"Am I a man who dreamt he was a butterfly, or am I a butterfly, dreaming I am a man?"
-- Zhuangzi, Chinese philosopher, 4th century B.C.
Illustration, Butterfly and Chinese Wisteria, by Xu Xi, ca. 970, public domain.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
Shwedagon Pagoda
According to legend, the Shwedagon Pagoda is 2500 years old. It contains relics of the past four Buddhas: the staff of Kakusandha, the water filter of Konagamana, a piece of fabric from the robe of Kassapa, and eight hairs from Gautama.
Illustration: The Shwedagon Pagoda, from an 1825 lithograph, public domain.
Illustration: The Shwedagon Pagoda, from an 1825 lithograph, public domain.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Owl Eyes
"Can grave and formal pass for wise, When Men the solemn Owl despise?”
--Benjamin Franklin
Photograph: IParjan, public domain
--Benjamin Franklin
Photograph: IParjan, public domain
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Neuschwanstein Castle
The Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany served as the inspiration for Disney's vision of the Cinderella Castle in the animated film. This photochrom -- a colorized image made from a black and white negative -- was taken in the 1890's, not 10 years after the castle was completed.
Image: from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs Division, public domain
Image: from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs Division, public domain
Monday, February 11, 2008
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is the most popular tourist attraction in India, attracting between two and three million visitors a year.
Photograph by Samuel Bourne, ca. 1860, public domain
Photograph by Samuel Bourne, ca. 1860, public domain
Sunday, February 10, 2008
The Moons of Jupiter
Montage view of the moons of Jupiter: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Jupiter visible in corner.
Photograph: NASA, in public domain
Photograph: NASA, in public domain
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