Link About It: This Week’s Picks
From flushable pregnancy tests to pizza awards and more, our look around the internet
1. New Art Books for Kids
The team at Artsy has put together a list of 11 new art books for children—that adults will certainly enjoy too. From biographical-style stories to illustration-driven narratives and even cookbooks, these creative titles can teach kids about Yayoi Kusama, Keith Haring, patterns, mud pies and more. Take a look at the full list at Artsy.
2. Lia, the World’s First Biodegradable and Flushable Pregnancy Test
Developed by Bethany Edwards and Anna Simpson in 2015, who were then grad students at the University of Pennsylvania, Lia makes for a 99% accurate and environmentally friendly way to test for pregnancy. Known as Lia, it’s not only flushable, but also entirely biodegradable. Lia has now been cleared for use by the FDA and will begin distribution in mid-2018. One of the motivating factors for its development was the elimination of plastic—and while the impact on the environment is truly worthwhile, so are the Lia team’s humanitarian efforts: a portion of all Lia pregnancy test proceeds go to women’s health education globally and if you pledge $10 the Lia team will donate a pregnancy test to a women’s health organization of your choice.
3. Women To Look Up To Christmas Tree Toppers
3D-printed with plaster, three updated takes on the Christmas tree angel have been created by Women To Look Up To—and the profits are then invested in women-centric organizations. Priced at £80, the options so far are Beyonce, Hillary Clinton and Serena Williams, and the next edition has been left up to a vote by the public—with the options being Malala Yousafzai, Michelle Obama, Melinda Gates and more. Take a look at their website.
4. Neapolitan Pizza Makers Added to UNESCO Cultural List
Known as pizzaiuoli, the pizza makers of Naples, Italy have been added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity listing, by the organization’s committee for safeguarding culture. Roughly 3000 pizza makers were added to the list, along with 32 other non-pizza-related organizations across the globe. As pizza maker Antonio Sorbillo explained to the New York Times, “We make a product that has conquered the world.”
5. National Geographic’s 57 Best Photos of 2017
From beautiful to devastating, National Geographic’s 57 best photos of the year are stunning. Curated from 112 stories and two million images, the images that made the final cut range from fireflies in the Santa Clara Sanctuary to heartbreaking scenes from the Philippine drug war. Take a look at them all at National Geographic.
6. RIBA International List of World’s Best New Buildings 2018
A biennial selection featuring some of the world’s best new—or recently completed—buildings, the RIBA International List 2018 comprises 62 individual buildings drawn from 29 countries. This list will get narrowed down to just four by a grand jury. Across nine categories, the options include private and public establishments. Some standouts are the “vertical forest” apartment blocks in Milan and the new Deventer City Hall in the Netherlands by Neutelings Riedijk Architects. Head over to CNN to learn more about the selected structures.
7. Saudi Arabia to End 35-Year Ban on Cinemas
After 35 years, Saudi Arabia will be opening cinemas to the public. Citizens of the conservative nation have mostly welcomed the news, but it also has some concerned about censorship. This is just one of the several reforms announced by the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, following the decisions to make it legal for women to drive and to enter sports stadiums. Read more at The Guardian.
8. Mexico’s Tatiana Bilbao-Designed Mirrored Vacation Home
With walls of reflective glass, Los Terrenos (or The Terrains) is a residence in the forests just outside of Monterrey, Mexico that wholly embraces its surroundings by mirroring them right back. Designed by Mexico City-based architect Tatiana Bilbao, the dwelling is actually two structures surrounding a curvilinear pool. The space includes a furnished kitchen, dining area and living room in one portion and two bedrooms in the other. Unsurprisingly, it’s just as curious and beautiful inside as it is outside. Head over to Dezeen for an interview and more magnificent images.
Link About It is our filtered look at the web, shared daily in Link and on social media, and rounded up every Saturday morning.
