February 2012
19 posts
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100 days till the transit of Venus...
…and she’s already looking amazing, here to the bottom right of the Moon. Jupiter is just visible in the top left of the picture, taken by yours truly over London about an hour ago. In case you haven’t looked in the night sky this weekend, get outside right now. What you can see, through the naked eye, is what astronomers call a triple conjunction. Yesterday and today, the Moon,...
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Historical botanical illustration of the day
Gardenia taitensis, also known as Tahitian Gardenia or Tiare Flower, is a species within the Rubiaceae family of flowering plants. The anglicized name Tahitian Gardenia is something of a misnomer since it is neither native nor naturalised in Tahiti. It was recorded there for the first time, however, by the naturalists Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, when they landed on the island in...
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Historical botanical illustration of the day
Arum Italicum, commonly known as ‘Italian Lords and Ladies’ is a member of the family Araceae – a group of monocotyledonous plants whose flowers are borne on a type of fleshy stem, called a spadix, surrounded by a leaf-like curved bract. Watercolours on paper, Sydney Parkinson, Madeira, 1768. Via nhm.ac.uk
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Historical botanical illustration of the day
Dicliptera bracteata is a species within the Acanthaceae family of flowering plants. Acanthaceae is a group of dicotyledonous plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2,500 species. The dicotyledons, also known as dicots, are plants whose seed typically has two embryonic leaves or cotyledons. There are around 199,350 species within this group. Flowering plants that are not...
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Historical botanical illustration of the day
Bougainvillea was discovered by French botanist Philibert Commerçon along the coasts of Brazil in the 1760s.
The naturalist named the plant after his captain Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, with whom he sailed around the world aboard La Boudeuse.
Also on board was Commerçon’s housekeeper and mistress, Jeanne Baré, who was disguised as a man since women were strictly forbidden on...
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Aphrodite’s Island
When French explorer Louis-Antoine de Bougainville landed at Tahiti in 1768, he immediately named the island ‘La Nouvelle Cythère’ (New Cytheria) after the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.
The origin of Aphrodite’s name is unknown but according to the poet Hesiod it derived from ‘aphros’ – Greek for ‘foam’ – suggesting her full name meant “risen from foam”....
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The sinister side of fairy tales
From Enchantment to Down, by Paris-based photographer Thomas Czarnecki, is a collection of photographs depicting fairy-tale heroines in scenes that are darker than their idyllic stories.
Above, ‘On the Other Shore – The Little Mermaid’.
Via gizmodo.com.au
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Sea Foam Blue
Sea Foam Blue is a performance from a trio of dancers and animators known as Wives, taking place as part of the 33rd annual Rhubarb Festival at the Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto this evening.
The central character is a sexually confused mermaid caught between wanting to mate as a fish and being attracted to Ladies’ Man, a drunken sailor who resembles Leonard Cohen.
For Wives...
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Wow! Mermaid tails for sale!
US$2,250 for the basic silicone model. Add on a full or tattered dorsal fin for US$250 extra. Made by Eric Ducharme, otherwise known as The Mertailor.
Pictures via Chris Cumley, a collection of which can be viewed alongside an interview with the photographer on Mermaid author Carolyn Turgeon’s I Am A Mermaid blog.
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Celebrities as mermaids #3
Stretching the term ‘celebrity’ just a little here I feel but this is Courtney Stodden, who as far as I can gather is famous for being the 17 year-old bride of 51 year-old actor Doug Hutchison.
Anyway, click on the link below for a few more.
Via huffingtonpost.com
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Celebrities as mermaids #2
Katy Perry by David LaChapelle.
Via au.lifestyle.yahoo.com
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Celebrities as mermaids #1
Julianne Moore by Annie Leibovitz
Via for-redheads.tumblr.com via Hansol on Pinterest
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Little Mermaid illustrators – a brief history #5
Anton Lomaev (1971-present) was born in Vitebsk, Belarus. His version of the Little Mermaid was published in 2009.
