Vox: All Posts by Dion Leehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52517/voxv.png2018-03-15T16:50:02-04:00https://www.vox.com/authors/dion-lee/rss2018-03-15T16:50:02-04:002018-03-15T16:50:02-04:00Why we imagine aliens the way we do
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<p>Aliens often resemble life on Earth. How did we land on that concept of extraterrestrials?</p> <p id="BXaS8s">When you picture an alien, what do you see?</p>
<p id="y30lSx">No one really knows what aliens look like, but we all have similar ideas about them. It’s often a creature with a big head, long arms and legs, and big, buggy eyes. We see these common images of aliens depicted in movies, books, and on TV shows — which are made by us.</p>
<p id="RsQs1L">Science fiction stories often explore the relationship between humans and aliens. So we find extraterrestrial creatures endowed with relatable human features. According to Charley Henley, a VFX supervisor who worked on Ridley Scott’s <em>Alien</em> series, “A lot of [Scott’s] designs are tied in with the human anatomy, and I think that is the common theme. We put a lot of humans into the aliens.” In our stories, we naturally anthropomorphize these creatures — so they end up looking, acting, and feeling just like us.</p>
<p id="KvPXHS">But when you talk to scientists actually looking for extraterrestrial life — and not imagining it — it’s a whole different story. Andrew Siemion, the director of <a href="http://seti.berkeley.edu">SETI</a> Research Center at UC Berkely, believes that if there’s any life out in space that’s similar to humans, they’d be using technology in a similar way as we do. So he and his colleagues conduct astronomy experiments to detect signs of technology out in space. But that doesn’t mean he has a better idea of what these creatures would look like. He said:</p>
<blockquote><p id="5cUQ6l">It’s science fiction. I mean, as of now, hopefully, someday we will detect life on another world — maybe many examples of life on many worlds — and then we can have more accurate science fiction. But I think as of now, a guess of a science fiction novelist is as good as a scientist. Science fiction is one expression of our profound sense of awe and wonder about whether we are alone in the universe.</p></blockquote>
<p id="jaT4d6">Watch the video above to see how we humans perceive aliens and how that shapes our imagination of life beyond our planet.</p>
<p id="OEJT2d">You can watch all of Vox’s videos on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/voxdotcom"><strong>our YouTube channel</strong></a>. Subscribe for the latest.</p>
https://www.vox.com/videos/2018/3/15/17126340/science-fiction-aliens-vfx-setiDion Lee2018-02-16T19:30:02-05:002018-02-16T19:30:02-05:00How Adam Rippon chooses his music
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<p>Figure skating music, explained.</p> <p id="g4tJhT">During the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Adam Rippon skated to Ida Corr’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19WUwZYM7bM">“Let Me Think About It”</a> for his short program. It was fun, powerful, and most of all, different. This is the first Olympic Games at which figure skaters have infinite creative freedom with their music, as they now can skate to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/19/sports/olympics/rhapsody-in-blue-or-rap-skating-will-add-vocals.html">music with lyrics</a>. </p>
<p id="a27qr2">Figure skating was not always woven in with music and artistry — it was very much a technical sport. The skaters had to literally carve <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU9Hy1upUr0">figures into ice</a>. As figure skating evolved, it leaned more toward performance. For decades, figure skaters skated to the classics like “Swan Lake” and “Carmen.” They chose these pieces not only because it’s great music but because of the clear storyline and the quality of the characters in them. With operas, in particular, it is easy to take the audience on an emotional journey.</p>
<p id="ql4mcy">Hugo Chouinard, a music designer who mainly works with figure skaters, says, “The most important is that the skaters like the music. Because if they don’t like the music, they don’t feel the music; there’s no emotion to convey to the public.” </p>
<p id="BFNfZi">And that is what Adam Rippon did for his musical choices for the Olympics. During the interview, he said:</p>
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<p id="6qjHZy">I like to have two different moods for the programs, just so that I can show that I can skate to anything ... that I can interpret whatever piece of music. So for [a] short program, I want to do something that is really upbeat, that would get the crowd on their feet — everybody clapping. Short programs are only two minutes and 50 seconds, so you have not a lot of time to make a big impression. </p>
<p id="gpIvkG">And then in free skate, I wanted to show the softer side and I want to show off my lyrical skating style ... something with long, sweeping edges and something that really made it seem like I was flying around the rink. I’m 28 and I’m going to my first Olympics; I’m going to skate to something that I really want to do. I wanted to really represent who I was. And I’m a fun-loving guy, so I just wanted to bring that to the competition.</p>
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<p id="jaT4d6">To learn more about how figure skaters choose their music, make sure to watch the video above.</p>
<p id="v8c2Tu">You can watch all of Vox’s videos on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/voxdotcom"><strong>our YouTube channel</strong></a>. Subscribe for the latest.</p>
https://www.vox.com/videos/2018/2/16/17021316/olympics-adam-rippon-music-skatingDion Lee2017-06-27T13:30:02-04:002017-06-27T13:30:02-04:00The origin of the ’80s aesthetic
