Month: April 2015

Top 10 Most Interesting Sinkholes

Geology is an unpredictable master, isn’t it? One minute you’re lying in bed, the next your bed is disappearing into a sinkhole. That’s what tragically happened to Florida man Jeremy Bush on March 1 as a sinkhole opened under his house and his bedroom collapsed into it. You might think this is a relatively rare phenomenon, but in Florida it’s so common, that you have to get insurance against for your home. Ironically, Mr Bush’s home had just been checked for potential sinkhole damage just two weeks before, but no signs were spotted.

As well as being very dangerous, sinkholes are also a very dramatic geological feature. Where they occur in the wild, they can even be beautiful. Either way, it is a fascinating phenomenon, so we present our Top 10 Most Interesting Sinkholes

10. Cave of Swallows, Mexico

This amazing, cave-like hole has been known to locals since the dawn of history, but was only explored by outsiders in 1966. Caused by water erosion along a fault line, it is the largest known cave shaft in the world and at 370m deep, it could fit the Chrysler Building into it. It’s a popular spot for extreme sports fans – you can abseil down it in 20 minutes, or jump with a parachute in 10 seconds. Only problem is, it takes an hour of hard, vertical climbing to get back out. So not one for amateurs!

A milder tourist activity is watching the birds that the cave is named for. Every morning, they fly out in circles until they reach the opening, and in the evening they glide back in in a kind of free-fall. It’s a beautiful spectacle and less dangerous than hurling yourself off the edge!

9. Red Lake Croatia

Another beautiful natural structure now, with this water-filled sinkhole near the city of Imotski, Croatia. Named “The Red Lake” because iron oxide has colored the surrounding cliffs a red-brown color, it is 530m deep and is the 3rd largest in the world.

It’s also home to a rare species of fish known as Delminichthys adspersus. This fish has occasionally been found in neighboring lakes and streams, suggesting that there is some kind of underwater passage between this lake and others.

8. Xiaozhai Tiankeng, China

One of the deepest sinkholes in the world, at 662m with near-vertical walls, Xiaozhai tiankeng was formed when the carbonate rock was eroded by rain and washed away, leaving a huge chasm in its place. “Tiankeng” is a word in Chinese that refers to an especially large sinkhole, and can mean “heavenly pit” or “sky hole”.

It’s a pretty amazing tourist attraction, and almost untouched. Worth a visit for keen geologists!

7. Macungie Sinkhole, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania was recently named one of 7 states most at risk of sinkholes. And the 1986 appearance of this sinkhole in the village of Macungie is a good example of why Pennsyvanians should be very worried about that.

At lunchtime on June 23, a section of road just collapsed, leaving a gaping hole 87 feet across and 41 feet deep. Luckily, no-one was driving on that stretch of road at the time and so no-one was hurt. Had it happened a few meters away, near the houses, it would have been disastrous. As it was, it caused huge amounts of damage to the sewage and water systems, and the repairs cost $450,000. Research after the event threw up photos from the 1940s and 50s that showed sinkhole-like ponds in the area, so it was concluded that the local geology lent itself to forming sinkholes. Bet the home insurance is pretty expensive in Pennsylvania now too!

6. Bimmah, Oman

After an inconvenient, messy sinkhole like the Pennsylvanian one, it’s nice to know that sinkholes can still be things of beauty. This one, dubbed ” World’s most stunning sinkhole” by a British newspaper is in Oman and measures 40m wide. Tourists flock to see it and take a swim in it, aided by steps cut into the rock. Apparently, it also contains tiny fish that will nibble swimmers’ toes, in a similar way to a fish pedicure. A foot-nibbled outdoor swim in a sinkhole? It would certainly be a memorable one!

5. Daisetta, Texas

From the sublime tourist attraction, to the sinkhole that just can’t quit….this hole opened up in Daisetta, Texas, on May 7 2008 as a 20ft hole. But it was a hungry one, and kept growing and growing, swallowing everything that got in its way. By the next day, it was 600ft across and 260ft deep.

Daisetta is an oil town, and geologists speculate that it was a by-product of oil production that caused the hole. Oil production causes a saltwater residue, and as Daisetta sits on a salt dome, storing the water caused the ground to collapse. This happened not just in 2008, but also in 1981 and 1969 (the 1981 one grew out of the 1969 one), so future production permits will probably be granted a bit more cautiously, otherwise the whole town may disappear…

4. Bereniki, Russia

This is another sinkhole that doesn’t know when to stop. It first appeared in 1986, but is still growing and is now more than 200m deep. Again, it’s a natural phenomenon, but a man-made cause, in this case mining.

The small town of Berezniki began as a labor camp, situated directly above the mine that the workers were working on. It is now extremely prone to sinkholes and cracks appearing, and local residents are worried that the town might vanish into the many holes in the area. The problem is that mining weakens the natural structure of the Earth, and then a small flood would cause it to collapse entirely. And that’s what’s happened in Berezniki. There is now a command center that monitors the town 24 hours a day in case of sinkhole emergencies. While they have successfully predicted all the ones so far, the chasms can open at an alarming speed.

The recent problems have been traced to October 2006, when a spring flowed into a mine supported by pillars of salt. You can see why that might be a problem – the pillars dissolved, and the whole structure collapsed. And it keeps happening around Berezniki.The buildings are cracked and the residents are leaving in droves – 12,000 people left within 5 years. At that rate, the town of 154,000 will be empty in 65 years.

3. Guatemala City, Guatemala

Another man-meets-nature disaster. And this was not in the middle of the countryside or on a quiet crossroads, this was in the middle of the city and in one of the poorest quarters of the city. Guatemala City is largely built on uncemented volcanic ash and limestone, and when a sewer ran across this base, it eroded it to the point of collapse. The hole that opened up was 100m and sadly 5 people were killed. 1000 people were evacuated from the areas as well.

Sinkholes hit the city again in 2010, when an 18m by 60m hole opened up 2km away from the 2007 site, this time taking a house and a 3-story building with it. Geologists have again blamed this on the mix of sewers and soft rock and recommended that the Guatemalan authorities look into restoring the sewage system as a matter of urgency.

