The Observatory

Latest Episodes:

Episode 94: Women of the Year Dec 14, 2018

Show notes

Elena Ferrante’s My Beautiful Friend on HBO, Olivia Jaimes’ Nancy, Esperanza Spalding, Tierra Whack, Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace, Max Richter, Henry Cobb: Words and Works, Oddityviz, The True Size, Dunkin’, Stack, Pamela’s gluten-free graham crackers, Clausthaler Dry-Hopped Non Alcoholic Beer

Episode 93: I Spy, You Spy Nov 30, 2018

Show notes

Sergei Skripal, Jamal Khashoggi, Bellingcat, Malachy Brown, visual investigations, Pablo Ferro, Ricky Jay, William Goldman, Boy Erased, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Glenn Gould’s manuscript for the Goldberg variations

Episode 92: Polite Sociopaths Nov 16, 2018

Show notes

The Design of Business | The Business of Design conference, Apple CarPlay and talking cars, HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Justin Timberlake, dogs watching TV, Visual Capitalist

Episode 91: Voter Experience Nov 02, 2018

Show notes

Voter suppression by Republicans, The McKinsey Design Index, Lovevery, Photogrammar

Episode 90: The Container for the Story Oct 19, 2018

Show notes

The Cleveland Justice Center and Season 3 of Serial, adaptive reuse, the Secret History of the Future, Articles of Interest, The Romanoffs

Episode 89: Headsets and Holograms Sep 27, 2018

Show notes

VR typography, Glenn Gould hologram tour, Paul Rand ephemera auction, Robert Venturi, Mark Lamster’s Philip Johnson biography, Werner’s Nomenclature of Colors

Episode 88: Anonymous™ Sep 13, 2018

Show notes

Bob Woodward’s Fear, the Quiet Resistance, representing anonymity, Face Values at the London Design Biennale, QAnon infographics, Todd Alcott’s faux vintage book covers

Episode 87: Mortadella and Mortality Aug 23, 2018

Show notes

Eataly World, HBO’s Succession, Betsy DeVos in McMansion Hell, Little Fires Everywhere, the Coltrane Circle

Episode 86: Home and Away Aug 10, 2018

Show notes

Wes Anderson in Italy; 3D printed Mars habitat competition; from Hilton to boutique hotels to Airbnb; designer baby names; the Vignelli townhouse

Episode 85: Midsummer Music Jul 26, 2018

Show notes

Musical theater, soundtracks, Bach’s Goldberg Variations, Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata in D Minor, and more.