SmashingLists

Month: October 2012

  • Top 10 Famous Freemasons

    5. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Of course, it’s not just modern musicians who were masons. Notable classical composers can also be found among the Freemason ranks, including Bach and Mozart. Mozart joined a lodge in Vienna, called “Zur Wohltätigkeit” in 1784, 7 years before his death. He was an apprentice at first, but swiftly became Master, probably in 1785. In the same year, his lodge merged with another and formed the new lodge “Zur Neugekrönten Hoffnung”. To celebrate, Mozart composed two songs and these formed part of a much bigger body of work that had masonic influences, including “Kleine Freimaurer-Kantate” (literally “A Little Freemason-Cantata”) and “The Magic Flute“. Sometime, as with the Cantata, the influence was overt, other times it was incredibly subtle. For instance, the masons give great value to the number 3, so Mozart often used 3-part harmony. And a special dotted figure within the music was supposed to represent the knocking on the door during an initiation ceremony. One of the most famous and public freemasons in history.

     

    4. Buzz Aldrin

    Ever wondered where involvement in freemasonry might take you? Maybe to the moon? That what happened to Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, who is famous as being the second man on the moon, after Neil Armstrong. A devoted mason, Aldrin took a masonic flag with him on the Apollo 11 craft and also special permission from the masons to claim “Masonic Territorial Jurisdiction for The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Texas, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, on The Moon”. He was also a devout Presbyterian, so had a home communion kit with him as well. He may not have been the first man on the moon, but he was certainly the first man to take communion on the moon!

     

    3. Winston Churchill

    The list of politicians who are also freemasons is staggeringly long and the great British Prime Minister was no exception. When he joined the order in 1901, it was all the rage, with the newly-ascended King Edward VII a former Grand Master. Churchill joined the Studholme Lodge, along with other MPs, knights and royalty and quickly became a Master Mason in the tradition of his ancestors before him. In fact, there was even a Churchill Lodge – the same one that Oscar Wilde managed to get himself expelled from. However, his Masonic career was shortlived, and he resigned from the lodge in 1911, after becoming First Lord of the Admiralty. This has led commentators to conclude that freemasonry wasn’t a vital part of Churchill’s success, although he did call in favors from his masonic contacts for years afterwards.

     

    2. John Wayne

    Another mason to follow family tradition, John Wayne was raised as a mason in July 1970, at Marion McDaniel Lodge 56 as his father had been before him. He was also very politically active, and at one point was asked to run for office on behalf of the Republican party. He declined, but supported his friend and fellow actor Ronald Reagan in his bid to become Governor of California. Wayne was never shy of controversy, believing in white supremacy and claiming that the American settlers had done no wrong when taking the Native Americans’ land. He was also a member of the ultra right-wing John Birch Society for a while. So he was both prominent and powerful – no wonder the masons welcomed him into their society at the end of his life.

     

    1. George Washington

    It won’t surprise you to know that there have been a fair few freemasons in the White House. After all, when a society is this powerful, you’d expect its members to reach the pinnacle of political success. So, Gerald Ford was a mason, and Roosevelts Teddy and Franklin. But one of the most famous presidents and the founder of America was also a mason. He was initiated in 1752, but apparently wasn’t the most dedicated in attending meetings. He declined a Grand Master position in 1777, saying that he had never even been a Master of a lodge. However, the year before he became president, he accepted the offer to become Master of the Alexandria Lodge in Washington, which is now the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. So, he may not have been the most dedicated member of the masons, but they certainly seem keen to claim him as one of their own!

  • Top 10 Public Health Scares

    There’s never been a better time for creating public hysteria. The internet allows anyone with a phone or a laptop to come up with a theory and it can spread around the globe in seconds. So, when governments announce that there might be a new disease to look out for, it can spiral out of control quickly. The public health scare is nothing new, but the over-inflated hysteria is. In the 17th century, when the public were told that they might just die of plague, it was a very rational fear that was created. And a lot of them did die from plague. But now, some of these fears become irrational very quickly, and that’s where we find our Top 10 Public Health Scares.

     

    10. Bird Flu

    Avian flu is one of those diseases that has popped up a couple of times in recent history. The first concerned the H5N1 strain, which has proved to be both infectious and deadly to humans. Since it broke out, there have been 633 cases reported and 377 deaths, mainly in Indonesia, Vietnam and Egypt. So when another strain emerged in 2013 – H7N9 – there was panic and reports from China that 43 people had died. However, with one exception, it does not seem to have spread outside of China and there was a distinct drop-off in the number of cases reported after April 2013, suggesting that it’s either a seasonal virus or that the Chinese have taken effective precautions against it (i.e.  by banning live bird markets). That doesn’t stop the media still predicting that it might be the next Spanish Influenza though..

     

    9. Foot and Mouth

    Another agriculture-themed one now, and it’s the UK Foot and Mouth outbreak of  2001, which saw 6 million cows being culled, leading to devastation and bankruptcy for farmers. The outbreak was first detected on a pig farm in Essex and was thought to have been caused by the pigs eating illegally imported, infected meat. In 2007, there was another outbreak with the EU banning British beef imports immediately and the Prime Minister returning from holidays to take immediate action, including ordering protective cordons around infected areas. Thankfully, that outbreak was contained before it led to the destruction of 2001, but there was intense interest from the media, hoping to capitalize on the sense of panic. That’s why the only people to break the cordon were photographers, who were later fined and sentenced to community service. That’s what happens when you try to create a public health scare…

     

    8. Salmonella

    Of course, not all public health scandals are internet-era. Before the world wide web, the newspapers did a fine job of spreading the panic. And that’s what happened in the UK in 1988, when then-Health Minister Edwina Currie declared that eggs may contain the deadly bacteria salmonella. Her statement was as follows: “most of the egg production in this country, sadly, is now affected with salmonella” and it caused both panic and outcry. The minister was famous for her controversial statements, such as saying that Christians don’t get AIDS, and this seemed as unfounded as the rest of them. The affair died down eventually, but Currie was forced to resign and her reputation never recovered.

