Serge the Concierge

Telescope and Paintbrush, Science and Art in Age of Galileo, Palazzo Blu, Pisa

Blame it on Twitter. Turismo in Toscana (Tourism in Tuscany, with English version) is a new follower so I checked them up and was happy to discover many ways that Tuscany Celebrates Galileo or to be precise the 400th anniversary since Galileo Galilei (1564 – 1642) first pointed a telescope at the stars in 1609, leading to the discovery of new celestial bodies and a whole new concept of the universe.

Unfortunately the Galileo a Pisa site seems to have only an Italian version.

One exhibit I thought worth checking at Palazzo Blu in Pisa (site also only in Italian) is ‘Il cannocchiale e il pennello’ (The Telescope and the Paintbrush) looking at science and art in the age of Galileo.

Turismo in Toscana notes that this exhibit "not only traces the well-known relationship between the scientist and greatest artists of the time, it also spotlights the reflection of Sidereus Nuncius when it comes to representing the heavenly bodies. It provides a window on the intense relationship between sciences and the arts, which was born as a result of the Galilean ‘revolution’. Divided into five sections, that are both thematic and chronological, the exhibition takes visitors on an unprecedented journey through the sciences and the arts. You’ll see famous masterpieces and discover how the work of the Pisan scientist sparked the evolution of a new visual language"

Palazzo Blu (pictured below) is a new venue in the renovated Palazzo Abiente Giuli, "an ancient, noble Pisan palace overlooking the Arno".

The Telelescope and the Paintbrush opens on May and runs until July 20, 2009 from 10am to 7pm (except Mondays).

I will dig deeper into Turismo in Toscana and hopefully come back with a few great finds.

Plan your trip or check the stars.

Beyond Broken Bones at Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago...and DNA Day

Museums come in many flavors.

I did not realize until today that there was a Museum of Surgical Science, International at that.

Housed in Chicago, the windy city, this museum offers current exhibits such as Beyond Broken Bones which showcases "past, present, and potential of medical innovations for diagnosing and treating injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system."

I learned from the program notes that we can trace "the birth of orthopedics with Nicolas Andry in the 17th century and include discoveries and milestones in orthopedic surgery, as well as the evolution of amputation methods and prosthesis design from ancient times to the present."

Interested in the Genome project and all that jazz, they will stage a DNA Day on April 21from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Interested, our Consumed to Thrifty friends will be happy to know that this is a Free Admission event.

Enough to please your inner scientist.

There is actually a National DNA Day which (I am confused) takes place on April 24th. 2009 is the seventh edition.

National DNA Day is here to "commemorate the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003, and the discovery of DNA's double helix."

Junk Ride 2009: Sharing the Pacific Ocean Plastic Soup, One Cup at A Time

After taking the Junkraft built with 15.000 plastic bottles from Los Angeles to Hawaii to raise awareness on floating plastic debris in the Pacific, the Algalita Marine Research Foundation brings its message in a bottle back on the ground.

Two of their team members, Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummins are riding their 2 wheels from Vancouver, Canada to Tijuana, Mexico.

During Junk Ride 2009, their 2000 mile coastal trip which started on April 4th and ends June 25th, they will be sharing the Pacific ocean plastic soup, one cup at a time with local authorities and educators.

On a more positive note, Emily Wertz tells us how some companies in the US are Bicycling their way to low-carbonized profits (Change.org, April 11).

I was not surprised to see that one of them Soupcycle to be based in Portand, Oregon, the unofficial 2 wheel capital in the US.

Their humorous tone reminded me of the whimsy Green Thing (UK).

No preaching for Green Day # 72

Previously: Greener Easter: Is buying Hershey's Easter Eggs wrecking the Rainforest?

Smell of Rotten Eggs and Catalytic Converters as Alternative to Viagra?

Not to be blinded by science, Steve Connor, science editor for The Independent has news for us on How the smell of rotten eggs makes men randy (March 3, 2009).

It all comes down to hydrogen sulfide as he reports that "the whiff of hydrogen sulphide – a gas not traditionally associated with lovemaking – accompanies the biological degradation of sulphur-containing substances. It also belches from the exhausts of cars fitted with catalytic converters."

No reason to stand behind cars warming up, you might get rejuvenated or you might get sick!

Are these news fit to share?

Sick! Keep your Virus to Yourself! Stay Home

If there is one thing that fits Monday Work Etiquette like a glove this is it.

Contrary to lung doctors who smoke, Marci Alboher woke up to a bad cold and decided to follow the advice she gave in Feeling Sick? Stay Home (February 2008, Shifting Careers, NY Times). She canceled her meetings for the day.

The best cure for a bad cold is often besides drinking a lot of fluids, sleeping it off and resting for a day or two.

How many of us try to play hero as if the workplace could not function without us and end up spreading the virus to our colleagues?

Marci puts a name on this irresponsible attitude:

"This behavior is so prevalent that it now has an official name, “presenteeism,” and it costs companies a lot of money because it makes other people sick."

Not sure if you are contagious, the Florida Department of Health marries humor and sound advice with their Keep Sick @ Home campaign and its slogan 'If you have the flu, your work is through'.

As they remind us "Sick workers get other workers sick. So before you arrive with the stuffy head, make sure you don’t have symptoms that should keep you in bed."

I especially like their suggestion to "share ideas – not viruses – with your co-workers."

The 'Sick Day' Video (above) drives the point home.

Bonne Sante!

