After
a recent trip to Chicago’s Museum
of Science and Industry, I’ve returned
with all manner of potential blog material, so this may turn into the Museum of Science and Industry Blog for a little
while.
At
first glance, green and steampunk might not go together. I mean, really,
belching smokestacks, massive factories, and air filled with London-esque smog?
But on the other hand, the modern steampunk lifestyle—self-sufficiency,
upcycling, and frugality—might be a bit more eco-friendly.
While
the museum’s Smart Home exhibit might be a bit too plain and modernist to fit
the look, it certainly has some steamy details. First off: the gardens.
Personally I think that growing one’s own food is
about as DIY as it gets, and
the gardens surrounding the house are filled with fruits, vegetables, and
herbs, some around the house, some literally growing on the walls, and some in
hydroponics systems.
Inside,
it includes cutting-edge technology, like automated window shades, a smart
telescope, and bathroom mirrors that surf the web (in case you’re really addicted to Facebook?). Most of
it, being digital, would be better categorized as cyberpunk, but a little genre
mixing is fine by me.
The
real steam comes in the furniture, most of which is from reclaimed industrial or
vintage pieces. Old filing cabinets and all manner of old knickknacks and so
forth sit inside with the postmodern architecture. Sadly, I couldn’t get any
interior pictures, but you could find some at the
official site.
In
other announcements, I’ll be gone for the next week or so and probably won’t
have internet access, but I’ll be sure to post about my travels when I get
back.