     

    7. High-Fructose Corn Syrup

    This is a controversy which is still rumbling on. HFCS is a cheap sweetener added to a scarily wide range of foods, including savory staples like bread. Some people are passionately opposed to HFCS, saying it is fuelling the obesity crisis and that the amount of HFCS found in an average soda is equivalent to a dose of poison. The scare started in 2004, when a research paper  in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consumption of HFCS went up 1000% between 1970 and 1990. However, later studies in 2012 suggested that the effects of HFCS have been overstated, with the Journal of Obesity  suggesting that fructose is no worse than sucrose, also known as sucrose.  So is HFCS to blame for the rise in obesity and diabetes? I think the answer is that no-one knows yet…

     

    6. Carcinogens

    Now, this particular scare came from a respected source – the President’s Cancer Panel. In 2010, they released a report on the danger of carcinogens (i.e. toxins that increase the risk of cancer) and said that the danger had been “grossly underestimated”. Suddenly, carcinogens were all around us – in household products, in barbecued food and even in a colorant in Pepsi. But the hysteria caused by the 2010 report may have been a bit of an overreaction – the American Cancer Society have published stats showing that the cause of cancer is only rarely to do with environmental carcinogens, and that the President’s Cancer Panel report “does not represent scientific consensus.” So, another thing we don’t need to worry about? Again, one that might just run and run…

  • Top 10 Coldest Places on Earth

    It’s hard to define exactly where the coldest places on Earth are. It sounds like it should be easy – measure how hot or cold everywhere is, and then rank them. But how you define a place? Antarctica is surely the coldest place on Earth but is it all one place? Or many different points? And do you take the lowest ever temperature or an average over the year? And which year? There are a lot of questions and, unsurprisingly, it doesn’t make for a flawless list. But here are ten places you certainly would’t want to be striding around in swimwear. Shrug on an extra sweater and read our Top 10 Coldest Places on Earth.

     

    10. Rogers Pass, Montana, USA

    Located 5,610m  above sea level on the Continental Divide in Montana, this is one of the warmer places on the list, but the average temperature in January still fluctuates between 14 and 33F, so never going far above freezing. It’s like that for the whole winter, with lows at freezing point or below from October till April. But on the bright side, the summer months are fairly hot, with a high of 82 in July. So, overall the average mean temperature for the year is 43.5F, which is relatively high. But that would be little comfort if you happened to visit in December and you knew it wasn’t going to warm up till Easter. It’s also the place where the lowest ever temperature was recorded in the contiguous United States – a bone-chilling minus 70F on January 20 1954.

     

    9. Stanley, Idaho, USA

    This Idaho city has a population of just 63 – little wonder as the winters are pretty unforgiving. The record low is -54F in December, and the average lows every January hit the -1F level, only getting up to 18F on a warm day. But again, the summers are warmer with highs of up to 78.5F in July. There was even a record high of 98F, but most Julys there are 10 frosty nights in the month. So, it’s a city of extremes, which makes the average..fairly average at 35F. But given that’s just above freezing, it’s probably not the place to head to if you’re after sea and sun. But it does have a museum, a mayor and even its own chamber of commerce – not bad for just 63 people!

     

    8. Prospect Creek, Alaska, USA

    This settlement is currently uninhabited, but it was once home to several thousand construction workers who were building the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline System between 1974 and 1977. The camp was taken down after the pipeline was finished and now there’s no-one to enjoy the daily mean temperatures of -14.9F in January. The lowest temperature ever in the US was recorded there, beating Rogers Pass by 10 degrees with a -80F recorded in January 1971. Like many of these places, it warms up during the summer, thoroughly confusing the bears and bald eagles that do live there, and raising the overall annual average to 24.4. Still, I’m not applying for planning permission to build my next home there, especially as it snows constantly from October to April, with up to 24 inches in February and March!

     

    7. Snag, Yukon, Canada

    We’ve had the record for the lowest temperature in the contiguous USA, the lowest temperature in the whole of the USA…now, how about the lowest in continental North America? That honor goes to the village of Snag in Canada, where a temperature of -81F was recorded on February 3rd 1947. That broke the long-standing record of 80F set in Snag…on February 2nd 1947. When that was recorded, there were between 8 and 10 people living in Snag and they were a mixture of natives and fur traders. It also had its own airstrip, with a  staff of 15-20, but that closed in 1968. While in  Snag, researchers also noticed a strange acoustic effect – voices could be heard clearly over a distance of several miles. This has never quite been explained.

    The average annual temperature in Snag nowadays is a high of 34.3F and a low of 10.3F, making a mean average of 22.3F. January regularly goes down as far as -27F, so again there is quite some difference between the hottest and the coldest months. Snag is currently uninhabited.

     

    6. Oymyakon, Russia

    When it comes to cold, Russia is just in another league. Oymyakon has a record low of -90F, which is the lowest recorded temperature for any permanently inhabited location on Earth, and it was recorded on February 6th 1933 (the first week of February seems to be a good week for these kind of records). Of course, the daily temperatures don’t ever go quite that low, but the average lows for December, January and February are all in the minus fifties. Even the average for January is still a terrifying -51.5F, although in July it climbs all the way up to an average of 58.8F. With a population of 472, the town is quite big compared to some on the list and its far north location means that it enjoys a 21-hour day in June, although the December day only lasts 3 hours. Fancy booking a holiday there yet?

  • Top 10 Conspiracy Theories

    The conspiracy theory is in no way a recent phenomenon, with accounts of proposed cover-ups in both the social and political spheres dating back centuries. You know that movie that came out like a year ago about Shakespeare being a fraud? That was based on a common rumor of the time. Of course, the internet has revolutionized the way we are able to communicate with one another, especially, in this instance anyway, with like-minded people- leading to the emergence of all kinds of theories.

     

    10. Paul McCartney Died in 1966

    Formed from a rumor which began circulation amongst New York’s music fans/radio stations in 1969, the idea that Paul McCartney was killed in an automobile accident amid The Beatles height of fame and slyly replaced by a body double whom the band already had on the payroll, has died out in recent years- what with the Knighthood in 1997 and all, however it is maintained furiously by some to this day. It makes sense from a business perspective why there would be a frantic cover up were one of them to die at this time; however is it plausible that the rest of the group would agree to it? As for the supposed ‘clues’ left at several points on album covers etc. I highly doubt that they’d be allowed to leave clues of such poise and backhandedness were it in anyway true- nah, I think they were messing with us.

     

    9. Princess Dianna’s Death

    There are several theories surrounding the death of the Princess, as there usually are when it comes to the death of royalty- even in this day and age. Ranging from the idea that Dianna, fed up with the constant media scrutiny which surrounded her turbulent life (break-up with Prince Charles, relationship with the other royals, public favor over the other royals, charity work, motherhood) decided to fake her own death in a, it would appear, successful bid to escape it all, to the suggestion that M16 plotted the fatal car crash on the orders of the Monarchy who viewed the Princess as a threat- there are many interesting theories to be looked into with this one.

     

    8. Reptilian Elite

    Those two words when written in sequence do most definitely sound like a truly awful B-Movie, however this theory happens to be one of the most popular around these days. The notion that all of our society’s high-riders are in fact extra-terrestrial reptilians taking on our form to infiltrate our population with the sole intention of ruling absolutely everything of ours, was popularized (if that’s the appropriate word?) by ex-BBC sports reporter David Icke in the late 1990’s. Big news at the time, the Englishmen revoked his prosperous career in journalism to instead lecture his supposed enlightenment around the globe- something he still does to this day, to ever growing audiences may I add.

