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roamanddiscover · 9 months

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French Guiana

French Guiana is a department of France situated in South America, bordering Brazil, Suriname, and the Atlantic Ocean. It is an overseas region of France and is the only non-independent territory on the South American continent. It covers an area of 83,534 square kilometers and is home to around 296,711 people. French Guiana's capital city is Cayenne. The region is known for its dense Amazonian rainforest, tepuis (table-top mountains), and rivers, with the Maroni and Oyapock rivers forming borders with neighboring countries. The Amazon rainforest covers almost all of the region's land, making it an important biodiversity hotspot. The official language is French, and the Euro is the official currency used in the region. While French Guiana's economy is largely dependent on the French government, fishing and gold mining are vital contributors to the region's economy. The Guiana Space Centre, one of the world's most significant spaceports, is also located in French Guiana and is operated by the French government. French Guiana's climate is tropical, with high levels of humidity and temperatures ranging between 26°C and 32°C on average. The rainy season typically falls between December and July, while the dry season lasts from August through November. While French Guiana is a part of France, it is still quite unique, and there are significant differences between the department and the rest of the country. Unlike mainland France, the department is situated within South America and boasts a unique blend of cultures and traditions. The region is also home to a diverse population of ethnic groups, including Creoles, Amerindians, and Maroons. French Guiana's culture is a fusion of various traditions influenced by its history and the different immigrant groups that have settled in the region over the years. The department is an excellent place for ecotourism, featuring many natural landmarks and animal species. Along with national parks, a popular attraction in French Guiana is the Guiana Space Centre, which attracts many international visitors due to the many rocket launches that take place at the spaceport. Despite its small size, French Guiana's unique blend of culture, natural beauty, and scientific advancements make it a fascinating region to explore and learn about.

Etymology

French Guiana, also known as Guiana, is a French overseas region located on the northeast coast of South America. The name "Guiana" comes from an Amerindian language, meaning "Land of Many Waters." The name is fitting as the region is home to numerous rivers and waterways, including the Amazon and its tributaries. The term "French Guiana" was first used by the French when they laid claim to the region in the 17th century. The name was given to distinguish it from the neighboring territories of British Guiana (now Guyana) and Dutch Guiana (now Suriname). French Guiana's name reflects its complex history and cultural heritage. The region has been home to various indigenous peoples for thousands of years before being colonized by the French and becoming a part of the larger French colonial empire in the 19th century. The region is also known for its rich biodiversity and unique flora and fauna. Today, French Guiana is an important center for space exploration and research, with the Guiana Space Centre being located in Kourou. The name French Guiana reflects the region's ties to France and its contributions to science and technology.

