Link About It: This Week’s Picks
Peach-scented records, LSD for anxiety, windowless planes, gems falling from the sky and more
1. Psychedelics Could Repair Brain Cells “Shriveled” by Depression
University of California researchers have observed that psychedelics like LSD and MDMA can rewire the brain—and trigger the growth of new branches between cells—long after the drugs’ other effects have worn off. Dr David Olson, one of the study’s authors and lead researcher, notes that during cases of depression (as well as anxiety, PTSD and more) neurites in the prefrontal cortex of the brain tend to shrivel. Psychedelics have been acting as a counter to this. Olson and his team have been trialling everything from DMT to ketamine and what they’re discovering might be clues to treating mental illnesses and achieving mental health. Read more at the Independent.
2. “Call Me By Your Name” Soundtrack on Peach-Scented Vinyl
You either know what “the peach scene” is or you don’t. That said, the memorable moment from Luca Guadagnino’s film “Call Me By Your Name” has inspired a peach-scented (and peach-colored) vinyl soundtrack release. The limited edition “Peach Season” edition will be released on 3 August, and kept to only 7,777 copies. The record features the acclaimed Sufjan Stevens tracks featured in the film, the beloved classic Psychedelic Furs tune “Love My Way,” Ryuichi Sakamoto and Giorgio Mororder contributions and more.
3. Frida Escobedo’s 2018 Serpentine Pavilion
Mexican architect Frida Escobedo’s Serpentine Pavilion courtyard opens in London’s Hyde Park on 15 June, and the anticipation is high for several reasons. First, Escobedo is the youngest architect tapped for the prestigious project. The material—a British-made, gray cement—maintains her love of locally sourced components. And it certainly brings a powerful display of Mexican modernism to the park for its 18th pavilion commission. Every year the Serpentine Pavilion surprises and delights. This year is certainly one of the most interesting. Learn more from Escobedo herself at Frieze.com.
4. Emirates Airline a Step Closer to Windowless Planes
The newest plane in the Emirates fleet—the Boeing 777-300ER—has plenty of impressive features, but perhaps the most surprising is its virtual windows for the first-class cabin. Instead of peering out of the plane, passengers will see real-time projections filmed from outside of the aircraft with fibre-optic cameras. Emirates president Sir Tim Clark says the quality of footage is impeccable, and the move itself is a step toward planes with no windows at all, “Imagine now a fuselage as you’re boarding with no windows, but when you get inside, there are windows… Now you have one fuselage which has no structural weaknesses because of windows. The aircraft are lighter, the aircraft could fly faster, they’ll burn far less fuel and fly higher.” However the concept has caused concerns regarding safety (crew needs to be able to see outside) as well as comfort (many worry a lack of windows will increase anxiety and claustrophobia). Read more at BBC.
5. Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Spews Green Crystals
The lava currently erupting from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano happens to be very crystal-rich. Launching some 130 feet into the air and landing on and near homes, olivine—an olive green gem—happens to be common on the island (and turns certain beaches green) but not usually falling from the sky. The gems were formed under the ground long ago, but the violent eruption spews them and separates them from pumice. It’s a strange, beautiful touch from nature—though in circumstances requiring the utmost safety and care.
6. Pornhub’s to Open Interactive Art Show
Opening in LA this July, an interactive art installation by perhaps an unexpected company: Pornhub. The month-long exhibition imagines a sex-positive, utopian society (circa 2069) in which Pornhub is in charge of the government and departments like the National Sexurity ASSociation (NSA), Domination Masochistic Vroomvroom (DMV) and more exist to make the world a better place. The show will take place over seven rooms and is designed by artists Maggie West and Ryder Ripps, the latter saying, “Come for the innate desire for human procreation, stay for the infinity mirrors and ball pit.” Read more at DazedDigital.
7. Brujas Combines Feminism, Skate Culture + Art
Feminist skate crew and art collective Brujas recently took over East Village venue Performance Space for their “Training Facility” which was part skatepark, part library and part art installation where there were “no cops or cool guys allowed.” The installation was “decked out with skate obstacles, pastel-pink camouflage bleachers, and a library of political theory books (including volumes by Foucault and Malcolm X), the skatepark was a haven not just for skaters, but also for art lovers, activists and bookworms, among others.” Brujas member and organizer Arianna Gil tells Artsy that the inclusivity was most important as it’s oftentimes white, cis boys and men who are most encouraged in the skate world, “Never a queer person, never a woman, and never a person of color in my experience.” Find out more about the delightful take-over at Artsy.
8. Little-Known Frank Lloyd Wright Home For Sale
For $1.2 million, anyone with the resources can snag the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed 1,300-square-foot Whiteford-Haddock House. In Michigan (not far from Ann Arbor), the structure features many of the famed architect’s signatures including his sharp angles, sweeping rooms and familiar, comfortable materials. The design dates back to 1939 but it was modified time and time again, ultimately built in 1979. And remarkably, until now, little was known of it. Read and see more at Dwell.
Link About It is our filtered look at the web, shared daily in Link and on social media, and rounded up every Saturday morning.
