Good morning!

Last night, the full moon graced us with its presence. There's an ongoing debate about whether the full moon impacts or disrupts sleep, or if it's merely anecdotal. Before I share my take on this, I'm intrigued by your thoughts. Does a full moon affect your sleep, or do you consider it an old wives' tale? Feel free to respond to this email—I'll circle back later this week to share people's perspectives on this lunar mystery!

Innovation

The Hologram Age

Australia's Hologram Zoo, which opened this year, features 50 lifelike holographic displays using advanced laser technology. Visitors experience immersive interactions with virtual animals, thanks to an advanced “depth” technology that gives the displays apparent size. They also include other sensory elements like the scents of plants to deepen the immersion.

Axiom Holographics, the company behind the holograms, has garnered contracts with several large corporations and is breaking industry norms by cutting costs and improving quality.

Bruce Dell, Founder and CEO of Axiom Holographics has high hopes for the future. "Everyone is expecting the hologram revolution. It is something we see in science fiction and we should have had it by now. But holograms have always been so expensive. We felt there were some things to do there to make them a lot cheaper," Mr Dell explains.

Meanwhile, researchers at the Australian National University are exploring alternative technologies to create holograms. Their research focuses on using nano-photonics to manipulate light waves to create the desired images. Another Australian university (Queensland University of Technology) is pioneering holographic technology in a play called Alex, offering an augmented reality experience without needing wearable devices.

Whichever technology ends up on the forefront, we are seeing the emergence of a new mode of entertainment. Apparently, science fiction does not like to be restricted to fiction.

Culture

From Attic to 28 Million at Auction

A few years ago, a 13th-century masterpiece by Cimabue, titled "Christ Mocked" or "The Derision of Christ," was discovered in the home of a 90-year-old French woman. Initially mistaken for a Greek icon, the painting was identified when one of the woman's children brought in an appraiser during preparations for her move.

The panting went on auction and was sold for a jaw dropping $28.6 million dollars. Four times the original estimated value.

The buyer, Fabrizio Moretti, who got the painting as a dealer on the behalf of two clients, talked about acquiring the painting.“It’s one of the most important old master discoveries in the last 15 years,” he told the New York Times. “Cimabue is the beginning of everything. He started modern art. When I held the picture in my hands, I almost cried.”

The French Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Louvre, acquired the painting for its collection, recognizing its significance in art history. Described as a crucial milestone, "The Derision of Christ" marks the transition from iconography to painting, laying the foundations for the Renaissance.

Cimabue's work is rare, with only fifteen known pieces, mainly frescoes. The recently discovered painting will be exhibited alongside the monumental Maestà in spring 2025 at the Louvre, contributing to the understanding of Cimabue's artistic legacy.

World News

Drought Reveals Ancient Rock Carvings of Human Faces

A recent drop in water levels in the Amazon due to a severe drought has revealed ancient rock carvings near Manaus, northern Brazil. The carvings, primarily human faces, had been mostly submerged for over a thousand years. While some were spotted during a previous drought, archaeologists have now identified a greater variety of carvings along the Ponta das Lajes shore, near the confluence of the Rio Negro and the Solimões river with the Amazon.

Archaeologist Jaime Oliveira explained that these carvings were created by pre-Columbian inhabitants of the region, indicating evidence of an early occupation dating back thousands of years. The carvings include representations of anthropomorphic figures, and one rock exhibits grooves believed to have been used by indigenous people for arrow sharpening.

The last sighting of these carvings was in 2010 during another period of low water levels when the Rio Negro dropped to 13.63m. Recently, the river's level fell below 13m, attributed by the Brazilian government to climate change and the El Niño weather phenomenon, causing reduced rainfall in the northern Amazon and record-low river levels.

Environment

‘Knot’ Your Average Report

Better Cotton, the world's leading sustainability initiative, recently revealed its annual impact report, highlighting major progress among Indian farmers from 2014 to 2022. The report showcases a 53% reduction in overall pesticide use and a nearly one-third decrease in water usage. Nearly a million enrolled farmers experienced a reduction in costs since the launch of Better Cotton's India operation in 2011.

Better Cotton's impact extended to farmers' livelihoods. In 2021, Better Cotton Farmers achieved an average cotton lint yield of 650 kilograms per hectare, surpassing the national average by 200 kilograms.

The report underscores Better Cotton's commitment to deepening impact, emphasizing its role in promoting environmental, social, and economic benefits in cotton production. Alan McClay, Better Cotton CEO, expresses optimism about the results and ongoing efforts to drive further improvements at the farm level. With over one-fifth of the world's cotton now grown under the Better Cotton Standard, the initiative has trained 2.9 million farmers in 23 countries on sustainable practices, with 2.2 million farmers earning Better Cotton licenses.

A great initiative that is not just taking environmental factors into account but also actually putting more money into farmers pockets.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.

Mind Stretchers

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When you stop to look, you can always see me. But if you try to touch me, you can never feel me. Although you walk towards me, I remain the same distance from you. What am I?

Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
The letter “m” - Corn on cob - Queue