Kickoff For January 17, 2022
Welcome to this week’s edition of the Monday Kickoff, a collection of what I’ve found interesting, informative, and insightful on the web over the last seven days.
Let’s get this Monday started with these links:
Science
Galileo the Science Publicist, wherein Mario Livio explains that science, now more than ever, needs talented advocates and explains why the Italian astronomer was one of the best.
Slime, wherein Susanne Wedlich takes us through our fascination with this primordial substance, and how we’re starting to understand more about it and use it.
Meet the Father of Digital Life, wherein we learn about the life and work of Nils Aall Barricelli, a pioneer in using mathematical models and computers simulate the evolution of what he described as numerical organisms.
History
Inside Abraham Lincoln’s Surprising Career As A National Wrestling Champ, wherein we learn about the U.S. president’s skills as a grappler, and how his reputation as a wrestler helped him on the campaign trail.
Raising a Stink, wherein we enter the world of (human) waste collectors in Tokugawa-era Japan and why their pungent cargo was so important to the country at the time.
The Story Of The Max Headroom Incident, America’s Creepiest Unsolved TV Hack, wherein we learn about an infamous signal hijacking in Chicago in 1987, how it was done, and why who did it (and their motives) remains a mystery.
Odds and Ends
The New Luxury Vacation: Being Dumped in the Middle of Nowhere, wherein Ed Caesar recounts his sojourn into the world of the new adventure holiday aimed the wealthy.
Following In The Footsteps Of Bruno Taut, wherein Ikuru Kuwajima repeats a journey through Japan made by the avant-garde German architect to both see what made Taut appreciate Japan and what has changed in the intervening years.
What It Takes to Climb the World’s Most Forbidding Cliffs, wherein we meet Tommy Caldwell, a legendary figure in the world of rock climbing whose lengthy career in the sport has seen him conquer some of the most challenging rock faces around the globe.
And that’s it for this Monday. Come back in seven days for another set of links to start off your week.