Who doesn’t love travel guides? Printed or electronic, travel guides are essential for anyone who’s planning to travel to a new place. Today’s travel guides are colorful, detailed, and brimming with details. Have you ever wondered how an ancient travel guide looks like? Worry not as the British Museum has included the world’s first published travel guide in a new exhibition. Part of the exhibition, Inspired by the east: how the Islamic world influence western art, visitors can gaze their eyes upon Peregrinatio in Terram Sanctam (which translates to “A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land“). This travel guide was written by the German politician and traveler Bernhard von Breydenbach in 1486, and features the first accurately printed illustrations of famous cities and Mediterranean islands like Crete and Rhodes.

(via Hyperallergic)

image credit: the British Museum via Hyperallergic

Modern art encompasses a lot of different topics and styles, from lavish, artistic, and abstract rendering to simple, minimalistic depiction of anything an artist desires, who could have known that one of the environments that helped the highly-diverse world of art today were underground clubs and cabarets? The Barbican Art Gallery in London explores the impact of these venues on art through the exhibition “Into the Night: Cabarets and Clubs in Modern Art,” Artsy details: 

From the 1880s to the 1960s, artistic communities in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America thrived because of these spaces. They had lasting effects on modern art.  Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen designed the now-iconic poster for Montmartre club Le Chat Noir, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec actively documented the performances at the legendary Moulin Rouge nightclub in Paris. 

Modern art responded to the intricacies of new life after the Industrial Revolution. Artists sought not just to commune with one another, but to invigorate their senses; many did this not just as patrons, but as performers and designers, too. At the time, the newness of these spaces made them creatively lawless. 

image credit: Feral House via Artsy

Korean artist Sung Yeonju created these amazing dresses out of vegetables and fruits as part of her ongoing series Wearable Foods. The artist combines different edible materials with digital editing to form different kinds of clothes, such cocktail dresses, shorts, and blazers. The scallions, striped banana peels, the well cut and placed tomato pieces all became unique fabrics suited for a special occasion, or a night out. Surely enough, Sung’s dresses are tasteful indeed. 

(via Colossal)

image credit : via Colossal

Software engineer Akiva Leffert designed a set of tarot cards inspired by Ikea’s infamous flatpack instructions. The deck of handmade cards contains the four suits of the minor arcana, but Leffert replaced wands, coins, swords, and chalices with sofas, lamps, dowels, and alien keys. In addition, the back of the cards resemble the famous Swedish company’s blue and yellow company colors. Leffert is selling the cards on etsy, if you’re interested in predicting your future with these Ikea-themed tarot cards.

image credit: Akiva Leffert

Mariyan Atanasov, a Bulgarian graphic designer, photographer and retoucher showcased her genius and vision in a unique urban exploration project titled ‘Urban Tetris’. Atanasov transformed Sofia’s architecture in the abstract shapes similar to the blocks in Tetris. The project is quite a sight to see indeed, and might give you the urge to get your controllers and try to piece the buildings back together, in true Tetris fashion. 

(via Trendland)

image credit: via Trendland

Gust’eaux is a restaurant in Kuurne, Belgium, that isn’t connected to the city sewage. The solution to that problem came in a five-step purification system for their toilet water. Now, the restaurant has started serving clear, tasteless, and odorless water. You wouldn’t even know that it was from a toilet! The recycled water gets to be used in different ways, from ice cubes to service water, as Oddee detailed: 

The restaurant offers the water to costumers in many forms, and it’s free! You can have it by its self, as ice cubes and even in coffee. It’s also occasionally used for brewing beer. According to Sudinfo, the same water system is used to provide water in isolated communities, but the experience is unheard of in Europe, so this is new for them. Their process was approved by Vlakwa, the Flemish center for knowledge on water, and was proven that it was healthier than most tap water.

image credit: via wikimedia commons

Researchers from the Bristol Interaction Group has designed a “touch-sensitive” phone case that reportedly looks and feels like human flesh. Before you call it gross or absurd, this human flesh-like phone case actually has features in addition to being a protective cover. Claimed to enhance certain gesture-related capabilities of cellphones, the flesh case responds to commands such as pressing or tickling, as Paper detailed: 

The faux-flesh, which claims to add a "personal touch," responds to commands such as pressing, pressure, tickling, stroking, grabbing, and stretching.

But how does that work? The material is created to relate the gestures with certain emotional responses. Stroking is associated with comfort, for instance, while pressure relates with anger. The skin will also help convert the gestures into functions like being able to add a laugh emoji to your text by tickling.

So the question remains, would anyone actually buy it? Luckily customers have some time to ruminate, since there's no mention of the product going on sale yet.

image credit: via Marc Teyssier

The recall for 33,000 bottles of Johnson’s Baby Powder was done after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found trace amounts of asbestos in one of its bottles. The recall for the single lot of baby powder is bad news for the company, as they are still facing a lot of lawsuits that claim their baby powders causes cancer. This is the first time the company recalled its baby powder over asbestos concerns, EcoWatch detailed: 

Even though the company reported nearly $82 billion in sales last year, and its products line store shelves and pharmacy counters with brands like Tylenol and Band-Aid, it is facing over 100,000 lawsuits questioning the safety of its products, according to the New York Times.

"I understand today's recall may be concerning to all those individuals who may have used the affected lot of baby powder," Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless said in a statement on Friday, as CNN reported. "I want to assure everyone that the agency takes these concerns seriously and that we are committed to our mandate of protecting the public health."

"The FDA continues to test cosmetic products that contain talc for the presence of asbestos to protect Americans from potential health risks," Sharpless said, according to CNN.

