Curiosity

A collection of thoughts on, and examples of, curious things  
Seize the moment of excited curiosity on any subject to solve your doubts; for if you let it pass, the desire may never return, and you may remain in ignorance.

William Wirt

Vending Machine Graveyard

 
vending machine graveyard, Tamamura, Gunma-ken, Japan

This storage area in Tamamura, Gunma-ken, Japan is a graveyard for vending machines. It remind me of a less benign version of Sean Tan’s universe. What other consumption graveyards lurk out there?

Kowloon Walled City

 
Kowloon Walled City

 

The fortress-like Kowloon Walled City of Hong Kong owes its origin to the fact that the land (originally a military fort) was not part of the British agreement with the Chinese at the founding of Hong Kong.

It developed into a ‘no-man’s-land’ following WWII and a tightly compacted city resulted with buildings up to 10 stories high. Streets were 1-2 metres wide with fluorescent lighting to compensate for the lack of sunlight in the lower levels (http://io9.com/#!5512888/the-walled-city-where-sunlight-couldnt-reach). It is thought that  33,000 people resided within the Walled City in 1987 with a population density of approximately 1,255,000/km2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kowloon_Walled_City).

The Kowloon Walled City was demolished in the early 1990s and a park was built on the site — including a scale model of the Walled City.

Kowloon walled city model (photographer unknown)

Rooted in the earth

 
Rooted in the Earth commemorated people nominated as deserving  a public tribute in the form of  living flowers in London parks in 2009. It was a Bank of America 2009 CREATE Art Award commission by artist Joshua Sofaer and was part of CREATE, an annual arts festival across East and South East London.

The five ‘carpet bed’ displays covered over 140 square meters in London parks and included more than 55,000 individual plants.

Tower Hamlets, Museum Gardens E2 9PA
FRANK WHIPPLE
nominated by Julia Gregory

 

Frank Whipple tower hamlets

 

Waltham Forest, Ridgway Park E4 6XQ
FLORRIE BEDWELL
nominated by Stella Creasy

You can find pictures of the other four tributes statements about the people nominated at http://www.rootedintheearth.co.uk

star compass from the knowledge of Pius “Mau” Piailug

 
Pius "Mau" Piailug's star compass

Pius “Mau” Piailug (1932-2010) was venerated as a master of non-instrument wayfinding. Mau’s traditional navigational system used clues using the sun and stars, winds and clouds, seas and swells, and birds and fish to determine position away from sight of land. He was born on the island of Satawal (Federated States of Micronesia) and learned navigation passed down through generations of oral teaching. This is a representation of a star compass used to teach navigation.

Satawalese name Traditional name Astronomical name
Tupul Setting
Tan Rising
Wuliwulifasmughet North star Polaris
Mailapailefung Little Dipper Ursa Minor
Wylur Big Dipper Ursa Major
Igulig (“Whale”) 1) Cassiopeia (head of whale)
2a) Almach &
2b) Mirach (body of whale)
3a) Hamal &
3b) Sharatan (whale’s tail)
1) Cassiopeia
2a) Gamma Andromedae &
2b) Beta Andromedae
3a) Alpha Arietis &
3b) Beta Arietis
Murn Vega Vega
Marigaht Seven Sisters Pleiades
Uul Aldebaran Alpha Tauri
Paiifung Tarazed Gamma Aquilae
Mailap Altair Alpha Aquilae
Paiyur Alshain Beta Aquilae
Earlier Orion Orion
Sarapool Corvus Corvus
Tumur Scorpius (Top 6 stars) Scorpius
Mesario 1a) Shaula &
1b) Antares
1a) Lambda Scorpii &
1b) Alpha Scorpii
Luubw Southern Cross (rising or setting) Crux
Machemeias Southern Cross (at 45° over SE horizon) Crux
Wuliwuliluubw Southern Cross (upright) Crux
Machemelito Southern Cross (at 45° over SW horizon) Crux

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mau_Piailug