We may be laughing at what the Romans laughed at. Some Roman comedic techniques have survived to present day, one example being the “game” structure — the repeated disruption of mundane situations by weird happenings for comedic effect. Both Plautus’ “Rudens” and Key and Peele’s “Substitute Teacher” sketch use this device; the former makes a character say “licet” (“okay”) repeatedly to annoy another, while the latter makes the titular character mispronounce his students’ names while getting increasingly angry when they correct him. Read full article here
Technology
The First Solar-Powered Car Comes at a Hot Price
The Lightyear O is a revolutionary electric car powered by the sun. Developed by a Dutch startup, the four-door sedan has over 50 square feet of solar panels on its roof and hood, generating up to 43 miles of energy a day. With production now underway in Finland, the car does come with a hefty price tag at $262,000, but the company hopes to introduce a more affordable version, the Lightyear 2, by 2025. Read full article here
Merv
January 27, 2023
