Best Of MetaFilter

A Cycle of Joy” (2023). All images © Thandiwe Muriu Heyho created a post that showcases Kenyan photographer Thandiwe Muriu and her work with wax fabrics common in Central and West Africa.

Fireman's coat decorated with a depiction of the Toad Spirit

Japanese Firemen’s Coats (19th century)

hexagonal cross-stitch symmetry sampler by Craig S. Kaplan via isohedral.ca

Rethinking seeds, from the ground up: "no one had ever asked him to select for flavor" | Rethinking the rectangular weave cross stitch grid: Mad weave is triaxial | Rethinking procrastination: "Procrastination has nothing to do with self control" | Rethinking the "gold standard" for assessing scientific truth: Scientists rise up against statistical significance

The Tapestry of the Search for Terrestrial Intelligence at the Science Gallery Dublin

If an alien civilization picked up one of the Voyager probes a million years from now, what would they make of the information on the record? They probably wouldn’t think they way we do.

The Tapestry of the Search for Terrestrial Intelligence: MetaFilter's own moonmilk took a copy of a copy of the audio data on Voyager's Golden Record, and turned it into a 40-meter-long tapestry of human images-as-sound. (w/bonus Peter the Morkie!)

Wallpaper Blue Jeans (Closeup / Nahaufnahme) by Thragor 2 (cc by)

Was the Olympic swimming pool crooked? Wade into some musing on the physics of pool design.

Speaking of world-class swimming, mce explains all about those modern ultra-high-tech swimsuits and the new rules they brought in (suits must be made of textile!).

Speaking of textiles, here's politikitty on what happened to Levi's? -- inside blue jeans manufacturing and the tradeoffs involved in making inexpensive stretchy comfy pre-faded jeans.

Speaking of discerning durability, how do I pick good quality fabric for sewing?