History

French Guiana has a rich history stretching back to pre-Columbian times. The indigenous Amerindian tribes, including the Kalina, Wayampi, and Arawak, were the first inhabitants of the region. However, during the 17th century, European explorers began arriving in the area, and French traders established settlements along the coast. In 1664, French Guiana officially became a French colony, and the region was used primarily as a penal colony throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Thousands of prisoners were sent from France to work on plantations and in gold mines. Conditions were harsh, and many prisoners perished due to disease and mistreatment. In the late 19th century, French Guiana underwent significant changes, and it became a center for scientific research. The French government funded numerous expeditions to study the region's flora, fauna, and geology. Some of the most notable expeditions were led by naturalist Alfred Wallace and geologist Charles Darwin. During World War II, French Guiana played an essential role in the allied war effort. The United States government constructed a military base in the region, and troops were stationed there to protect against Nazi submarines. In the 1960s, French Guiana began a new phase of development, and the focus shifted to space exploration. The European Space Agency built the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, which is the world's busiest satellite launch site. The center is responsible for launching satellites for both European and American clients. Despite its intriguing past, French Guiana is a territory that is often overlooked in discussions of South American history. This region's history is complex and multilayered, and it's worth exploring for those interested in colonialism, indigenous cultures, and scientific exploration. Geology The unique and rugged landscape of French Guiana owes much to its geological history. The region is characterized by rocky plateaus, rolling hills, and dense forests, all of which are the result of millions of years of tectonic activity, erosion, and deposition. French Guiana lies on the northern edge of the Amazonian Craton, a stable and ancient geological region that forms the foundation of much of South America. However, the region is not entirely stable. The Guiana Shield, an area of ancient rock that extends across much of northern South America, was formed billions of years ago by volcanic activity and has been subject to tectonic uplift and folding. The landscape of French Guiana has been shaped by the slow wearing away of the Guiana Shield, which has exposed a variety of rock formations, including sandstone, shale, and limestone. The region is also rich in mineral resources, including gold, bauxite, and diamonds. The most prominent feature of the landscape, however, is the Amazon Rainforest, which covers more than 90% of French Guiana. The dense vegetation is the result of a combination of weather patterns, soil conditions, and a wet and humid climate. The region's geological heritage also plays a crucial role in shaping the biodiversity of the area. The unique combination of rock formations, soils, and climate has led to the evolution of a vast array of plant and animal species, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth. French Guiana is also home to several geological formations of unique interest to scientists and tourists alike. One of the most stunning is the Devil's Island, an infamous former penal colony that sits atop a rocky outcrop on the northeast coast of the region. The island is the site of several unusual geological features, including rugged cliffs, sea caves, and a stunning natural arch. the landforms and geology of French Guiana are as exciting and unique as the flora and fauna that call this region home. Whether you're a geology enthusiast or just an appreciator of natural beauty, this South American gem offers something for everyone. Geography French Guiana is the smallest region of France, located in the northeastern coast of South America. It is bordered by Suriname to the west, Brazil to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the north. The region's geography mainly comprises of low-lying coastal plains and the Guiana Highlands, a mountain range in the southern part of the region. The coastal plains occupy most of the region's area and are covered with mangrove swamps, marshlands, and savannas. These marshlands are home to various waterbirds, such as herons, egrets, and flamingos. The savannas are a mix of grasslands, scrub bushes, and small forests, and are inhabited by various bird species and capybaras. The Guiana Highlands, on the other hand, are part of the old Guiana Shield and are mainly composed of granite and crystalline rocks. The highest peak in the region, Montagne des Chevaux at 845 meters, is located in this mountain range. The Guiana Highlands are covered in lush rainforests and are home to various plant and animal species endemic to the region. The region is also home to many rivers, with the Maroni river acting as the natural boundary between French Guiana and Suriname. Other major rivers include the Oyapock, Sinnamary, and Approuague. These rivers are home to various species of fish, including piranhas, and are crucial to the region's fishing industry. French Guiana also has a few offshore islands, including the Salvation Islands, an archipelago famous for its historical use as a penal colony. The largest of these islands, Devil's Island, is now a tourist attraction and is known for its beautiful beaches. French Guiana's diverse geography plays a vital role in the region's economy and ecosystem. The region's coastal plains, highlands, rivers, and islands are home to various plant and animal species and provide various resources to the region's residents. Ecology One of the most fascinating aspects of French Guiana is its diverse environmental ecosystem. Located in South America, the region features an array of wetlands, rainforests, and savannas that are home to a variety of unique species. The Amazon rainforest covers a significant portion of French Guiana, accounting for about 90 percent of the total area. This vast expanse of greenery is home to several endangered species of plants and animals, which makes it an essential area of global significance. The region's wetlands and savannas, on the other hand, feature a wide range of animals such as capybaras, sloths, tapirs, and caimans. The coastal areas of French Guiana are mainly covered by mangroves. These forests are essential in protecting the coastline from storms and flooding. Mangroves are also home to several species of birds that are integral to the area's ecological balance. With over 4,000 recorded species of plants and animals, French Guiana boasts an immensely diverse ecological system. The region's most iconic wildlife is the giant sea turtle, which nests in large numbers on the beaches near Mana and Awala-Yalimapo. French Guiana also has the largest number of primate species in the world, with over 13 different species living in the region. The country’s rivers, such as the Maroni, which borders Suriname, is home to several species of fish, including the popular Piranha. The Amazon, Oyapock, and Approuague rivers all contribute to the overall diversity of the region's aquatic ecosystem. Despite the impressive diversity of species and natural resources, French Guiana faces environmental challenges, including deforestation, air pollution, and improper waste disposal, which can harm the population and contribute to the disruption of the ecological balance. Efforts have been made to address these issues, and the region has implemented several conservation measures and policies that have helped protect indigenous species and ecosystems. French Guiana's ecological system is a beautiful and unique aspect of the region. The lush rainforests, wetlands, mangroves, and savannas provide a home for a diverse array of species, making it a vital area of global environmental significance. The challenges faced in ensuring the region's ecological balance underscores the importance of continued efforts to protect and preserve the region's natural habitats. Biodiversity Biodiversity in French Guiana is a topic of great interest due to the abundance of unique flora and fauna found in the region. The tropical rainforests, savannas, and wetlands allow for a wide variety of species to thrive. French Guiana is known to have one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. The region is home to over 6,000 plant species, many of which are endemic to the area, meaning they can only be found in French Guiana. The forests are made up of different types of trees, including mahogany, greenheart, and cedar. there are over 500 species of birds in French Guiana, including the harpy eagle and toucan. French Guiana is also home to numerous species of mammals, including jaguars, tapirs, sloths, and anteaters. The region’s rivers and wetlands provide habitats for caimans, piranhas, and otters. French Guiana’s coastal waters are known for their diverse marine life, including coral reefs, sea turtles, and dolphins. One of the most unique species found in French Guiana is the Guiana Crested Eagle, which is one of the rarest birds of prey in the world. This bird was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in the 21st century in the forests of French Guiana. Another notable species is the giant otter, which can grow up to 6 feet long and is known for its playful behavior in the water. In order to protect the biodiversity of French Guiana, the government has established protected areas and national parks throughout the region. These areas are designed to preserve the natural habitats of the flora and fauna, while also allowing visitors to experience the beauty of the region. The Kaw-Roura Nature Reserve, for example, is one such area that is home to a wide variety of bird species and other wildlife. French Guiana's biodiversity is not only important for the region, but for the world as a whole. The unique species found in the region can provide valuable information for scientific research and can also be used for medicinal purposes. It's important to continue to protect and preserve the biodiversity of French Guiana for future generations to enjoy and learn from.

