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"Why didn't great painters of the past reach the level of photorealism achieved by many artists today?" asks a curious Ouora user. An insightful answerer explains what the Masters saw that photographs don't show.
posted by chrchr at 11:10 PM PST - 67 comments

Night Project, a collection of photographs of China at night by French photographer Marilyn Mugot.
Many more on her instagram.
Press coverage at Hunger TV, WIRED, and The Guardian
posted by Going To Maine at 8:47 PM PST - 6 comments

"For the cabbage white [butterfly], sex involves sperm packages of ungodly size, genitals that double as a souped-up stomach, and an unexpected set of chewing jaws."
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 8:37 PM PST - 17 comments

Theresa May and the Holy Grail
posted by KirkpatrickMac at 8:09 PM PST - 13 comments

Tanya Gold is a British freelance journalist. Alcoholism continues long after you stop drinking': my 15 years sober.
Thirteen years ago she discribed her horror of Group therapy: I still howl at the memory'.
posted by adamvasco at 6:36 PM PST - 27 comments

Why was that Russian billionaire in Charlotte? He was looking in on his investment. Alevo, a high tech battery company, brings major intrigue, a Russian oligarch, and President Trump to a small town outside Charlotte NC. From the Charlotte Observer. Adam Kahn outlines it all. Tracking the Yachts and Jets of the Mega-Rich.
posted by racersix6 at 5:52 PM PST - 6 comments

Barry Humphries reviews the second edition of the Australian National Dictionary. "The reader should be warned that there are one or two colloquialisms in this review."
posted by Bigbrowncow at 3:11 PM PST - 6 comments

Amazon's vision for the future are these gigantic drone beehives that look like they are trapping humans in buildings like in a old school platformer. For a 10x horror multiplier, check out the plant-like fronds on the drones.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 1:47 PM PST - 47 comments

Zola is a 380-pound Silverback gorilla living in the South gorilla habitat at the Dallas Zoo. He loves his pool [ambient sound]. [more inside]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 12:27 PM PST - 25 comments

An ongoing critical take on movie violence, starting with "Bullitt" Back in January 2016, Tom Breihan began choosing the important and importantly violent movie of the year and discussing why and how it had an impact. He also mentions others of that year in a postscript. His latest post (16 June 2017) is on "Kill Bill." I've set the link to page 2 so you can start at the beginning; there's 30+ posts.
posted by MovableBookLady at 9:12 AM PST - 18 comments

Magnet fishing is simple - get a strong magnet, an even stronger rope and a body of water. Throw in the magnet and see what you find!
posted by Stark at 8:22 AM PST - 28 comments

They died as fighters, but they died as fools. Pity should be reserved for the people they once lived among, who were abused and killed as the young men sacrificed all around them, for their caliphate.

The secret lives of IS fighters. Trigger warning: some descriptions of killed people.
posted by MartinWisse at 4:41 AM PST - 16 comments