     

    7. Chemtrails

    You know those huuuuuge lines of vapor you sometimes see in the sky that have been left behind by an aircraft which has long since left your view? Whilst many of you, as I do, would attribute such a phenomenon to be something to do with the workings of an aircraft, and if you were pushed to be more specific- maybe the engine and the way it burns fuel- there is a popular theory that this vapor is in fact a form of atmospheric chemical deposit designed to infect the air that you and I enjoy breathing on a day to day basis. Whether it be some kind of neutralizer to deter anger, dismay and eventual revolution or a sterilizer to combat overpopulation- it’s a pretty messed up theory, extremely interesting nonetheless.

     

    6. Faked Moon Landings

    What we must remember about this theory and the moon landings in general, is that in the time of their occurrence the West was locked in an embittered ‘Cold War’ with the USSR. So whilst quizzing yourself on the point of such a meaningless lie, remember how these wonderful politicians of ours love their diplomatic posturing and stone throwing. The theory entails the belief that the moon landings were faked in a Hollywood studio in order to put an end to the international race and generally just to get one over on the Soviets in a time of great political frustration and intensity. There are several compelling arguments in favor of the theory- however my word count is already looking dangerously high.

     

    5. Roswell

    On July 8th 1947, amid a growing amount of supposed UFO sightings across the North American continent, debris from an unidentified airborne craft was recovered by the military from a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Though the first statements issued upon the discovery of the crash site included much implication that what had been recovered was unaccounted for and potentially a UFO of some kind, the military later countered these statements, claiming that the wreckage turned out to be a weather balloon. Despite this, several witnesses present on the Roswell Army Airfield at the time have come forward since claiming what they saw was most definitely out of this world and also that autopsies had been performed on the ‘alien’ bodies recovered that night.

     

    4. JFK

    President John F Kennedy was assassinated on the 22nd of November 1963, struck by two bullets whilst travelling in an open topped car through Dallas, Texas. Though the incident was quickly concluded at the time by the arrest and prosecution of Lee Harvey Oswald, many people believe the death of JFK to be part of something much bigger. What most throws theorists on this one, is the trajectory of the fatal bullets in accordance with Oswald’s supposed position at the time he fired upon the President. The USA in the 1960’s was a very agitated place; as a result there are piles of theories as to who would kill JFK and why.

     

    3. 9/11

    One of the most recent thus widely unsettling conspiracy theories still in rabid circulation today, is the proposed government orchestration of the chaos which occurred on September 11th, 2001. Theorists claim that the attacks both on the World Trade Center in NYC and on the Pentagon were planned by the US government in order to provide an excuse for the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. Evidence to back this theory is plentiful, making it all the more terrifying.

     

    2. Pearl Harbor

    Similar to 9/11, theories surrounding the Japanese attack that occurred at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7th 1941- claim that the Japanese Empire was provoked into their attack in order to provide the US with a valid excuse to enter the Second World War. In the 2 years between the UK’s declaration of war on Nazi Germany in 1939, the American public was uninterested in getting involved- until evidence of a closer threat emerged of course. Aside from this theory, there has also been claims that US officials had been warned of an imminent attack yet done nothing to prepare the base for it, allowing as much death and destruction as possible.

     

    1. Illuminati

    This term refers to the supposed network of secret societies which some claim control the world from their inherent positions of social power. Most likely to do with background and bloodline, these societies are said to groom members from birth to adhere to the ‘satanic’ idea of a New World Order, or in other words- a one world Government consisted completely of their kind. Though there has been proof that certain prominent political and social figures have emerged from the same University Fraternity’s and the like, whether or not there is a huge underground plot to scare the world’s population into voluntary slavery at the whim of these already rich people remains to be seen.

     

     

  • Top 10 Movie Triologies

     

    10. The Three Colors Trilogy


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    Kieslowski followed his 10-part Dekalog sequence in his native Poland with this accomplished trio of French films, somewhat obliquely celebrating liberty, equality and fraternity. The second is a comedy set partly in a morally bankrupt Poland; the first (set in France) and third (in Switzerland) are majestic.

     

    9. The Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy


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    It was either Pirates or Ocean’s, I know a lot of folks thought the two sequels were a big bloated mess and I actually think the second film is extremely flawed and the third one is a bit long. However, on a whole, and having all three on DVD is quite an adventure. These three films are popcorn films at their very best. The Curse of the Black Pearl is one of my favorite blockbusters of all time, I just love that film and think Depp made Captain Jack Sparrow watchable for hours.

     

    8. The Back to the Future Trilogy


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    The Back to the Future movies are lauded by fellow geeks around the world and some would have no qualms about naming this as their favourite trilogy of all time. I mean, these movies had everything: comedy, action, adventure, science fiction, romance and most of all fun. The movies were a critical success, getting thumbs up from famed movie critic Robert Ebert, The New York Times, Variety and the BBC, with Janet Maslin from the New York Times writing about the original Back to the Future movie: “It’s a cinematic inventing of humor and whimsical tall tales for a long time to come.” The second and third movies were not as critically successful as the original, however, they do maintain pretty high rankings amongst all audience based rating systems like IMDB.com.

     

    7. The Bourne Trilogy


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    This is one of those extremely rare trilogies that bests itself with each successive film. Starring Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, a man who, waking up with amnesia, discovers he has scary talents – such as knowing where all the exits are in case of emergency, or how to kill an assailant with his bare hands – and people who are trying to kill him. The Bourne Identity (2002), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), are based on the novels by Robert Ludlum.  Subsequent books have been written by Eric Van Lustbader. I would be surprised if a fourth movie was made, but would be thrilled if it does.

     

    6. The Matrix Trilogy


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    I probably have this one ranked a bit higher than the average person would expect to find it, but I’m comfortable with my decision to put it here nonetheless. Though sci-fi abounds on this list, the Matrix trilogy just might be the nerdiest one on here. Computer hackers, artificial intelligence, cyber-reality – it’s just a really, really geeky-feeling trilogy. But it’s still a must-see for everyone. Hidden beneath all the pseudo-technical mumbo-jumbo is a story rich in philosophy and humanity. It warrants a few re-watches as the plot is pretty convoluted and tough to follow at times, but it’s well worth it in the end.

