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,…
Unusual
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…
Do you consider yourself as deep? Full of meaning? Sometimes unfathomable? Well, you have nothing on the Mariana Trench. Most of us have heard of it, but probably know very little about it. And is worth knowing about. The Trench sits like a crescent-shaped dent in the floor of the Pacific Ocean, extending over 1500…
Scientists have discovered a new island off the coast of Greenland, which they say is the world’s northernmost point of land and was revealed by shifting pack ice. “It was not our intention to discover a new island,” polar explorer and head of the Arctic station research facility in Greenland, Morten Rasch, said of the find last month.…
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…
Yes, really - the village sounds like something from a 19th-century storybook, however, it seems to be reality. In fact, Clovelly has been named one of England’s most beautiful villages! The ancient fishing village is uniquely special due to its traditional architecture, donkeys and views over the Bristol Channel, which attract endless tourists. You can…
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…
The tube houses of Hanoi Narrow residential houses, known as ‘nha ong’ in Vietnamese or ‘tube houses’, found in an urban area of Hanoi. Tall, thin and brightly colored, Hanoi's "tube houses" dominate the city's streets as 9 million people compete for space in Vietnam's bustling capital. Although Vietnam saw a number of villas and…
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…
Europeans generally like being with each other, visiting each other's countries, and sharing all that it means to be European.
But, as you know, it wasn't always like this. There were headlong battles over land, domains and royalty. These conflicts left scars.
But it isn't what you may think. In fact, there is a day in August…
If there is one movie franchise that EVERYONE loves (in addition to Star Wars, of course) it's Indiana Jones. Chances are good that - if you're a certain age - you got your first glimpse of Morocco or Petra via those classics. But, did you know that the films were influenced by a living human being…
Airbus jet has landed in Welsh field. There were no problems. You can sleep in it, as visions of heroics dance in your head. Situated in picturesque Tenby in Wales, UK, the Apple Camping grounds are the perfect place for those who can't keep their feet on the ground. Not only is there an Airbus…
I am not a crook. With next year being the 50th anniversary of the Watergate break-in of 1972, (For those not aware, the illegal activities that went on in the Watergate Hotel were the start of the unraveling of US president Richard Nixon's reign.) Now, completely legally, guests can visit or reside in room 214,…
You think your job is tough? Think the boss asks too much?
Well, suffer this poor guy, who works for Japanese Rail. This almost looks like a joke at first. But it's not. They are deadly serious and that is something to reckon with.
No wonder Japan is admired in so many ways. But, don't mess up!
See…
As if the relationship between Canada and the USA isn't convoluted enough, did you know that 50% of all Canadian citizens live south of essentially the 45th Parallel. Canada is one of the largest countries by land in the world, but its population of only 38 million is about ten times less than the United…
When Did Persia Become Iran and Why? The region that is now the country of Iran has been known by many different names, and has had varying boundaries and borders over the past 5000 years. The name Iran comes from the Avestan word airyānąm, appearing in the time of Cyrus the Great (4th century BC).…
If you're lucky, you live near trees. And if you're even more lucky, those trees will be plentiful. But, if you're really lucky, you might be able to find a rare habitat, one that would make Frodo feel at home - a tree tunnel: high or low canopies of the trees that create a nature-made…
... but don't worry....yet. Korean Air announced a cooperative initiative for research with Seoul National University and the Korean Air Force to understand the options for launching missiles and orbital vehicles from a Boeing 747 jet. The airline has already started reviewing all technological abilities, operating costs, and how the selected 747 can be equipped…
When you think of space travel, you might associate it solely with men. Especially beefcake men who spend a lot of their time working out.
But here is an article about how maybe that idea is a little outdated. It's time to look at women in space. There are a lot of good reasons why.
They eat,…