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The spaces at the backsides of some shops. Weird lost objects accumulate there and stay for long times. The ballpoint and the two balls of paper were still there after 6 months.
🎃 BAXE - KNIVES THROWER
BIG PROMOTION FOR HALLOWEEN ****70% DISCOUNT **** 54 LINDENS **** ONLY WITH GROUP TAG
Object with animations
Baxe Mainstore: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Moor/240/4/32
Baxe Group: secondlife:///app/group/2b74604e-f035-033f-d1ad-1aa6b9ce52d1/about
The National Zoo and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China celebrated giant panda cub Bei Bei’s (BAY-BAY) first birthday this morning with a Zhuazhou (dra-JO) ceremony. During a traditional Zhuazhou ceremony, symbolic objects are placed in front of a baby. The item that the baby reaches for first foretells something about his or her future. The Zhuazhou for Bei Bei was slightly modified for a panda cub. Three posters with symbols painted on them were placed in Bei Bei’s yard. Each poster had a different image painted by the children of the Chinese embassy’s families.
Ambassador Cui Tiankai; Dennis Kelly, director of the National Zoo; and David Rubenstein, Smithsonian Regent and philanthropist, placed the banners in the panda yard. One banner had peaches painted on it; in China, peaches are a symbol of longevity. The second banner had bamboo painted on it, representing good health and habitat for the panda cub. The final banner had a traditional Chinese red ‘knot’ symbolizing friendship and luck. Mother Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) chose the red knot on behalf of Bei Bei, which means he will serve as an ambassador for scientific collaboration. Scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute and scientists at the China Research and Conservation Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, Sichuan Province, have been working together to learn about giant pandas and save them since the 1970s.
“To giant panda fans around the world, Bei Bei is our charismatic cub who has charmed visitors with his bold personality, laid-back temperament and playful behavior,” Kelly said. “To our dedicated team of animal care staff and scientists, this bear represents more than four decades of conservation research and excellence in giant panda husbandry. Today, we celebrate that we have been able to share our panda story—from the science behind his conception to his first steps and beyond—and we look forward to what he will teach us in the future.”
At 1 p.m., Bei Bei (turning 1 Aug. 22) and Mei Xiang, Bao Bao (BOW-BOW) (turning 3 Aug. 23) and Tian Tian (tee-YEN tee-YEN) (turning 19 Aug. 27) will receive tiered birthday cakes made by the Zoo’s nutrition department. The tiers are made of frozen diluted juice and were dyed various colors using beet juice, carrot juice, apple juice and food dye. The cakes were decorated with flower appliques carved from apples, pears, cooked sweet potatoes, leaf-eater biscuits and arrow bamboo—some of the pandas’ favorite foods. In lieu of icing, a large number “1” carved from frozen diluted apple juice sat atop Bei Bei’s cake; keepers also topped the cake with some honey for a special treat. Guests and panda fans are encouraged to tweet their birthday wishes for Bei Bei today and support panda conservation using #PandaStory.
Guests enjoyed Dan Dan (dahn-dahn) noodles courtesy of the Chinese embassy. The cold noodles are a dish from Sichuan Province. The China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong in Sichuan Province is where Mei Xiang and Tian Tian were born and where Bao Bao and Bei Bei will live when they move to China. Guests will also receive a commemorative postcard for Bei Bei’s first birthday on a first-come, first-served basis. The postcard includes calligraphy of Bei Bei’s name in Chinese painted by 16-year-old Yingzhe Liu.
Bei Bei’s birth one year ago was a significant conservation success for the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, which has been studying giant pandas for 44 years. He was born as the result of a precisely timed artificial insemination performed by the panda team at the Zoo, which included Zoo scientists, veterinarians and keepers, and scientists from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. Around the age of 4, Bei Bei will travel to China and enter the breeding program for giant pandas.
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unidentified flying object - oggetto volante non identificato.
Who knows the name of this insect... - Chi conosce il nome di questo insetto ?
La "Vallée des Saints" à Carnoët est un projet culturel associatif du centre Bretagne qui à pour objectif de transmettre la tradition et la sauvegarde de la culture bretonne à travers un projet de sculptures monumentales de 4m de hauteur en moyenne, qui rappellent les légendes des "Saints Bretons".
Les "Saints Bretons" désignent des personnalités bretonnes vénérées pour le caractère exemplaire de leur vie, d'un point de vue chrétien.
Elles ont souvent été désignées par le peuple, leur existence même n'étant pas toujours historiquement attestée.
Les "Saints Bretons" ainsi mis à l’honneur sont en majorité des moines originaires de Grande-Bretagne et d’Irlande qui ont accosté au Haut Moyen-age les terres armoricaines et qui les ont évangélisées. Leur héritage
est toujours présent en Bretagne : nombre de communes, d’églises, de chapelles, d’écoles portent leurs noms, sans parler de leurs fameuses légendes qui composent la culture bretonne.
Actuellement, plus de 500 000 visiteurs se rendent sur le site chaque année.
The "Vallée des Saints" in Carnoët is an associative cultural project of the Brittany center which aims to transmit the tradition and the safeguard of Breton culture through a project of monumental sculptures of 4m in height on average, which recall the legends of "Saints Bretons".
The "Saints Bretons" designate Breton personalities venerated for the exemplary character of their life, from a Christian point of view.
They have often been designated by the people, their very existence not always being historically proven.
The "Breton Saints" thus put in the spotlight are mostly monks from Great Britain and Ireland who accosted Armorican lands in the High Middle Ages and who evangelized them. Their heritage
is still present in Brittany: a number of municipalities, churches, chapels, schools bear their names, not to mention their famous legends which make up Breton culture.
Currently, more than 500,000 visitors visit the site each year.
Photograph of a miniature coal scuttle, a promotional item for the Quinte Fuel Company of Deseronto. The company was listed in the Deseronto telephone directory in 1919 (with the telephone number 44, as on the scuttle). It was still in existence in the 1970s.
Image sent to the Archives by John Kitchen of Tweed, Ontario.
Does anyone know what this? I found it on beech somewhere in the Great Lakes. Shell, fossil, dentistry??? I've had it for years and still haven't figured it out.
the nature has object wall outdoors the nature at the is at the outdoors of outside of more stunned and amazing of the outdoors need is looking sharp of the scenery
This is the best shot I took unfortunately :( I have failed you Todd. I took this photo like this because I thought it was a bit silly to have a small figure tying his shoe which is bigger than him. This shot is interesting because the shoe is clearly much bigger than them. I wanted to convey humor because it is goofy. I used these settings cuz I wanted even light to go through the whole photo and keep the subject lit like the house parties I go to ayyyyye
The history of the Austrian Museum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art
1863 / After many years of efforts by Rudolf Eitelberger decides Emperor Franz Joseph I on 7 March on the initiative of his uncle Archduke Rainer, following the model of the in 1852 founded South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert Museum, London), the establishment of the "k. k. Austrian Museum for Art and Industry" and apponted Rudolf von Eitelberger, the first professor of art history at the University of Vienna, to director. The museum should be serving as a specimen collection for artists, industrialists, and public and as a training and education center for designers and craftsmen.
1864/ on 12th of May, opened the museum - provisionally in premises of the ball house next to the Vienna Hofburg, the architect Heinrich von Ferstel for museum purposes had adapted. First exhibited objects are loans and donations from the imperial collections, monasteries, private property and from the kk polytechnic in Vienna. Reproductions, masters and plaster casts are standing value-neutral next originals.
1865-1897 / The Museum of Art and Industry publishes the journal Communications of Imperial (k. k.) Austrian Museum for Art and Industry .
1866 / Due to the lack of space in the ballroom setting up of an own museum building is accelerated. A first project of Rudolf von Eitelberger and Heinrich von Ferstel provides the integration of the museum in the project of imperial museums in front of the Hofburg Imperial Forum. Only after the failure of this project, the site of the former Exerzierfelds (parade ground) of the defense barracks before Stubentor the museum here is assigned, next to the newly created city park on the still being under development Rind Road.