Via lomaevart.com
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Little Mermaid illustrators – a brief history #4
Lisbeth Zwerger (1954-present) was born in Vienna, Austria. Her version of The Little Mermaid came out in 2004 and last year the illustrations from this were used in an iPad app described as “the first ever underwater storybook experience”. She won the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1990.
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Little Mermaid illustrators – a brief history #3
Boris Diodorov (1934-present) was born in Moscow, Russia. His version of The Little Mermaid was published in French in 1998 as ‘La petite Sirène’. He was nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2000.
Via cizgilimasallar.blogspot.com
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Little Mermaid illustrators – a brief history #2
Edmund Dulac (1882-1953) was a French book illustrator born in Toulouse, who moved via Paris to London at the age of 22.
His pictures of the Little Mermaid featured in ‘Stories from Hans Christian Andersen’, published in 1911 by Hodder & Stoughton – a firm with which he retained a long association.
Dulac became a British Citizen in 1912 and among his many achievements, ended up...
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Little Mermaid illustrators – a brief history #1
Thomas Vilhelm Pedersen (1820-1859) was a Danish artist best known for being the first to illustrate the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen.
While Andersen’s earliest stories were published without pictures, as his popularity grew, a new five volume collection of his works was released in 1849 with 125 illustrations by Pedersen - a young naval officer at the time.
In Denmark...
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The age of the great plant hunter continues
A small group of “great plant hunters” are making the majority of the world’s botanical discoveries, a study led by Oxford University has revealed.
The report, which is published in this week’s Proceedings of the Royal Society B, revealed that more than 50 percent of the world’s plant species have been discovered by just two percent of plant collectors.
...
January 2012
13 posts
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Meet the 20,000 new species we discovered in a...
“As the number of species increases, so too does our understanding of the biosphere. It is through knowledge of the unique attributes of species that we illuminate the origin and evolutionary history of life on our planet.
“As we find out where species live and how they interact, we increase our ability to understand the function of ecosystems and make effective, fact-based...
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Taxing times for taxonomy
In Darwin’s day, biologists travelled the world to identify and classify plants and animals. They collected specimens and named them, grouping them in related categories to show how life on Earth is organised.
But today, support for taxonomy – the system of species classification pioneered by 18th century ‘superstar’ biologist Carl Linnaeus – is dwindling.
The lack of funding isn’t...
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Lost Charles Darwin fossils rediscovered in...
A “treasure trove” of fossils – including some collected by Charles Darwin during his voyage aboard the Beagle to the Galapagos Islands in 1834 – has been rediscovered in an old cabinet.
Dr John Ludden, executive director of the Geological Survey said: “This is quite a remarkable discovery. It really makes one wonder what else might be hiding in our collections.”
...
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Robert Thornton's 'The Temple of Flora'
In 1797, an influential physician, wealthy heir, and botanic enthusiast named Dr. Robert John Thornton (1768-1837) undertook the task of producing a flower book that would establish Britain as the preeminent publisher of artistic and scientific works.
An exploration into the “philosophical principles of botany,” the florilegium (book of flowers) would dazzle royal subscribers...
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The 300-year-old mystery of why Venus causes the...
We can see Venus pass in front of the sun once every one hundred and twenty years. Ever since it’s been observed, a strange thing has been happening. Instead of appearing as a dark circle moving across the sun, Venus formed a tear drop shape that slowly oozed onto the solar disc. It took three hundred years for scientists to understand the Black Drop Effect.
Via io9.com
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OMG! Opportunity of a lifetime!
The Australian National Maritime Museum is offering 35 people the chance to sail aboard its replica of the ship Captain James Cook voyaged in to Tahiti in 1769 to observe the transit of Venus.
The ballot for a spot on the HMB Endeavour has already opened. Hopefuls have till 10 February to submit their applications and the winners will be chosen ten days later.
The ship departs Sydney...
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Charting Venus: a collection of transit maps
One example from a beautiful collection of historical maps and diagrams of past transits of Venus, the majority of which come from the work of Victorian astronomer Richard A. Proctor. For the full series in high resolution click here.
