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Bennie Railplane : Propeller Driven Monorail
A propeller-driven suspended monorail, claiming the speed of aircraft with the safety and reliability of railways, was designed by George Bennie in 1926, and named the ‘Bennie Railplane’. A short test track was built over a railroad line near Glasgow, Scotland. Two electrically-powered propellers delivered 240 horsepower in a short burst for acceleration to the cruise speed of 160 kph (almost 100 mph).
There were plans for a high-speed link between London and Paris, with a seaplane to carry passengers across the English Channel, but the grave economic difficulties of the 1930’s doomed the Bennie Railplane from the start.
Slime Mold - Alien Landscapes on Earth
Just the thought of mold is something that makes many people involuntarily shudder. There are thousands of known species of molds which include opportunistic pathogens, saprotrophs, aquatic species and thermophiles.
Like all fungi, molds derive energy not through photosynthesis but from the organic matter in which they live. They are like alien landscapes on Earth. Take a look at this enigmatic and beautiful world on our own doorstep.
Taken with instagram
Taken with instagram
Taken with instagram
A Rare Insight into Kowloon Walled City
Once thought to be the most densely populated place on Earth, with 50,000 people crammed into only a few blocks, these fascinating pictures give a rare insight into the lives of those who lived Kowloon Walled City.
Taken by Canadian photographer Greg Girard in collaboration with Ian Lamboth the pair spent five years familiarising themselves with the notorious Chinese city before it was demolished in 1992.
The city was a phenomenon with 33,000 families and businesses living in more than 300 interconnected high-rise buildings, all constructed without contributions from a single architect.
The Giant Marionettes of Royal de Luxe
Based in Nantes, France, the street theatre company Royal de Luxe performs around the world, primarily using gigantic, elaborate marionettes to tell stories that take place over several days and wind through entire cities. Puppeteers maneuver the huge marionettes — some as tall as 12 meters (40 ft) — through streets, parks, and waterways, performing their story along the way. Gathered here are images of several recent Royal de Luxe performances, from Belgium, Mexico, Germany, Chile, and England.
Today would have been Robert Moog’s 78th birthday, so here’s Brett Domino covering Daft Punk on the Google Moog doodle
In honor of what would have been the 78th birthday of music pioneer Bob Moog, Google put up an interactive Moog synth doodle today. So of course, Brett Domino used it to cover Daft Punk.
(Source: iheartchaos)
An experimental exposure made on the Queensboro Bridge, on February 9, 1910.
Beautiful Manhole Cover Art of Japan
In 95% of Japan’s 1,780 municipalities you will find artistic manhole covers unique to each city and town. It has become a part of the country’s national culture and it’s fascinating to see the different designs and styles that each town and city has chosen to represent them.
Timelapse Video of Last Night’s Solar Eclipse
If you missed the big solar eclipse and its strange shadows last night, not to worry. Cory Poole, a science teacher in Redding, California, has you covered. Above, you’ll find his video that brings together 700 images (view them individually in high res here) into a 60 second time-lapse film. The images were viewed/taken through a Coronado Solar Max 60 Double Stacked Hydrogen Alpha Solar Telescope. The music was composed in Abelton Live. Find courses on Astronomy in our collection of Free Online Courses. via Gizmodo
10 of the World’s Biggest Unsolved Mysteries
Few stories have the power to captivate us more than those that remain unresolved. Codes, puzzles and cryptic public art tease us with their intrigue: Why is their message coded? What great secrets might they hide? Despite the efforts of our most learned historians, cleverest cryptographers and most determined treasure hunters, history is replete with riddles that continue to confound us today. Fictional tales like those featured in “The Da Vinci Code” and the movie “National Treasure” have got nothing on these real-life puzzles. Here’s our list of 10 of the world’s most cryptic unsolved mysteries and codes
Milo san (Taken with instagram)
