In 1957, when Pablo Picasso was in his seventh decade, he mused that x-ray technology might one day reveal a lost work underneath one of his early paintings. Today, that prediction became reality—although the technology involved goes far beyond x-rays. Using hyper-modern tools to peer into one of his Blue Period paintings, researchers have not only shown a hidden piece of art history in stunning new detail, they have revealed a striking amount of insight into Picasso’s creative process.
The recent eruptions from several volcanic vents in a residential neighborhood on Hawaii’s Big Island have prompted the evacuation of thousands of residents. The Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory said eight lava fissures had opened under Leilani Estates over the past few days. The opening of the fissures and lava flow from Kilauea Volcano follow a series of earthquakes, including a magnitude-6.9 quake on Friday, and the earlier collapse of a nearby crater, emptying the lake of lava within. The unfolding disaster is unpredictable, and may take a very long time to calm down enough to allow residents to return.
Aretha Franklin, whose exceptionally expressive singing about joy and pain and faith and liberation earned the Detroit diva a permanent and undisputed title — the “Queen of Soul” — died Aug. 16 at her home in Detroit. She was 76.One of the most celebrated and influential singers in the history of American vernacular song, Ms. Franklin secured her place on music’s Mount Rushmore in the late 1960s and early 1970s by exploring the secular sweet spot between sultry rhythm and blues and the explosive gospel music she’d grown up singing in her father’s Baptist church.
The Gay Games is a world-class sport and cultural festival organized by the LGBT community every 4 years. Everyone is welcome to participate regardless of sexual orientation, ability, gender, age or race. The Gay Games were intended, in the spirit of Tom Waddell, to build bridges between heterosexual and LGBT sports associations and to go beyond sport to give birth to an ambitious social project.