Category Archives: Ephemera

Murmurations are so hot right now

Posted on February 23, 2013 by cicada

Murmurations are so hot right now, they’re showing up in federal economic working papers. Which is probably more than you can say for steampunk. More links on the ever-fascinating murmuration phenomenon: Pop culture: How hot were murmurations in, say, 1936? … Continue reading →

Posted in Ephemera, Science, Science in culture & policy | Comments Off

A Murmuration of Cheese Balls: when nature enters the Uncanny Valley

Posted on August 19, 2012 by cicada

Murmuration, in addition to being a perfectly lovely word, also captures one of the most wonderful phenomena one can encounter in nature. Behold, one of the loveliest viral videos of recent years: Did you get goosebumps? Thomas Jackson’s series “Emergent … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Ephemera, Film, Video & Music, Neuroscience, Science, Web 2.0, New Media, and Gadgets, Wonder Cabinets, Yikes! | Comments Off

Have your wonder cabinet and eat it too!

Posted on March 3, 2012 by cicada

I’ve been spending too much time browsing etsy lately – it’s like windowshopping, only I don’t have to go out in the dismal drizzle that is Cambridge in March. One of the wonderful, fanciful shops I found is Andie’s Specialty … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Conspicuous consumption, Ephemera, Frivolity, Wonder Cabinets | Comments Off

Whale Fall

Posted on February 19, 2012 by cicada

Whale Fall (after life of a whale) by Sharon Shattuck is a charming and unusual film that uses paper puppetry to show the ecological “afterlife” of a whale. The overall effect is a little Steve Zissou, a little arts-and-crafts, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Ephemera, Film, Video & Music, Science | Comments Off

Remarkable Lego street art illusion

Posted on February 4, 2012 by cicada

Legophemera FTW. If you have not yet seen this street art illusion of a Lego terra cotta army, watch now – before your techie-artsy-hipster cred is permanently diminished! Video: “Lego Army,” by Leon Keer at the Sarasota Chalk Festival 2011. … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Ephemera, Events, Film, Video & Music, Frivolity | Comments Off

“Jesus is God’s Atomic Bomb,” and other lyrical classics

Posted on February 3, 2012 by cicada

Conelrad’s fascinating cold war culture jukebox, Atomic Platters, offers lyrics and historical context spanning several decades of popular atomic-themed music. Many of the songs unsurprisingly convey a sense of unprecedented, un-romanticized astonishment and awe. Consider the following gem:

Posted in Education, Ephemera, Film, Video & Music, History of Science, Science in culture & policy, Yikes! | Comments Off

Russian water computers + garden design = underused steampunk plot

Posted on January 27, 2012 by cicada

If you’ve been secretly hankering to read an Umberto Eco novel about the Illuminati building a giant proto-computer underneath Versailles, do I have the blog post for you!

Posted in Blogs and Blogging, Ephemera, Frivolity, Retrotechnology | Comments Off

Sciart Links

Posted on January 17, 2012 by cicada

I’ve been too busy to write a real post lately, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some amazing sciart/ephemera-art links going around. Here are some: Origami human torso with organs (via David Ng) In situ pencil lead carvings – the … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Blogs and Blogging, Ephemera, History of Science, Medical Illustration and History | Comments Off

Chipotle saves spherical pigs from Science

Posted on January 1, 2012 by cicada

If one of your New Years’ resolutions is to eat healthier, more sustainable food, contemplating the evils of industrial food production and re-reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma might help you reach that goal — and you might want to post this … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Conspicuous consumption, Ephemera, Film, Video & Music, Science in culture & policy | Comments Off

Carnival of the Animals: holiday window wonder cabinets

Posted on December 27, 2011 by cicada

Bergdorf Goodman’s elaborate animal-themed holiday window displays rock my world: See more windows (huge images) at their blog. The last window in particular is Snow Queen-esque (think Narnia); the metal bird themed window seems very Yeatsian. Truly, upscale holiday window … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Conspicuous consumption, Design, Ephemera, Frivolity, Wonder Cabinets | Comments Off