Welcome to the home page of Umberto Eco Top 10 Lost Technologies The world has never been more technologically advanced than it is now, but that doesn’t mean that some things haven’t been lost along the way. Many of the technologies, inventions, and manufacturing processes of antiquity have simply disappeared with the passage of time, while others are still not fully understood by modern day scientists. Some have since been rediscovered (indoor plumbing, road building), but many of the more mysterious lost technologies have gone on to become the stuff of legend. Here are ten famous examples: 10. One lost technology of the 1700s is the process through which the famed Stradivari violins and other stringed instruments were built. How was it Lost? The technique for building Stradivari instruments was a family secret known only by patriarch Antonio Stradivari and his sons, Omobono and Francesco. 9. The sheer sophistication of the technology wielded by the ancient Greeks and Romans is often quite astonishing, especially when it came to medicine. 8. 7. 6.
Photo in the News: Mummies' Fake Toes Could Be First Prosthetics July 27, 2007—When this mummy lived, she was able to walk like an Egyptian—thanks to a false toe. The toe, made of wood and leather, may be the world's earliest known functional prosthetic, experts say. The current earliest known prosthesis is an artificial leg found in Italy that dates back to 300 B.C. That's several hundred years younger than the Egyptian toe, which dates to between 1000 and 600 B.C. A woman between 50 and 60 used the well-worn prosthetic, and the amputation site of her toe seems to have healed successfully, Jacky Finch, of the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, said in a statement. To see if the toe really works, Finch is gathering a group of volunteers who have lost their right big toes to wear a replica of the Egyptian toe. Finch will also test a second Egyptian prosthetic toe from the same time period. Replicas from both toes will be tested at the Human Performance Laboratory at the nearby University of Salford. —Christine Dell'Amore
The Origins of Electricity, Tesla vs. Edison More Infographics on Good An Essay by Einstein -- The World As I See It "How strange is the lot of us mortals! Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people -- first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy. A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving... "I have never looked upon ease and happiness as ends in themselves -- this critical basis I call the ideal of a pigsty. "My passionate sense of social justice and social responsibility has always contrasted oddly with my pronounced lack of need for direct contact with other human beings and human communities.
The Kingston Lounge Drowned cities: Myths and secrets of the deep Cookies on the New Scientist website close Our website uses cookies, which are small text files that are widely used in order to make websites work more effectively. To continue using our website and consent to the use of cookies, click away from this box or click 'Close' Find out about our cookies and how to change them Log in Your login is case sensitive I have forgotten my password close My New Scientist Look for Science Jobs Drowned cities: Myths and secrets of the deep The idea that great cities, rich in forgotten knowledge and treasure, lie hidden beneath the sea holds immense appeal. Herakleion and Eastern Canopus, Egypt On Egypt's northern coast, where the Nile delta meets the sea, there once stood two cities of such wealth and grandeur that they were famous throughout the ancient world. Port Royal, Jamaica Notorious as a hotbed of piracy and prostitution, the 17th-century Caribbean town of Port Royal was known as "the wickedest city on Earth". Atlit-Yam, Israel Yonaguni, Japan Atlantis
10 Historical Myths We Need to Stop Believing | GeeKiez We’ve talked before about a few scientific misconceptions we still have, now let’s look at a few historical ones 1. Napoleon wasn’t short. Ok, he wasn’t a tall man, but he was around 5 ft 7 which was about average height for that time. A lot of the confusion was created due to the fact that the French and British used slightly different measurements and the French inch was bigger. However, the concept was quickly embraced thanks to British propaganda and Napoleon went down as the angriest little man in history. 2. 3. 4. 5. 300 Spartans fought the Persians. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Those are 10 historical misconceptions, but there are plenty more out there. About The Author Radu Hey, there!
201 Ways to Arouse Your Creativity Arouse your creativity Electric flesh-arrows … traversing the body. A rainbow of color strikes the eyelids. A foam of music falls over the ears. It is the gong of the orgasm. ~ Anais Nin Creativity is like sex. I know, I know. The people I speak of are writers. Below, I’ve exposed some of their secret tips, methods, and techniques. Now, lie back, relax and take pleasure in these 201 provocative ways to arouse your creativity. Great hacks from Merlin Mann of 43 Folders
The World’s Oldest Maps Man has been carving symbols into stones and on cave walls for thousands of years so it was only a matter of time before navigational inscriptions would emerge to help guide our hunting and foraging patterns. From cave drawings and Babylonian clay tablets to stone carvings and papyrus text, here are some of the world’s oldest maps (in no particular order).
The Incredible Subterranean City of Kish The island of Kish is a resort island located off the coast of Iran. Although it is well known as a tourist destination, it is also steeped in history. One of the most magnificent features of this island is its massive subterranean city covering an area of 10,000 square metres, constructed from its ancient underground aqueduct (or ‘kariz’). The kariz of Kish is said to have been built about 2500 years ago by the inhabitants of Harireh city. This structure was built to collect, purify, and store water for the inhabitants of the island. Water would have been first collected from interconnected wells in an area of 14 km². The underground city of Kish. The kariz of Kish was abandoned a long time ago, and was forgotten by the inhabitants of the island. Ancient artifacts have been preserved and put on display in the now modernised city. For me, the most striking aspect of this story is the fact that the ancient and the modern can co-exist together harmoniously. By Ḏḥwty References Eduljee, K.
5 situations where it's better to tell than show in your fiction Good stuff; thanks for the article, and I agree with most of it. I think I disagree, though, at least partly, with your point near the end about the emotional/psychological stuff; I think that a lot of the time that's exactly what "show, don't tell" is meant to be all about. For example, if your character is tired, you can say "She was tired." Of course, sometimes writers don't show well, and readers are left puzzled. Anyway. @elysdir: Yeah, I think the emotional, psychological stuff is definitely a place where telling can very easily get more heavy-handed.