Jaguars Climate French Guiana has a tropical equatorial climate, characterized by high humidity and frequent rainfall throughout the year. The annual temperature typically ranges between 75-90°F (24-32°C), with minimal variation during the seasons. However, the region experiences two distinct seasons - a rainy season from December to July and a dry season from August to November. During the rainy season, the rainfall ranges from heavy to moderate, and the region experiences thunderstorms and gusty winds. On the other hand, the dry season is characterized by a relatively low amount of rainfall, and often, the region experiences forest fires and drought. Furthermore, French Guiana is on the path of the South Atlantic High, which brings in variable winds across the region. These can range from light breezes to strong gusts, causing an increase in humidity levels and rain showers. Due to the region's location near the equator, the length of daylight hours remains fairly constant throughout the year, with 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. However, during the rainy season, cloud cover can limit the amount of sunshine, and visibility can be reduced, which can affect outdoor activities. If you plan to visit French Guiana, it is recommended to check the weather forecast beforehand and pack accordingly. Light, breathable clothing is ideal as temperatures can be high, and it is also recommended to carry a jacket or raincoat in case of an unexpected shower. Mosquito repellent is also a must-have item due to the high prevalence of mosquitoes in the region, particularly during the rainy season. French Guiana experiences a rainy and dry season, which brings in variations in climate and weather patterns. Humidity, rainfall, and temperature levels remain relatively constant throughout the year, with an equatorial tropical climate prevalent in the region. Visitors should be mindful of these weather patterns and prepare accordingly, ensuring that they take the necessary measures to make their stay in French Guiana a comfortable and enjoyable experience. Environmental Issues French Guiana faces various environmental challenges that affect the biodiversity and natural habitat of the region. One of the significant challenges in the region is illegal gold mining. The gold mining process involves deforestation, which disrupts the ecological system and destroys the habitats of wildlife. It also leads to soil erosion, which alters the land structure and causes water pollution, damaging aquatic animals. Another environmental issue is the use of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture. The chemicals used in farming are harmful to the environment, particularly to aquatic animals and birds. Pesticides and fertilizers run off into nearby water sources, causing water pollution and harming aquatic plants and animals. the chemicals can accumulate in the soil, making it unsuitable for agriculture over time. Deforestation due to logging and farming is also a significant environmental issue in French Guiana. The forest serves as a habitat for a wide range of species, and the loss of trees reduces biodiversity. Illegal logging causes income loss for the government and its people, damaging the economy and affecting the livelihood of the populace. Climate change is another environmental challenge in the region. The increasing global temperature has led to rising sea levels, more severe weather conditions, and an increased frequency of natural disasters. Changes in weather patterns have affected agriculture in the region, leading to a decline in yields. To address these environmental challenges, the local government has implemented measures to protect the environment. The government enforces laws that regulate and restrict illegal mining activities, logging, and the use of chemicals in farming. The government also promotes sustainable agriculture practices, such as agroforestry, to preserve the biodiversity of the region. French Guiana faces environmental issues that affect the natural habitat and its people. The government has put measures in place to reduce the harmful impact of human activities on the environment and promote sustainable practices. It is important to continue implementing strategies that support the preservation of the region's ecosystem to ensure a healthy and stable future for the region.

