A list of curious facts
One: Can zapping your brain make you fall in love? Apparently, scientists have successfully made mice instantly bond by implanting tiny bits of hardware—and then manipulating their brains by turning their neurons on and off so their brain waves were perfectly in sync. New York Times has more on this creepy new research.
Two: Indian Hindu women who lived in purdah wore “a light sari worn without undergarments which gave a semi-transparent look”—which made it impossible for them to step out into the world. So Rabindranath Tagore’s sister-in-law, Jnanadanandini Devi (1850-1941) decided to rework the traditional Gujarati style to give us the standard version of the sari drape.
“Her version, that reversed the Parsi seedha pallu style and instead took it across the bosom in front to loop over the left shoulder and back again under the right one—incorporating the brooch, though—was quite Tarun Tahiliani-like in its brilliant draping. Jnanadanandini, however, did not incorporate one major element of the modern saree: the front pleats. That addition, which allowed wider strides and greater mobility, was popularised by the formidable Maharani Suniti Devi of Cooch Behar.”
Economic Times and Voice of Fashion have different and equally interesting takes on the origins of the modern sari.
Three: This is the ‘Darth Vader House’—for obvious reasons—and it is on sale for $4.3 million. FYI: it is a 7,000 square-foot home w/ four bedrooms, five full bathrooms and a four-car garage. Of course, it’s located in Houston, Texas 🙄. CNN has the story, and you can browse an entire gallery of photos here.
Four: This futuristic resort—to be built off the coast of a remote part of Australia—is made entirely of recycled ocean plastic. Apparently, its foundation “will be constructed of mesh-filled bags of recycled ocean waste, which will include glass bottles, rubber tires, plastic bags, and containers.” Its name: Recycled Ocean Plastic Resort, of course! To be clear: this is just a design. Syfy has more photos and all the details.
