November 2024 – Page 39 – news.buyenne.com

Study: Yes, tapping on frescoes can reveal defects

Acousticians put a traditional “knock” test for delaminated areas to the test.

The US Capitol building in Washington, DC, is adorned with multiple lavish murals created in the 19th century by Italian artist Constantino Brumidi. These include panels in the Senate first-floor corridors, Room H-144, and the rotunda. The crowning glory is The Apotheosis of Washington on the dome of the rotunda, 180 feet above the floor.

Brumidi worked in various mediums, including frescoes. Among the issues facing conservators charged with maintaining the Capitol building frescoes is delamination. Artists apply dry pigments to wet plaster to create a fresco, and a good fresco can last for centuries. Over time, though, the decorative plaster layers can separate from the underlying masonry, introducing air gaps. Knowing precisely where such delaminated areas are, and their exact shape, is crucial to conservation efforts, yet the damage might not be obvious to the naked eye.

Acoustician Nicholas Gangemi is part of a research group led by Joseph Vignola at the Catholic University of America that has been using laser Doppler vibrometry to pinpoint delaminated areas of the Capitol building frescoes. It's a non-invasive method that zaps the frescoes with sound waves and measures the vibrational signatures that reflect back to learn about the structural conditions. This in turn enables conservators to make very precise repairs to preserve the frescoes for future generations.

Read full article

Comments

Maxtang MAX-N100 is an Intel N100 mini PC with an integrated power supply

Mini PCs may be small computers that don’t take up a lot of space on your desk. But some models ship with rather large power adapters, which kind of ruins the effect by taking up a fair amount of space below your desk (or wherever you run the pow…

The post Maxtang MAX-N100 is an Intel N100 mini PC with an integrated power supply appeared first on Liliputing.

FCC chairwoman announces departure, paving way for Republican majority

Rosenworcel had to lead agency without Democratic majority for most of her term.

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced today that she will leave the agency on January 20, 2025, the day of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

"Serving at the Federal Communications Commission has been the honor of a lifetime, especially my tenure as chair and as the first woman in history to be confirmed to lead this agency," Rosenworcel said in today's announcement. Rosenworcel said that being chair during the pandemic "made clear how important the work of the FCC is and how essential it is for us to build a digital future that works for everyone."

Rosenworcel touted the agency's work in "setting up the largest broadband affordability program in history—which led to us connecting more than 23 million households to high-speed Internet, connecting more than 17 million students caught in the homework gap to hotspots and other devices as learning moved online." That discount program ended this year after Congress let funding run out, despite Rosenworcel's repeated pleas for more money.

Read full article

Comments