2. Great Blue Hole, Belize

Meanwhile, here’s another one that’s a beautiful natural phenomenon, rather than a disastrous mess. This underwater sinkhole is actually a limestone cave that was formed in the last Ice Age and can be seen above the water due to the sharp change in the water color around the hole. It is 1000ft across and 400 ft deep and is part of the bigger Lighthouse Reef, 70km from the shore.

The Great Blue Hole was made famous by Jacques Costeau, when he named it as one of the top scuba diving sites in the world. He also measured the hole from his ship, the Caylpso, and brought back stalactite samples in 1971. He and others have also observed the wildlife of the hole – reef sharks and hammerhead sharks. The hole was christened “The Most Amazing Place on Earth” by the Discovery Channel in 2012.

1. The Qattari Depression, Egypt

Now this is a sinkhole on another scale. Measuring 50 miles by 75 miles, it is unimaginably big and almost entirely filled with sludgy quicksand. It is currently part of the Qattara Depression Project, a long-term plan to flood the area and provide hydroelectric power from it. The ambitious project involves channeling through from the Mediterranean and would eventually result in a salt plain, once all the water had evaporated.

Although the plan is ambitious, it is not new. Back in 1957, the CIA proposed flooding the Depression as a means of achieving peace in the Middle East. Among other objectives, they speculated that it would get the Egyptian President’s “mind on other matters” and that he needed “some way to get off the Soviet Hook”. For whatever reason, that never got approved and the sinkhole remains as it was created by nature. But should the hydroelectricity project work, it may look very different in the future.

April 22, 2015
10 Renowned Thought Experiments
A thought experiment is a proposal for an experiment that would test or illuminate a hypothesis, theory, or principle. Given the structure of the proposed experiment, it may or may not be possible to actually perform the experiment and, in the case that it is possible for the experiment to be performed, no intention of any kind to actually perform the experiment in question may exist. The common goal of a thought experiment is to explore the potential consequences of the principle in question.

10. Simulated Reality

Simulated reality is the proposition that reality could be simulated—perhaps by computer simulation—to a degree indistinguishable from “true” reality. It could contain conscious minds which may or may not be fully aware that they are living inside a simulation. In its strongest form, the “simulation hypothesis” claims it is entirely possible and even probable that we are living in a simulated reality. This is quite different from the current, technologically achievable concept of virtual reality. Virtual reality is easily distinguished from the experience of “true” reality; participants are never in doubt about the nature of what they experience. Simulated reality, by contrast, would be hard or impossible to separate from “true” reality. In brain-computer interface simulations, each participant enters from outside, directly connecting their brain to the simulation computer. The computer transmits sensory data to the participant, reads and responds to their desires and actions in return; in this manner they interact with the simulated world and receive feedback from it. The participant may be induced by any number of possible means to forget, temporarily or otherwise, that they are inside a virtual realm (e.g. “passing through the veil”). While inside the simulation, the participant’s consciousness is represented by an avatar, which can look very different from the participant’s actual appearance. A dream could be considered a type of simulation capable of fooling someone who is asleep. As a result the “dream hypothesis” cannot be ruled out, although it has been argued that common sense and considerations of simplicity rule against it. One of the first philosophers to question the distinction between reality and dreams was Zhuangzi, a Chinese philosopher from the 4th Century BC.

9. Bell’s Spaceship Paradox

Bell’s spaceship paradox is a thought experiment in special relativity involving accelerated spaceships and strings. In Bell’s version of the this thought experiment, two spaceships, which are initially at rest in some common inertial reference frame, are connected by a taut string. At time zero in the common inertial frame, both spaceships start to accelerate, such that they remain a fixed distance apart as viewed from the rest frame. Question: Does the string break (i.e. does the distance between the two spaceships increase)? According to discussions by Dewan & Beran and also Bell, in the spaceship launcher’s reference frame the distance between the ships will remain constant while the elastic limit of the string is length contracted, so that at a certain point in time the string should break. Objections and counter-objections have been published to the above analysis. For example, Paul Nawrocki suggests that the string should not break. However we know the theory of relativity by Einstein which states if speed approaches near to that of light, distance should increase i.e it should break. According to Bell, a “clear consensus” of the CERN theory division arrived at the answer that the string would not break. Bell goes on to add, “Of course, many people who get the wrong answer at first get the right answer on further reflection”. Later, Matsuda and Kinoshita reported receiving much criticism after publishing an article on their independently rediscovered version of the paradox in a Japanese journal.

8. Infinite Monkey Theorem

The infinite monkey theorem states that a monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will almost surely type a given text, such as the complete works of William Shakespeare. In this context, “almost surely” is a mathematical term with a precise meaning, and the “monkey” is not an actual monkey, but a metaphor for an abstract device that produces a random sequence of letters ad infinitum. The theorem illustrates the perils of reasoning about infinity by imagining a vast but finite number, and vice versa. The probability of a monkey exactly typing a complete work such as Shakespeare’s Hamlet is so tiny that the chance of it occurring during a period of time of the order of the age of the universe is minuscule, but not zero. Variants of the theorem include multiple and even infinitely many typists, and the target text varies between an entire library and a single sentence. Popular interest in the typing monkeys is sustained by numerous appearances in literature, television, radio, music, and the Internet. In 2003, an experiment was performed with six Celebes Crested Macaques. Their literary contribution was five pages consisting largely of the letter ‘S’. There is a straightforward proof of this theorem. If two events are statistically independent, then the probability of both happening equals the product of the probabilities of each one happening independently.

Suppose the typewriter has 50 keys, and the word to be typed is banana. If we assume that the keys are pressed randomly and independently, then the chance that the first letter typed is ‘b’ is 1/50, and the chance that the second letter typed is a is also 1/50, and so on, because events are independent. Therefore, the chance of the first six letters matching banana is (1/50) × (1/50) × (1/50) × (1/50) × (1/50) × (1/50) = (1/50)⁶, less than one in 15 billion.

7. Galileo’s Balls

Contrary to what your teachers told you, Galileo Galilei likely did not drop balls from the Tower of Pisa; he conducted the gravity experiment in the laboratory of his mind. His 16th-century peers believed heavier objects fell faster than light ones. So Galileo imagined a heavy ball attached by a string to a light ball. According to Aristotelian logic, if a light object and a heavy object were tied together and dropped off a tower, then the heavier object would fall faster, and the rope between the two would become taut. This would allow the lighter object to create drag and slow the heavy one down. But Galileo reasoned that once this occurs, the weight of the two objects together should be heavier than the weight of either one by itself. Would the light ball create drag and slow the heavy one down? Nope, he concluded, they would hit the ground simultaneously.