     

    5. The Man With No Name Triology

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    OK, I’m going to be plain and simple here — there is nothing wrong with this essentially unplanned “Man With No Name” trilogy. Italian director Sergio Leone’s trio of spaghetti Westerns is operatic, elegiac, often silent, brilliantly scored (by the master, Ennio Morricone) and gorgeously filmed. It not only made an international star out of Clint Eastwood, but was a stunning entry into the Western genre that hasn’t been replicated since. With a plot taken from Akira Kurosawa’s samurai tale Yojimbo, the series begins with A Fistful of Dollars (1964) as “The Man with No Name” (Eastwood) rides into a Mexican border town where two outlaw gangs battle for control. Shifting allegiances from one gang to the other, Eastwood eventually double crosses both sides in one of the smartest deceptions in film. Here we see what marks Leone’s films: camera work. Wide screen, wide-angle lenses, bizarre angles and close-ups all belie an anarchy and openness not seen in cinema. His follow-up, For a Few Dollars More, (1965) teamed Eastwood with Lee Van Cleef as a pair of bounty hunters looking to kill the psychopathic Indio (Gian Maria Volonte). Revenge oriented, the film features the memorable touch of having a Morricone tune playing on Cleef’s watch. The final (though a prequel to the previous two), and perhaps most masterful, is The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), in which Eastwood, Eli Wallach and Van Cleef pursue a cache of stolen gold. Double and triple crosses ensue, along with a heady take on the pointlessness of war (the Civil War booms around the men). Amazing widescreen shots of Eastwood’s squinting eyes, not to mention Cleef’s unrelenting (and downright sexy, something I’ve talked about many, many disturbing times) badness, appear throughout the film. This trilogy ushered in a new kind of Western: super violent, incredibly cynical, almost hyper-stylized (but with substance) and mythically potent. Perfecto.

     

    4. Indiana Jones Triology

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    This series of films about a scientist who is also an action-hero has inspired many of spinoffs including The Da Vinci Code, National Treasure, Tomb Raider, and many more. However, nobody can beat the original Dr. Jones and his relic-hunting journeys through ancient ruins as he attempts to discover history. These films are one of the best examples of “action comedy” with a great sense of humor combined with some fantastic action sequences. In each successive film the cast changed, but the one constant was Harrison Ford’s Dr. Jones and Steven Spielberg as the director. And that’s all that we fans needed.

     

    3. The Original Star Wars Trilogy


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    George Lucas’ opening space-opera salvo changed the filmmaking landscape, energised a generation and set an impossible standard for any sequel. Irvin Kershner’s sequel, with Lucas overseeing, delivered something even bigger and better, and also gave us perhaps the most famous twist in cinema history. And the third, while it may have cutesy teddy bears taking down an Empire, also has a series of fantastic action scenes, from the fight with the Rancor to the lightsaber battle on the Death Star – itself under attack from outside. It’s a triple-whammy that has spawned imitators, prequels, endless other media permutations and even a religion – and how many trilogies can claim that?

     

    2. The Godfather Trilogy

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    How can this be number two, you say? Because it’s just not perfect enough. Francis Ford Coppola, who, with The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II, (1974) made two of the greatest films ever made, had his trilogy marred by its finale, a film that’s not as bad as originally skewered, but certainly nowhere near the brilliance of its predecessors. Adapted from Mario Puzo’s novel about a Mafia family (though the word “mafia” is never uttered in the first film, thanks suds) led by cotton-mouthed patriarch Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), the first film sees young, intelligent and levelheaded Michael (Al Pacino) taking control but becoming colder in the process. The second film tells two stories concurrently: a flashback of Vito’s rise in America as a young Sicilian immigrant (Robert De Niro) and Michael’s spiritual fall as head of the family. The second film contains the famous and tragic killing of Fredo (“You broke my heart”) that haunts Michael into the third film. In The Godfather Part III (1990), an aged Michael is so consumed by guilt that he seeks redemption by investing in the Catholic Church. He quickly learns that the Church is also corrupt.  Though critics mocked Coppola’s choice of casting his daughter Sofia as Michael’s movie daughter, she was, as looks go, more fitting than his first choice, Winona Ryder. Nevertheless, I’m glad Sofia skipped acting and went into directing, where currently she’s getting more attention than her father. Like the epic scale of the Godfather films, there’s something Shakespearean about that.

     

    1. Lord of the Rings Triology


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    Peter Jackson’s stunning trilogy, filmed back-to-back and released in the form of Christmas presents for three consecutive years, just pipped Star Wars to the top of the poll. Why? Well, there’s the painstaking attention to detail (characters even had their coats-of-arms emblazoned on the never-seen linings of their costumes for maximum authenticity), New Zealand scenery so breathtaking you could feel the wind on your face, the pitch-perfect casting and the huge-scale effects. In the end, however, it all comes down to friendship, and fellowship, and a struggle against the odds (or, if you will, orcs). It’s the fact that Peter Jackson was able to keep his eye on the emotion even while the spectacle swirled around him that makes this such a stunner. There really isn’t one weakest link – although a few people gripe about Return of the King’s extended endings. While Return of the King is tied with Titanic and Ben-Hur for the Most Oscars For A Single Film record (that’d be 11), it’s notable for winning all the Academy Awards it was nominated for, which neither of the others managed to do.

    Worth Mentioning are: Toy Story Trilogy; Spider-Man Triology; The Bergman Triology; The Mission Impossible triology, The Jurassic Park Triology

  • Ten Most Anticipated Movies of 2013

    Not so long ago we discussed the most anticipated movies of year 2012. Well, the year is almost over with a little over four months to go and we believe that it’s time for you to know what awaits you in the year 2013. Following are a ten movies all set to be released next year and are perhaps the most awaited. You should know that it looks like the next year primarily belongs to the science-fiction genre but it still is all set to be absolutely awesome. I hope you enjoy the read. The movies are based on popular opinions and yours are welcome.

     

    10. ELYSIUM

    Elysium - Ten Most Anticipated Moives of 2013
    At the tenth spot we have the movie Elysium. It stars Jodie Foster, William Fichtner, Sharlto Copley and Matt Damon. Also, you should be interested to know that this movie is actually a follow-up to District 9. Well, not many details are currently known about this movie but who cares? Look at what the cast is and the movie it actually follows-up. Should be awesome and awesome!

     

    9. 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA: CAPTAIN NEMO

    20,000 - Ten Most Anticipated Moives of 2013
    I am sure you have heard about the director Daivd Fincher. He hardly ever disappoints you now right? Remember, the curious case of Benjamin Button? Also, he was the one behind the Social Network and boy was that good. This movie should be all about Nemo. The entire focus is on how he actually created his underwater vessel referred to by the name of The Nautilus. It is actually a remake of Disney but from a David point of view. I have a pretty good feeling about this movie. Enjoy it when it comes out.

     

    8. PACIFIC RIM

    Pacific Rim - Ten Most Anticipated Moives of 2013
    If I asked you to take on guess as to who the director of this particular movie is I am pretty sure you would be able to guess it on the second try. You are right folks, the director is in fact Guillermo del Toro. Although he doesn’t really have time to make any movie, at least that’s what we believe based on a very simple reason. His last movie was Hellboy II and it was released in the year 2008. The story is set in the future and there are these weird creatures that threaten our lovely planet. I am just excited to have him direct another movie finally, I hope you guys feel the same.