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Chasing Venus
On 22 January 1761, the French astronomer Chappe d’Auteroche arrived in Warsaw. He was on his way to Tobolsk in Russia, to observe the transit of Venus on 6 June that year.
“Chappe’s diary entries from Warsaw show that he was not only an astronomer but also a connoisseur of women – describing in detail their dress and ‘undress’,” notes Andrea Wulf, in this latest extract from her upcoming...
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Maskelyne and Banks
As Astronomer Royal and president of the Royal Society respectively Nevil Maskelyne and Joseph Banks had a long and complex relationship, spanning more than forty years.
The two giants of late 18th century science were key members of the Board of Longitude and during the formative years of their friendship they were close, sometimes sharing smutty jokes in their letters to one another.
...
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On this day in 1761
On 17 January 1761, British astronomer Nevil Maskelyne set sail for St Helena - a lone speck of land in the Southern hemisphere from which he intended to observe the transit of Venus that was to take place on 6 June that year. via transitofvenus.nl
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Tahitian beauty rejuvinated
Restoration work on a portrait of a Tahitian princess, painted more than 200 years ago, is almost complete.
The picture of Poedua by the artist John Webber dates back to 1785 and was purchased for $2 million at auction two years ago.
It once belonged to the grandmother of present day Tahitian Prince Raanui Daunassans-Pomare, who was reunited with the painting last year.
Now,...
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Human zoos: When real people were exhibits
A new exhibition in Paris looks at the history of so-called human zoos, which put people from foreign countries on display as article of curiosity. Among the exhibits is an early portrait of a Tahitian man called Omai, who was brought to the court of King George III in London by the explorer Joseph Banks. In his book The Age of Wonder, Richard Holmes describes Omai as “quick-witted,...
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The undignified fight over the skeleton of a...
A pretty decent article about Charles Byrne, including this great picture from PA of a young Queen Elizabeth II sizing up the ‘Irish Giant’. The Queen was continuing a tradition begun by her ancestor George III, who likely met Byrne when he was flesh and who, for a time in 1782, was the toast of London’s high society, achieving short-lived celebrity status. Click on the link below to read...
December 2011
6 posts
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Debate over Irish Giant’s fate reawakens
An article in the British Medical Journal this week has reopened the debate about whether the skeleton of Charles Byrne, the ‘Irish Giant’, should be removed from the London museum where it has been on display for almost 200 years and buried at sea, as was his wish.
Byrne, who reputedly grew to more than eight feet tall, was born near the border of County Derry and County Tyrone in 1761,...
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Linnaeus’s long goodbye?
From January 1, 2012 botanists will no longer be required to provide Latin descriptions of newly discovered plants in a move designed to speed up the process of classifying species before they die out. The new rules, agreed at a conference during the International Botanical Congress last summer, represent a radical shake-up of a system that dates back almost 260 years. The ‘binomial’...
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Unlikely style icon: The Little Mermaid
“She’s sleek, chic and this season, she’s totally on trend,” says Net-A-Porter of the current vogue for all things mermaid. “Nod to Ariel’s unique aquatic style with shimmering and shell-embellished accessories – Comme des Garçons’ iridescent wallet and Yves Saint Laurent’s coral-style ring are top of our wish list. This must be underwater love.” Hmmm.
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The unluckiest Frenchman ever?
French astronomer Guillaume Le Gentil sailed from Paris in 1760 for Pondichéry (Puducherry) in India to observe the transit of Venus on June 6, 1761. On the way, he stopped off at Île de France (Mauritius) and learned of the war that had broken out with the English in the intervening months. They had colonized Pondichéry and so he changed his destination for the more easterly isle of...
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The transit of Venus and the longitude problem – a...
The size of the solar system was one of the chief puzzles of 18th century science. Astronomers of the day knew that six planets – Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – orbited the Sun (they had not yet discovered Uranus, Neptune and Pluto), and they knew the relative spacing of those planets. Jupiter, for instance, is five times further from the Sun than Earth. But how far is that...