6. Halting Problem

In computability theory, the halting problem is a decision problem which can be stated as follows: given a description of a program, decide whether the program finishes running or will run forever. This is equivalent to the problem of deciding, given a program and an input, whether the program will eventually halt when run with that input, or will run forever. Alan Turing proved in 1936 that a general algorithm to solve the halting problem for all possible program-input pairs cannot exist. We say that the halting problem is undecidable over Turing machines. B. Jack Copeland (2004) attributes the actual term halting problem to Martin Davis.

5. Doomsday Argument

The Doomsday argument ( DA ) is a probabilistic argument that claims to predict the number of future members of the human species given only an estimate of the total number of humans born so far. Simply put, it says that supposing the humans alive today are in a random place in the whole human history timeline, chances are we are about halfway through it. Denoting by N the total number of humans who were ever or will ever be born, the Copernican principle suggests that humans are equally likely (along with the other N − 1 humans) to find themselves at any position n, so humans assume that our fractional position f = n/N is uniformly distributed on the interval (0, 1] prior to learning our absolute position. If we take that 60 billion humans have been born so far (Leslie’s figure), then we can estimate that there is a 95% chance that the total number of humans N will be less than 20 × 60 billion = 1.2 trillion. Assuming that the world population stabilizes at 10 billion and a life expectancy of 80 years, it can be estimated that the remaining 1140 billion humans will be born in 9120 years. Depending on the projection of world population in the forthcoming centuries, estimates may vary, but the main point of the argument is that it is unlikely that more than 1.2 trillion humans will ever live.

4. Brain in a Vat

There has been no more influential thought experiment than the so-called “ brain in a vat ” hypothesis, which has permeated everything from cognitive science and philosophy to popular culture. The experiment asks you to imagine a mad scientist has taken your brain from your body and placed it in a vat of some kind of life sustaining fluid. Electrodes have been connected to your brain, and these are connected to a computer that generates images and sensations. Since all your information about the world is filtered through the brain, this computer would have the ability to simulate your everyday experience. If this were indeed possible, how could you ever truly prove that the world around you was real, and not just a simulation generated by a computer? If you’re thinking this all sounds a bit like The Matrix, you’re right. That film, along with several other sci-fi stories and movies, was heavily influenced by the brain in a vat thought experiment. At its heart, the exercise asks you to question the nature of experience, and to consider what it really means to be human.

3. Balls and Vase Problem

The Ross–Littlewood paradox (also known as the balls and vase problem or the ping pong ball problem ) is a hypothetical problem in abstract mathematics and logic designed to illustrate the seemingly paradoxical, or at least non-intuitive, nature of infinity. More specifically, the Ross–Littlewood paradox tries to illustrate the conceptual difficulties with the notion of a supertask, in which one is trying to complete an infinite number of tasks sequentially. The problem starts with an empty vase and an infinite supply of balls. One then performs an infinite number of steps, where at each step balls are added as well as removed from the vase. The question is then posed: How many balls are in the vase when one is done?

To complete an infinite number of steps, let us assume that the vase is empty at two minutes before noon, and that one performs the steps as follows:
- The first step is performed at one minute before noon.
- The second step is performed at 30 seconds before noon.
- The third step is performed at 15 seconds before noon.
- Each subsequent step n is performed at 2¹⁻ⁿ minutes before noon.
This guarantees that a countably infinite number of steps is performed by noon. At each step, 10 balls are added to the vase, and one ball is removed from the vase. The question now is: How many balls are in the vase at noon? Answers to the puzzle fall into 4l categories. 1) The most intuitive answer seems to be that the vase contains an infinite number of balls by noon. 2) However, suppose that the balls of the infinite supply of balls were numbered, and that at step 1 one inserts balls 1 through 10 into the vase, and removes ball number 1. At step 2, one inserts balls 11 through 20, and removes ball 2. This means that by noon, every ball n that is inserted into the vase is eventually removed in a subsequent step (namely, step n). Hence, the vase is empty at noon. 3) Although the state of the balls and the vase is well-defined at every moment in time prior to noon, no conclusion can be made about any moment in time at or after noon. Thus, for all we know, at noon, the vase just magically disappears. 4) The problem is ill-posed. To be precise, according to the problem statement, an infinite number of operations will be performed before noon, and then asks us about the state of affairs at noon. But, if infinitely many operations have to take place (sequentially) before noon, then noon is a point in time that can never be reached.

2. Schrödinger’s Cat

Schrödinger’s cat is a thought experiment, often described as a paradox, devised by Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger in 1935. It illustrates what he saw as the problem of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics applied to everyday objects. The thought experiment presents a cat that might be alive or dead, depending on an earlier random event. A cat is trapped in a box with radioactive material, a Geiger counter, and a mechanism rigged to release poison if particle decay is detected. According to Erwin Schrödinger, the cat exists in two probable states. But that doesn’t track with reality (cats are not both alive and dead). Proposed in 1935, the postulate illustrates that some quantum concepts just don’t work at nonquantum scales. Also that Schrödinger was a dog person.

1. Maxwell’s Demon

Maxwell’s demon is a thought experiment created by the Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell, in which a supernatural being is instructed to attempt to violate the second law of thermodynamics. The second law of thermodynamics ensures (through statistical probability) that two bodies of different temperature, when brought into contact with each other and isolated from the rest of the Universe, will evolve to a thermodynamic equilibrium in which both bodies have approximately the same temperature. The thought experiment demonstrates Maxwell’s point by describing how to violate the 2nd Law to “show that the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics has only a statistical certainty.” In the experiment an imaginary container is divided into two parts by an insulated wall, with a door that can be opened and closed by what came to be called ” Maxwell’s Demon“. The hypothetical demon is able to let only the “hot” molecules of gas flow through to a favored side of the chamber, causing that side to appear to spontaneously heat up while the other side cools down.
April 22, 2015
10 Most Expensive Hotels in the World

If you are into traveling, and if you are into traveling with luxury, this particular list might come in handy. This list talks about ten of the most expensive hotel rooms around the world. If you are lucky enough, you might be able to book a reservation but let me tell you this, not everybody can get into these rooms and if you do happen to spend a night in any of these, you will probably end up hating your own house. Armed with absolutely awesome furnishings and decorations, these rooms are bound to turn your night into a dream. If you have been into one of these rooms, do share you experiences in the comments below. Enjoy the read! Please note that the prices are subject to change.