     

    7. THE HOBBIT: THERE AND BACK AGAIN

    The Hobbit - Ten Most Anticipated Moives of 2013
    The Hobbit is supposed to be released in 2012 and already the second part is under consideration and all set to release in the year 2013. The good part about the movie is that it should actually attract all the Lord of the Rings fan so you can technically look at it as an extension to the LOTR series. Lord of the Rings did a great job and I am pretty sure that the studios will do tremendously with these two movies as well. I am sure you are aware of the cast. It is good, though there are a lot of characters that do not belong; characters from Lord of the Rings that is.

     

    6. THE GANGSTER SQUAD

    The Gangster Squad - Ten Most Anticipated Moives of 2013
    This movie is actually a follow-up to Zombieland if you remember. It was directed by Ruben Fleischer. The movie is set in the 40s and 50s; yeah I know a long time ago, something you’re probably not used to anymore considering the sci-fi movies. Anyway, it is based on an article written by Paul Liberman. It was published in LA Times. It was called Gangster Squad. The reason it is this exciting for me is the absolutely awesome cast. It includes Josh Brolin, Anthony Mackie, Sean Penn and Ryan Gosling. Hulky isn’t it? Yeah, I agree!

     

  • 10 Interesting Earthquake Facts

    Spring-pendulum seismometers were used before electronics were able to measure the size of earthquakes. A medium-sized spring-pendulum seismometer, about three stories tall, is located in Mexico City, Mexico and is still in use. But history of earthquakes is older; exists since from the beginning of mankind. Almost every year we hear together how this planet moves, shaking up, shifting and killed thousand of lives on top of it. An earthquake is unpredictable. It comes often with no warning. Some earthquake collaborate with Tsunami and that makes his killing score rise up to hundreds of thousands lives. There are approximately a half million detectable earthquakes each year. Of the 500,000 earthquakes, only about 100,000 can be felt. But, only about 100 of them can cause damage. In order to become more familiar with this deadly act of nature I have put together a list of interesting facts many people wouldn’t know about.

     

    10. Mechanism of an Earthquake


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    Tectonic earthquakes occur anywhere in the earth where there is sufficient stored elastic strain energy to drive fracture propagation along a fault plane. In the case of transform or convergent type plate boundaries, which form the largest fault surfaces on earth, they move past each other smoothly and aseismically only if there are no irregularities  along the boundary that increase the frictional resistance. Most boundaries do have such asperities and this leads to a form of stick-slip behaviour. Once the boundary has locked, continued relative motion between the plates leads to increasing stress and therefore, stored strain energy in the volume around the fault surface. This continues until the stress has risen sufficiently to break through the irregularity, suddenly allowing sliding over the locked portion of the fault, releasing the stored energy. This energy is released as a combination of radiated elastic strain seismic waves, frictional heating of the fault surface, and cracking of the rock, thus causing an earthquake. This process of gradual build-up of strain and stress punctuated by occasional sudden earthquake failure is referred to as the Elastic-rebound theory . Earthquakes in volcanic regions are caused there, both by tectonic faults and the movement of magma in volcanoes.

     

    9. What we feel is just 10% of what’s going inside


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    It is estimated that only 10 percent or less of an earthquake’s total energy is radiated as seismic energy. Most of the earthquake’s energy is used to power the earthquake fracture growth or is converted into heat generated by friction. Therefore, earthquakes lower the Earth’s available elastic potential energy and raise its temperature, though these changes are negligible compared to the conductive and convective flow of heat out from the Earth’s deep interior.

     

    8. Induced seismicity


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    While most earthquakes are caused by movement of the Earth’s tectonic plates, human activity can also produce earthquakes. Four main activities contribute to this phenomenon: constructing large dams and buildings, drilling and injecting liquid into wells, and by coal mining and oil drilling. Perhaps the best known example is the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China’s Sichuan Province in May; this tremor resulted in 69,227 fatalities and is the 19th deadliest earthquake of all time. The Zipingpu Dam is believed to have fluctuated the pressure of the fault 503 meters away; this pressure probably increased the power of the earthquake and accelerated the rate of movement for the fault. The greatest earthquake in Australia’s history is also claimed to be induced by humanity, through coal mining. The city of Newcastle was built over a large sector of coal mining areas. The earthquake has been reported to be spawned from a fault that reactivated due to the millions of tonnes of rock removed in the mining process.

     

    7. Fault Lines


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    In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock, across which there has been significant displacement. Large faults within the Earth’s crust result from the action of tectonic forces. Energy release associated with rapid movement on active faults is the cause of most earthquakes. A fault line is the surface trace of a fault, the line of intersection between the fault plane and the Earth’s surface. Geologists can categorize faults into three groups based on the sense of slip: (the picture explains more than enough)

    1. a fault where the relative movement (or slip) on the fault plane is approximately vertical is known as a dip-slip fault
    2. where the slip is approximately horizontal, the fault is known as a transcurrent or strike-slip fault
    3. an oblique-slip fault has non-zero components of both strike and dip slip.

     

    6. Common Wrong Perceptions about Quakes


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    There is a common myth (particularly in New Zealand where earthquakes are common) that if you have a lot of small earthquakes, it helps to alleviate the pressures building up that can cause a big one. But this is not true. Seismologists have observed that for every magnitude 6 earthquake there are 10 of magnitude 5, 100 of magnitude 4, 1,000 of magnitude 3, and so forth as the events get smaller and smaller. This sounds like a lot of small earthquakes, but there are never enough small ones to eliminate the occasional large event. It would take 32 magnitude 5′s, 1000 magnitude 4′s, 32,000 magnitude 3′s to equal the energy of one magnitude 6 event. So, even though we always record many more small events than large ones, there are never enough to eliminate the need for the occasional large earthquake.

    There is also a perception that “lubricating” faults with water or some other substance will reduce the quakes or the intensity, well injecting high pressure fluids deep into the ground is known to be able to trigger earthquakes to occur sooner than would have been the case without the injection. However this would be a dangerous pursuit in any populated area, as one might trigger a damaging earthquake. And by the way, there is no such thing as earthquake weather . They seem to occur the same number of times in all different types of weather. It is impossible for the weather to affect the forces beneath the earth’s surface.

    5. Aftershocks


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    An aftershock is an earthquake that occurs after a previous earthquake, the mainshock. An aftershock is in the same region of the main shock but always of a smaller magnitude. If an aftershock is larger than the main shock, the aftershock is redesignated as the main shock and the original main shock is redesignated as a foreshock . Aftershocks are formed as the crust around the displaced fault plane adjusts to the effects of the main shock. Most aftershocks are located over the full area of fault rupture and either occur along the fault plane itself or along other faults within the volume affected by the strain associated with the main shock. Typically, aftershocks are found up to a distance equal to the rupture length away from the fault plane. The pattern of aftershocks helps confirm the size of area that slipped during the main shock. Aftershocks are dangerous because they are usually unpredictable, can be of a large magnitude, and can collapse buildings that are damaged from the main shock. Bigger earthquakes have more and larger aftershocks and the sequences can last for years or even longer especially when a large event occurs in a seismically quiet area.

