Spomenik Means Memorial

Whoa.

Melancholic, beautiful and at times alien, these amazing pictures are by photographer Jen Kempenaers, who trekked through the former Yugoslavia to document Communist memorials. These structures sit as relics from a bygone era yet beckon to a utopian future. In his book Spomenik: The End of History, Kempenaers' striking photography transports us to this world and fills us with wonder.

All photos © Jan Kempenaers, from the book Spomenik: The End of History

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HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

CARL <3's ANN

"This is a love story. And, oddly enough, it starts with an interstellar space mission and a golden record."

 

From Radiolab: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123534818                              

 

Time Magazine Covers the Singularity

What has been the basis of much sci-fi is now the focus of the latest Time Magazine as an imminent event:

2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal

Written by Lev Grossman, the article profiles Ray Kurzweil and examines this critical point in the near future when computers surpass human intelligence. During research for Things We've Made it has become more and more clear that this is very real and on the minds of more people than you would think in the general public. Transhumans, technoprogressives - already there have been movements, organizations, even trade shows for over a decade to embrace this crossroads. To some this is scary, to others it's an opportunity to maximize human potential. Both sides of the debate can agree that the singularity is polarizing, mysterious and it will be here within many of our lifetimes.