10. THE PENTHOUSE SUITE, THE MARTINEZ HOTEL, CANNES, FRANCE

This room will cost you $18,000 per night.

This particular hotel is located on the Croisette at Cannes. The hotel opened up on the 20^th February in the year 1929 and it was founded by Emmanuel Michele Martinez. He is also the owner of the hotel. Emmanuel is the son of Baron Giovanni Martinez and Giuseppa Labiso Costanza who happen to be from Sicily, Italy. They are a noble and ancient family of Italy and they originated from Spain. The hotel has been occupied many a times during the Second World War. It is an art deco style hotel and is absolutely awesome.

9. RITZ-CARLTON SUITE, RITZ-CARLTON, MOSCOW, RUSSIA

This room will cost you $18,200 per night.

The hotel chain is owned by ‘The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.’ The company is a subsidiary of Marriott International. They have around 76 hotels worldwide in 25 different countries. The company was founded in 1983 and is currently headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States. The hotel company partnered with Bulgari in the year 2001 and they now operate the chain of hotels under the Bvlgari brand. Herve Humler is the Chief Operations Officer and the current President of the company. Enjoy your stay.

8. ROYAL SUITE, BURJ AL ARAB, DUBAI, UAE

This room will cost you $19,000 per night.

I am sure you are familiar with this particular hotel. It is a luxury hotel located in Dubai and it stands tall at the height of 321 meters. It also happens to be the fourth tallest hotel in the world. It is constructed on an artificial island and is connected to the mainland by a bridge. The structure of the hotel resembles the sail of a ship. Most people get into a debate regarding the stars associated with this hotel. The hotel opened up in the December 1999 at a cost of $650 million.

7. IMPERIAL SUITE, PARK HYATT, VENDOME, PARIS, FRANCE

This room will cost you $20,000 per night.

This particular hotel is located in the heart of the city. You will be at walking distance from the Louvre Museum and the Opera. The hotel is located at Place Vendome and you will find the world’s most famous luxury brands just around the corner. The seventeenth century Tuileries Gardens, Place des Vosges, The Champs-Elysées, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe are all quite near to the hotel. You might want to check the list on top tourist destinations in Paris that we covered a while ago.

6. THE BRIDGE SUITE, THE ATLANTIS, BAHAMAS

This room will cost you $22,600 per night.

The Atlantis Paradise Island is basically a resort and a waterpark. It is located on Paradise Island in the Bahamas and it opened in 1998. That is the site of this particular hotel. You can go to the resort and stay at the Royal towers, Coral towers, Beach tower, The Cove Atlantis, The Reef Atlantis or the Harborside Resort. You have access to a water park, dolphin cay, the dig, pools and beaches. You can enjoy at the casino and the aura nightclub. They even have a comedy club for you to have some good laughs.

5. PRESIDENTIAL SUITE, RITZ-CARLTON, TOKYO, JAPAN

This room will cost you $25,000 per night.

The hotel chain is owned by ‘The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.’ The company is a subsidiary of Marriott International. They have around 76 hotels worldwide in 25 different countries. The company was founded in 1983 and is currently headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States. The hotel company partnered with Bulgari in the year 2001 and they now operate the chain of hotels under the Bvlgari brand. Herve Humler is the Chief Operations Officer and the current President of the company. Enjoy your stay.

4. VILLA CUPOLA, WESTIN EXCELSIOR, ROME, ITALY

This room will cost you $29,000 per night.

The hotel has located in the highly celebrated Via Veneto district and has been a host to many famous celebrities since the year 1906. They are known for their outstanding service and an exceptional setting. Enjoy the classic Roman cuisine at the Restaurant Doney. You have the option to train with a personal trainer in the health club or relax with a shiatsu massage in the spa. This particular suite is the largest in all of Europe. It was recently renovated at a cost of $7 million.

3. TY WARNER PENTHOUSE, FOUR SEASONS HOTEL, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES

This room will cost you $41,836 per night.

I am sure you have heard about the Four Seasons hotel. This is a luxury hotel in New York. The Ty Warner Penthouse is built on an entire floor and it offers a 360 degree view of the entire Manhattan skyline which, needless to say, is absolutely gorgeous. The suite was designed by Peter Marino and Ty Warner. You should know that Ty Warner is also the owner of the hotel. The suite is comprised of nine different rooms and it is absolutely amazing.

2. THE PRESIDENTIAL SUITE, THE RAJ PALACE HOTEL, JAIPUR, INDIA

This room will cost you $45,000 per night.

This particular suite used to be the residence of a Maharaja. It is built on 1,500 square meters and it is one of the biggest in all of Asia. It is comprised of four-floor apartments that are decorated in gold leaf, stucco, ivory and mirror work. You have a private terrace and a swimming pool. You can enjoy amazing view of the city of Jaipur. It even has a private museum.

1. ROYAL PENTHOUSE SUITE, PRESIDENT WILSON HOTEL, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

This room will cost you $65,000 per night.

If you are concerned about your safety, look no place else. This suite offers gorgeous views of the Mont Blanc and the Lake Geneva. You have bulletproof doors and windows which makes it perfect for heads of state and even celebrities. It is built on the entire top floor of the hotel. You have your own private elevator and the apartment is comprised of twelve different rooms. You have a grand piano, billiard room, a library and a private fitness center. No wonder it is priced the way it is priced.

April 22, 2015
Top 10 People Who Got Rich by Accident

Sometimes, the most successful and lucrative businesses were developed by sheer chance. And while each of these may have been discovered by accident, there is no doubt that each one played a degree of prominence in our society as well as made profits. Below, we are going to show you the top ten people who got filthy rich by accident.

10. Frank Epperson: Popsicle

In 1905, a boy named Frank Epperson left a mixture of water and soda powder on his porch with a stick inside of a glass. He didn’t know it at the time but this would create the first ice lollipop. However, it wasn’t until 1923 that he actually put this idea into motion. He started a lemonade stand and started selling frozen treats that were called “Eppsicles” at the time. Later it would be changed and patented by the Popsicle Corporation. By the year 1928, there were more than 60 million Popsicle sales worldwide.

