Curiosity and inspiration, 2023

To finish 2023 I’d like to share links to some of the websites I check when I need a break, am curious to learn something new, or need inspiration. None of the sites or newsletters listed below are specifically about architecture, engineering, or construction, or the AEC industry. I’ll cover those in a future post. Everything described here is free.

Best of new year wishes to everyone!

APOD – Astronomy Picture of the Day
Always good for those times when a different perspective is needed, a reliable source of amazement. “Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.” Based on work supported by NASA. Be sure to check out their archive.

The Marginalian (formerly Brian Pickings)
Maria Popova writes about what people think and create – philosophy, writing, poetry, art, science, the human experience – looking for meaning and “always through the lens of wonder.” These posts are longer-form reading, they’re thought provoking, often with wonderful imagery, and often making unexpected connections with other works of creative expression.

Daily Overview
Photos of the Earth from above, everything from cities to other man-made structures to natural formations. A fascinating look at the patterns of human and natural activity. Free subscription to a daily image.

Gastro Obscura
Interested in discovering the odd and interesting history of various foods?Check out Gastro Obscura, part of Atlas Obscura‘s coverage of travel and places. Free newsletter sign up.

The Survival Gardner (David The Good)
The tagline “More Food for Less Work!” describes David The Good’s philosophy. His posts and videos emphasize using what you have at hand. The goal is to grow food as simply as possible, with a minimum of effort and equipment. He’s good on composting, too.

Phys.org
Phys.org is part of the Science X network, “offering the most comprehensive coverage of sci-tech developments worldwide.” Areas of interest covered are Nanotechnology, Physics, Earth, Astronomy & Space, Chemistry, Biology, Other Sciences, Medicine, and Technology. Even for non-scientists, there’s a world here of fascinating, leading-edge discovery.

History Facts
“A daily digest of history’s most fascinating happenings.” Sections on U.S. History, World History, Famous Figures, Arts & Culture, Science & Industry. Short takes on past events, customs, and people.

ResearchBuzz
A free subscription gets you a daily email about “the world of search engines, archives, and online information collections.” Also a lot on searching itself. Despite the dry description, you’d be surprised at what unexpected topics come up, especially museum and library digitized collections. Produced since 1998 by Tara Calishain; see her other projects here.

Ars Technica
Are Technica’s mission is to be “technically savvy, up-to-date, and more fun” in covering “technology news, tech policy analysis, breakdowns of the latest scientific advancements, gadget reviews, software, hardware, and nearly everything else found in between layers of silicon.” The major sections are Biz & IT, Tech, Science, Policy, Cars, Gaming & Culture.

New Atlas
Writing about “advances in technology, science, transportation, architecture, design” as well as Good Thinking, Outdoors, Remarkable People, Tiny Houses, Environment, Quantum Computing, Drones, Music, Virtual Reality, Urban Transport – to mention just a selection of headings from their categories of Lifestyle, Science, Technology, Transport.

DarkSky International
“DarkSky International restores the nighttime environment and protects communities from the harmful effects of light pollution through outreach, advocacy, and conservation.” Find protected Dark Sky Places around the world, guides to responsible outdoor lighting, and scientific research and case law about lighting issues.

Long Now Foundation
“The Long Now Foundation is a nonprofit established in 01996 to foster long-term thinking.” The Clock of the Long Now and The Rosetta Project are two of their projects designed to encourage thinking on a longer time-scale. Their Ideas page is a good place to start. Check out the bottom of that page for a list of disciplines (including Cities, Environment, Infrastructure) and concepts (The Big Here, Futures, Long Shorts).

David Rumsey Map Collection
If you’re as fascinated by maps as I am, check out this site. “The collection focuses on rare 16th through 21st century maps of North and South America, as well as maps of the World, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania.” They’ve been digitizing the collection, offering high-resolution images and tools to help “users to compare, analyze, and view items in new and experimental ways.”

A.Word.A.Day
This is a free, no-frills daily email with the pronunciation, meaning, etymology, and usage of one word. I especially like the concluding Thought for Today.

The 126 Best Architecture Books
I did say this post wouldn’t be about architecture, but I can’t resist this compilation from ArchDaily. “The books on this list were chosen by our editors, and are categorized loosely by type. Read on to see the books we consider valuable to anyone interested in architecture.“

“Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible.” 
― Richard Feynmann