My Word with Douglas E. Welch

Where does the word ‘Window’ derive from? And what does it have to do with a Norwegian architectural historian and a bohemian Austrian poet? On a lyrical journey from death to inspiration, Anne Ulrikke Andersen takes a look through the windows in the life of Christian Norberg-Schulz.

James Ward introduces another curious talk about a subject that may seem boring, but is actually very interesting…. maybe.

They are either 12, 14 or 16 inches wide, they live just outside our doors, and they come in a variety of striking designs. So why has no one heard of coal holes?

Local historian Amir Dotan explores the streets of London to find the small metal discs you may not have noticed before, but may well have stepped over thousands of times.

James Ward introduces another curious talk about a subject that may seem boring, but is actually very interesting…. maybe.

The neuroscientist Sophie Scott takes a close listen to the long ‘silent’ gap on the Watergate Tapes.

Buzz. Click. Buzz. Click. Buzz.

Presenter: James Ward
Contributor: Sophie Scott
Producer: Luke Doran

New York is the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, so Headspace is bringing a little bit of relief to the Empire State. 

Headspace announced a partnership with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office to offer free guided meditations, sleep sounds, exercises, and mindfulness content for kids on a New York-specific webpage. In case you’re not aware, Headspace is a popular mindfulness mobile app that offers all of those things under normal circumstances, but usually charges a subscription fee to access everything.

“Now more than ever it’s critical that New Yorkers stay healthy both physically and mentally, and these resources will help people cope with rising levels of stress and anxiety during this unprecedented public health crisis,” Cuomo said in a statement.

There seems to be widespread agreement—something special was lost in the rushed-to-market move from physical media to digital streaming. We have come to admit that some older musical technologies cannot be improved upon. Musicians, producers, engineers spend thousands to replicate the sound of older analog recording technology, with all its quirky, inconsistent operation. And fans buy record players and vinyl records in surprisingly increasing numbers to hear the warm and fuzzy character of their sound.

Neil Young, who has relentlessly criticized every aspect of digital recording, has dismissed the resurgence of the LP as a “fashion statement” given that most new albums released on vinyl are digital masters. But buyers come to vinyl with a range of expectations, writes Ari Herstand at Digital Music News: “Vinyl is an entire experience. Wonderfully tactile…. When we stare at our screens for the majority of our days, it’s nice to look at art that doesn’t glow and isn’t the size of my hand.” Vinyl can feel and look as good as it sounds (when properly engineered).