9. Harry Coover: Super Glue

Almost all of us have used super glue at some point in our lives. Well if you have, you can thank American chemist Harry Coover for the discovery. The funny thing is that Coover was trying to create a clear plastic gun sight while using a chemical called “cyanoacrylate”. And after the experiment failed, he ended up with Super Glue. The idea was so popular that it resulted in two-billion in sales. Needless to say, this was one of the most profitable “accidents” of all time.

8. William Henry Perkin: Mauveine

Henry Perkin was an English chemist that stumbled upon Mauveine, the first synthetic chemical dye, when he was only 18 years old. He did so by accident when he was trying to produce a medicine for curing malaria. Quickly after, he patented the process and the year after he created a factory called Greenford Green. He began to sell his dye and it proved by be quite popular. By the end of the 1860’s, mauveine was everywhere and William was a multi-millionaire before the age of 36. He later sold his company to purchase a laboratory that would allow him to conduct further research into what provided him curiosity.

7. Roy Plunkett: Teflon

Roy Plunkett was an American researcher who in 1938, accidentally left out a sample of Freon. By the morning, it had frozen and formed into a whitish wax. But instead of taking it and dumping it in the trash, he tested it and discovered that it contained some very unusual properties. By the year 1945, his idea was trademarked and within a few years his company had earned billions. He was the director of operations for Freon until he decided to retire in 1975.

6. Leo Hendrik Baekeland: Bakelite

In 1907, a Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland invented the polymer Bakelite. For those who don’t know, this is used in kitchenware, radios, and telephones. He accidentally stumbled upon it when it was trying to create a replacement for shellac (a wood coating). Surprisingly, he came quite close. However, he heated the element in an iron pressure cooker and what came out was Bakelite. In 1910, he formed his own company and drew in millions.

5. Robert Chesebrough: Vaseline

Robert Chesebrough was only twenty-two when he was trying to establish himself in the oil industry. One day, he was down inside of an oil well and he discovered something that was referred to by workers as “rod wax”. He, along with the others, noticed how this substance could heal burns and cuts. His entrepreneurial mind immediately took over and he took it home to experiment with. After some trial and error, he was able to extract petroleum jelly that would later become the first form of Vaseline. By the 1880’s, Robert became rich as he began to sell his new found invention.

4. Joseph McVicker: Play-Doh

In 1952, a man named Joseph McVicker was working for a company called Kutol. This is when his sister-in-law approached him with a new idea. She had managed to steal some non-toxic cleaner from where she worked. He saw this as an immediate opportunity to make money. He went on to add some colorants to the dough as well as give it a pleasant scent. Soon after, he established his own company and made millions.

3. Arthur Fry: Post-It Notes

Arthur Fry was an American scientist who on a Sunday in 1973, came up with the idea for a post-in while at church. He stumbled upon an adhesive that he could use for the process but still had no way of making it commercially available. His “eureka” moment came to him when he was continued to lose his page while reading a book. He thought that if he could coat it on paper, it would be sticky enough for a better bookmark. And because of this thought, he created a product that made him rich.

2. Percy Spencer: Microwave Oven

Percy Spencer was an American engineer who was experimenting on something that could be used to detect enemy planes during World War 2. During his experimentation, he accidentally melted a candy bar in his pocket from the microwaves being transmitted from the machine. He then tested it on popcorn- then eggs. Eventually, he and other colleagues came to the realization that this could be used as a cooking product. He secured the patent for it in the 1940’s and sales took off from there.

1. George De Mestral: Velcro

Mestral was a Swiss engineer who was taking a morning walk in 1941 along the countryside. During his walk, he began to think how difficult it was to remove flowers of mountain thistle from clothing as well as his dog’s coat. He began to experiment and under a microscope, began to study the material. He learned about thistle’s adhesive properties and using his scientific background, quickly transformed this into a product. By the late 1950’s, he began to sell Velcro and by the 1970’s, sales took off.

April 18, 2015
Weirdest Museums in London

London is pretty densely packed with museums. Ask any visitor to London, and they can reel off ten museums that they’re hoping to visit….the Science Museum, the V&A, the British Museum. What most visitors don’t realise is that there’s a whole lot more museums that they may never have heard of. Museums celebrating the macabre, the unholy and the downright obscure. You may not be a local, but with this guide to the weirdest museums in London, you’ll feel like you are!

10. Wellcome Collection

This museum was created out of the collection of Sir Henry Wellcome who was, by all accounts, somewhat of an eccentric. As well as changing the face of modern medicine by inventing the tablet, he also traveled widely and had a penchant for dressing up. Not anything weird, you understand…just the odd Native American headdress or maybe a monk’s robe. Somewhere along the line, he amassed a huge collection of artifacts, mostly related to medicine. A small part of the complete collection is on display at the Wellcome Collection building today – there are thousands of glass jars and other objects still stored elsewhere.

The permanent collection includes a real mummy, a torture chair and Napoleon’s toothbrush. Other pieces around the building showcase the work of contemporary artists such as Anthony Gormley and the temporary exhibitions cover a wide range of subjects. Recent exhibits have included “Skin”, which may have caused a few first-aid calls after visitors fainted, and “Death”. This is not for the faint hearted! But it’s a fascinating take on medicine and science’s relationship with art. There is also the “Medicine Now” gallery, with interactive exhibits. A fun one for the whole family, but be prepared to answer some awkward questions from the kids!

9. The Fire Brigade Museum

When a museum operates an “appointment only”policy, you know it’s going to be a bit on the obscure side. The Fire Brigade Museum occasionally holds Open Days, when the doors of the quiet-looking townhouse are flung open to reveal a host of Fire Brigade memorabilia inside. They have firefighting demonstrations outside and visits from the “Fire Dog”, to the delight of small children. But just when you think you’ve seen everything you need to see, you cross the courtyard to find a garage full of vintage fire engines, with firefighter uniforms to try on. An interesting, if unassuming, slice of London’s history.