     

    4. Earthquake Swarms


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    Earthquake swarms are sequences of earthquakes striking in a specific area within a short period of time. They are differentiated from earthquakes succeeded by a series of aftershocks by the observation that no single earthquake in the sequence is obviously the main shock. Earthquake swarms are one of the events typically preceding eruptions of volcanoes. An example of an earthquake swarm is the 2004 activity at Yellowstone National Park.

     

    3. Earthquake Storms


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    An earthquake storm is a recently proposed theory about earthquakes, where one triggers a series of other large earthquakes—along the same plate boundary—as the stress transfers along the fault system. This is similar to the idea of aftershocks, with the exception that they take place years apart. These series of earthquakes can devastate entire countries or geographical regions. Possible events may have occurred during the end of the Bronze Age, and the latter part of the Roman Empire. It has been suggested that this is what may be occurring in modern day Turkey.

     

    2. Earthquake in Mythology and Religion


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    In Norse mythology , earthquakes were explained as the violent struggling of the god Loki. When Loki, god of mischief and strife, murdered Baldr, god of beauty and light, he was punished by being bound in a cave with a poisonous serpent placed above his head dripping venom. Loki’s wife Sigyn stood by him with a bowl to catch the poison, but whenever she had to empty the bowl the poison dripped on Loki’s face, forcing him to jerk his head away and thrash against his bonds, which caused the earth to tremble. In Greek mythology , Poseidon was the cause and god of earthquakes. When he was in a bad mood, he struck the ground with a trident, causing earthquakes and other calamities. He also used earthquakes to punish and inflict fear upon people as revenge. In Japanese mythology , Namazu is a giant catfish who causes earthquakes. Namazu lives in the mud beneath the earth, and is guarded by the god Kashima who restrains the fish with a stone. When Kashima lets his guard fall, Namazu thrashes about, causing violent earthquakes.

    Thales of Miletus , who lived from 625-547 (BCE) was the only documented person who believed that earthquakes were caused by tension between the earth and water.

     

    1. Animals can predict Quakes!


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    In April 2009, British researchers were studying the common toad at a breeding site in central Italy when they “observed a mass exodus of toads,” Jill Lawless reports for the Associated Press.  Just five days later, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit, killing some 150 people and causing extensive damage to the town of L’Aquila. Rachel Grant, a researcher at Open University and lead author of one of the first studies to document animal behavior surrounding earthquakes, believes “that toads are able to detect pre-seismic cues such as the release of gases and charged particles, and use these as a form of earthquake early warning system.” According to the study, “Predicting the unpredictable; evidence of pre-seismic anticipatory behaviour in the common toad,” the toad population at the breeding site dropped to zero three days prior to the quake. “A day after the earthquake, they all started coming back,” Grant told the AP. “The numbers were still lower than normal and remained low until after the last aftershock.” The belief that animals can predict earthquakes has been around for centuries,” Maryann Mott wrote for National Geographic News in 2003. In 373 B.C., historians wrote that rats, weasels and snakes made a mass exodus from the Greek city of Helice days before an earthquake destroyed the city. Other examples exist from throughout the centuries. Reports include bees leaving their hive, catfish moving violently and chickens refusing to lay eggs. Pet owners also have examples of their cats and dogs behaving strangely before a quake. To date, seismologists can’t predict when or where the next earthquake will hit, and scientists don’t know what, if anything, animals sense before a quake. Some, like Grant, think they can detect changes in the Earth’s gases. Others wonder if animals’ more sensitive hearing and other senses allow them to feel vibrations that humans can’t, or detect electrical changes. Whatsoever the exact mechanism but the fact is that they feel it and flee.

  • Top Ten Fantasy Authors

    The fantasy genre has gained a great deal of popularity in recent years due to the success of films such as Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter movies. It’s hard to believe that at one time the fantasy genre was considered a sub-genre of Science Fiction and didn’t really gain its own identity until the 70’s. Some literature purists will insist that fantasy novels shouldn’t even be published and lack any real contribution to the art of reading, but whether they like it or not Fantasy is here to stay and will continue to gain popularity.

     

    10. Robin Hobb


    Robin Hobb is a relative new comer to the scene of Fantasy but in her time she has managed to make a very big name for herself. Her books are extremely character driven and she creates very unique worlds in which to place her stories. While she may lack the depth of some of the other authors on this list, she tells a very solid story that is worth the time it takes to read the book.

     

    9. Terry Brooks


    Author of the Shannara books and the Magical Kingdom books, Terry Brooks is a staple of fantasy literature. While his Shannara books definitely some of his deepest and best work, any book he has written is going to be a good read. If there is any real fault you can find with Brooks it’s that he hasn’t written enough books.

     

    8. Terry Goodkind


    Terry Goodkind first appeared with the bestselling Wizard’s First Rule and since then has published many volumes in his Sword of Truth series. What make Goodkind stand out from other authors is that he combines a gritty and dangerous world with an easy to read style that is surprising for a work of such depth. If you are in the mood for books that make you ponder the role of morality and ethics in everyday life this is a series you will love.

     

    7. Mercedes Lackey


    Some people criticize Mercedes Lackey as being too fluffy and too light to be considered a serous force within the fantasy genre. What her detractors do not take into consideration is how popular she is and how good she is at her craft. Her books are definitely light and easy to read, but her characters are deep, her stories compelling and when you finish one of her books you can’t help but have a warm feeling in your heart and a small smile on your lips. Lackey may not be breaking new ground but she tells one heck of a good yarn.

     

    6. Robert Jordan


    Author of the tremendously popular Wheel of Time Series, Robert Jordan was the leading force in fantasy for decades. Even after his death his legacy lives on and there are many who consider him the greatest fantasy author of all time. Jordan may deserve to be higher on this list, but when he is stacked up against the others the fact is that his work has not had the impact on the genre these others have. If he had not died when he did it is very possible he would have made even more of a contribution to the genre.

     

  • Top 10 US States to Avoid if You’re Afraid of Lightning

    They say that lightning never strikes twice in the same place, but “they” obviously know nothing. I don’t even know who “they” are. Nowadays, meteorologists tend to agree that some places are far more prone to be hit by lightning repeatedly than others. However, it’s not always the places with the most strikes that see the most deaths by lightning. And on average 100 people get killed by lightning every year in America – on one day last year (July 7th), three people died in unrelated lightning strikes. One was on a beach in New Jersey, one in his front yard in Kansas and one just stepping out of his front door in Illinois. It happens more than you’d think!

    So, say you’re an astraphobe, i.e. you’re scared of lightning, which states are best avoided? We’ve taken data from the National Weather Service to bring you the Top 10 States to avoid if you’re scared of lightning.

