Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON August 19, 2019
Full News Archive
- Headline: Bumblebee's Gold Dream at the Olympics. Impact: Sergey Chernyshev's breakdancing dreams set off a global obsession with dance as a sport. Fast forward ten years, and we find politicians using dance-offs to settle debates—because why argue when you can moonwalk?. Fact: Breakdancing was officially named 'breaking' by the hip-hop community, but I'm sure if they could rename it again, they might go with 'Gravity? What Gravity?'.
- Headline: Nell Zink's Ambitious Novel 'Doxology'. Impact: Nell Zink's ambitious novel somehow leads to a resurgence of 80s fashion trends, causing a worldwide shortage of leg warmers and acid-wash jeans. Thanks, Zink! Now we're all stuck in a fashion time warp.. Fact: Fun fact: the 1980s called, and they want their hairstyles back—along with the neon colors and questionable fashion choices..
- Headline: George Bernard Shaw’s 6-Hour ‘Beast’? She’s All In. Impact: Kimberley Rampersad's six-hour production of 'Man and Superman' leads to an international outcry for longer theatrical performances, ultimately resulting in the world's first 'nap-friendly' theater. Bring your blankets, folks!. Fact: George Bernard Shaw was not only a playwright but also a vegan, which raises the question: Does his work come with a side of kale?.
- Headline: ‘Murder, She Wrote’ & Me. Impact: As more people engage with 'Murder, She Wrote,' true crime podcasts explode in popularity. Thanks to Jessica Fletcher's detective work, now everyone thinks they're qualified to solve murders from their couch.. Fact: Angela Lansbury was actually not a detective; she just had a knack for making people confess while she baked pies—because who can resist a good pie?.