1867 / Theoretical and practical training are combined with the establishment of the School of Applied Arts. This will initially be housed in the old gun factory, Währinger Straße 11-13/Schwarzspanierstrasse 17, Vienna 9.
1868 / With the construction of the building at Stubenring is started as soon as it is approved by Emperor Franz Joseph I. the second draft of Heinrich Ferstel.
1871 / The opening of the building at Stubering takes place after three years of construction, 15 November. Designed according to plans by Heinrich von Ferstel in the Renaissance style, it is the first built museum building on the ring. Objects from now on could be placed permanently and arranged according to main materials. / / The Arts School moves into the house on Stubenring. / / Opening of Austrian art and crafts exhibition.
1873 / Vienna World Exhibition. / / The Museum of Art and Industry and the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts are exhibiting together at Stubenring. / / Rudolf von Eitelberger organizes in the framework of the World Exhibition the worldwide first international art scientific congress in Vienna, thus emphasizing the orientation of the Museum on teaching and research. / / During the World Exhibition major purchases for the museum of funds of the Ministry are made, eg 60 pages of Indo-Persian Journal Mughal manuscript Hamzanama.
1877 / decision on the establishment of taxes for the award of Hoftiteln (court titels). With the collected amounts the local art industry can be promoted. / / The new building of the School of Applied Arts, adjoining the museum, Stubenring 3 , also designed by Heinrich von Ferstel, is opened.
1878 / participation of the Museum of Art and Industry and the School of Art at the Paris World Exhibition.
1884 / founding of the Vienna Arts and Crafts Association with seat in the museum. Many well-known companies and workshops (led by J. & L. Lobmeyr), personalities and professors of the arts and crafts school join the Arts and Crafts Association. Undertaking of this association is to further develop all creative and executive powers the arts and crafts since the 1860s has obtained. For this reason are organized various times changing, open to the public exhibitions at the Imperial Austrian Museum for Art and Industry. The exhibits can also be purchased. These new, generously carried out exhibitions give the club the necessary national and international resonance.
1885 / After the death of Rudolf von Eitelberger is Jacob von Falke, his longtime deputy, appointed manager. Falke plans all collection areas als well as publications to develop newly and systematically. With his popular publications he influences significantly the interior design style of the historicism in Vienna.
1888 / The Empress Maria Theresa exhibition revives the contemporary discussion with the high baroque in the history of art and in applied arts in particular.
1895 / end of the Directorate of Jacob von Falke. Bruno Bucher, longtime curator of the Museum of metal, ceramic and glass, and since 1885 deputy director, is appointed director.
1896 / The Vienna Congress exhibition launches the confrontation with the Empire and Biedermeier style, the sources of inspiration of Viennese Modernism .
1897 / end of the Directorate of Bruno Bucher. Arthur von Scala, Director of the Imperial Oriental Museum in Vienna since its founding in 1875 (renamed Imperial Austrian Trade Museum 1887), takes over the management of the Museum of Art and Industry. / / Scala wins Otto Wagner, Felician of Myrbach, Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffmann and Alfred Roller to work at the museum and school of applied arts. / / The style of the Secession is crucial for the Arts and Crafts School. Scala propagated the example of the Arts and Crafts Movement and makes appropriate acquisitions for the museum's collection.
1898 / Due to differences between Scala and the Arts and Crafts Association, which sees its influence on the Museum wane, Archduke Rainer puts down his function as protector. / / New statutes are written.
1898-1921 / The Museum magazine art and crafts replaces the Mittheilungen (Communications) and soon gaines international reputation.
1900 / The administration of Museum and Arts and Crafts School is disconnected.
1904 / The Exhibition of Old Vienna porcelain, the to this day most comprehensive presentation on this topic, brings with the by the Museum in 1867 definitely taken over estate of the " k. k. Aerarial Porcelain Manufactory" (Vienna Porcelain Manufactory) important pieces of collectors from all parts of the Habsburg monarchy together.