November 2011
2 posts
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Royal Observatory rekindles Venus
The planetarium at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich will next year screen Rekindling Venus, a film from Australian artist Lynette Wallworth especially created for planetariums.
It premieres around the world on 5 June 2012 to coincide with the transit of Venus, which inspired the first known attempts at international scientific co-operation during times of war in 1761 and 1769.
Today, as...
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Measuring the Universe
The Royal Observatory in Greenwich will mark next year’s June 5 Transit of Venus with an exhibition and series of talks from March through to August.
Measuring the Universe will explore the way astronomers used the rare celestial event in previous centuries to help figure out the size of the cosmos.
As well as telling the stories of early scientists and explorers such as Edmund Halley and...
October 2011
6 posts
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Our last Transit of Venus
Here’s a teaser for a documentary that’s in the works about the upcoming 2012 transit of Venus.
The project, led by Lightcurve Films, will highlight three groups of people: scientists who will observe the transit to study Venus and exoplanets; amateurs and students who will redo the experiment of determining the size of the solar system; and professional and/or amateur...
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A picturesque Venus transit
The transit of Venus across the face of the Sun in 2004 was one of the better-photographed events in sky history. The above was taken by David Cortner and comes via Nasa’s Astronomy Picture of the Day.
The next transit will be in June 2012 and will be the last in our lifetime. This rare celestial event continues to inspire astronomers, artists and musicians everywhere. Below, a recent...
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Conjoined twins given artifical legs by man who...
Earlier this month, former conjoined twins Hassan and Hussein Benhaffaf were each fitted with a prosthetic leg and last week medical experts said they could walk unaided as early as next year.
The boys’ legs were designed by Irish-born Kevin Carroll, a world-renowned prosthetist whose work is now highlighted in a Hollywood movie, Dolphin Tale, with Morgan Freeman portraying him.
The film...
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How to bring a mermaid to life
Above, special effects experts at the company that created the mermaids for Pirates of the Caribbean 4 explain how they did it. Below, one of the posters from the movie featuring the sultry sirens.
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The drowning of Hans Christian Andersen
An ‘undertaker’ attaches a 10-foot statue of Hans Christian Andersen to a crane at the start of a ceremonial ‘drowning’ of the sculpture by artist Jens Galschiot last Sunday.
The statue, which has stood in Odense town square for the past five years, is taken through the streets on its way to be submerged in the harbour followed by crowds of ‘mourners’.
...
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Hans Christian Andersen to be 'buried' at sea
A statue of Hans Christian Andersen is set to be drowned in a Danish harbour by its sculptor today, a fitting ending perhaps for the author of The Little Mermaid. Artist Jens Galschiot’s 10-foot statue of Andersen has stood in Odense town square for the past five years, awaiting installation within a larger municipal work called The Storyteller’s Fountain. But the local...
September 2011
6 posts
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Little Mermaid horror short to premiere at...
A short film adaptation of The Little Mermaid, made by students at Vancouver Film School will get its world premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in the Screamfest Horror Film Festival on October 21, 2011. The pitch: In a barren wasteland lies a circus tent. Inside, a ringmaster forces a mermaid to perform for a group of spectators. The mermaid, a lovesick, caged animal prays for...
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Gibraltar visited by the little mermaid
Chilean teenager Milenka Rojas Rival has broken the women’s world record for swimming across the Strait of Gibraltar.
via theolivepress.es
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Wow! An edited version of a 1976 Russian movie of...
via youtube.com
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First mermaid convention goes swimmingly
Can’t believe I missed this! The first mermaid convention was held in Las Vegas on Friday, August 12, at the Silverton hotel in Las Vegas, which houses a 117,000-gallon aquarium filled with sharks, fish and performers dressed as mermaids. Before now, those interested in mermaids have taken their hobby to renaissance fairs or pirate-themed events, said Stephanie Sims, operator...