Monthly Archives: April 2026

The Last Question

Posted on April 21, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

“The Last Question” was Isaac Asimov’s favorite short story out of the hundreds that were published. It was featured in the November 1956 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and a number of later anthologies. At 5,000 words, it’s a short read with … Continue reading →

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the world is exceedingly complex for the simplicity of men.

Posted on April 20, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

“Inferno I, 32” — Jorge Luis Borges In the following short story, originally published in 1955, Borges remarks on the use of a leopard in the first canto of The Divine Comedy. What follows is, characteristic of Borges’ short prose, … Continue reading →

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Discover Britain with Geograph

Posted on April 19, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

Geograph: You don’t have to be an Anglophile to get lost in this wonderful project. It’s a bit like like Google maps, but crowdsourced  – “The Geograph® Britain and Ireland project aims to collect geographically representative photographs and information for … Continue reading →

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The Best Things In Life Are Free

Posted on April 18, 2026 by Brian D. Butler
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Living on Schiphol Time

Posted on April 17, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

A decade ago we shared a story about an engaging project that involved the installation of a human clock in Amsterdam’s Schiphol International Airport. Now, as part of his Real Time series, artist Maarten Baas has created The People’s Clock, a timepiece that … Continue reading →

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Story House

Posted on April 16, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

The Amazon-owned Audible is opening a “bookless bookstore” in NYC. The Audible Story House will only be open during the month of May, featuring story “tiles” that visitors can use to sample audiobooks, along with seven “listening spaces” equipped with Sony headphones … Continue reading →

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Music for travelers

Posted on April 15, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

Finnair commissioned composer Lauri Porra, who somehow manages to achieve the twin qualifications of being a bass player in a power metal band – and great the grandson of Jean Sibelius, to write some in-flight music. Matkantekijä: Music for Travellers features tracks which play in the airport … Continue reading →

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Pynchon on Orwell

Posted on April 14, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

I recently discovered that Thomas Pynchon penned a lengthy introduction to the Plume Centennial Edition of George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty -Four. It’s a long read, but well worth the time. George Orwell’s last book, 1984, has in a way … Continue reading →

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Tokyo: Beyond the cat cafe

Posted on April 13, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

Tokyo is famous for it’s unusual themed cafes. When I visited the city, I saw everything from a hedgehog cafe to a tiny pig cafe, and even a cafe where all of the waitstaff were robots. So it’s no surprise … Continue reading →

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Time Machine

Posted on April 12, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

The Radio Time Machine may look like a stylish, retro radio but it’s so much more. A classic dial, wood cabinet, mid-century modern looks, however instead of frequencies, the dial moves through years. Turn it to 1968 and the device … Continue reading →

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