1907 / The Museum of Art and Industry takes over the majority of the inventories of the Imperial Austrian Trade Museum, including the by Arthur von Scala founded Asia collection and the extensive East Asian collection of Heinrich von Siebold .
1908 / Integration of the Museum of Art and Industry in the Imperial and Royal Ministry of Public Works.
1909 / separation of Museum and Arts and Crafts School, the latter remains subordinated to the Ministry of Culture and Education. / / After three years of construction, the according to plans of Ludwig Baumann extension building of the museum (now Weiskirchnerstraße 3, Wien 1) is opened. The museum receives thereby rooms for special and permanent exhibitions. / / Arthur von Scala retires, Eduard Leisching follows him as director. / / Revision of the statutes.
1909 / Archduke Carl exhibition. For the centenary of the Battle of Aspern. / / The Biedermeier style is discussed in exhibitions and art and crafts.
1914 / Exhibition of works by the Austrian art industry from 1850 to 1914, a competitive exhibition that highlights, among other things, the role model of the museum of arts and crafts in the fifty years of its existence.
1919 / After the founding of the First Republic it comes to assignments of former imperial possession to the museum, for example, of oriental carpets that are shown in an exhibition in 1920. The Museum now has one of the finest collections of oriental carpets worldwide .
1920 / As part of the reform of museums of the First Republic, the collection areas are delineated. The Antiquities Collection of the Museum of Art and Industry is given away to the Museum of Art History.
1922 / The exhibition of glasses of classicism, the Empire and Biedermeier time offers with precious objects from the museum and private collections an overview of the art of glassmaking from the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. / / Biedermeier glass serves as a model for contemporary glass production and designs, such as Josef Hoffmann.
1922 / affiliation of the museal inventory of the royal table and silver collection to the museum. Until the institutional separation the former imperial household and table decoration is co-managed by the Museum of Art and Industry and is inventoried for the first time by Richard Ernst.
1925 / After the end of the Directorate of Eduard Leisching Hermann Trenkwald is appointed director.
1926 / The exhibition Gothic in Austria gives a first comprehensive overview of the Austrian panel painting and of arts and crafts of the 12th to 16th Century.
1927 / August Schestag succeeds Hermann Trenkwald as director .
1930 / The Werkbund (artists' organization) Exhibition Vienna, A first comprehensive presentation of the Austrian Werkbund, takes place on the occasion of the meeting of the Deutscher Werkbund in Austria, it is organized by Josef Hoffmann in collaboration with Oskar Strnad, Josef Frank, Ernst Lichtblau and Clemens Holzmeister.
1931 / August Schestag finishes his Directorate .
1932 / Richard Ernst is the new director .
1936 and 1940 / In exchange with the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History), the museum at Stubenring gives away part of the sculptures and takes over craft inventories of the collection Albert Figdor and the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
1937 / The Collection of the Museum of Art and Industry is re-established by Richard Ernst according to periods. / / Oskar Kokoschka exhibition on the 50th birthday of the artist.
1938 / After the "Anschluss" of Austria by Nazi Germany, the museum was renamed "National Museum of Decorative Arts in Vienna".
1939-1945 / The museums are taking over numerous confiscated private collections. The collection of the "State Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna" is also enlarged in this way.
1945 / Partial destruction of the museum building by impact of war. / / War losses on collection objects, even in the places of rescue of objects.
1946 / The return of the outsourced objects of art begins. A portion of the during the Nazi time expropriated objects is returned in the following years.
1947 / The "State Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna" is renamed "Austrian Museum of Applied Arts".
1948 / The "Cathedral and Metropolitan Church of St. Stephen" organizes the exhibition The St. Stephen's Cathedral in the Museum of Applied Arts. History, monuments, reconstruction.
1949 / The Museum is reopened after repair of the war damages.
1950 / As last exhibition under director Richard Ernst takes place Great art from Austria's monasteries (Middle Ages).
1951 / Ignaz Schlosser is appointed manager.
1952 / The exhibition Social home decor, designed by Franz Schuster, makes the development of social housing in Vienna again the topic of the Museum of Applied Arts.
1955 / The comprehensive archive of the Wiener Werkstätte (workshop) is acquired.