8. The Fan Museum

A museum so obscure it’s almost become famous for it, the Fan Museum is home to 3,500 fans. “How much is there to know about fans?” you may ask….for the answer, you’d have to head to this 18th century building in Greenwich. Stocking fans from the 11th Century onwards, it’s an ideal trip for the fan fan in your life. What’s remarkable is the 3,500 aren’t even the full collection – the collection is rotated so that only 3,500 are displayed at any one time. The afternoon teas there are meant to be good too.

7. Cuming Museum

Another South London oddity, this is a brief patch of culture in the urban wasteland behind a condemned council estate. The museum was founded by the Cuming family in 1906 and tells the story of the Southwark area of London through the eyes of the Cuming family. Like Henry Wellcome, the Cumings delighted in collecting obscure things and this museum houses the assorted treasures they brought back from every corner of the world. The centrepiece of the first room is a majestic taxidermed bear, which can be unnerving in a darkened room. There’s a surprising amount to see and do in the small space, with dressing up for the kids and craft activities. You can even make your own pearly king!

6. Hunterian Museum

There’s more taxidermy on display at this museum attached to the Royal College of Surgeons. Unsurprisingly, the exhibits have a surgical theme to them and again, it’s not one for the squeamish. Joining the human remains are some animal skeletons and Winston Churchill’s dentures. It’s a celebration of London’s strong medical history and provides the training ground for the surgeons of the future

5. Horniman Museum

The Horniman Museum isn’t an obscure museum by any means – it’s a large and busy one, hidden in the depths of South London. But it’s certainly a weird one. Its centerpiece is a large taxidermed walrus, and there’s a room of taxidermed exhibits surrounding it. Taxidermy seems to be a theme in these London museums, doesn’t it? It seems like it was the popular thing to do in 19th century London.

The Horniman also features an aquarium in the basement, with starfish, anemones and jellyfish. It’s much cheaper than the London Aquarium and just as interesting, especially the coral reef tank full of brightly colored tropical fish. As well as the taxidermy and fish, there’s a large gallery devoted to musical instruments, with a hands-on room where you can bang tubes with a flip-flop or scrape wooden toads with a stick. Then there’s 16 acres of grounds, including ornamental gardens, food gardens, a bandstand and outdoor instruments. During vacation times, it’s overrun with school children and they pack out the wrought-iron conservatory having picnics. An eclectic collection and a long trek from Central London, but well worth a visit.

4. London Film Museum

Take a step away from the crowds of tourists surrounding the London Eye, and step inside the huge complex County Hall. Within its shadowy hallways, you’ll find the London Film Museum.

It doesn’t look like a traditional museum – it’s more of a series of corridors and small rooms than one space. But it contains some real gems from the film world – from one of the original Star Wars sets to the dinosaur skeleton from Night at the Museum. The Harry Potter series gets its own room (see above) and is suitably spooky. There’s not much in the way of interactive exhibits, but there is a create-your-own-car-chase car, which plays chase music as you sit in the car and watch your faces appear on a backdrop of Central London. It’s a funny little museum, but good for film enthusiasts who don’t worry about a lack of natural light.

3. Pollock’s Toy Museum

Another small, dark but fascinating museum. Pollock’s looks at toys from the last 200 years. It has been described as unnerving by those who have visited and felt dolls’ eyes watching them in the dark. It’s been based on Scala Street since 1969 but has been in business since 1956 and is connected to the Pollock’s Toy Theatres shop in Covent Garden. Its current home is two unrestored townhouses knocked together, which helps you feel like you’re back in the 19th century. Despite being all about children’s toys, the cramped conditions mean it’s not ideal for children. But adults will find the collection of teddy bears, jigsaws and dolls intriguing.

2. Garden Museum

Set in the atmospheric church adjoining Lambeth Palace. Inside, the ancient church has been sympathetically restored but retains the glorious stained-glass windows, which pour light onto the cafe area. The cafe, incidentally, serves food mainly grown in its own garden. The museum itself shows exhibits covering the history of gardening in the UK as well as contemporary gardening photography. Like some of the other museums, it only displays a fraction of its collection at any one time, as the 10,000 items the museum owns would never fit into the small space!

It’s an unusual and fairly specialist museum but owns some beautiful artwork that would appeal to anyone. The British have a peculiar attachment to their gardens, so it’s a good place to go to if you’re hoping to understand a bit more about what makes eccentric English people tick! It’s also an easy walk from the London Eye and right next to a quieter part of the Thames, with splendid views of the Houses of Parliament. You might even bump into the Archbishop of Canterbury!

1. Cinema Museum

Not to be confused with the London Film Museum, the Cinema Museum is a small collection with the emphasis on the film-going experience rather than the film itself. Set inside an ex-workhouse building in an obscure part of South London, it is another appointment-only museum except for special events and Open Days. Exhibits cover the history of cinema from the 1890s to the present day and include vintage projectors and classic movie posters. The guided tours are even led by guys dressed as ushers!

There is a small screening room, where they sometimes show classic movies, and an upstairs area where they hold special film-themed evenings. One recent evening had well-known film critics discussing obscure 1960s horror movies, while visitors feasted on “severed arm cake” and other gory delicacies! It’s as eccentric a museum as you can get, is entirely staffed by volunteers but is a memorable experience, that’ll leave you feeling nostalgic for the golden days of cinema.

April 13, 2015
10 Highest Grossing Jim Carrey Movies – Page 2 of 2

5. DUMB AND DUMBER

$235,363,300

Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) are two intellectually-challenged best friends who share an apartment so messy that gangsters aren’t sure how to trash the place; the guys also have a certain problem (not difficult to understand) holding on to jobs. Lloyd is working as a limo driver in Rhode Island when he picks up a beautiful and wealthy woman named Mary Swanson (Lauren Holly) who is being taken to the airport. Lloyd immediately falls head over heels in love with Mary, and when she leaves a briefcase at the airport, he’s determined to return it in hopes of impressing her.

4. LIAR LIAR

$313,022,200

Fletcher Reede (Jim Carrey) is a lawyer obsessed with his career, and he’s devoted his life to bending the truth to his advantage. This habit has broken up his marriage to Audrey (Maura Tierney) and isn’t doing much good for his relationship with his young son Max (Justin Cooper). Fletcher repeatedly promised Max that he’ll be there for Max’s eighth birthday party, but when an important assignment comes up at work, Fletcher calls Audrey and makes an excuse so flimsy that even Max can see through it. When it comes time to blow out the candles on his cake, Max makes a wish: that his Dad could go just one day without telling a lie.