Politics

French Guiana is an overseas department of France and has been since 1946. As such, it shares the same political structures and governance as the rest of France. The President of France has an elected prefect who represents him in French Guiana, acting as the highest authority of the region. The prefect is assisted by a number of other officials, such as the Sub-Prefects and the Mayors of the different cities in the region. French Guiana sends two representatives to the French National Assembly and one senator to the French Senate to represent them on the national level. The French Guianese also have the right to vote in national French elections and referendums, making them fully integrated into the political system of France. However, despite being a part of France, French Guiana has its own regional council that is responsible for managing the region's budget, infrastructure, and other local affairs. Read the full article

#CaribbeanTours #FrenchGuianatours #FrenchGuianaTravel #TravelTheWorld #visitFrenchGuiana

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abhinz · 1 year

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Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, is a graceful, evergreen city that is sprawled over seven hills and is rich in culture and history. Its coasts are bathed by the warm seas of the Arabian Sea, which is situated in the state's extreme south. One of the nicest cities in the nation, this one is where time flows beautifully and the day unfolds in accordance with time-honored routines. Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, devoted to Lord Vishnu who lies atop the serpent Anantha and after whom the city is named, is a stronghold in the centre of the metropolis. The city's original name, Trivandrum, was reinstated in 1991. The tourist will undoubtedly notice numerous traditional aspects of Kerala culture as they go throughout the city because they have been handed down through the years. The sights are numerous and frequently unique to this region of the country, such temple elephants strutting down a street, ladies and men dressed traditionally, and people eating off banana leaves. Additionally cutting-edge is Thiruvananthapuram. The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Technopark, and the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management are all located in the city, which holds a prominent position in India's space research programme.

KOVALAM - In the latter half of the 1920s, Halcyon Castle, the seaside resort built by the Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore, was built in Kovalam. The Maharaja of Travancore, her nephew, later made the location known to the general public. The 1930s saw the emergence of Kovalam beach as a prospective tourist attraction thanks to the European visitors to the former Travancore kingdom. A little fishing town in Kerala started to develop into a popular tourist attraction when a large number of hippies travelled the Hippie Trail in the early 1970s on their way to Ceylon. Beach resorts may be found in great numbers in and around Kovalam. About 3 kilometres distant is the seaport of Vizhinjam, which is renowned for its unique fish types, ancient Hindu temples, churches, and a mosque. Kovalam is also adjacent to the Vizhinjam International Transshipment Terminal proposal. During the hippy era, Kovalam was one of the most well-known tourist destinations in India. Tourists still hold a high regard for it; the majority are from Israel and Europe. With the addition of numerous Ayurvedic clinics and resorts that offer a variety of Ayurvedic therapies to visitors, Kovalam is taking on a new relevance.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ZOO - Among the oldest zoos in India is the one in Thiruvananthapuram. The Museum and Botanical Gardens are also among the nation's oldest institutions of their sort. The Thiruvananthapuram Museum and Zoo was founded with the help of Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma (1816–1846), the Travancore monarch from 1830–1846. In his horse breeding facility, he kept a wide range of animals, including elephants. He built a menagerie within the Trivandrum stables and kept tigers, panthers, cheetahs, deer, bears, and a lioness there. But the creation of the Napier Museum and Zoo at Thiruvananthapuram was left to his brother Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma and the then-British Resident General Cullen.

SREE PADMANABHASWAMY TEMPLE - Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital of Kerala, India, is home to the Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, a Hindu temple. The translation of the name "Thiruvananthapuram" into Tamil and Malayalam is "The City of Lord Ananta." With tall walls and a gopura from the 16th century, the temple is an elaborate mix of Dravidian and Chera architectural styles. The Adikesava Perumal temple at Thiruvattar, in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, is quite similar in design to the Ananthapura temple in Kumbla, in the Kasaragod region of Kerala, which some traditions claim to be the original spiritual residence of the deity. The main deity Padmanabhaswamy is housed in the yogic position known as "Anantha Shayana," which is the state of eternal sleep on the endless snake Adi Shesha. The protector god of the Travancore royal family is Padmanabhaswamy. The titular Maharaja of Travancore, Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma, is the current trustee of the temple

#thiruvananthapuram #sree padmanabhaswamy temple #thiruvanthapuramzoo #kovalam #capitalofkerala

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latviavisa · 2 years

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UNDER Festival 2022 – A Latvian Music Fest You Shouldn’t Miss!

UNDER Festival 2022 is a global gathering place for people of diverse races, religions, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds who share a passion for electronic music. The festival was created to promote both emerging and known musicians in the electronic music field, as well as to foster intergenerational discourse via the medium of music.

The official dates for the event are August 18-21, 2022. This incredible music festival will take place in the well-known Autentika, which is an abandoned brewery that has been renovated for social activities. Feel like applying for a Latvia visa UK and visiting the spectacular UNDERFestival with loved ones? Before you get too enthusiastic with your preparations, here is a little introduction that will illuminate all the fascinating facets of the UNDER Festival!

