Creative Edge

The man behind that brush was Chinese-American artist Tyrus Wong, who died last year at the age of 106. For years, his key role in the look of this enduring film was underplayed, even forgotten, by those outside the Disney animation studios. Tyrus Wong, Bambi (visual development), 1942. Courtesy of Tyrus Wong and PBS. The art of Bambi includes paintings, sketches, watercolours, and pastels by Chinese-American artist Tyrus Wong. Wong's work was a major influence on the visual aesthetic of the 1942 Disney film: ·         Color schemes: Wong chose the colour schemes and forest appearance, giving the film a distinct look. ·         Backgrounds: Wong's backgrounds were detailed, almost photographic. ·         Emotional evocation: Wong's style focused on evoking emotion rather than capturing a photographic reproduction of nature. Wong was born in a farming village in Guangdong Pr...

The Bowder Stone—c. second half of 19th century and January 2022. This huge andesite lava boulder is located in the Borrowdale valley in Cumbria, England. It was formed from lava that was ejected out of an ancient volcano. Approximately 13,000 years ago this rock was about 200 metres above where I stand and formed part of King's How, a mountain that rises steeply on my left in the photo. The movement of a glacier shaped and fragmented the sides of the valley and possibly dislodged the Bowder Stone, which eventually fell down the mountainside at an unknown date and landed in its current position here, balanced on one edge. The name Bowder Stone may derive from the local dialect for boulder. But there is a popular story that it derives from the Norse god, Baldr, the son of Odin. It is said that one side of the stone resembles the god's face. The Bowder Stone is an enormous andesite lava boulder located in the scenic Borrowdale valley in Cumbria, England. This impressive geo...

The 15 to 30 pounds of manure produced daily by each beast multiplied by the 150,000+ horses in New York city resulted in more than three million pounds of horse manure per day that somehow needed to be disposed of. That’s not to mention the daily 40,000 gallons of horse urine. In other words, cities reeked. As Morris says, the “stench was omnipresent.” Here are some fun bits from his article: Urban streets were minefields that needed to be navigated with the greatest care. “Crossing sweepers” stood on street corners; for a fee they would clear a path through the mire for pedestrians. Wet weather turned the streets into swamps and rivers of muck, but dry weather brought little improvement; the manure turned to dust, which was then whipped up by the wind, choking pedestrians and coating buildings. . . . even when it had been removed from the streets the manure piled up faster than it could be disposed of . . . early in the century farmers were happy to pay good money for the manur...

Why is Mount Kailash a part of China? Mount Kailash is one of the holiest places in the world for Hindus. It is the abode of Bhagwan Shiva and it is said that visiting Mount Kailash is enough to wash away all the sins of even previous births. A lot of the devotees have the question Where is Mount Kailash located?, the answer to Kailash Parvat Location is that Kailash Parvat is not exactly a part of China but Mt. Kailash and Mansarovar Lake is situated in Tibet, which is under the administrative rule of China. In the past few centuries, it was not a part of any major Indian empire. Kailash was part of Nepal a long time back and was ruled by a Nepali King. It was the Nepali king who gifted the Kailash area to a Tibetan King as dowry for his daughter’s marriage and then it became a part of Tibet. After that, it has always been Tibetan territory and when India got independence in 1947, it was still the case. India has never had ...

  Famous photograph by Benjamin Baker, in which through a living model the cantilever structural principle on which the solution to the Firth Bridge over the Forth was based was depicted. "To illustrate the structural theory of a cantilever beam (Gerber), a human demonstration was carried out. The loads were represented by the person sitting in the middle of the span of the suspended span. The arms of the persons seated on both sides represented the traction at the joints; the wooden bars, the compression at the lower elements, and the bricks, the anchor points located at the pylons. The chairs represent the granite piles. Imagine the chairs 500 m apart and the men's heads as high as St. Paul's cross (London church, 104 m) their arms represented by steel beams and the canes by 3.5 m diameter tubes at the base you get a good notion of the structure." Heinrich Gerber applied in 1866 a theory that consisted ...

  Native American sign language Illustrated guides to 400 gestures The illustrations above showing how to communicate using Native American/”Indian” sign language, come from two vintage sources — one in the ’50s, and the other (more comprehensive guide) from the ’20s. Indian Sign Language (1954) From The Golden Digest, Issue 1 (1954) Once they had many Indian tribes in America. They did not all speak the same language. But with sign language, one tribe could understand another.  Here are some things they would say.  Words shown:  Sunset Yes I/me/my Go/go away Horse/horse rider Buffalo Man Rising sun Tipi You Night Native American Sign Language is a visual communication system developed by Indigenous tribes for intertribal dialogue and storytelling. It showcases the cultural depth and linguistic creativity of Native American societies. Native American Sign Language (NASL), also known as Plains Indian Sign Language, is a sophisticated, visual-gestural communi...

  Srinivasa Ramanujan was an Indian mathematician who made profound contributions to mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions. Born in 1887 in Erode, India, he had no formal training in mathematics but displayed exceptional talent from a young age. Despite facing significant challenges, including poverty and health issues, Ramanujan independently discovered numerous groundbreaking results, many of which were initially unrecognized due to their unconventional nature. His work on mathematical series, including the Ramanujan summation and Ramanujan's master theorem, revolutionized the field of mathematical analysis. Ramanujan also made significant contributions to number theory, particularly in areas like partition theory and the distribution of prime numbers. His formulae and conjectures continue to inspire research and are fundamental to various branches of mathematics. Ramanujan's collaboration with British mathematician G.H. Hardy at C...

Snake and phallus worship entered the Vedic religion through the assimilation of indigenous fertility and nature cults, such as those of the Dravidian and tribal peoples. Over time, these symbols were reinterpreted within Vedic and later Hindu cosmology, enriching its spiritual and ritual landscape. The incorporation of snake (nāga) and phallus (liṅga) worship into the Vedic religious framework represents a significant synthesis of indigenous, pre-Vedic fertility and earth-centered traditions with the patriarchal, ritualistic Indo-Aryan culture that composed the Vedas. In early Vedic texts like the Rigveda , there is limited direct reference to either phallic symbolism or serpent worship in a devotional context. However, as Vedic religion evolved during the later Vedic period and especially into the post-Vedic era (c. 1000–500 BCE), these elements began to appear more prominently, indicating a gradual process of religious assimilation and cultural exchange. Snake worship likely entered...