Reconstructing the Antikythera Mechanism

 

"Clickspring" makes gorgeous videos about an inspiring project: building a replica of the Antikythera mechanism using only period-appropriate tools and methods.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBRCL090PxA

 

I particularly like this project because it's an excellent way to debunk the "ancient astronaut" kookery surrounding this piece of ancient technology (and other "too advanced" ancient human achievements).

Friday Links: Freelance Writing, Tabletop Radios, Movies Within Movies, Romanian Village Photographer

 Only a few this week.

A nuts & bolts look at the world of writing for money:

https://countercraft.substack.com/p/everything-ive-learned-about-being

Some good-looking radios from a brand I hadn't seen before. I have one on order, I'll let you know:

https://www.sangean.com/products/all_products.asp

Nestflix: a directory of movies-within-movies (and tv shows). Yes, they have Logjammin'. Yes, they have McBain. But you can submit any they don't have.

https://nestflix.fun/

The photographs of Zaharia Cusnir. A village photographer in the Romanian/Moldovan border region from 1955-1970, Cusnir lived and died in relative obscurity. His negatives were found in an abandoned house, scanned, and now some are on this website. Some of the images are quite powerful: your heart goes out to the subjects. I will be spending more time with these over the weekend.

https://www.zaharia.md/en/about/

Thug: An Introduction to the History of a Nasty Word

Has anyone else noticed the gleeful way certain people use the word "thug"? Like it tastes good in their mouth when they say it? Like they have found a socially acceptable substitute for the N word? That anagram of "ginger," which was "taken away" from "us" by "political correctness?" 

It turns out that "thug" was brought into the English language in the 19th century to help justify the British Empire's conquest of India. So it's been doing the work of dehumanizing the racial "other" to justify violence against them all along.

https://sshankar.net/2020/06/04/s-shankar-thug-the-rhetorical-work-of-a-contemporary-american-word-originating-in-colonial-19th-century-india/?fbclid=IwAR2ud0eiL1aFU4x02wcWDYPENvh9vwjiX0zXX8wrcctKJFQOa0h6phhAY34

I knew Shankar in grad school, where he was a real standout. Proud to point at him and say "I know this guy!"