1955-1985 / The Museum publishes the periodical ancient and modern art .
1956 / Exhibition New Form from Denmark, modern design from Scandinavia becomes topic of the museum and model.
1957 / On the occasion of the exhibition Venini Murano glass, the first presentation of Venini glass in Austria, there are significant purchases and donations for the collection of glass.
1958 / End of the Directorate Ignaz Schlosser
1959 / Viktor Griesmaier is appointed as the new director.
1960 / Exhibition Artistic creation and mass production of Gustavsberg, Sweden. Role model of Swedish design for the Austrian art and crafts.
1963 / For the first time in Europe, in the context of a comprehensive exhibition art treasures from Iran are shown.
1964 / The exhibition Vienna 1900 presents Crafts of Art Nouveau for the first time after the Second World War. / / It is started with the systematic processing of the archive of the Wiener Werkstätte. / / On the occasion of the founding anniversary grantes the exhibition 100 years Austrian Museum of Applied Arts using examples of historicism insights into the collection.
1965 / The Geymüllerschlössel is as a branch of the Museum angegliedert (annexed). Gleichzeitig (at the same time) with the building came the important collection of Franz Sobek - old Viennese clocks, emerged between 1760 and the second half of the 19th Century - and furniture from the years 1800 to 1840 in the possession of the MAK.
1966 / In the exhibition Selection 66 selected items of modern Austrian interior designers (male and female ones) are merged.
1967 / The Exhibition The Wiener Werkstätte. Modern Arts and Crafts from 1903 to 1932 is founding the boom that continues to today of Austria's most important design project in the 20th Century.
1968 / On Viktor Griesmaier follows Wilhelm Mrazek as director.
1969 / The exhibition Sitting 69 shows on the international modernism oriented positions of Austrian designers, inter alia by Hans Hollein.
1974 / For the first time outside of China Archaeological Finds of the People's Republic of China are shown in a traveling exhibition in the so-called Western world.
1979 / Gerhart Egger is appointed director .
1980 / The exhibition New Living. Viennese interior design 1918-1938 provides the first comprehensive presentation of the art space in Vienna during the interwar period.
1981 / Herbert Fux follows Gerhart Egger as Director.
1984 / Ludwig Neustift is appointed interim director. / / Exhibition Achille Castiglioni: Designer. First exhibition of the Italian designer in Austria
1986 / Peter NOEVER is appointed as Director and started building up the collection of contemporary art.
1987 / Josef Hoffmann. Ornament between hope and crime is the first comprehensive exhibition on the work of the architect and designer.
1989-1993 / General renovation of thee old buildings and construction of a two-storey underground storeroom and a connecting tract. A generous deposit for collection and additional exhibit spaces arise.
1989 / Exhibition Carlo Scarpa. The other city, the first comprehensive exhibition on the work of the architect outside Italy.
1990 / exhibition Hidden impressions. Japonisme in Vienna 1870-1930, first exhibition on the theme of the Japanese influence on the Viennese Modernism.
1991 / exhibition Donald Judd Architecture, first major presentation of the artist in Austria.
1992 / Magdalena Jetelová domestication of a pyramid (installation in the MAK portico).
1993 / The permanent collection is re-established, interventions of internationally recognized artists (Barbara Bloom, Eichinger oder Knechtl, Günther Förg, GANGART, Franz Graf, Jenny Holzer, Donald Judd, Peter Noever, Manfred Wakolbinger and Heimo Zobernig) update the prospects, in the sense of "Tradition and Experiment". The halls on Stubenring accommodate furthermore the study collection and the temporary exhibitions of contemporary artists reserved gallery. The building in the Weiskirchnerstraße is dedicated to changing exhibitions. / / The opening exhibition Vito Acconci. The City Inside Us shows a room installation by New York artist.
1994 / The Gefechtsturm (defence tower) Arenbergpark becomes branch of the MAK. / / Start of the cooperation MAK/MUAR - Schusev State Museum of Architecture Moscow. / / Ilya Kabakov: The Red Wagon (installation on the MAK terrace plateau).