What makes UNDER Festival 2022 Special?

Each year, the thrilling music extravaganza takes place in a beautiful place that goes by the name - Riga, Latvia. After multiple successful iterations in 2018 and 2019, the festival aims to reinvigorate the Eastern European rave culture. By curating a lineup of only the most promising new bands, UNDER Festival seeks to provide a platform for musicians who might otherwise be overlooked. A second stated objective of the event is to create a safe space where people of various origins and viewpoints can freely express themselves without fear of retaliation.

UNDER Festival 2022 – A Brief Schedule For the fourth year in a row, Riga will be hosting the glorious UNDER Festival ofElectronic Music and Alternative Culture. Over the course of three days, both locals and tourists can enjoy live performances of electronic and experimental media. There will be performers from more than 10 different countries spread out across four stages. What follows is a condensed version of the event schedule that has been created by the organizers for the 2020/21 season (both were canceled). We can, however, anticipate that the organizers will stage a number of events and live performances over the three-day music festival.

The inaugural UNDER Festival concert will take place on August 18, 2022,providing festivalgoers with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the intersection of music, technology, and emotion. There will be a number of bands playing that night, including ones that focus on ambient music, techno, and experimental sounds. On Friday, speakers will address subjects of interest to anyone with an interest in nightlife, including recent shifts in club culture, trends at contemporary music festivals, and more.

The main UNDER Festival event will go on for a full 24 hours, from Saturday to Sunday, so that festival-goers may catch as many performers and sets as possible.

The Venue of the Event is a Classic Culture Centre! Listen to experimental music and chat with Riga's bohemian crowd at a former brewery that has been redeveloped into a club that goes Autentika. Standard business hours are Friday and Saturday evenings – so keep that in mind!

You may always check the venue's Facebook page for up-to-date information about events, not only the UNDER festival. In the summer, the bar transforms its outdoor patio into a stage for local and touring independent bands and DJs to play for their devoted following. So when you Latvia visa uk, make sure to check out all these amazing features at the venue!

Apply here :

#UNDER Festival 2022 #UNDER Festival 2022 ticket #UNDER Festival 2022 lineup #Latvia visas #Latvia visa UK #Latvia visa from UK #latvia tourist visa

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lucyloumayers · 2 years

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Rafael Lozano-Hemmer

Wednesday 30th March 2022.

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer was born in Mexico City in 1967. In 1989 he received a B.Sc. in Physical Chemistry from Concordia University in Montréal, Canada.

Electronic artist, develops large-scale interactive installations in public space, usually deploying new technologies and custom-made physical interfaces. Using robotics, projections, sound, internet and cell-phone links, sensors and other devices, his installations aim to provide "temporary antimonuments for alien agency". His work has been commissioned for events such as the Millennium Celebrations in Mexico City (1999), the Cultural Capital of Europe in Rotterdam (2001), the United Nations' World Summit of Cities in Lyon (France, 2003), the opening of the Yamaguchi Centre for Art and Media in Japan (2003) and the Expansion of the European Union in Dublin (2004).

This work didn’t really connect much to me in my practice because of the methods that he uses in his practice. Although I liked how he uses his art to create communication between people around the world, and allow people to share a common act. Like in my art I use sport beside it’s something that everyone can relate to, maybe not just playing but sport is part of everyone’s life in some way, so I like this idea of interactions and community within art.

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budapestbug · 3 years

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The building of Budapest, which won the Oscars of architects Müpa Budapest - Palace of Arts – Művészetek Palotája in Hungarian opened in March 2005. The structure of the building covers a ground area of 10,000 m² and the total floor space of the building is 70,000 m². The creators of this ambitious project were driven by the desire to create a new European cultural citadel as part of the new Millennium City Centre complex along the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Danube waterfront. The result is a facility whose construction quality, appearance, functionality and 21st century technological infrastructure makes it ideally suited to productions of the highest standard. The building is also highly versatile and equipped to host performances of any genre and almost any scale. The three institutions housed in the building – the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall at its core, the Ludwig Museum nearest the Danube and the Festival Theatre on the far side – were all constructed in parallel over a period of 28 months. The organ in the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall is ranked among the largest concert hall organs in the world. Müpa received the Prix d’Excellence of FIABCI in 2006, often referred to as “the Oscars of architecture and real estate development” . https://www.mupa.hu/en/about/mupa-budapest

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scienceetfiction · 4 years

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2019 in Science

from Wikipedia

Some highlights:

3 January - China's National Space Administration (CNSA) achieves the first soft landing on the far side of the Moon with its Chang'e 4 mission.

