Topic

Art, Culture & Design

A collection of 74 issues

Why is the Coronado Bridge Curved? The Genius Engineering Behind a San Diego Icon

The Coronado Bridge's iconic curve is a clever engineering feat. It extends the bridge's length to 2.12 miles, allowing it to reach the 200-foot height required for Navy warships to pass underneath while maintaining a safe, gradual incline over the short span of San Diego Bay.

From Prank to Prestige: How a Plastic Flamingo Became the Official Bird of Madison, Wisconsin

In a testament to its quirky spirit, Madison, Wisconsin's official bird is the pink plastic flamingo. The title commemorates a legendary 1979 prank by UW students from the Pail and Shovel Party, who famously covered the campus's Bascom Hill with over one thousand of the iconic lawn ornaments.

Skulls, Powders, and Potions: A Journey into the World's Largest Voodoo Market

The Akodessawa Fetish Market in Lomé, Togo, is the world's largest voodoo market. It offers animal parts like monkey heads and dried snakes, used not for dark magic but as essential ingredients in traditional West African Vodun remedies and rituals for healing and spiritual well-being.

From Uncut Gems to Inner Turmoil: The Surprising Cinematic Influence Behind 'Inside Out 2'

Inside Out 2's creators channeled the chaotic energy of the Adam Sandler thriller 'Uncut Gems' to visually represent Anxiety. Directors of photography used long lenses and handheld camera styles, mimicking the Safdie Brothers' signature claustrophobic feel to bring the new emotion's panic to life.

Woven from Liquid Gold: The Astonishing Tale of the 1.2 Million Spider Cape

A textile masterpiece, the Golden Spider Silk Cape is the world's largest garment woven from spider silk. It required harnessing the naturally golden thread from over 1.2 million spiders in Madagascar over 8 years, a monumental feat of art, engineering, and nature.

Dressed to Kill (But Not in a Tux): The Contract Clause That Redefined Pierce Brosnan's Style

Pierce Brosnan's James Bond contract famously forbade him from wearing a tuxedo in other films to protect the 007 brand. This led to a clever and iconic style workaround for his character in the 1999 film The Thomas Crown Affair, perfectly defining the rebellious billionaire.

The Unsung King of Discogs: Why a Mastering Engineer is More Collected Than The Beatles

On Discogs, the world's biggest music database, the most collected person isn't a rock star. It's mastering engineer Bob Ludwig, whose iconic "RL" signature on vinyl records like Led Zeppelin II is a holy grail for audiophiles and collectors seeking the ultimate sound quality.

From the Urals to the Danube: The Surprising Siberian Roots of Finnish and Hungarian

Finnish and Hungarian are linguistic islands in Europe, unrelated to their neighbors. They belong to the Uralic family, with a common ancestor from Western Siberia thousands of years ago. While not mutually intelligible, they share grammar, structure, and ancient vocabulary.