1995 / The MAK founds the branch of MAK Center for Art and Architecture in Los Angeles, in the Schindler House and at the Mackey Apartments, MAK Artists and Architects-in-Residence Program starts in October 1995. / / Exhibition Sergei Bugaev Africa : Krimania.
1996 / For the exhibition Philip Johnson: Turning Point designs the American doyen of architectural designing the sculpture "Viennese Trio", which is located since 1998 at the Franz-Josefs-Kai/Schottenring.
1998 / The for the exhibition James Turrell. The other Horizon designed Skyspace today stands in the garden of MAK Expositur Geymüllerschlössel. / / Overcoming the utility. Dagobert Peche and the Wiener Werkstätte, the first comprehensive Personale of the work of the designer of Wiener Werkstätte after the Second World War.
1999 / Due to the Restitution Act and the Provenance Research from now on numerous during the Nazi time confiscated objects are returned .
2000 / Outsourcing the federal museums, transforming the museum into a "scientific institution under public law". / / The exhibition of art and industry. The beginnings of the Austrian Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna are dealing with the founding history of the house and the collection.
2001 / As part of the exhibition Franz West: No Mercy, for which the sculptor and installation artist developed his hitherto most extensive work the "Four lemurs heads " are placed at the Stubenbrücke located next to the MAK. / / Dennis Hopper: A System of Moments.
2001-2002 / The CAT Project - Contemporary Art Tower after New York, Los Angeles, Moscow and Berlin in Vienna is presented.
2002 / Exhibition Nodes. symmetrical-asymmetrical. The historic Oriental Carpets of the MAK presents the extensive rug collection.
2003 / Exhibition Zaha Hadid. Architecture. / / For the anniversary of the artist workshop, the exhibition The Price of Beauty. 100 years Wiener Werkstätte takes place. / / Richard Artschwager: The Hydraulic Door Check. Sculpture, painting, drawing.
2004 / James Turrell MAKlite is since November 2004 permanently on the facade of the building installed. / / Exhibition Peter Eisenmann. Barefoot on White-Hot Walls, large-scaled architectural installation on the work of the influential American architect and theorist.
2005 / Atelier Van Lieshout: The Disziplinatornbsp / / The exhibition Ukiyo-e Reloaded for the first time presents the collection of Japanese woodblock prints of the MAK in large scale.
2006 / Since the beginning of the year the birthplace of Josef Hoffmann in Brtnice of the Moravian Gallery in Brno and the MAK Vienna as a joint branch is run and presents special exhibitions annually. / / The exhibition The Price of Beauty. The Wiener Werkstätte and the Stoclet House brings the objects of the Wiener Werkstätte to Brussels. / / Exhibition Jenny Holzer: XX.
2007/2008 / Exhibition Coop Himmelb(l)au. Beyond the Blue, is the hitherto largest and most comprehensive museal presentation of the global team of architects .
2008 / The 1936 according to plans of Rudolph M. Schindler built Fitzpatrick-Leland House, a generous gift from Russ Leland to the MAK Center LA, becomes using a promotion that granted the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department the MAK Center, the center of the MAK UFI project - MAK Urban Future Initiative. / / Julian Opie: Recent Works / / The exhibition Recollecting. Looting and Restitution examines the status of efforts to restitute expropriated objects from Jewish property of museums in Vienna.
2009 / The permanent exhibition Josef Hoffmann: Inspiration is in the Josef Hoffmann Museum, Brtnice opened. / / Exhibition Anish Kapoor. Shooting into the Corner / / The museum sees itself as a promoter of Cultural Interchange and discusses in the exhibition Global:lab Art as a message. Asia and Europe 1500-1700 the intercultural as well as the intercontinental cultural exchange based on objects from the MAK and from international collections.
2011 / After Peter Noevers resignation Martina Kandeler-Fritsch takes over temporarily the management. / / Since 1 September Christoph Thun-Hohenstein is director of the MAK.
6/30 + 02-04-09) Petunia Pig for 30 Days, One Object.
Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometres (50 mi) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in the country, reaching a height of 5,897 m.
Cotopaxi is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. However, claims that Cotopaxi is the highest active volcano in the world are incorrect. Llullaillaco volcano is considerably higher and is definitely in an active phase, having erupted as recently as 1877. Ojos del Salado is higher still, and there are indications near its summit of recent activity, although its remoteness precludes a definitive statement as to whether it is currently active.
Summary
Where I look at the relationship between objects and the instructions to make them, introduce the idea of the "printout" and how in a world where new manufacturing technologies will force us to re-evaluate where the true value lies: The one off object or the instructions to make it?
Yesterday I spent some time listening from my extensive collection of music and talks. [0] I like music. I listen to it a lot but today instead of music I chose to listen to Bruce Stirling's excellent talk at Reboot in Copenhagen last year. [1] [2] I suspect Bruce Stirling makes compelling listening due to the quality of his ideas, no doubt, due to his writing background. He thinks carefully before he speaks. A rare commodity indeed.
Stuff
One particular idea that caught my imagination is the idea of objects should be thought of as "printouts". It's a compelling idea because it a) makes you think about physical objects and their properties and b) how you relate to the stuff you have now or might get in the future. There are a number of reasons you might want to think about the objects you collect around you. If you live in the first world you suffer the dilemma of too much stuff. [3] An unfortunate consequence of the Industrial and consumer revolution.
We can accumulate objects cheaply even if there is no apparent need. Stirling went on to explain the properties of objects, how to think of them in terms of "space and time" and ways to classify objects. All of this with the end goal in mind of reducing the amount of stuff we own. But this is where I'm going to diverge from Stirling. I want to think about how we deal with new objects. Stuff we are going to accumulate in the future that hasn't been created yet.
Objects
We intuitively understand what objects are. Objects take up space. Objects exist in time. Objects also can have social meaning. Objects have to be cared for, repaired and if they are no longer working or are unwanted, thrown out. Discarded. We have a profound relationship with the objects we use. Now I would like you to think beyond the use of objects to their improvement. It's not hard. I'm not asking you to consider design of objects just improvement.
Consider a cooking recipe for your favourite cake for instance. If the recipe is in your favourite cook book it's possible to annotate the recipe to your own taste. A substitution of your special supply of ground whole wheat and baking powder for self-raising flour in that Chocolate cake for instance. Real dark Chocolate instead of the compound stuff. This of course means a few additional lines in the recipe to make sure you don't burn the chocolate over a raw flame, heating water then placing the bowl of broken pieces instead. The recipe is really just a set of instructions to build an object, not just any object by the way but a edible cake modified to your taste. You can do this with cook books.
What would a world look like if you could do this with other everyday objects that you might have in the future?
Printout
What exactly is a printout? The term "printout" is computer slang for "instructions" or a print out of the instructions programmers write to control computers. Programmers write these instructions using human understandable languages, which when translated into machine understandable instructions, instruct a computer to do things. A printout is really a set of tasks to do something. So the best way to think of a printout is a design to do things. A recipe is a print out. You follow the instructions to build your cake. Of course it's not the stock standard cake in your favourite cookbook but a modified version suited to your taste. This is another way to think about objects. Objects as instructions. If Objects are printouts, the printouts can be modified and improved over time. The value has now shifted from the object to the instructions to build the object.
NewFab
Why are we talking about computers, computer slang and printouts? What do they have to do with real world objects? In the not too distant future we will have the capacity to use printouts to modify and create new stuff. Objects created from raw materials. We already have a hint of this. The quality of the objects at the moment would be considered toy-like but that's not necessarily bad if you are a kid. [4] What kid wouldn't love to create one hundred copies of their favourite Tyrinad to build their own Warhammer army? [5]
But for us grown-ups, new forms of fabrication are still not up to the job. While the current crops of Gothic high-tech corporations spit out shiny seamless experiences, we will gobble them up no matter how many slaves die in the process. This will change though. The new revolution in manufacturing will be just as profound as the Industrial revolution. Another tweak in the creation of objects - the ability of personal customisation. "Me" objects. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. It hasn't happened yet. Until NewFab technologies are adopted our ability to customise and improve our everyday objects are limited. Possible, but limited.
