Nuclear power - is there anything that is more confusing and even divisive than that? On one hand, it has the promise to literally power our homes and factories, and with the possibility of doing it cleanly. But, on the other hand, despite decades of opposition by the people, the threat of nuclear arms still…
Technology
In the 1800s, Niagara Falls was considered the be-all and end-all of North America's pure promise and unending resources. Being able to visit was considered the trip of a lifetime. The William Birch Rankine Power Station was Canada's first major power station on the mighty river. Built in 1905 using horse-and-carriage labor, it pumped out…
Those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, but they should throw caution to the wind — especially in this shiny glass palace that you'll find just outside of Joshua Tree National Park.
Known as the Invisible House, the elongated 22-story “horizontal skyscraper” is like a shiny, dreamy mirage in the sand. This once-in-a-lifetime stay is one of the…
You're in the clouds!
China has never shied away from big projects, and this is just one. Visit Shimian County and drive this amazing feat of engineering yourself.
Ganhaizi Bridge is located in Shimian County, Ya'an, Sichuan on the Ya (An) Lu (Gu) Expressway. It has a total length of 1811 meters, a bridge width of 24.5…
Egypt’s High Speed Railway Project Takes-off As we often talk about here (until we're blue in the face,) rail travel is the future. In a world of diminishing resources and rising populations, the solutions that modern rail travel can bring for us all are too good to ignore. That's why we're happy to see governments…
Loo design has barely changed in 150 years – until now. Will people trade their privacy for the chance to find out exactly what is in their waste? For the past 10 years, Sonia Grego has been thinking about toilets – and more specifically what we deposit into them. “We are laser-focused on the analysis…
Here we are again: we love James Bond and we love cars. So, it is with some excitement that we find that the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles is hosting the Bond in Motion exhibit. Be one of the first to experience the largest official James Bond exhibit in the United States. Produced in collaboration…
If you can't fix the problem, fix the blame . . . Doctors, scientists, intelligence agents and government officials have all been trying to find out what causes "Havana syndrome" - a mysterious illness that has struck American diplomats and spies. Some call it an act of war, others wonder if it is some new…
Where would we be without connectivity? Recent generations have come to accept that not only will the Internet work, but it will be fast and it will be cheap. The earth is about 24,901 miles (40,075 km) in circumference with about 7.674 billion people (as of 2019.) That's a lot of bandwidth required. Unbeknownst to…
Waiting at the airport can be soul-crushing sometimes. Especially if your flight is delayed. But not always . . . Take a look at this cool new permanent artwork installed at California’s Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) Installed in the pre-security Arrivals Hall of Terminal B, A million Times (San José), by artists Humans since 1982, is…
“Being like everybody is the same as being nobody.” “
There is nothing in the dark that isn't there when the lights are on.”
Rod Serling
Some of you may remember the ground-breaking Twilight Zone television show, which entranced so many of us (of a certain age) and still resonates to this day. If you loved the…
Yay! Common sense prevails in this day and age! The respective loyalty programs of our affiliate friends, Expedia, Vrbo, Hotels.com and other brands under the Expedia Group umbrella are to be unified into one service. The company says all brands and products will be in the program, covering flights, hotels, alternative accommodation, car rentals, cruises…
During the Airlines Confidential podcast, former Spirit Airlines CEO Ben Baldanza told an interesting story about trying to figure out whether a new route would be profitable. In normal times airlines have great data – required and reported by the federal government. But, some looked at telephone data and remittance data to get a sense…
If you think a chair is simply a chair, you might be right. But there are designers who think beyond the norm, in all walks of life. It matters in this day of dwindling resources. Salone is the most important furniture event in the world, strongly connected to the city and the design culture. This…
We love automobiles here at Matouring. Especially European cars. And even more especially French vehicles. Por quoi? They have always seemed to go beyond the pale, seeking smart functionality with undeniable style. Our favourite French marque is Citroën. From the 2CV to the latest Cactus models, they have never been shy about pushing the envelope.…
On some days, you just want to say, “Beam me up, Scotty! There’s no intelligent life here.” And when those days arrive, Scotty’s transporter is waiting in Vulcan, Alberta, Canada, halfway between Calgary and Lethbridge. The Canadian Pacific originally named the town for the Roman god of fire, but the citizens had a better idea. …
If you've been to London (or the Republic of Ireland, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Australia) you'll likely know Yo Sushi. A restaurant chain first started in London, Yo Sushi took the popular Asia-originated conveyor belt concept (you grab the plate you want as it passes) and tweaked it a bit…
If you've flown Ryanair, you'll know that it can be a mixed bag. On the plus side, the prices are almost unbelievable: how can anyone operate a jet aircraft (and all of its associated costs) with a €29 fare? On the more questionable side, some passengers feel like cattle (with the same amount of "love"…
Do you have a large family? Do you find that you struggle to accommodate them as you travel from place to place? Do they complain about not having enough leg-room as you travel? Are you constantly having to stop when they cry out for the toilet? Well, we have news for you! For only $50,000…
If you frequent our site, you'll know how much we love architecture: it's a part of life, especially when it is executed with creativity, originality and love. We especially like the Bauhaus and modern movements from the start of the twentieth century. It is often almost impossible to visit, let alone stay in some of…