     

    10. Colorado

    Let’s start with home of the Rockies, Colorado. As you look at the statistics for the number of strikes Colorado receives, it seems way down the league from some of the other states. With average yearly flashes of 517,539 it’s only 17th on the list for regularity, and when it comes to strikes per sq mile of state, it’s only 32nd!So why does it appear on the list of ” Most dangerous states“? Maybe because there are 394 recorded deaths and injuries for the state! Yup, when it comes to death by lightning, Colorado’s stats are impressive. There were 24 deaths from 2002 through 2011, which made it the second most deadly state in that time period. When it came to deaths per million people, it also came 2nd.For a state with such low occurrences of lightning, that’s a high mortality rate. It might be because so much of Colorado is mountainous – if you’re caught on an open mountain top during a lightning strike, it’s a pretty grim situation. So if you’re visiting Colorado and you’re not keen on lightning, stay away from those mountains!

     

    9. Missouri


    Next up, we have the “Show Me State” – home to both gentle rolling hills and the Ozark mountains. In some ways, it’s the opposite to Colorado being 4th on the number of overall strikes 1997-2011, but with a relatively low death rate. 2012 saw no deaths at all and 16 between 2002 and 2011. It’s also 7th on flashes per square mile, so there’s a good chance that if you moved to Missouri you’d see some lightning action. But if you’re lucky, you won’t die from it! Especially if you hang out in the lower regions of the state.

     

    8. Arkansas


    And now onto Missouri’s neighbor, Arkansas which shares the Ozarks with Missouri. The state’s topography is widely varied, from its highest point at 839m (Magazine Mountain), to just 17m at the Louisiana border. With 7 lightning deaths between 2002 and 2011, it’s only 14th on the death per population chart, despite being the 5th most prone to strikes on the strikes per square mile chart. So, a mixed performance from a mixed state. What else would you expect from somewhere so varied that it has a reputation for hillbillies yet also produced a president? Arkansas is never predictable!

     

    7. Oklahoma


    Here’s another Mid-West state, made famous by the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical in 1955. The “Sooner State” lies mostly on the Great American Plain, but also has a few small mountain ranges. It’s a cultural melting pot, with more than 25 Native American languages spoken, as well as immigrants from Germany and the UK.

    The state is known for its thunderstorms and where thunder goes, lightning follows! It’s 3rd on the list of overall strikes for 1997-2011, with a yearly average of 1,055,748 strikes. But there were only 4 deaths between 2002 and 2011 and only one in 2012 (Ray Marshall, in his driveway). So that’s a pretty low ratio of deaths per strike! Clearly, the people of Oklahoma are well versed on how to survive a lightning strike.

     

    6. Michigan


    This is a strange one – it’s listed as the second most dangerous state when it comes to lightning strikes, with 732 recorded deaths and injuries. But it’s only 31st on the table when it comes to the number of strikes per square mile, and it’s annual average is a relatively tame 300,955. It’s also number 30 on the list of deaths per million people, based on only 6 deaths between 2002 and 2011. And none at all last year! So why so many deaths and injuries?

    It probably has something to do with something that happened in Leslie (Ingham County) in August 1975. Large numbers of people were gathered at a campground, when lightning struck, injuring 90 of them. Being outside when lightning strikes is a dangerous occupation, so all the outdoor pursuits offered by the Great Lakes may have contributed to the large proportion of injuries there. The Government of Michigan advises sheltering in a valley or ravine and avoiding tall trees if lightning threatens to strike. It also advises not staying in a boat or swimming if you’re caught in a lightning storm, but that’s not too helpful if you’re already out on the lake. Basically, check the forecast before you go!

    But it’s less likely that you’ll be hit by lightning in Michigan than in 30 other states, so it’s probably not worth worrying too much about. Enjoy your outdoor vacation!

     

    5. Alabama


    From the far north to the deep south. The “Yellowhammer State” has a humid, subtropical climate which makes it particularly prone to thunderstorms. Around Mobile Bay, on the Gulf Coast, there are 70-80 days every year when thunder is reported. And indeed, with 826,473 average annual flashes between 1997 and 2011, there seems to be quite a lot of lightning too. It’s 4th of the table of flashes per square mile and there were 15 deaths in the 2002-2011 period. There were also 2 deaths in 2012, one of the victims being sadly only 12 years old. So it’s not the best state for anyone with a lightning phobia.

     

    4. Mississippi


    We’re staying in the deep south, with Alabama’s neighbor Mississippi. With a similar humid climate, and sharing a coastline it’s little wonder that this state is equally prone to lightning strikes. The good news is that there were no lightning-related deaths in 2012. the bad news is that there were 10 in the 9 years before that, making it 5th in the league table of deaths per million people. It also has the 3rd highest density of strikes per square mile, with an annual average of 875,820.

    So, there’s a lot of lightning and it’s fairly deadly. However, it’s advised that the best way to survive a strike is to shelter indoors, and with Mississippi being known as the “Hospitality State”, you’re bound to find someone who’ll fling open their doors and let you in.

     

    3. Texas


    Things are getting serious now, in the lightning-strike stakes, as we move to the “Lone Star State”. It certainly can’t call itself the “Lone Lightning Strike” state. Texas has by far the largest number of strikes on an annual basis, with a whopping 2,912,375. However, its equally impressive size means that per square mile, there are only 11 strikes, making it 18th on the table. In the 2002-2011 death stats, it comes 3rd with 23 but again the sheer size of the state makes it only 27th in the league table. It also had 3 deaths in 2012, although 2 of those were together in a soccer game.

    In case you’re also scare of hurricanes, Texas has a lot of those too. From the Galveston hurricane of 1900, which left 8,000 people dead to Hurricane Ike in 2008, Texas has more than its share of extreme weather. Not the state for nervous tourists!

     

    2. Louisiana


    Filling the gap between Texas and Mississippi, here’s Louisiana. The multicultural “Pelican State” has a similar humid climate to its neighbors, so you’d expect an impressive amount of lightning. And you wouldn’t be disappointed! It’s the 2nd most lightning-prone state, with its 909,919 annual average equating to 19.7 flashes per square mile. In terms of lightning deaths, it isn’t too scary though – only 2 in 2012 and they were a father and son, out on a fishing trip together. The 9 deaths between 2002 and 2011 place it 17th for deaths per million people. Still, it’s not the first place an astraphobe would pick for a vacation!

     

    1. Florida


    But when it comes to lightning-prone states, there’s one very clear winner. With 56 lightning-related deaths between 2002 and 2011, and a further 5 in 2012 it’s not the safest of states to visit. The number of flashes are second only to Texas, at 1,414,284 and 1st by a long way in the strikes per square mile table.

    So why is Florida so full of lightning? It’s something to do with having the Atlantic on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other  – sea breeze fronts produce storms every afternoon during the summer. Like Michigan, the state also has a great deal of outdoor activities, which may explain the fatality rates.

