MemorySeekers (April 16, 2023) – Bergen is a historic city in Norway. We start our trip with a walk around the Bryggen full of colourful wooden buildings dating back hundreds of years. The Bergen to Oslo train ride on the Bergenline is a world-famous train ride and we hitch a ride on an amazing 7-hour train ride across Norway to the Capital, Oslo.
With just a few short hours in Oslo, we’ll see a few of the city highlights. Join us for one of the most amazing train rides in the world, from Bergen to Oslo.
Walk n Explore (Uploaded April 16, 2023) – Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is a beautiful village in the Alpilles region of Provence, Southern France. It has a rich historical and cultural heritage, with ancient Roman monuments, museums, art galleries and festivals.
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence has a strong connection with Vincent Van Gogh, the famous Dutch painter who spent a year in the town from May 1889 to May 1890. He voluntarily admitted himself to the Saint-Paul de Mausole psychiatric hospital, where he was treated by Dr Théophile Peyron.
During his stay, he painted some of his most well-known works, such as The Starry Night, Irises, Self-Portrait and Almond Blossoms. He was inspired by the landscapes, colours and light of Provence, and often depicted the olive groves, cypresses, wheat fields and mountains of the Alpilles region. He also painted scenes from the hospital and its gardens, such as The Garden of Saint-Paul Hospital and The Courtyard of the Hospital at Arles.
Smithsonian Channel (April 15, 2023) – From Lionfish to Peacock Mantis Shrimp, here’s a look at some of the reef’s fiercest predators from ‘Castro’s Secret Reef,’ Deadly Australians: Oceans and Beaches,’ ‘Great Blue Wild: Indonesia,’ and ‘David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef.’
Timelab Pro (April 15, 2023) – Our trip to Franz Josef Land was an unforgettable experience, and we were fortunate enough to be on board the mighty famous ship Mikhail Somov for a scientific mission to study the Narwhals in the Arctic.
Franz Josef Land is the northernmost territory of Russia, and one of the least filmed territory in the world. Our shots are truly unique, capturing the beauty of the Arctic landscape and the majestic Narwhals in their natural habitat. As we took our drone to the skies, we searched for days to find these elusive creatures, and finally, we were lucky enough to spot them.
Did you know that Narwhals are the only known species of whale to have a single tusk? And that this tusk, which is actually a protruding tooth, can grow up to 3 meters long? The scientists on board the Mikhail Somov were conducting an important research expedition to prove that Narwhals dwell in the Russian Arctic.
They also took biopsies from the Narwhals to better understand the impact of global climatic changes on these amazing creatures. Our diesel-electric ship, the Mikhail Somov, is a historical ship with a rich history of Arctic exploration. In 1985 the Mikhail Somov became trapped in the ice for 133 days, but the crew was able to survive and eventually free the ship. Despite its modern upgrades, the ship still maintains the charm and spirit of its earlier expeditions.
World Economic Forum (April 15, 2023) – This week’s top stories of the week include:
0:15 China build’s the world’s largest container ship – Mediterranean Tessa is nearly 400 metres long. Her deck area is the size of 4 football pitches. She can carry up to 240,000 tonnes of cargo or more than 24,000 standard containers. The ship is fitted with an air lubrication system. It blows tiny bubbles along the hull to reduce its resistance in the water.This reduces the ship’s CO2 emissions by up to 4% saving around 6,000 tonnes of CO2 a year.
1:36 The first cellphone call was made 50 years ago – On 3 April 1973, Motorola engineer Martin Cooper stood on a Manhattan street and called the landline of a rival who was racing to develop the cellphone, too. This was the world’s first mobile phone call. “I’m calling you on a cellphone,” Cooper said. ‘‘A personal, handheld, portable cellphone” the race was over. Cooper’s prototype became the first commercially available mobile phone. Motorola released the DynaTAC 8000x a decade later, in 1984. It was about the size of a shoebox and cost $11,500 in today’s money. Since then, mobile technology has transformed our lives. Watch to learn more about the first mobile phone call in the world.
3:40 South Korea to pay its citizens to have children – South Korea has the world’s lowest fertility rate. The average South Korean woman will have 0.78 babies in her lifetime. While the average fertility rate in OECD countries is 1.59. South Korea’s population is shrinking as a result. More people die each year than are born. Left unchecked, the country’s working-age population will almost halve by 2070. Globally, the fertility rate is declining it stands at 2.3 today. In 2000 it was 2.7. The UN predicts the global population will peak at 10.4 billion by 2080, but a recent study suggests the peak could be much lower and could arrive much sooner.
5:01 Why sleeper trains are being revived across Europe – The EU has provisionally agreed to call 2021 the European Year of Rail. It says boosting rail travel could help the bloc reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
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The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
April 15, 2023: An aerial journey through some of Slovenia’s most scenic locations, including the majestic Julian Alps, the picturesque Lake Bled, and the emerald green Soča River. You will witness the stunning beauty of the Slovenian countryside from a unique perspective, as my drone soars high above the mountains, forests, and lakes.
