To serif or sans-serif? One of the oldest discussions on type and reading eventually comes down to a binary question. Go Roman or go Grotesk? The serif is recognisable by the little strokes attached to the end of larger lines of a letter (take a closer look at the « T’s » in this text). These strokes—serifs—are, in fact, the result of ancient technological flaws: the outlines of Roman letters were first painted onto stone before they were carved into it. Paint naturally flares at stroke ends and corners, creating serifs in the carved-out letters. (The word possibly comes from the Dutch word schreef, meaning « line » or stroke; schreef is also the past tense of the verb « to write »). We have carried serifs with us, from stone to metal to code; our neural networks are now so used to these shapes that reading them feels both natural and pleasant.
On the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Europe of European integration. An excerpt from The Origins of European Integration: The Pre-history of Today’s European Union, 1937–1951.
The great storm surge is coming, it has always been coming in the borderland between Denmark and Germany. Here, Danish writer Dorthe Nors visits the Frisian Wadden Sea island of Sylt, as part of her travels along the North Sea coast.
The great storm surge is coming, it has always been coming in the borderland between Denmark and Germany. Here, Danish writer Dorthe Nors visits the Frisian Wadden Sea island of Sylt, as part of her travels along the North Sea coast.
Ramallah, downtown, fifth floor. The phone rings and the caller’s number appears on the screen. It’s an unknown number. And yet a call that comes at this hour must be answered.
رام الله، وسط البلد، الطابق الخامس. يرن الهاتف ويظهر رقم المتّصل على الشاشة. إنه ليس لأحد معارفنا، فالرقم غير معروف. مع ذلك، يتطلّبُ اتصال هاتفي في ساعة مبكِّرةٍ كهذه الردَّ عليه.