3. BRUCE ALMIGHTY

$318,939,900

Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey) is a television reporter working in Buffalo, NY, who has been growing increasingly dissatisfied with his existence, and after an especially bad day, he flies into a rage and curses God for making his life miserable. To Bruce’s great surprise, the Supreme Being Himself (Morgan Freeman) appears, and tries to convince Bruce of the enormity of his task. Bruce, however, isn’t buying it, so God gives him a chance to find out what he’s up against; God bestows all of his powers on Bruce for a week, to see how he’d handle things.

2. BATMAN FOREVER

$335,063,500

First-time Batman/Bruce Wayne (Val Kilmer), in his only outing as the Caped Crusader, is effectively brooding as he ponders strange dreams about his parents’ death and escapes his own near-demise at the hands of Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones), a former district attorney driven insane and turned into a master criminal when a gangster throws acid in his face. Meanwhile, as sexy psychologist Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman) tries to analyze and seduce both, Bruce Wayne and Batman, Wayne Enterprises employee Edward Nygma (Jim Carrey) reacts badly to getting fired, using his self-invented mind-energy device to transform into the super-intelligent Riddler. The Riddler teams up with Two-Face to bring down Batman and drain the minds of Gotham City residents with his device, while Batman gets some much-needed help in the form of circus performer Dick Grayson (Chris O’Donnell), out for vengeance after being orphaned by Two-Face.

1. HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS

$381,006,000

Jim Carrey stars in this live-action adaptation of the classic children’s story by Dr. Seuss (aka Theodore Geisel). High atop Mt. Crumpet, the Grinch (Carrey) observes the residents of Whoville joyously preparing to celebrate Christmas. The Grinch was born in Whoville years ago, but was shunned due to his scary appearance, and his unrequited love for Martha May Whovier has turned him bitter; the good cheer of the Whos has been a thorn in his side ever since. Finally the Grinch decides he’s had enough of all this happiness, and with the wary aid of his dog Max, the Grinch conspires to steal Christmas from Whoville, making off with their presents, holiday decorations, Christmas trees, and everything else used to enjoy the holiday.

April 10, 2015
10 Spectacular Building Architectures Around the Globe – Page 2 of 2

5. Songjiang Hotel

Location: Songjiang district, Shanghai, China

Architect: Atkins

Date of Construction: Completed on May 2009

Distinct Feature: Built in quarry

This ultra stylish and luxurious hotel of Shanghai has won the award of international design competition. It is a five-star hotel with beautiful water filled quarry at its front where natural beauty in the surrounding is a toping on the cake and located in Songjiang district, Shanghai, China. The stunning conceptual design of the hotel grabs the attention of the people from all around the world. It is a 400 bed resort which is 2 floors higher than the rock face of 200 meter deep quarry. It also tender underwater public areas and guest rooms. Banqueting centers, conference halls, cafes and sports areas are incorporated in the Songjiang hotel.

4. Regatta Hotel

Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

Architect: Atkins

Distinct Feature: Follows Nautical theme

A large building surrounded by 10 small towers is what we call Regatta hotel and is the fourth top unique structure of the world. The developer made it by keeping the nautical theme in mind and says that the 10 small towers represent sailing boats and whilst the large one is the lighthouse. The large building which the developer called the light house is the real center of attention since it has the most inconceivable structure we have ever come across. The building was designed by well known Atkins which has also designed Burj khalifa (the tallest building of the world).

3. CCTV headquarter

Location: China

Architect: Office for Metropolitan Architecture East China Architectural Design & Research Institute

Date of Construction: Started on 1st June 2004

Distinct Feature: Radical shape

China central television headquarters is another skyscraper which is 234 meters tall and has forty-four stories. It is situated in Beijing central business district and the construction of the building was started in June 2004 and completed in January 2008. The structure was designed with the association of Arup where as Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren of OMA, were its architects. The building is diverse from traditional towers and consists of six horizontal and vertical sections. Since the building is located in a seismic zone which made it a real challenge for construction. A taxi driver gave it a nick name dà kùchǎ (大裤衩) which means “big boxer shorts” due to its radical shape.

2. Chicago Spire

Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Architect: Santiago Calatrava, Perkins and Will

Date of Construction: 25 June 2007

Distinct Feature: Spire shape

The now-defunct and incomplete skyscraper of Chicago is the building known as Chicago spire and located in Chicago, Illinois. Due to the enduring recession which began in 2008, the construction of the project which started on 25 June 2007 was halted. The design of the building is a creation of a Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and the development responsibilities were taken by the St Patrick’s Athletic owner Garrett Kelleher of ShelbourneDevelopment Group, Inc. It was assumed to be the tallest building of the world, with a height of 610 meters and 150 floors.

1. Aqua Tower

Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Architect: Jeanne Gang

Date of Construction: 2007-2009

Distinct Feature: Wave shape facade and the tallest building ever designed by a woman

Aqua tower is a mixed used residential building which has 86 stories and located in the Lakeshore East development in downtown Chicago. The design of the building was developed by a team under the supervision of Jeanne Gang and became the tallest building designed by a woman in the world. It is a skyscraper with a height of 262 meters and each floor has 1,500 m²of area. Terrace gardens, gazebos, pools, hot tubs, walking track and fire pit, are a part of this building which has wave-like façade.

April 5, 2015
Top 10 Strangest Sea Creatures

If you need any proof of the wonderful diversity of nature, you only need look as far as the obscure corners of the ocean to find it. And when I say “wonderful diversity” I mean, weirdness. There are some terrifying creatures that live down there and some that are just a bit unfortunate looking. It’s no wonder that they live miles below the surface – they probably don’t want anyone to see them. Others have amazing skills that you’d never imagine anyone would need. Yes, sea creatures are a crazy lot indeed. Meet the most bizarre of the bunch in our Top 10 Strangest Sea Creatures.