Scientists report the engineering of crops with a photorespiratory "shortcut" to boost plant growth by 40% in real-world agronomic conditions.

4 January - Researchers at Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) report a way to control properties of excitons and change the polarisation of light they generate, which could lead to transistors that undergo less energy loss and heat dissipation.

Researchers design an inhalable form of messenger RNA aerosol that could be administered directly to the lungs to help treat diseases such as cystic fibrosis

8 January - IBM unveils IBM Q System One, its first integrated quantum computing system for commercial use.

9 January- Astronomers at the University of Warwick present the first direct evidence of white dwarf stars solidifying into crystals.

11 January – Researchers at the University of Michigan demonstrate a new approach to 3D printing, based on the lifting of shapes from a vat of liquid, which is up to 100 times faster than conventional processes.

14 January – A study in the journal PNAS finds that Antarctica experienced a sixfold increase in yearly ice mass loss between 1979 and 2017.

22 January – Alphabet's Waymo subsidiary announces that it will later in 2019 begin construction in the US State of Michigan on the World's first factory for mass-producing autonomous vehicles.

24 January - NASA scientists report the discovery of the oldest known Earth rock – on the Moon. Apollo 14 astronauts returned several rocks from the Moon and later, scientists determined that a fragment from one of the rocks contained "a bit of Earth from about 4 billion years ago." The rock fragment contained quartz, feldspar, and zircon, all common on the Earth, but highly uncommon on the Moon.

29 January – Researchers at Purdue University's College of Engineering release a paper in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering detailing a new process to turn plastic waste in hydrocarbon fuels.

3 February: Medical scientists announce that iridium attached to albumin produces a photosensitized molecule able to penetrate and, via photodynamic therapy, destroy cancer cells.

6 February - NASA and NOAA confirm that 2018 was the fourth hottest year on record globally, at 0.83 degrees Celsius (1.5 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1951 to 1980 mean.

7 February - Medical scientists working with Sangamo Therapeutics, headquartered in Richmond, California, announce the first ever "in body" human gene editing therapy to permanently alter DNA in a patient with Hunter Syndrome.Clinical trials by Sangamo involving gene editing using Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN) are ongoing.

18 February - A British woman becomes the first person in the world to have gene therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Scientists use gene therapy to restore hearing in an adult mouse model of DFNB9 deafness.

19 February - Researchers at Oxford Martin School publish evidence that, in the longer term, some forms of cultured meat could be worse for the environment than traditional farmed meat.

21 February - Scientists announce a new form of DNA, named Hachimoji DNA, composed of four natural, and four unnatural nucleobases. Benefits of such an eight-base DNA system may include an enhanced ability to store digital data, as well as insights into what may be possible in the search for extraterrestrial life.

26 February – Researchers at RMIT University demonstrate a method of using a liquid metal catalyst to turn carbon dioxide gas back into coal, potentially offering a new way to store carbon in solid form.

28 February - Scientists report the first ever evidence of a former planet-wide groundwater system on the planet Mars.

Scientists report the creation of mice with infrared vision, using nanoparticles injected into their eyes.

11 March: Scientists report that cell nuclei from woolly mammoth remains showed biological activity when transplanted into mouse cells.

4 March – Scientists report that asteroids may be much more difficult to destroy than thought earlier. In addition, an asteroid may reassemble itself due to gravity after being disrupted.

7 March – Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) demonstrate a new optical imaging system that could enable the discovery of tiny tumours, as small as 200 cells, deep within the body.[

8 March – Astronomers report that the mass of the Milky Way galaxy is 1.5 trillion solar masses within a radius of about 129,000 light-years, over twice as much as was determined in earlier studies, and suggesting that about 90% of the mass of the galaxy is dark matter.

13 March – The laser of ELI-NP in Măgurele, part of the European ELI Project, becomes the most powerful laser system ever made, reaching a peak power of 10 Petawatts.

15 March – NASA reports that latent viruses in humans may be activated during space missions, adding possibly more risk to astronauts in future deep-space missions.

20 March: First fossil bird, named Avimaia schweitzerae, found with an unlaid egg,

18 March - Researchers provide supporting evidence, based on genetic studies, that modern Homo sapiens, arose first in South Africa more than 300,000 years ago, traveled to East Africa, and from there, about 60,000 years ago, traveled out of Africa to the rest of the world.

Physicist Adrian Bejan presents an explanation of why time seems shorter as we get older, which can be attributed to "the ever-slowing speed at which images are obtained and processed by the human brain as the body ages."

