then to Paine Grande campground.
Day 5: despite the rain, I covered 43 kilometers. I hiked up to Mirador Británico and back to Central via Camping Francés and Refugio Los Cuernos.
Day 6, I woke up at 2:30 am and climbed to Mirador Base Las Torres, completing the final 20 kilometers of my 182-kilometer journey through the breathtaking landscapes of Patagonia.
AirPano VR Films (December 22, 2023): Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is known for its long legendary history. The city was founded in the 2nd century A.D. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world.
One of the most beautiful temples in Kathmandu – the Swayambhunath temple. Swayambhunath is known as the Monkey Temple. So called “Holy monkeys” live on the site of this temple. They are as much of a tourist attraction as are the temple, the large Buddha stupa, the monasteries and other buildings of the Swayambhunath complex.
Quanta Magazine (December 21, 2023): 2023’s Biggest Breakthroughs in Biology and Neuroscience.
Video timeline: 00:05The Investigation of Consciousness – Our minds are constantly taking in new external information while also creating their own internal imagery and narratives. How do we distinguish reality from fantasy? This year, researchers discovered that the brain has a “reality threshold” against which it constantly evaluates processed signals. Original paper: “Subjective signal strength distinguishes reality from imagination”
04:30Microbiomes Evolve With Us – This year, scientists provided clear evidence that the organisms in our microbiome —the collection of bacteria and other cells that live in our guts and elsewhere on our body — spread between people, especially those with whom we spend the most time. This raises the intriguing possibility that some illnesses that aren’t usually considered communicable might be.
08:43How Life Keeps Time – The rate at which an embryo develops and the timing of when its tissues mature vary dramatically between species. What controls the ticking of this developmental clock that determines an animal’s final form? This year, a series of careful experiments suggest that mitochondria may very well serve dual roles as both the timekeeper and power source for complex cells.
FRANCE 24 English (December 20, 2023) – With a thousand castles and almost as many churches, France’s south-western Périgord region is a paradise for lovers of ancient stones. Aude, 32, has inherited the fortress of Commarque.
The young Parisian left everything behind to protect this 12th-century monument. Gastronomy is also a key part of life in the Périgord. In this region that cherishes quality produce, chef Pierre Corre cooks black truffles like no one else.
The Local Project (December 19, 2023) – On Waiheke Island, New Zealand, an architect designs a hidden home. Offering a distinctive New Zealand experience, Mawhiti House was created for two sisters who were in search of a unique holiday dwelling where they could peacefully retreat to.
Video timeline:00:00 – Introduction to the Hidden Home 00:43 – Designed for Two Siblings 01:49 – The Form of the Home and its Influence 02:28 – The History of the Gateway Pavilion 03:31 – In Conversation with the Home and the Landscape 04:00 – The Layout of the Home 04:45 – Incorporating A Soulful and Earthy Feeling 05:36 – Proud Moments
A place of restoration and rejuvenation, an architect designs a hidden home that evokes a sense of calm. Built on an expansive plot of land, the Mawhiti House is surrounded by native bushland along with expansive views of the ocean, which can be accessed from the kitchen, bathrooms and living spaces within. Stephens Lawson Architects has designed the form to feel welcoming to the owners and their guests all year round. As seen in the house tour, Mawhiti House combines utility with a deep spiritual atmosphere. Another inspiration for the design was the idea of a rural barn.
Accompanying the Waiheke Island residence is a gateway pavilion, a structural addition that is made out of timber and enhances the living experience. Formed out of raw, natural pieces of wood, the structure offers a unique way to experience the surrounds of Waiheke Island. The house tour also reveals that the home and pine wood gateway are in constant dialogue with each other through the triangular forms and materiality of the timber architecture. Broken into three pavilions, the dwelling is spread across the site and seamlessly blends into the landscape as if it has always been a part of it. Between the pavilions are micro courtyards positioned off the bathrooms. As an architect designs a hidden home, each courtyard is differentiated from one another to enrich the experience of the owners and their visitors alike.
National Geographic (December 18, 2023) – As the rivers of the Okavango Basin pump life into an otherwise dry African region, a team of researchers and local communities, supported by the Okavango Eternal partnership, follow the flow every year to determine how we can preserve these vital water systems.
Matteo Bertoli Films (December 18, 2023) – Granada is a city in southern Spain’s Andalusia region, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s known for grand examples of medieval architecture dating to the Moorish occupation, especially the Alhambra.
This sprawling hilltop fortress complex encompasses royal palaces, serene patios, and reflecting pools from the Nasrid dynasty, as well as the fountains and orchards of the Generalife gardens.
The Morgan Library & Museum (December 18, 2023) – Diane Wolfthal, David and Caroline Minter Chair Emerita in the Humanities and Professor Emerita of Art History, Rice University, and Dei Jackson, Assistant Curator of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts here at the Morgan, discuss their current exhibition “Medieval Money, Merchants, and Morality,” which charts the economic revolution that took place at the end of the Middle Ages and the early Renaissance.
Trade was conducted on an unprecedented scale, banks were established, and coinage proliferated like never before. The widespread use of money in everyday life transformed every aspect of European society, including its values and culture. Bringing together some of the most acclaimed manuscripts in the Morgan’s collection and other exceptional objects including a renaissance purse, a brass alms box, and a hoard of coins, this exhibition will explore the fate of the avaricious, attitudes towards the poor, contentious lending practices, and money management.
The famous Hours of Catherine of Cleves, the Hours of Henry VIII, and the Prayer Book of Queen Claude de France will be presented from a decidedly new angle, combining economic and art history to consider the early history of capitalism and the crisis in values that it sparked. These will feature alongside lesser known treasures, including an Italian account book in its original binding and a stunning leaf from a register of creditors made in Bologna, Italy, in 1394–95. As people today reflect on fluctuating markets, disparities in wealth, personal values, and morality, the themes addressed in this exhibition are as relevant as ever.
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious