I promise I’ll get back to science soon, but the Supreme Cat of the United States (SCOTUS) handed down a few decisions this week that benefit many hoomins. Cheers!
Author: michelebanks1
Artist and blogger
The Art of Science: Comet-Chasing Shoes
New York based design team Studio SWINE (led by architect Azusa Murakami and artist Alexander Groves) were so inspired by the landing of the Philae probe on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko that they wanted to celebrate it by making shoes. Shoes that look like meteorites fallen from space, of course.
They decided to use aluminum foam, which they note is generally “hidden inside high-end cars and buildings as sound insulation,” not made into footwear. Aluminum foam is just what it sounds like – aluminum that’s been melted down and then injected with a gas to produce a matrix of bubbles or cells.
Murakami and Groves visited the American Museum of Natural History to study the meteorite collection and gather images to make 3D scans of space rocks. They adapted the scans to make a shape that would fit on a foot and then used more traditional milling and shoemaking techniques to create a pair of strong, lightweight high-heeled pumps.
The finished Meteorite Shoes might not be quite the thing for everyday wear, but they are undoubtedly out of this world.
Science Caturday: Mysteries of the Sofa
For once, you should listen to the dog.
The Art of Science: Please Eat the Art
Here at the Finch & Pea, we are big fans of food, art and the scientific method. So when I saw this story about a couple of Media Lab interns at the Metropolitan Museum in New York and their quest to produce edible replicas of museum treasures, I knew I had to share it here. It’s worth reading the whole thing, so please click on over to the Met’s Digital Underground blog for more.
Tip of the hat to Hilary-Morgan Watt
Science Caturday: Distractingly Sexy Kitteh
Do I even have to mention this week’s top story in science? Nah.
The Finch and Pea 