A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week: science after the pandemic, Rwanda: paragon or prison? (9:10) And Herbie goes electric (33:55)
Daily Archives: March 28, 2021
360° Virtual Tour: Empire State Building, New York
The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States. It was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from “Empire State”, the nickname of the state of New York.
Hikes: ‘Mount Hollywood & Griffith Observatory’
Mount Hollywood is a fantastic, short hike in the Griffith Park area of Los Angeles. The hike leaves from Griffith Observatory and it has some of the best views in the city as you make your way up. Along the way, be sure to stop and take in the views of the Hollywood Sign, Captains Roost and Griffith Observatory. Let me know what you think about this hike in the comments.
4K Walks: ‘Yellow Crane Tower – Wuhan, China’
The history of the Yellow Crane Tower, or Huanghe Lou in Chinese, dates back to the Three Kingdoms period (220-280) in Chinese history. Initially built in 223 AD, the tower served military purposes as a watchtower at the beginning. In the following centuries, it repeatedly saw both destruction and reconstruction. Especially during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, it was destroyed seven times. Yet, each time, it was brought back to life again. Unfortunately, a fire in 1884 completely ruined the building. It was not until 1981 that the tower was once again rebuilt, which took four years. The tower we see today is based on the one designed during the Qing Dynasty. Standing 51.4 meters, the five-story Yellow Crane Tower is perched on the banks of the Yangtze River at the top of the Snake Mountain. It features a mix of octagonal and square structures with a roof covered by 100,000 yellow glazed tiles. Each upturned eave resembles a fluttering crane that is closely linked to the tower’s name.
Nature: ‘Murmurations Of Starlings’ In Greenbrae, Northern California
“Sunday Morning” goes sky-gazing at Greenbrae, California, where flocks of starlings are performing aerial acrobatics known as murmurations. Videographer: Lee McEachern.
Views: ‘Kiteskating’ – A New Winter Sport In Latvia
A group of friends in Latvia have adapted their hobby to the harsh weather conditions to create a new sport they have dubbed ‘kiteskating.’
Studies: ‘Coffee’ – Machine Learning Review Shows Benefits Of Drinking It
“It may be good for you,” says Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. “I think we can say with good certainty it’s not bad for you.” (Additives are another story.)
After the link appeared between coffee intake and a reduced risk of heart failure in the Framingham data, Kao confirmed the result by using the algorithm to correctly predict the relationship between coffee intake and heart failure in two other respected data sets. Kosorok describes the approach as “thoughtful” and says that it “seems like pretty good evidence.”
Should you drink coffee? If so, how much? These seem like questions that a society able to create vaccines for a new respiratory virus within a year should have no trouble answering. And yet the scientific literature on coffee illustrates a frustration that readers, not to mention plenty of researchers, have with nutrition studies: The conclusions are always changing, and they frequently contradict one another.
Aerial Views: ‘Meteora Monasteries – Greece’ (4K)
The Meteora is a rock formation in central Greece hosting one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, second in importance only to Mount Athos. The six monasteries are built on immense natural pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the local area.
Sunday Morning Podcast: Latest News From Zurich, London And Bangkok
The weekend’s biggest discussion topics with Monocle’s Tyler Brûlé, Andrew Tuck, Gillian Dobias, Cornelia Meyer and Urs Bühler.
We also check the headlines in Bangkok and find out which titles have been flying off shelves at Lisbon’s Under The Cover book and magazine shop.
Spring Walks: Cherry Blossoms – Tokyo Parks
Yoshino Cherry Trees in Tokyo parks on March 26 and 27, 2021.
Video timeline:
0:00 Inokashira Park https://bit.ly/3u3Jpxw 3:13 Sumida Park(ASAKUSA) https://bit.ly/2O3wPPM 5:19 Sensoji Temple(ASAKUSA) https://bit.ly/2NZLxat 7:15 Nihonbashi https://bit.ly/2PB8Wze 8:30 Joenji Temple(Shinjuku) https://bit.ly/3w8r5VQ 9:27 Ueno park https://bit.ly/3w4Snwy 11:52 Kitanomaru Park https://bit.ly/31pgoAb 13:07 Chidorigafuchi https://bit.ly/3w4d0c8 16:08 Naka-Meguro Station https://bit.ly/3lWURIy 16:18 Meguro river https://bit.ly/3w54REe 21:05 ARK Hills https://bit.ly/3d5xqss 21:48 Sotobori Park https://bit.ly/3u3RORA 22:43 Hibiya Park https://bit.ly/3u1vw3a 24:29 Zojoji Temple https://bit.ly/3w8pPC8 24:59 Tokyo Tower form Zojoji Temple 25:14 Akasakamitsuke https://bit.ly/2PuYMAh 27:22 Shibuya https://bit.ly/3dgQQe4 29:04 Tokyo Midtown (Roppongi) https://bit.ly/3d8waF8
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