unless they were crushingly poor, the same basic arrangement of garments as rich women, and the closest approximation of fashionable fabrics, colors, trims, etc. they could manage
let’s put it this way: don’t you generally wear the same articles of clothing celebrities wear? just from less expensive brands and sometimes- but not always, anymore -made in less luxurious fabrics? just because Kim Kardashian wears jeans by some big-name designer and your aunt wears jeans from Target doesn’t mean they aren’t both wearing jeans.
and I think this is really important to remember and tell people about, re: history, because it acts as a reminder that the human drive for beauty and self-expression through body adornment isn’t limited to the upper classes. and never has been
Astrobiology: The Story of our Search for Life in the Universe
Astrobiologists study the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe. This includes identifying evidence left behind by life that once survived on the ancient Earth, and extends to the search for life beyond our planet.
When looking for signs of life on other worlds, what are they looking for?
Things called biosignatures. For example, when you sign a piece of paper, your signature is evidence of your existence. Similarly, biosignatures are anything that can prove that life was once, or is, present in an environment.
If we were very very lucky, we might spot something we know is life with a powerful telescope or receive a "phone call" or radio signal from alien civilizations. Those types of biosignatures would be obvious. But they would only let us identify advanced life.
For most of Earth’s history (billions of years), single-celled life like bacteria and archaea have been around. Humans have only been making radio transmissions for hundreds of years. So we have a better chance of finding life if we look for signs that have been around for very long periods of time.
Patterns in ancient rocks that were created by life are a great example. That can be anything like a dinosaur footprint or structures built by microorganisms, like stromatolites.
Molecules can also be biosignatures, like DNA left behind for detectives to discover. But DNA doesn’t last very long on its own in most environments, so other molecules like lipids (like natural oils, wax, and fat) might be a better choice if you are looking for signatures of life from millions (or billions) of years ago.
Even the balance of gases in a planet’s atmosphere can be a sign of past or present life. On Earth, biology plays a major role in maintaining the delicate composition of gases like nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide in the air that we breathe.
These are just a few examples of signs astrobiologists look for when searching for life amongst the stars! Research into these biosignatures inform many of our biggest missions, from observatories like the Hubble Space Telescope and the Webb Space Telescope to our Mars Sample Return endeavor.
Want to learn more about the search for life? Check out the latest issue of our comic-book style graphic history novel, Astrobiology: The Story of our Search for Life in the Universe. This new chapter is all about biosignatures.
Explore life in the universe with us by following NASA Astrobiology on Twitter and Facebook.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!
From space, Earth looks like a water planet, with oceans covering more than 70 percent of its surface with an average depth of 14,000 feet (4267 meters)
However, if every drop of water in the world was collected into a sphere, it would be just 869 miles (1400 km) across - barely big enough to cover Eastern Europe.
Bearing in mind OFMD's time period, I think it's wonderful to reflect on the fact that while Roach is the cook, he is also in charge of anything surgical, and thus, he could very well be a barber-surgeon. Roach will bake a cake, perform an amputation, AND give you that 1717 fade within one afternoon
I feel like the fact that the first-ever open heart surgery was performed by a Black doctor named Daniel Hale Williams in 1893 isn't talked about enough. He was an absolute wizard. The operation was performed on a Black victim of stabbing named James Cornish with no access to X-Rays or modern surgical tools, and Cornish recovered in less than two months with no infection. Later, he went on to establish medical organizations that protected Black communities. Dr. Williams should absolutely be included in our history books.
A Korean made copy of the Colt M1911A1 produced at the Pusan Iron Works in South Korea. The slide is deceitfully marked "PITTSBURG", MADE IN USA. Note that "Pittsburg" should be spelled "Pittsburgh". Dated 1946.
We know for a fact they did! Here's a reconstruction of viking color swatches that would have been used for cloth-dying.
Runestones were also originally painted in bright contrasting colors, but these paints wore off over time. Here's an example of one that has been repainted:
And we can see how the love of colors have persisted in the Nordic/Scandinavian regions to this day. Here's an image of modern-day Copenhagen, capital of Denmark:
So yes, color was very much adored by the vikings.
some more video essays since youse loved the last lot:
A Black Women's History of Pinup and Burlesque - absolutely fascinating overview of Black women in burlesque, pin--up and performance!
The Matrix Resurrections Universalised The Trans Experience - the best analysis of the latest matrix film you’ll ever see
True Crime & The Theater of Safety - princess weekes discusses the fetishisation of true crime in relation to the depp v heard case and debunks pro-depp mythis.
Overanalysing The Barbie Movies With Queer Marxist Theory - one of the greatest and most necessary queer analysis ever made.
Category is: Straight Black Men in drag for the sake of "comedy" realness 👀 Khadija Mbowe - discussion and analysis of Black men in drag throughout entertainment history
How Postwar Italy Created The Paparazzi - bite-sized essay on the origins of paparazzi culture
Why Should I Wake Up? | Cabaret. Isherwood. Fascism. - a history of the relationship between caberet and facism (cw: discussions of nazism, antisemitism, homophobia)
No Way Home Was Kind of Sexist - don’t let the title fool you, this is a fascinating analysis of how spiderman nwh was basically a meta-dramatisation of sony vs. disney’s battle for IP.
Conspiracy on the Left | Sophie from Mars - analysis of how conspiracy theories are a bipartisan issue accross the political spectrum
How Big Pharma is Extending the Pandemic - harrowing investigtion into how vaccine patent gatekeeping is prolonging covid-19
Leslie Cheung & Hong Kong LGBT Cinema | Video Essay - the legacy of Leslie Cheung’s filmography and the evolution of it’s portrayal of queerness
Why The Curtains Are Blue: The Implications of Being Uncritical - on the importance of criticism and critical thinking when consuming media.
Remembering With A Twist - A Jojo Rabbit and The Book Thief Video Essay - slightly older than the other essays on the list but its a beautiful comparitive analysis of how both films use surrealism to portray the Holocaust
find my ongoing playlist of fave video essays here
got an early birthday gift from my sister, this french antique dial telephone. i have been dreaming of having one like this and to remake it so that it actually works! for now it makes a beautiful decoration. 🏛
May 15th, 1891: Pope Leo XIII published the Rerum novarum, beginning modern Catholic social teaching. It prioritizes helping the suffering of the working class, supports the right to form unions, and the necessity of civil authorities to protect workers' rights.