If you have a bottle of baby powder from lot #2318RB, don’t use it, and contact the company for a refund!

image credit: via wikimedia commons

Burger King debuted the “Ghost Whopper” right in time for Halloween. The limited edition burger is actually a regular burger with a white cheddar cheese-flavored sesame-seed bun. Watch as psychic medium Riz Mizra executed a “spirit taste test’ for the Ghost Whopper’s advertisement. If you’d like to feel the spook through food, you can try the burger at 10 locations across the US starting October 24, at the price of $4.59!

(via Geek.com)

In Japan, the clear plastic umbrella is a staple. This handy companion for the rain can be found in kiosks, drugstores, and supermarkets. Sold yearly in a whopping amount of 120-130 million units, one can tell that these umbrellas are used so often. But did you know that these clear plastic umbrellas were invented over half a century ago? White Rose, one of the few remaining Japanese makers (as China’s cheap disposable ones dominate the market) of the clear brollies invented the clear plastic umbrella. White Rose umbrellas of today are unlike the ones found in convenience stores, Japan Times explained: 

The detail and craftsmanship that goes into a White Rose plastic umbrella, Sudo says, are the result of firsthand insight gathered from decades of trial and error, ever since the company produced its first plastic umbrella in the 1950s.

What cemented White Rose’s image as the go-to manufacturer for high-end plastic umbrellas, however, was when it received a request from the Imperial Household Agency in the 2010s to design an umbrella for Empress Emerita Michiko’s outdoor appointments.

Sudo attributes White Rose’s survival to the popularity of the upscale image its products. A signboard with the words “Purveyor to the Imperial Household Agency” now accompanies pop-up shops White Rose opens in department stores, and it continues to collaborate with other companies to create special-edition umbrellas.

As a family-run business, its production numbers may be limited, but, he says, every year it sells out of all its 12,000 to 13,000 umbrellas made.

image credit: White Rose Co. via Japan Times

Two men were arrested after more than two years of being a part of a long-running cheese theft ring (yes, apparently that is a thing) in several countries. Noticing $50,000 worth of cheese missing, police started their investigation and were led to 24-year old Jairo Maiano Osorio Alvares and 34-year-old Rodrick Domingo Ransom  of Lemoore, California. The stolen cheese was being sold through different means, as Oddee detailed: 

Leprino Foods is the largest producer of mozzarella. The store that was stolen from is in Lemoore, which sits between Fresno and Bakersfield, California. 

Police detectives found that the stolen product was being sold throughout Fresno, Tulare, Kings, and Riverside through social media, door-to-door salesmen, on the street or even flea markets. 

“Leprino employees said that they found their stolen cheese on social media sites. Every part of their cheese, the cheese blocks, is serialized. So they were able to see the serial number on their block cheese,” said Detective Cpl. Osvaldo Maldonado, who is working the case.

image credit: via wikimedia commons

Blair Hardy was surprised on her wedding day when she was presented with a bouquet of chicken nuggets. The nuggets were provided by the groom, Adam Tyson, to celebrate Blair becoming a “Tyson.” Funnily enough, the nuggets did come from Tyson brand, which posted photos of the wedding of the couple on their social media. Personally, I’d love to receive a bouquet of chicken nuggets for anyday, regardless of occasion. Who wouldn’t want a bunch of chicken nuggets?

(via USA Today)

image credit: via Tyson Brand

We’ve witnessed a lot of trials and issues, especially in today’s political climate. One of the terms that appears in the news and on the Internet is the term “whistleblower.” One might think that they know the word from the amount of times it has been heard on news media, but maybe the full understanding of the term is something one hasn’t comprehended yet. Reader’s Digest details the origin and definition of “whistleblower”:

A whistleblower is someone who exposes information about wrongdoings that companies or organizations don’t want to share. This information is usually about illegal or unethical actions or wrongdoings within a public or private organization. 

Ralph Nader helped re-coin the term “whistleblower” in a positive light, according to Mueller. The “Conference on Professional Responsibility” Nader held in Washington, D.C. in 1972, and the corresponding book, were game changers. Journalists preferred using this instead of “snitch,” which has a negative undertone. In the late 1960s and 1970s, a series of whistleblowers not only spread awareness on various issues, but they popularized the positive use of “whistleblowing.”

image credit: via wikimedia commons

There’s this confusion on whether or not people should tip Uber drivers. While most actually don’t leave a taxi without tipping the driver, some hesitate or don’t actually tip app-based drivers. Watch as Vox details the origins of this confusion, the history of app-based hailing apps like Uber, and debunks the Uber myth that tipping is actually part of your pay. Personally, if you want to and have the extra money to tip a driver, why not? If you don’t, that’s also fine! 

Wing, an Alphabet (Google) subsidiary has successfully delivered packages via drone, making the company the first in the United States to deliver by drone. The test location was Christiansburg, Virginia. The residents ordered products from Walgreens or other local businesses, but the packages were delivered to their doorsteps via drone. The drone actually completes the last mile of the actual delivery, as Rappler detailed: 

One family used the Wing app to order Tylenol, cough drops, Vitamin C tablets, bottled water and tissues, the statement said. An older resident ordered a birthday present for his wife. Although the majority of the delivery was done by a FedEx truck, the last mile was completed by drone.

The yellow and white drones are loaded with packages at a local center of operations called the "Nest," where Wing employees pack them with up to three pounds (1.3 kilograms) of goods, deliverable within a six mile (10 kilometer) radius.

Once they have arrived at their destination, the drones don't land. Instead, they hover above the house and lower the package with a cable.

image credit: Wing Aviation LLC/AFP via Rappler