Continual improvement
But as I've shown, I can improve the quality of my everyday objects like me my favourite Chocolate cake. What makes this possible is the idea of the printout and continual improvement. The printout is the instructions needed to build the object. The real value is in the ability to make continual improvements that let us increase the quality and usefulness of our objects. [6] This can only be possible if we have access to the printout.
Sharing
It's no good making improvements if we can't share them. If there is any lesson to learn about the Internet, it's a place that lets you share your printouts. Sharing begets use. Usage begets improvement. Programmers who share their code notice that not only does the usage of their software objects increase when they share but there is a benefit in the quality of their printout (code) improves as well. [7] So if we think of objects as printouts, if we share them the likelihood of improvement is higher than by not sharing.
Thinking about stuff as printouts instead of objects is useful for creators. Printouts are the instructions to make things. The object is result of following the instructions. I think too often the value is seen in the object but not the printout. We value hand made objects because they are made and designed by people. They have social significance. There is a story behind them. They can be things of beauty and may also have practical use. There is nothing wrong valuing objects in this way. But in doing so we have forgotten the importance of the process, the instructions to build objects, the printout.
I suspect as the revolution in fabrication approaches and the resolution of the fabrication tools increases we will wonder if the real value of our stuff is not in the object but the printout.
Reference
[0] All 1339 items, 15Gb or 13 days, 9 hours and thirteen minutes worth. All are legally mine.
[1] Dave Winer, Scripting.com, "Bruce Sterling at Reboot" [Accessed Tuesday June 15th, 2010] http://www.scripting.com/stories/2009/10/21/brucesterlingatreboot.html
[2] You can also watch the talk. It goes for about 43 minutes and is a 155Mb download in mp4 format. "Bruce Sterling - reboot 11 closing talk", 43 min, mp4. [Accessed Tuesday June 15th, 2010] video.reboot.dk/video/486788/bruce-sterling-reboot-11
[3] Paul Graham, paulgraham.com, "Stuff: I have too much stuff. Most people in America do. In fact, the poorer people are, the more stuff they seem to have... It wasn't always this way. Stuff used to be rare and valuable." [Accessed Tuesday June 15th, 2010] paulgraham.com/stuff.html
[4] bootload, flickr, "2009MAY052009: At Trampoline 1 held in Melbourne, Saturday 28th of March, 2009, Pete Yandell (@notahat) talked about open source fabbers, 3d fabrication, 3D printers and materials to rapidly prototype stuff. An exciting idea because with the right type of materials and blueprints you can reproduce complex products that could not easly by reproduced. Three dimensional objects can be recreated from digital designs by a photocopy like process where layers of material are deposited until the entire object is created. Pete also specifically mentioned making copies of kids toys.", [Accessed Tuesday June 15th, 2010] www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/3503485267
[5] Tyrinads, wikipedia.org, "Tyrinads are a fictional race of warrior creatures from the Warhammer 40K board game." [Accessed Tuesday June 15th, 2010] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyranids
[6] As I was writing this article I stumbled on a quick example of this kind of improvement. The master of Gothic high-tech corporations has released a new product that doesn't handle one particular edge case viewing an object. The author decided to modify the recipe to view the object and released a copy for other people to benefit from. An improvement of the object experience using the printout: @tlrobinson, Tom Robinson, "Worst part of lack of hover events etc on iPad: I can't read the XKCD tooltips. Solution: gist.github.com/438642" [Accessed Tuesday June 15th, 2010] twitter.com/tlrobinson/status/16196920383
[7] Pete Warden, petewarden.typepad.com, "There's still going to be some tumbleweed blowing through the long tail of open-source projects, but Github is a massive step forward. I'm eagerly anticipating lots more people pointing out my mistakes, the world of open-source will be a lot more productive with that sort of collaboration." [Accessed Tuesday June 15th, 2010] petewarden.typepad.com/searchbrowser/2010/06/an-end-to-th...