Words of Wisdom for Monday Work Etiquette # 73

Last Week: 11 Years Later, The Brand Called You

Calling All Space Explorers: 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy

Checking news from around the globe, I realized that 2009 besides being The Year of the Ox for Chinese also happens to have been declared the International Year of Astronomy by Unesco.

Astronomer Fred Watson in Across the Universe (Sydney Morning Herald, January 6) traveled back in time for the following story:

"16th-century Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe in keeping with the fashion of the time was also regarded as a competent astrological soothsayer. But when a total eclipse of the moon led him to announce the impending death of Suleiman the Magnificent, head honcho of the Ottoman Empire, Tycho came unstuck. It turned out that the elderly Suleiman had died weeks before but the news had been slow to reach Denmark. In the resulting melee of embarrassment and recrimination, Brahe fought a duel that cost him most of his nose and almost robbed him of sight."

Get acquainted with the work of astronomers around the globe thanks to Cosmic Diary.

Want to see the world of astronomy in action visit the Astronomy Channel on You Tube for videos such as the Internation Year of Astronomy Trailer (below).

Thanks to their observatory on Twitter, I learned that on January 8 of 1642, Galileo died and discovered The Galileo Project at Rice University.

There are of course many local events and meetings on the topic.

Hope you enjoyed this trip through time and space.

Related: 2008 is the International Year of the Potato. Did you know?

Clothing That Melts Away: Project 'Wonderland', Green Fashion?

Do we think of used clothing and textiles in general as a part of waste?

Not sure I did until I read The last word in disposable fashion by Rachel Shields (The Independent, December 28, 2008).

Would you think of buying clothes that dissolve in the wash?

Rachel shares her thoughts on the topic while reviewing the Wonderland Project, a collaboration between "Helen Storey, a designer and professor at the London College of Fashion, teamed up with Professor Tony Ryan from the University of Sheffield and Interface, a research centre at the University of Ulster".

The Wonderland Project Rachel writes:

"Created plastic dresses – made out of a similar material to washing capsules – that disappear on contact with water, with the aim of drawing attention to the problem of waste plastic. "It is about getting different disciplines together to solve a global problem," Professor Storey said.

A touring exhibition, which began at the London College of Fashion, and in which the dresses are hung from scaffolds and lowered into giant fishbowls, dissolving in dramatic patterns as they are submerged"

They will be part of the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year awards at Design Museum (London) on February 13.

Want to see the melting away in action, see the last minutes of the disposable blue jeans in a revealing Wonderland short film (by Showstudio)?

Helen Storey and Tony Ryan share their thoughts in the video below.

Art, fashion, reflection for Green Day # 60

Last Week: Buy Less Stuff: Shortest Road to Going Green and Saving Some

Mercury Poisoning: 20th Minamata Disease Exposition in Chiba

It might not be art yet it is relevant to our health and the food chain.

No holiday cheer here. The Japan Times announces that the 20th Minamata Disease Exposition starts in Chiba (December 11).

Not a show really rather a reminder of how this mercury poisoning took place.

The Minimata Disease (a neurological syndrome caused by mercury poisoning) is so called according to Minamata Disease and the Mercury Pollution of the Globe (by Masazumi Harada, M.D., Ph.D) because it was discovered for the first time in the world at Minamata City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, in 1956.

It was the result of chemicals being released by local companies which in turn contaminated local fish and shellfish. People then got sick by eating them.

A book titled "Fifty Years of Minamata Disease" relating what people who lived it experienced was published to mark the 50th anniversary of its discovery in 2006 (cover above).

The 20th Minamata Disease Exposition runs until December 28, 2008.

A reflective Tokyo Thursdays # 68

Previously: Art Space Tokyo, An Illustrated Guide to Neighborhoods, Places and People

Related: Is Floating Garbage Dump new Pacific Ocean Landmark?

Ever Thought of Using Solar Power to Iron Your Clothes?

Have you ever thought of using a solar powered iron for your clothes, this is one of the suggestions made in How to unplug from the grid by Gaia Vince in the Go-off grid (December 3rd Issue) of the New Scientist.

The idea applies it seems only if you are practicing your ironing skills outdoors, sun is not optional.

If you cannot cut the umbilical cord with your utility, you can at least cut down on your energy use.
The article reminds us that "the biggest energy savings will come from properly insulating your home to minimize heat loss."

When this is done, in order to assess what your biggest energy guzzlers are, they suggest the purchase of an energy monitor, kind of like Google Analytics for your appliances.

I will not rehash all the points made but let you read it instead.

Gaia Vince also writes Wandering Gaia whose latest story Eat camels, kangaroos for the environment (December 9, 2008) echoes our Eating Kangaroo reduces your Carbon Footprint...Skippy Anyone? (January 29, 2008).

A quick, short, practical Green Day # 56

Last week: Organic as Beer in Espresso and Pomegranate Flavors

Helping the Walking Wounded on November 11

I cannot pretend having many military bones in me even though I spent some 10 month in the French Army back in the days as a 'conscript'.
I do feel for the victims of conflicts including soldiers coming back from the war.

Listening to Tracy Eiswert whose husband took his life after returning from Iraq tell her story in Military, VA Confront Rising Suicide Rates Among Troops on the News Hour (November 10) was very moving.

Things happen for a reason.
An hour ago, Dani Sevilla of Survivor Corps, a non-profit that helps victims of war, civilians and military, heal their physical and mental wounds asked me to pass along the message that on November 11 they are raising funds to help veterans and their families deal with the fallout.

I am happy to oblige.

Check their work and do what you can to support their work.

Related: Timely Art Exhibit in Madrid: 1914! The Avant-Garde and The Great War