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<p>The design phenomenon that defined the decade.</p> <p id="WNckru">The ’80s was the decade of crazy patterns, vibrant colors, and feathered hairstyles. The time had such a distinctive style that the mere mention of “the look of the ’80s” conjures up specific visuals. The look was so influential that it continues to inspire design today. </p>
<p id="8degcg">The essential elements of the ’80s look were created by the <a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1058/1166/files/memphis_milano.pdf?14149556525736315536">Memphis design</a> movement, led by Italian architect <a href="http://designmuseum.org/designers/ettore-sottsass">Ettore Sottsass</a>. The collective included designers and architects from all around the world — Italy, Japan, Britain, Austria, France, Spain, and America. They set out to break out of modernism, a style that required designers to follow many rules. George Sowden, a co-founder of the Memphis Group, said in an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6xao6jrFr0">interview</a> that “a lot of people felt trapped within these rules.”</p>
<p id="l81GKI">The Memphis Group’s first show took place in Milan, at the Salone del Mobile Milano, in 1981. It featured the <a href="http://petershirestudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/BelAirChair.jpg">“Bel Air” chair</a>, which had a plastic ball as a part of the leg, and the colorful <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/486989">“Carlton” bookcase</a> that cascaded outward. The show crowded the streets so much that on his way to the venue, Sottsass thought a bomb had gone off in downtown Milan. The New York Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/24/garden/in-milan-the-biz-arre-becomes-the-respectable.html">wrote</a> that the show “appalled some and amused others but put everyone attending the fair in a state of high excitement.” According to Glenn Adamson, a senior scholar at the Yale Center of British Art, the design trend caught on very quickly:</p>
<blockquote><p id="WLEKhJ">It was this huge phenomenon, and then you saw it caught on very, very quickly as the look of the ’80s. How that happened is fashion, you know. I always think it’s important that it happened virtually simultaneously with MTV, which also launched in 1981. And if you think about the logo of MTV with all those colors and patterns and the scratchy graphics, that clearly is close to the graphic designs coming out of Italy that were in context of which Memphis emerged.</p></blockquote>
<p id="rxVlpL">To learn more about the Memphis Group and how it inspired the look of the ’80s, check out the video above. For more Vox videos, subscribe to our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/voxdotcom">channel</a> on YouTube.</p>
https://www.vox.com/videos/2017/6/27/15879660/80s-aesthetic-memphis-designDion Lee2017-02-11T09:30:01-05:002017-02-11T09:30:01-05:00Do I have ADHD?
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<p>Google can’t tell if you have ADHD or not.</p> <p id="0MjY05">If you search “Do I have...” on Google, the first suggested phrase you’ll see is “Do I have ADHD?” And it’s easy to see why. The quizzes and self-diagnosing tests (I’ve gone through a few of them) are extremely relatable — especially when you do them while putting off chores. But here’s the thing: ADHD can easily be misdiagnosed. </p>
<p id="lPeUlQ">There are two sides to this argument. Are there too many people being diagnosed with ADHD? Or too few? First, I spoke to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allen-frances/stopping-the-false-epidemic-of-adult-adhd_b_9694100.html">Dr. Allen Frances</a>, who believes ADHD is being overdiagnosed. He pointed to the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allen-frances/conclusive-proof-adhd-is-overdiagnosed_b_10107214.html">number of studies</a> done in the US, Taiwan, Iceland, and Canada showing that the youngest kid in a classroom was consistently more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than the oldest kid. He says this problem is also due to time constraints faced by doctors:</p>
<blockquote><p id="XK3e2W">The problem is that most doctors don’t have time and some don’t have the training to make an accurate diagnosis to know when the medication is necessary and when it’s not. Sixty percent of the stimulant drugs are prescribed by non-psychiatrists — by pediatricians, GPs, and family doctors — and they usually only have a few minutes with each patient. They don’t really get the time to get to know the patient and their family. If we did accurate evaluations, the diagnosis would be made much less frequently. Many less kids would be on medications. We wouldn’t be spending $11 billion on ADHD medications; we would have more money available for the school systems.</p></blockquote>
<p id="LfL5x7">On the other hand, <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/01/18/462978127/cant-focus-it-might-be-undiagnosed-adult-adhd">Dr. David Goodman</a> argues that ADHD is being underdiagnosed — <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/04/adhd-is-different-for-women/381158/">especially for women</a>. ADHD is harder to diagnose in women because while hyperactivity is common in men and boys, inattentiveness is more common for women and girls. He also argues that there is a pattern in psychiatry where mental disorders are dismissed before being taken seriously:</p>
<blockquote><p id="Ac2jKb">If you go back to schizophrenia 60 years ago. People used to say schizophrenia wasn’t a psychiatric disorder — it was a choice of lifestyle. We don’t have that conversation anymore. Thirty years ago, the same was applied to depression.</p></blockquote>
<p id="psM7z4">One thing’s for sure: A professional evaluation will always be better than Googling for self-diagnosing tests for ADHD, because misdiagnosis happens often and can be dangerous. For more information, check out the video above.</p>
