Long Threads: More things I didn't know

There is one thing that I still love about Twitter and other social media -- how interesting people are still publishing interesting "long threads" where I learn about a new corner of the world, a new fascination, a new knowledge. 

Here are a few I have collected recently -- I am posting these in a longer form than I did previously, because apparently people who aren't on X can no longer follow its threads (thanks, Elon!) 

Anyway, here goes: 

First of all, Merriam Webster held a "word" contest over the last several weeks, and here are the winners:

'Love' is the winner of Best Word and we couldn't love this more.

Thank you all for playing and sharing your passion for words with us! https://t.co/3mFcNC9aJw pic.twitter.com/iZeXFeBsqM

— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) September 6, 2024

Terrible Maps is an hilarious follow. Here's one:

Alaska’s Passive Aggressive Map of the USA pic.twitter.com/NI9yR1JCxU

— Terrible Maps (@TerribleMaps) August 29, 2024

Beautiful buildings:

I don't know but let's go back to this!

Agree? pic.twitter.com/dSuQb6NRuV

— Muse (@xmuse_) August 28, 2024

New memes for old paintings - some of the most amusing posts in this thread:

2. pic.twitter.com/NP1pT8ZsEm

— James Lucas (@JamesLucasIT) September 10, 2024

6. pic.twitter.com/sFOuYsPfU6

— James Lucas (@JamesLucasIT) September 10, 2024

13. pic.twitter.com/zKSEKHFAOI

— James Lucas (@JamesLucasIT) September 10, 2024

18. pic.twitter.com/bgZdw81bLb

— James Lucas (@JamesLucasIT) September 10, 2024

28. pic.twitter.com/lWQzmuBzvu

— James Lucas (@JamesLucasIT) September 10, 2024

Poetry in marble - some of the most amazing pieces:

1. Nymph (1858) by Giovanni Battista Lombardi

The marble appears to be liquid. pic.twitter.com/houVgd53Kk

— Muse (@xmuse_) August 28, 2024

3. Ugolino and His Sons (1867) by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux pic.twitter.com/OjIX81kqAo

— Muse (@xmuse_) August 28, 2024

8. The Pietà (1570-1579) by Ippolito Scalza

Poignantly captures the Virgin Mary cradling the lifeless form of Jesus Christ.pic.twitter.com/bR05CwQQeN

— Muse (@xmuse_) August 28, 2024

Film scenes that are based on art - here are a few of the best:

2. Scream, directed by Wes Craven

Reference to: The Scream, by Edvard Munch pic.twitter.com/QeWgPglHxO

— Wolf of X (@tradingMaxiSL) August 26, 2024

4. Mad Max: Fury Road, directed by George Miller

Reference to: The Elephants, by Salvador Dalí pic.twitter.com/OG7jwUEriD

— Wolf of X (@tradingMaxiSL) August 26, 2024

Last week was the anniversary of the Great Fire of London in 1666, which had an incredible impact on the way London looks today - here are most of the posts in this thread:

London is strange.

It has a confusing Medieval layout with winding streets and narrow lanes... but with very little Medieval architecture.

Just compare it to other cities like York or Durham, full of Gothic towers and timber-framed houses. pic.twitter.com/2Ss3T0F7S9

— The Cultural Tutor (@culturaltutor) September 6, 2024

But just after midnight on the 2nd September 1666 a fire broke out in a bakery on Pudding Lane.

That was in the east of the city, close to the Tower of London.

Strong winds sent it roaring westward, ripping right through the heart of Medieval London. pic.twitter.com/WqgawPdAwN

— The Cultural Tutor (@culturaltutor) September 6, 2024

Fires were frequent and people were used to dealing with them — by demolishing buildings around a fire to stop its spread.

But strong winds, a dry summer, and a delayed response from the authorities meant this one got completely out of control.

People fled across the river. pic.twitter.com/tiMGKwofEC

— The Cultural Tutor (@culturaltutor) September 6, 2024

The biggest casualty was St Paul's, a Gothic cathedral dating back to the 11th century which had been undergoing a Neoclassical "renovation" at the time.

It was deemed beyond repair and demolished. pic.twitter.com/JaZWJfL0xT

— The Cultural Tutor (@culturaltutor) September 6, 2024

So London needed rebuilding.

Plans were soon submitted by the likes of Christopher Wren and John Evelyn, among others.

These would have given London an entirely new layout: wide boulevards, large squares, and an ordered grid instead of its Medieval labyrinth. pic.twitter.com/jFWbtAr43i

— The Cultural Tutor (@culturaltutor) September 6, 2024

But the plans were not adopted, largely because of the need to rebuild quickly and disputes between landowners and tenants.

So London was reconstructed according to the old plan... thus retaining its Medieval mess of narrow lanes and winding streets. pic.twitter.com/OsHITetBfO

— The Cultural Tutor (@culturaltutor) September 6, 2024

And the centrepiece was the new St Paul's Cathedral, designed by Christopher Wren.

Its colossal dome and monumental façade were inspired by St Peter's in Rome.

A neoclassical building that embodied London's new architectural identity. pic.twitter.com/8IA6j8cyzr

— The Cultural Tutor (@culturaltutor) September 6, 2024

So London needed rebuilding.

Plans were soon submitted by the likes of Christopher Wren and John Evelyn, among others.

These would have given London an entirely new layout: wide boulevards, large squares, and an ordered grid instead of its Medieval labyrinth. pic.twitter.com/jFWbtAr43i

— The Cultural Tutor (@culturaltutor) September 6, 2024

But the plans were not adopted, largely because of the need to rebuild quickly and disputes between landowners and tenants.

So London was reconstructed according to the old plan... thus retaining its Medieval mess of narrow lanes and winding streets. pic.twitter.com/OsHITetBfO

— The Cultural Tutor (@culturaltutor) September 6, 2024

And the centrepiece was the new St Paul's Cathedral, designed by Christopher Wren.

Its colossal dome and monumental façade were inspired by St Peter's in Rome.

A neoclassical building that embodied London's new architectural identity. pic.twitter.com/8IA6j8cyzr

— The Cultural Tutor (@culturaltutor) September 6, 2024

So that's why London looks the way it does — Medieval planning mixed with neoclassical design.

The Great Fire came too late for London to be rebuilt with Medieval architecture, but too soon for the large-scale urban renovations of cities like Paris or Barcelona.

— The Cultural Tutor (@culturaltutor) September 6, 2024

So London is strange — it has a Medieval layout but little Medieval architecture, filled instead with Neoclassical terraces, Neo-Gothic halls, Brutalist estates, and glass skyscrapers.

And it all began 358 years ago with how the city was rebuilt after the Great Fire. pic.twitter.com/RW2nRuUf1l

— The Cultural Tutor (@culturaltutor) September 6, 2024