    With all that stormy activity, it’s no wonder that NASA named it “The Lightning Capital of the World”. If you’re scared of lightning and you’re looking for a state to holiday in, Florida is probably best avoided.

     

  • Top 10 Most Powerful Web Companies

    In the last two decades, the world of business has changed beyond recognition. The high-street retailers that used to dominate the “Richest Companies” list are struggling to keep sales up in face of competition from the internet, and the new super-powers are tech companies, that make all their money online. They can spring from one basic idea – a search engine, a mail server – but they have grown to enormous worldwide brands. True, none of them have yet topped Walmart’s $469bn revenue, but things may change again. For now, here are the Top 10 Most Powerful Web Companies based on revenue from 2013.

     

    10. Salesforce

    This name might not be as well known as some of the others on the list, but with a revenue of $3.05bn it’s a mighty force in the tech industry. Its sector is computer.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing/cloud-computing.htm”>cloud computing  – taking data storage and communication off hardware and onto virtual servers that can be shared by an entire team. Its natural application is for use by sales teams, but it has a number of different products aimed at different markets. Salesforce.com was founded by Mark Benioff in 1999 and has since acquired a clutch of companies to increase the company value to its current $3 billion. It was also named as one of the best companies to work for by Fortune.

     

    9. Baidu

    Yahoo was an early player in the dotcom business, starting life as “Jerry’s guide to the World Wide Web” in January 1994, named after co-founder Jerry Yang. At its birth, it was a list of other websites, arranged in a hierarchy which led to the acronym “Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle” or “Yahoo”, the company’s new name in March 1994. It is now a web portal, offering search, news, articles and mail services although the latter has attracted criticism for trying to ape the look and feel of gmail, rather than the distinctive Yahoo Mail of the past. Although the company is lagging behind Google in revenue, it still pulled in an impressive $4.99bn in 2013 and at one point in July 2013 beat Google for visitor numbers. It’s currently headed by CEO Marissa Mayer, named as the 8th most powerful businesswoman in America in 2013 by Fortune.

     

    7. Facebook

    Ten years younger than Yahoo but widely recognized throughout the world, Facebook is seen as the ultimate social media tool, with around 1bn users and a revenue of $5.09bn. It was started in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, and was intended to be an exclusive site for students of Harvard. It then rolled out to other top universities before being the worldwide megalith that it is now. As with most social media sites, it has its lovers and haters – its users have expressed repeated privacy concerns, when new versions of Facebook reset their privacy setting without warning or explanation. But for many users, it has changed the way they think and operate, relying on the system to remember birthdays, organise events and keep in touch with friends. It’s even got its own syndrome – “Facebook envy“, where users experience feelings of depression through comparing their lives to the edited highlights of others’. It may be a relative newcomer on the scene but its impact on day-to-day life is almost unrivalled.

     

    6. Priceline

    With a publicity campaign fronted by “Star Trek” veteran William Shatner, this price comparison site is well known in America, but less so overseas. Still, it has revenue of $5.6bn and pioneered the “Name Your Own Price” model, where customers decided what price they wanted to pay for flights, hotels etc and then the site found suitable matches. While it was innovative, it was also flawed and was derided as a “scam” because the flights were sometimes more expensive than on the airline’s own website. It has since changed the format so that customers see which airline or hotel they’re booking before they pay for it, in a similar way to other price comparison websites. It found itself in trouble in 2000, though, for misleading its customers. Still, this hasn’t harmed the company’s fortunes, appearing at number six in the list.

     

    5. Rakuten

    The sole Japanese company in the list, this is an e-commerce company that has swallowed other companies whole and expanded its reach around the globe. It started in May 1997, as Rakuten Shopping Mall, and was renamed as Rakuten Inc in 1999. Its founder, Hiroshi Mikitani, still acts as the Chief Executive today. Since 2010, the company has been rapidly expanding, acquiring buy.com and the French Priceminister, before following it up with the acquisition of the UK’s play.com in 2011. The rapid expansion has raised the revenue to $5.56bn and established the company’s presence in Europe, North America and South America as well as its home territory of Asia. It still has a way to go before taking on the world’s biggest e-commerce company but it is a very viable competitor

     

    4. Tencent

    The highest-ranking non-American company on the list, this is China’s biggest social networking platform, with an instant messaging system that caters to 647.6million users. There are also online, multi-player games and smartphone services. It has often been accused of being derivative, with founder Ma Huateng saying “[To] copy is not evil”, despite legal precedent suggesting that to copy may be undesirable. However, the copying claims have not affected the site’s popularity, with a revenue of $6.96bn and around 25,000 employees. Other social networking sites are banned in China, thanks to the government limiting contact with the outside world, so Tencent has benefited from the lack of international competitors. In time, it might even join the top 3 of the list.

     

    3. eBay

    But it still has a way to go before joining the big three. The revenue suddenly leaps up at this point, with third-largest company eBay being worth $14.07bn. Established in 1995, this auction site has become a runaway phenomenon, with some traders earning their living buying and selling on the site. It has numerous international sites, with offices in 30 countries, and is one of the few on this list to charge fees for its services, making the business model a very straightforward one. Sellers pay to list, whether the item sells or not. As with anywhere that facilitates strangers making financial transactions with each other, there are often disputes and the site has been criticised for always siding with the buyer. But there’s no denying it’s a massive success and is often used as an example of one of the biggest businesses to come out of the “dotcom bubble”.

     

    2. Google

    Another massive dotcom company is Google, which has become so ubiquitous that its name has made its way into everyday language. No-one searches the web for information any more- if you want to find out something, you google it. Starting out as a search engine, Google has expanded into all aspects of web use, including e-mail, document storage and diary planning. With smartphones set up to sync with a user’s Google account, the message is that you don’t need to use any other system – Google will do everything for you. Depending on how comfortable you are with technology, that could either make you feel excited or a little freaked out. It certainly has implications for users’ privacy, an issue which came to light when members of the public were caught on camera on Google Street View. Still, it’s a megalith of a tech company and weighs in with a mighty revenue of $50.18, making it almost unstoppable.

     

    1. Amazon

    But the biggest web company in the world is, of course, Amazon. Founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos, Amazon started life as an online bookstore. Then it expanded into the logical, similar product ranges – CDs and DVDs. 20 years on and you can buy almost anything on there, from kitchen utensils to shoes. Its revenue in 2013 was an astounding $61.09bn and it has local sites for 12 countries, with shipping to many more. Of course, it has been accused of everything from tax evasion to undercutting local businesses and for that reason many people choose to boycott the company. But it would take a lot of boycotts to make Amazon take notice as it is a retailer on a different scale to nearly any other and continues to lead the market with innovations like the Kindle and e-books. The definitive web company and certainly the most powerful in the world.