A story from NPR about a unique new use for QR codes (those little square barcodes) to reveal stories and information about the dead.

On a side note about QR codes: I’ve started to see these things popping up in all kinds of places like for sale signs on houses and even now at museums. The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago used QR codes in a recent exhibition to provide visitors with audio commentaries and alternate views of works.

A fascinating story about a very, very lonely tree. Robert Krulwich tells us a bit about this unusual tree and its connection to Lord of the Rings. 

Another radio story about buffalo, this time from NPR about First Nations tribes who have restarted the ages-old buffalo hunt.

Another case involving a museum selling its goodies.  Selling goodies, good or bad?  In this case, I would lean towards good since the funds were used to improve the environment for the rest of the collection and for visitors.  

However, I wonder if maybe there would have been a better way to raise the funds without selling the goodies.  I wonder what would happen if museums actually put a price tag on paintings to give visitors a sense of how much an object costs to house.  I think that visitors might be more willing to sponsor museums if they had a more concrete sense of what it takes to preserve and display objects in a safe and meaningfully significant way.