We here at Matouring just love technology and science. Everyday there is something new to boggle our minds. Lately we have been spending some time reading "The God Equation by Michio Kaku." Mind-blowing, to say the least. "When Newton discovered the law of gravity, he unified the rules governing the heavens and the Earth. Since…
Special Interest
Recently, there has been recent discussion about aircraft engine failures. While recent stories have involved a single engine on an aircraft, what would happen if all the engines on a passenger jet failed? It’s highly unusual for all engines on a plane to fail while in operation, but what would happen if the unexpected happens?…
There’s a bad joke: The engineer asks ‘how can I build that?’ the scientist asks ‘how does it work?’ and the philosopher asks ‘do you want fries with that?’ In all fairness to the Philosopher, he’s probably not referring to ontological French fries, but the 18th century thinker Jacob Fries. Anyway, some people think unemployed…
When will we ever learn? During World War 1, Belgium was confident that its Fort de Loncin was impregnable, as it used a new method of construction - concrete instead of the typical masonry. But, the concrete was unreinforced. This led to tragic problems. The weak concrete made the fort vulnerable to enemy artillery, while…
Some choose to follow their own path. When you're a retired businessman, what do you do to keep busy? Fish? Paint? Travel? Build a house consisting of six dome-shaped modules on stilts in Florida, and then never move in? The Cape Romano Dome House - now abandoned - is a house consisting of six dome-shaped…
A bleached-out Greek island hangout with a beach-club atmosphere; an 18th-century castle in the Loire Valley already making waves with its vineyard; a slick spa hotel in Italy’s outdoorsy Dolomites; a glossy food-focused hotel in a surprising Polish city – the best new hotels in Europe are better than ever. Read more courtesy of CNTraveller.com…
For decades, Berlin has been one of the hippest places in Europe - and likely the same - in the rest of the world. A real alternative the norm. As Germany's capital, and a global city of politics, media, culture and science, Berlin is home to some of the world's most fascinating historic attractions, culturally…
The p-factor is the dark matter of psychiatry: an invisible, unifying force that might lie behind a multitude of mental disorders. The voices told him that he was God, and Oliver believed them. Only 17 years old, he was special, chosen, a higher being whose wisdom and intelligence were beyond compare. Psychiatrists, however, labelled these…
The setting could be any small village in France: winding lanes filled with teal shuttered cottages, a charming main square with a small school, café and boulangerie, and a church whose bells have beckoned the villagers to Mass for over seven hundred years.
The only thing missing are people. We’re standing in the middle of what…
If you spend any time on our site, you will know of our unabashed love of the architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. His influence on architecture and design are still preeminent to many designers, architects and builders. When you enter one of his creations, you will never forget it. Sadly, some of his work has been…
Archaeologists and other scientists are beginning to unravel the story of our most intimate technology: clothing. They’re learning when and why our ancestors first started to wear clothes, and how their adoption was crucial to the evolutionary success of our ancestors when they faced climate change on a massive scale during the Pleistocene ice ages.…
GEEK ALERT!!!
This post is, simply put, a loving tribute to a group of people who have created an application that has numerous business-relations functions, but is also for dorks (like our Editor) who love everything about planes and flying. And since many of us have not been able to fly for a year or…
We fly on airplanes and think we understand how they work. But, do we really? Most of us take for granted the fact that airplanes just fly when we get on them. We often completely overlook the technicalities involved in achieving flight. And one of the key areas that few of us consider is the…
If you're a fan of our site, then you'll know that we reciprocate that with you. Thank you! You'll also know how much we love to travel and how much aircraft factor into this. Modern planes (and, to be honest, even older planes) are complex beasts, over-engineered to provide that maximum safety for passengers. They…
Every country has names for people who may not be the smartest, or the brightest. Some of these are in jest - some are not. One such name is "pea brain" which is hopefully self-descriptive. This article is somewhat related, but more intelligent. It's about pea-sized brain organoids, and what they reveal about consciousness, the…
We recently watched a fascinating documentary about Kumamoto Castle on the Curiosity Stream channel. This impressive Japanese dwelling for six generations of Japanese monarchy has survived battles, earthquakes . . and more earthquakes, the most recent by another Kumamoto Earthquake in 2016. The last quake unearthed unexpected damage to the building, to the point of…
A traveler's dream is to find an honest, unspoiled and inexpensive place to go. As the world gets smaller, this remit gets harder to fill. But, read below about Namibia. You might be delighted.
"Arguably Namibia’s main attraction is nature—it’s a country of spectacular scenery and plentiful wildlife, from camping amidst the stunning orange dunes of…
When people outside of Asia think of Buddhism, they tend to think about just philosophy and meditation. Buddhists are often said not to have gods, wars or empires. Their religion isn’t about ritual or belief, but a dedicated exploration into what causes suffering and how to end it through meditation and compassion. Although there’s some…
Emirates airlines, one of our affiliate partners, are known for their fleet of top-of-the-line aircraft: one of the youngest fleets in the world made up entirely of Emirates A380 and Boeing 777s. Emirates fly to over 135 destinations every year. But, the prevailing winds are blowing, and for a number of reasons. First, aircraft of…
Regular readers of this site will know that we are history freaks: the older, the better - and the more amazing. In every corner of the world, historical delights can be found around every corner. But, some locations in the world specialise in history: their efforts to delight and inform visitors range from the basic…