Pity poor Alitalia. For years, they've been the underdog, constantly chided and teetering on the brink of disappearing. They've had their problems, but we've flown many times on the airline and had good experiences. (We even sat near Peter Gabriel on one flight.) But, it looks like the future is bleak. On September 10th, 2021 the European…
Technology
Raimondo di Sangro Prince of Sansevero (Torremaggiore 1710 – Naples 1771) was an original exponent of the first European Enlightenment. A brave soldier, man of letters, publisher, first Grand Master of Neapolitan Masonry, he was – more than anything else – a prolific and enterprising inventor and patron. In the underground laboratories of his palace,…
You might have heard (recently) of the concept of Fifth Freedom flights. It may sound like a bad action film, but its principles are fairly straightforward and, to be honest, a bit boring. But, as you'll see in the video, below, in practice it can bring some benefits. Click here to see part one.
In…
Machine-written literature might offend your tastes but until the dawn of Romanticism most writers were just as formulaic. Since its inception in 2015, the research laboratory OpenAI – an Elon Musk-backed initiative that seeks to build human-friendly artificial intelligence – has developed a series of powerful ‘language models’, the latest being GPT-3 (third-generation Generative Pre-trained…
Gratifyingly, people are starting to understand that climate change is real. Turn on the television every day and a new horrifying example of our changing world appears. On a very positive note, though, Dubai just got the world's first ‘green’ mosque. As per the reports, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) inaugurated the world's first…
Trains are everywhere in Europe. Some of the trains travel at high speed across the continent, while others move around leisurely, either by day or by night. Find out about the different European trains like sleeper trains, chocolate trains, high speed trains and the provided facilities for a clear idea of what train travel in…
If you're of a certain age, or just love the art of the impossible, you'll likely know Roy Harryhausen. The film special effects superstar helped elevate stop motion animation to an art. His innovative and inspiring films, from the 1950s onwards, changed the face of modern movie making forever. And now his work can be…
Chernobyl: Accidental Wildlife Sanctuary The accident at Chernobyl nuclear power plant resulted in complete abandonment of a huge territory in Belarus as well as land on the Ukrainian side, creating the largest ever experiment as to what nature does when people leave. 30 years later the area is the nearest that Europe has to a…
When the Romans built things, they built them to last. Just take a look at Rome itself, with the Parthenon and its companion buildings. But here is another rather spectacular example of the Romans building things to last. The Tower of Hercules is an ancient Roman lighthouse on a peninsula about 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi)…
Do you find yourself going non-linear when it comes to those freaking crank / automated / scam calls that distract us to exhaustion?
You're not alone. Luckily, Google comes to the rescue again with not one, but two nifty services that you may want to look into.
Read more here courtesy of USAToday.com
Best Buy have all sorts…
What is a loo? In the UK, it's another name for the toilet. (It's also called a bog, but that's a different story.)
Shocking? Well, that brings up the question about why airplane toilets have power outlets. Seems like a disaster waiting to happen.
But read more here courtesy of BusinessInsider.com for an answer to this conundrum.
If…
If the name "art depot" strikes you as one of those fly-by-night operations that appear in dying shopping malls, or in sketchy weekend flea markets, you'd likely be right. But, in this instance, you'd be wrong. Did you know that most museums only showcase around seven percent of their collections at any given time? …
The pandemic has inspired many to jump into nature. Over the last 360 days, we have attempted new nature activities like kayaking and spelunking, sought out remote hideaways, and found inner peace on long hikes. Maybe we even hugged (or spoke to) a few trees, because we were just so elated to be out of…
No matter where you look, the world is getting bigger and better - and sometimes in places where you might least expect it. It's time to change our worldview. The future is now. A Kenya Airways subsidiary might just be flying “ultra short-haul” in the future through a partnership with Embraer subsidiary Eve Urban Air…
New York City has one of the world’s biggest subway systems, but some areas of the city are poorly served. Even though New York City has the most extensive subway system in the Americas, less than two-thirds of the city’s population actually lives within walking distance of a station.
For the last 15 years, construction crews…
Some places just "get it." As we see mother earth in peril, some of us are just not rising to the occasion. Climate change is not a joke. It's real. But, some countries (mostly in Europe) are paying attention and doing something about it. It could be banning automobile traffic in certain places. It could…
Spain is building an $8.7 billion USD new urban development in northern Madrid, called Madrid Nuevo Norte. Madrid is the heart of Spain. However, in its north, train tracks and the urban void surrounding them cut the city right in half, creating traffic and connectivity issues. To solve this issue, Spain is building a new…
Human beings just seem to love the idea of something being "the best." Even if it's the best cheese sandwich, it inspires some awe and loyalty. Airports are no different, especially when we have to sit and fidget in them for hours and hours, waiting for a result with our flights So as to be…
We all know Google, love them or hate them. (We rather like them.) They're everywhere, constantly innovating, making money, but providing free services, as well. One of their shining stars is Google Maps. We're sure that the service doesn't need introduction. But, did you know how much they've played with Maps to make it even…
Even a dummy will know that the world is changing, but sometimes news comes out of relatively nowhere and completely takes you by surprise.
In this case, we're taking about Lagos in Nigeria. Already a rich and powerful nation, there are estimates that it will have the largest population of any country in the world (see…