Uploaded April 14, 2023: Copenhagen, Danish København, capital and largest city of Denmark. It is located on the islands of Zealand (Sjælland) and Amager, at the southern end of The Sound (Øresund).
A small village existed on the site of the present city by the early 10th century. In 1167 Bishop Absalon of Roskilde built a castle on an islet off the coast and fortified the town with ramparts and a moat. In 1445 Copenhagen was made the capital of Denmark and the residence of the royal family. In the civil and religious conflicts of the Protestant Reformation, the town was often sacked.
During the late 16th century Copenhagen’s trade began to flourish, and the city itself expanded. Among the new buildings erected were the Børsen (Exchange), the Holmens Church, Trinitatis Church, with the adjacent famous Round Tower, and the castle of Rosenborg (now the museum of the royal family). During the wars with Sweden (1658–60) Copenhagen was besieged for two years.
Fires in 1728 and 1795 destroyed many houses and buildings, and in 1807 the city was bombarded by the British. The ramparts were pulled down in 1856. Since then the city has expanded still further and incorporated many of the adjacent districts.
The Local Project – (April 14, 2023) – Working within the existing footprint of a round home, Feldman Architecture reimagines a disjointed circular structure into an innovative futuristic house. By connecting the residence to its lush surroundings and opening up spaces, the possibilities of an ocular form are realised.
Video timeline:00:00 – Introduction to the Innovative Futuristic House 00:23 – The Original Home and the Vision 01:07 – A Walkthrough of the Home 01:36 – Blurring the Lines between Inside and Outside 01:58 – The Original Story of the Home 02:21 – Functioning like a Sun Dial 02:42 – Curves All Around 03:00 – Creating the Curves with a Compass 03:31 – The Materials and the Shape 04:29 – A Unique Experience for the Client and the Architects
Nestled within the picturesque San Francisco hills, Feldman Architecture renovates an introverted round structure into an innovative futuristic house that thrives in its distinctive shape, location and views. Integral to the building’s remodelling is reworking the internal spaces to make them more functional and connected to the outdoors. The edge of the house wings out towards views of the landscape and it is also anchored to the land on the west side.
To make the most of its unique position, the garage was expanded to act as a base for the house and the stairwell was moved so that it takes you directly to the upper level. Upon entering, you see a framed view of the kitchen and then immediately turn into the open plan living. Here, there is a living and dining with tall ceilings, which open out to cascading views. Suddenly, there is a blurring of the indoors and outdoors, typical of Californian architecture. The rooms within the home follow an organic theme reminiscent of the structure’s circular shape.
The rigid flow of the old house has been transformed – the innovative futuristic house welcomes a nice sense of symmetry in the redesign of the kitchen and skylight as an oculus hub in the centre of the home. This skylight functions like a sundial and moves about at different points in time, reflecting a constant interplay with light. A thoughtful selection of materials are chosen to soften the powerful geometry of the home. In terms of finishes and materiality, the residence is very minimalist.
(Uploaded April 12, 2023) – Brussels, Flemish Brussel, French Bruxelles, city, capital of Belgium. It is located in the valley of the Senne (Flemish: Zenne) River, a small tributary of the Schelde (French: Escaut). Greater Brussels is the country’s largest urban agglomeration. It consists of 19 communes, or municipalities, each with a large measure of administrative autonomy. The largest commune—which, like the greater metropolitan area, is named Brussels—contains the historic core of the city and the so-called “European Quarter,” where the institutions of the European Union (EU) are located.
Greater Brussels officially became the Brussels-Capital Region in 1989, during the federalization of Belgium. Along with the much larger regions of Flanders and Wallonia, the Brussels-Capital Region constitutes one of the country’s three main political divisions. As the seat of the EU, Brussels is known as the “capital of Europe,” and its significance as a centre of international governance and business makes Brussels a true global city—a status shared with such metropolises as New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo.
Uploaded April 12, 2023: The famous ‘Ring Road’ is a 1322 km (820 miles) loop connecting most towns and villages; a road trip renowned for its variety of scenery, passing many of Iceland’s most iconic sites.
The southern drive from Reykjavík to Egilsstaðir is the more scenic half, with waterfalls and glacial lagoons visible from the road. That is not to say this part of the country merits more of your time—only that there are more things to see and do along the Ring Road. Other regions reward a good detour, for instance along the Eastfjords or Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Travelers spending more than a week on the road should consider the scenic Arctic Coast Way and the Westfjords Way (Vestfjarðaleiðin).
“In September of last year, I had the opportunity to go on a father & son trip to Iceland, and I hope this video encourages you to do the same!”