Sand Animation

Just discovered for myself another new media – sand animation
Here is a great example – Russian artist performance about memories of WWII

Polynesian stick charts were mapping wave patterns

Polynesian Stick Charts were completely different way of navigation, they were mapping not only locations, but also oceanic swells, patterns of waves.

Specific map encoding was closely guarded secret, known only to group of navigators who own them.

Navigating by the wave pattern navigator “would crouch in the bow of his canoe and literally feel every motion of the vessel.”They “concentrated on refraction of swells as they came in contact with undersea slopes of islands and the bending of swells around islands as they interacted with swells coming from opposite directions.”
Fascinating staff, kind of technology which could have been developed by alien, or in alternate history line.

Five Centuries of Board Games

Great post by bibliodyssey about board games from 16 to 20 centuries.