Are you curious about your roots? Check out these OkayAfrica videos to see how knowing their ancestry impacted members of The Roots and A Tribe Called Quest.
The Roots’ Questlove’s maternal lineage points to Sierra Leone, while Black Thought’s ancestry stems from the Mandinka Tribe, whose rich oral history was passed down by singers.
Q-Tip’s tribal ancestry links to Djola, a tribe who made a musical instrument similar to the banjo—which created Blues, which influenced music and lead to hip-hop—forever changing the modern music scene.
Showcase your own roots by adding a DNA Ancestry Signature to your DNA Portrait—it’s a scannable barcode “signature” that crosses over from physical to digital to trace your maternal lineage. The barcode is placed at the bottom right of your portrait in a color that compliments your DNA art.
Get 15% off + free shipping on any DNA 11 order with code VALENTINE15 (valid until Jan. 29).
Videos from OkayAfricaTV, in partnership with AfricanAncestry.
We live and breath for the moments when science meets art. That’s why we’re totally captivated by PopSci’s Pretty Space Pics—a series of posts that brings us closer to the stars that otherwise seem so far away. Today we’re sharing some of our favorites.
“The Helix Nebula, captured in infrared light by the European Southern Observatory’s VISTA telescope at Chile’s Paranal Observatory. The Helix Nebula is actually one of the closest planetary nebulae to Earth, just 700 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius.”
“The Milky Way, viewed from the Cook Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean on a clear summer night. Snapped by skywatcher Tunc Tezel on the second largest Cook Island of Mangaia, the image was chosen as a winner of the National Maritime Museum’s Astrophotographer of the Year 2011 contest.”
“A whirling image of the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope and the stars above it circling the southern celestial pole. It’s less a space pic than an Earth pic depicting really cool space searching technology.”
“Cassini proves once again that it’s the spacecraft that just keeps on giving. That’s fine with us, since it keeps sending back pics like these from its wide orbit around arguably the solar system’s second-coolest planet. Represented here: Saturn’s signature rings and five of its more than 60 natural satellites.”
The sky has always been mystifying, and with so many monumental discoveries on the horizon it’s impossible not to marvel at the universe’s vastness. We can’t wait to see which Pretty Space Pics turn up next!
Photos: Helix Nebula: ESO/VISTA/J. Emerson; The Milky Way: Tunc Tezel; Very Large Telescope: F. Char/ESO via SPACE; Saturn: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute.
It’s a design fact—light changes everything. So while it’s sophisticated enough for any modern space, I can’t help but think the child in all of us would appreciate the dreamy light and fun design of Almerich’s Yo-Yo lamp, designed in Spain. Via Design Milk:
Available as a floor or hanging lamp, the red fabric-covered cable is close to 33 feet and rolls up between the two diffusers just like the string of a yo-yo.
The true essence of a room lies in well-curated details, and this light is certainly a conversation piece. Afterall, the right accessories, unique furniture and personalized art can transform your space into something memorable and remarkable.
Biology meets technology meets design—London-based designer Samuel Wilkinson has created the Biome, an awe-worthy, technologically-influenced flora terrarium. Its climate, nutrients and water level can be controlled through your smartphone or tablet. Via Design Milk:
According to Wilkinson, “the idea promotes ‘digital downtime’ by finding an alternative use for smartphones and encouraging their owners to consider a slower life. The control and nurturing of a real mini eco-system takes patience and care, contrasting with the immediacy of messaging or tweeting that is so characteristic of the smartphone generation.”
The Biome was developed for an exhibition titled Slow Tech – Designs for Digital Downtime at trend agency Protein’s exhibition space. The exhibition was curated by Henrietta Thompson (editor-at-large at Wallpaper*).
Photo by Sylvain Deleu.
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