10. Blobfish

If you happen to believe in reincarnation, it’s hard to imagine what you’d have to have done in a past life in order to come back as a blobfish. It’s not a fulfilling life. They can’t really move, so they just have to sit around and wait for food to come to them. It can take days to get a meal and then it’s over in a bite. And it’s not like they can spend the rest of the time gazing at themselves in a mirror either – the blobfish is modeled after a dessert of some kind, maybe one that’s a bit melted. Stick some eyes on a blancmange and you’ll get a similar effect. They aren’t often seen by humans, living as they do 600-1,200m below sea level, off the coast of Australia.

9. Angler Fish

And another fish that’s been beaten with the ugly stick. The angler fish is a scary-looking beast that appears every time an animator needs a “fish that looks like a monster” scene (see “Finding Nemo”). It lives in the midnight zone, and like many creatures down there it has its own integral light. In this case, it’s a small bulb-like light that dangles in front of its face so it can see whatever it’s hunting. If you ever get stuck in the midnight zone, remember not to follow the light…or you might be its next meal. It can swallow prey that is up to twice its size. And did I mention the razor-sharp teeth? Terrifying…

8. Christmas Tree Worm

Of course, not all these creatures are scary. Some are cute, albeit it in a toilet brush kind of way. The Christmas tree worms get their name from their spikes, which point out like the branches of a Christmas tree and help them to feed and breathe. If the worm feels threatened, the “branches” withdraw and it makes them less obvious to predators. Known as Spirobranchus giganteus, they are found on the Great Barrier Reef but have also been spotted as far away as the Caribbean.

7. Sea Krait

If, like me, you get a bit scared at the very idea of a snake you might think that the ocean would be one place you’d be sure not to bump into any. But you’d be wrong, as the sea krait – or Chinese sea snake – lurks around coral reefs, waiting to catch any unsuspecting prey with its paralyzing venom. That’s the venom which is 10 times the strength of cobra venom, in case you’re still thinking these things might be harmless. They also come onto land, for females to lay their eggs, but mainly live just off-shore in caves or rock formations. However, they are oxygen-breathing, so have to break the surface every few hours in order to survive.

So, they can follow you onto land if you manage to outswim them (they don’t swim very fast, so that at least is a possibility). The good news is that they don’t tend to attack humans unless they feel threatened, and their black-and-white patterning makes them easy to spot. Just don’t threaten them. Probably best to stay away from their eggs!

6. Pufferfish

The pufferfish is another creature that’s popular with children’s TV series, as the makers of those shows seem to be under the impression that you can use them as a replacement for balloons when needed. I wouldn’t advise it. Yes, the pufferfish does blow up, but its spikes when it does so are sharp, and the puffer itself is highly poisonous. In fact, it’s the second most poisonous vertebrate in the world, after the golden poison frog.

That doesn’t stop pufferfish from being a delicacy in many countries, most notably Japan. It has to be prepared by expert chefs, as a wrongly cut fish can be lethal. Puffer soup – or fugu chiri in Japanese – is the most common form of puffer poisoning but the raw meat (sashimi fugu) can induce a kind of intoxicated state, along with numbness. That’s the main appeal of it, apparently, but if that’s what you’re after, you’re probably best off sticking with the sake and avoiding these spiny beasts altogether.

5. Snot Sea Cucumber

It’s not a pretty name, is it? And not a pretty creature either. But the snot sea cucumber has a remarkable party trick – its outer wall is made up of a type of collagen that they can tighten and loosen when needed. So, if it needs to get through a tiny gap it can basically liquefy itself, pour through the gap and then reassemble on the other side. Nifty, hey?

The other trick that some sea cucumbers pull is to go into a type of hibernation if the water temperature gets too high, where their bodily functions shut down until the temperature returns to normal. Some other varieties can shoot out toxins to defend themselves against predators. These slimy creatures, who are found all over the world in different varieties, may not be beautiful but they are certainly clever.

4. Giant Spider Crab

Combine two scary things – crabs and spiders – and you have the spider crab. Now, make it giant. It’s the stuff of nightmares, isn’t it? A spider, that’s 3.8m wide, with pincers. Fortunately, for arachnophobes it’s not a spider at all, but sadly for arthopodphobes, it is entirely crab. Found in the seas around Japan, it can weigh up to 19kg – around the weight of a 4-year-old human child. It lives in fairly shallow waters, but can be found in depths of up to 600m. Again, it is a delicacy in Japan but fishermen only tend to catch the smaller ones. Maybe even they are terrified of the ones that look like they could eat you alive…

3. Leafy Sea Dragon

This next one is a bit of an oddity – a sea creature who camouflages itself by pretending to be a piece of seaweed. The leafy sea dragon – aka Phycodurus eques – doesn’t have many tricks when it comes to avoiding predators so it just stops and hides. They are related to the seahorse, but lack the definition – think a seahorse covered in pondweed and you’re there.

It’s found in the waters around Southern Australia and is something of a mascot for the state of South Australia, where it is a protected species. It needs protection as it was being threatened by pollution and people hunting it for use in alternative medicine. They are also slow at swimming and unable to hold onto things with their tails like the seahorses can. But when it comes to impersonating seaweed, there’s nothing better than a leafy sea dragon.

2. Vampire Squid

It’s OK – not all the creatures on the list are as harmless as the leafy sea dragons. We’re back to the realm of horror films, with the vampire squid so called because of their cloak of poisonous spikes. They live in the midnight zone, and have glowing red eyes to help them see.

Its body can either be black or red – with the matching red eyes, it’s easy to see where it got its scary reputation. It also has a number of organs called photophores all over its body, that produce flashes of light in order to disorientate and confuse predators. Plus, it can produce blue-lit mucus instead of ink when it’s threatened. It’s a clever squid. Its full name is Vampyroteuthis infernalis – “vampire squid of Hell”. If that doesn’t scare you, what will?

1. Spookfish

Maybe its midnight zone neighbor the spookfish? The name is enough to give you a clue that these sea creatures are a bit scary looking, with their fluorescent glow and their see-through heads. Again, they are specially adapted for living in the darkest places on Earth – and skin opacity doesn’t help you see where you’re going in the dark does it? Hence the transparent skin, which allows their swiveling eyes to look upwards for glimmers of light as well as straight ahead. They live in tropical-to-temperate waters around the world, but have been rarely caught for human study. It’s believed that their eyes use a kind of mirror-system to be able to see around but one thing is certain – the spookfish is a weird-looking thing. A worthy contender for the title of strangest creature in the ocean.

April 3, 2015