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https://www.vox.com/videos/2017/2/11/14581052/do-i-have-adhd-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-diagnosisDion Lee2016-11-17T11:00:02-05:002016-11-17T11:00:02-05:00How zip codes helped organize America
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<p id="myKWKi">Zip codes were invented in 1963 to help the United States Postal Service deal with huge increases in mail volume. The Zone Improvement Plan, or “ZIP” code system of addressing, organized mail delivery by dividing the country into 10 regions and assigning five digits <a href="http://benfry.com/zipdecode/">increasing in specificity</a>: from region to large sorting centers to smaller post offices. To promote the new system, the USPS released publicity materials featuring Mr. Zip, a cartoon character, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIChoMEQ4Cs">a song about zip codes</a> from a band called The Swingin’ Six. </p>
<p id="BtAFta">As the nation grew, the USPS updated zip codes by adding a four-digit suffix in 1983. The new suffix corresponded to specific destinations, such as one side of a street or a certain floor of an office building. Now, geocoding technology has created the <a href="http://postalmuseum.si.edu/research/pdfs/ZIP_Code_rarc-wp-13-006.pdf">possibility of even more specific addressing</a>.</p>
<p id="yhLA7y">Check out the video above to learn more about how zip codes came to be and how people are working to improve addressing by creating <a href="http://what3words.com/">alternative systems</a>.</p>
https://www.vox.com/videos/2016/11/17/13570066/zip-codes-helped-organize-americaDion LeeMac Schneider2016-10-05T09:00:16-04:002016-10-05T09:00:16-04:00The formula for selling a million-dollar work of art
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<p>Artwork, specifically paintings, can seem like it should be moderately cheap. How long could it take to screen print some <a target="_blank" href="http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/paintings/andy-warhol-campbells-soup-can-5371697-details.aspx">tomato soup cans</a>, right? Many <a target="_blank" href="http://www.artbusiness.com/artists-how-to-price-your-art-for-sale.html">websites</a> I found during my research into art pricing coached new artists to think of time spent on the paintings like any part-time job, counting by the hour. But how do you know if your time is worth $20, $2,000, or even $20,000?</p>
<p>In the book <i>The $12 Million Stuffed Shark</i>, Don Thompson writes:</p>
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<p>In a market where information is scarce and not trustworthy, the first rule is the price level signals the reputation of the artist, the status of the dealer, and the status of the intended purchaser. Prices reflect a size of a work, not its quality or artistic merit.</p>
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<p>This means the biggest factor in the price of art often isn't quality, or effort – it's branding. Most consumers gladly pay a few more bucks to get a certain brand of shampoo even though it probably has the same formula as the cheaper generic version. But when a new artist steps into the art market, he or she has no reputation – no branding.</p>
<p>That's where art dealers come in. They promote, educate, and help artists to gain fame and success. On top of that, having the backing of an art industry giant like Charles Saatchi or Larry Gagosian boosts your value almost instantaneously.</p>
<p>Watch the video above to learn more about how art pricing really works.</p>
https://www.vox.com/2016/10/5/13171856/how-to-sell-million-dollar-artworkDion Lee2016-08-03T08:10:03-04:002016-08-03T08:10:03-04:00Why women’s clothing sizes don’t make sense
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<p id="HLAg1x">It is pretty well-known that Marilyn Monroe was a size 12. However, in modern times she could fit into anything between a 4 and a 10. These gaps in numbers alone demonstrate how confusing and frustrating our sizing system is.</p>
<p id="QIEyc3">To actually document the inconsistencies, I went out to SoHo and bought jeans from Topshop, Zara, and Forever 21. They were all labeled as a 4, but the results were vastly different. The pair from Zara ended up fitting very loosely on my waist, while the ones from Forever 21 were so small that I couldn't even zip them up. The jeans from Topshop were the only pair that actually fit me properly.</p>
<p id="PXtI24">Our sizing system suffers from <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/08/11/the-absurdity-of-womens-clothing-sizes-in-one-chart/">size inflation</a>, which started as a marketing strategy to make women seem skinnier in order to sell more garments. This makes the arbitrary numbers on our clothes even more abstract and ambiguous. However, when I talked to Lynn Boorady, an associate professor and chair of fashion and textile technology department at SUNY Buffalo State, she changed my mind. She said:</p>
<blockquote><p id="0nNquN">Vanity sizing was done as a marketing tool. I don’t think it’s done as a marketing tool anymore. I think it’s done because the women are getting bigger, and we’re just addressing that. The original sizing charts never had sizes 0 and 2. Now we select sizes 0 and 2 because the sizes are getting smaller and smaller and we’re getting larger and larger but we’re also adding at the other end.</p></blockquote>
<p id="1FGtvZ">She also pointed out that when ready-made clothes first came out, women were expected to alter clothes to fit them correctly. It may be a far reach if we expect something off the rack to fit us perfectly when we live among the most diverse group of people in the world. Check out the video above to learn more.</p>
https://www.vox.com/2016/8/3/12353906/womens-clothing-sizes-vanity-sizingDion Lee