27 March - Scientists report that life-forms from Earth survived 18 months living in outer space outside the International Space Station (ISS), as part of the BIOMEX studies related to the EXPOSE-R2 mission, suggesting that life could survive, theoretically, on the planet Mars.

Chinese scientists report inserting the human brain-related MCPH1 gene into laboratory rhesus monkeys, resulting in the transgenic monkeys performing better and answering faster on "short-term memory tests involving matching colors and shapes", compared to control non-transgenic monkeys, according to the researchers.[

29 March – Paleontologists describe a site called Tanis, in North Dakota's Hell Creek Formation, containing animal and plant fossils dated to 65.76 million years BCE. These remains are embedded with tiny rock and glass fragments that fell from the sky in the minutes and hours following the Chicxulub impact. The deposits also show evidence of having been swamped with water, caused by thesubsequent megatsunamis.

1 April - Scientists at ETH Zurich report the creation of the world's first bacterial genome, named Caulobacter ethensis-2.0, made entirely by a computer, although a related viable form of C. ethensis-2.0 does not yet exist.

10 April – Scientists from the Event Horizon Telescope project announce the first-ever image of a black hole, located 54 million light years away in the centre of the M87 galaxy.

10 April - Scientists find a way to view reactions in "dark states" of molecules, i.e. those states that are normally inaccessible.

12 April – NASA reports medical results, from an Astronaut Twin Study, where one astronaut twin spent a year in space on the International Space Station, while the other twin spent the year on Earth, which demonstrated several long-lasting changes, including those related to alterations in DNA and cognition, when one twin was compared with the other.

16 April – Scientists report, for the first time, the use of the CRISPR technology to edit human genes to treat cancer patients with whom standard treatments were not successful.

17 April – After a long search, astronomers report the detection of helium hydride, a primordial molecule thought to have been formed about 100,000 years after the Big Bang, for the first time in outer space in NGC 7027.

23 April – NASA reports that the Mars InSight lander detected its first Marsquake on the planet Mars.

25 April – Astronomers report further substantial discrepancies, depending on the measurement method used, in determining the Hubble constant, suggesting a realm of physics currently not well understood in explaining the workings of the universe.

29 April – Scientists, working with the Hubble Space Telescope, confirmed the detection of the large and complex ionized molecules of buckminsterfullerene (C60) (also known as "buckyballs") in the interstellar medium spaces between the stars.

30 April – Biologists report that the very large medusavirus, or a relative, may have been responsible, at least in part, for the evolutionary emergence of complex eukaryotic cells from simpler prokaroytic cells

3 May – The UK's National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and University of Leicester report the first generation of usable electricity from americium, which could lead to the development of "space batteries" that power missions for up to 400 years.

6 May - In its first report since 2005, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) warns that biodiversity loss is "accelerating", with over a million species now threatened with extinction; the decline of the natural living world is "unprecedented" and largely a result of human actions.

Researchers at Columbia University report a new desalination method for hypersaline brines, known as "temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE)", which is low-cost and efficient.

8 May – A British teenager, Isabelle Holdaway, 17, is reported to be the first patient to receive a genetically modified phage therapy to treat a drug-resistant infection.

11 May – Atmospheric CO2, as measured by the Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, reaches 415 parts per million (ppm), the highest level for 2.5 million years.] During the late Pliocene, sea levels were up to 20 m higher, and the global climate was 3 °C hotter.

14 May - Researchers at Macquarie University report that plastic pollution is harming the growth, photosynthesis and oxygen production of Prochlorococcus, the ocean's most abundant photosynthetic bacteria, responsible for 10% of oxygen breathed by humans.

15 May - Researchers, in a milestone effort, report the creation of a new synthetic (possibly artificial) form of viable life, a variant of the bacteria Escherichia coli, by reducing the natural number of 64 codons in the bacterial genome to 59 codons instead, in order to encode 20 amino acids

21 May – Researchers at McMaster University report the discovery of a new and more efficient method of storing vaccines in temperatures of up to 40 °C for weeks at a time.

22 May - Scientists report the discovery of a fossilized fungus, named Ourasphaira giraldae, in the Canadian Arctic, that may have grown on land a billion years ago, well before plants were living on land.

27 May – The last male Sumatran rhinoceros in Malaysia is reported to have died, leaving only one female in the country.

3 June – Researchers report that the purportedly first-ever germline genetically edited humans, the twin babies Lulu and Nana, by Chinese scientist He Jiankui, may have been mutated in a way that shortens life expectancy.

10 June - A study by researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, identifies nearly 600 plants that have disappeared since the Industrial Revolution – more than twice the number of birds, mammals and amphibians combined – with extinctions now occurring 500 times faster than the natural background rate

11 June - Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder demonstrate "nanobio-hybrid" organisms capable of using airborne carbon dioxide and nitrogen to produce a variety of eco-friendly plastics and fuels.

12 June - The discovery of cold quasars is announced at the 234th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

19 June – Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University demonstrate the first noninvasive mind-controlled robotic arm

20 June – Researchers at Lancaster University describe a new electronic memory device that combines the properties of both DRAM and flash, while recording or deleting data using hundreds of times less energy.

21 June – Scientists release the video appearance, for the second time, and for the very first time in waters of the United States, of a giant squid in its deepwater habitat.

28 June - Astronomers report the detection of a star, named HD 139139 (EPIC 249706694), that dims in brightness in an apparent random, and currently unexplainable, way.

29 June – Scientists report that all 16 GB of Wikipedia have been encoded into synthetic DNA.

3 July - Researchers identify more than a 1 million square kilometres (0.39 million square miles) of lost tropical rainforest across the Americas, Africa and Southeast Asia, with a high potential for restoration.

10 July – Anthropologists report the discovery of 210,000 year old remains of a Homo sapiens and 170,000 year old remains of a Neanderthal in Apidima Cave in southern Greece, over 150,000 years older than previous H. sapiens finds in Europe.

11 July - Carnegie Mellon University reports an artificial intelligence program, developed in collaboration with Facebook AI, which is able to defeat leading professionals in six-player no-limit Texas hold'em poker.

12 July – Physicists report, for the first time, capturing an image of quantum entanglement.

15 July - Astronomers report that non-repeating Fast Radio Bursts (FRB)s may not be one-off events, but actually FRB repeaters with repeat events that have gone undetected and, further, that FRBs may be formed by events that have not yet been seen or considered.

A paper is released in the journal Nature Astronomy in which researchers from Harvard University, the University of Edinburgh and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) detail how silica aerogel could be used to block radiation, obtain water and permit photosynthesis to occur to make Mars more hospitable for human survival.

22 July - Biochemists and geochemist from Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI), Tokyo and the National University of Malaysia, Bangi report the discovery of simple organic molecules (hydroxy acids) that can assemble themselves into possible protocells under conditions similar to those of the early Earth.

5 August - Scientists report that a capsule containing tardigrades in cryptobiotic state (as well as a laser-etched copy of Wikipedia in glass) may have survived the April 2019 crash landing on the Moon of Beresheet, a failed Israeli lunar lander.

Engineers at the University of Buffalo reveal a new device able to cool parts of buildings by up to 11 °C (20 °F), without consuming electricity. The system uses an inexpensive polymer/aluminum film at the bottom of a solar "shelter", which absorbs heat from the air inside the box and transmits that energy back into outer space.

6 August – Scientists at the University of Leeds create a new form of gold just two atoms thick, measured at 0.47 nanometres. In addition to being the thinnest unsupported gold ever produced, it functions 10 times more efficiently as a catalytic substrate than larger gold nanoparticles.

7 August – Biologists report the discovery of the fossil remains of a first-of-its-kind extinct giant parrot named The Hercules parrot (or Heracles inexpectatus) in New Zealand. The parrot is thought to have stood up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tall and weighed approximately 7 kg (15 lb).

8 August - Researchers at Harvard report the creation of "cyborg organoids", which consist of 3D organoids grown from stem cells, with embedded sensors to measure activity in the developmental process.

9 August - Scientists report the isolation and culture of Lokiarchaea, a microorganism that may help explain the emergence of complex eukarotic (nucleated) cells from simpler bacteria-like cells

15 August - Chemists report the formation, for the first time, of an 18-atom cyclocarbon of pure carbon; such chemical structures may be useful as molecular-sized electronic components.

19 August - The first computer chip to exceed one trillion transistors, known as the Wafer Scale Engine, is announced by Cerebras Systems in collaboration with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

23 August - Austrian and Chinese scientists report the first teleportation of three-dimensional quantum states, or "qutrits", which are more complex than two-dimensional qubits.

26 August – Astronomers report that newly discovered long-term pattern of absorbance and albedo changes in the atmosphere of the planet Venus are caused by "unknown absorbers", which may be microorganisms high up in the atmosphere of the planet.

Scientists report the discovery of a new distinctive light wave, named a Dyakonov-Voigt wave, that results from a particular manipulation of crystals, that was first suggested in equations developed by physicist James Clerk Maxwell in the middle 1800s

30 August - Scientists in China report a way of regrowing the complex structure of tooth enamel, using calcium phosphate ion clusters as a precursor layer.

2 September – Insilico Medicine reports the creation, via artificial intelligence, of six novel inhibitors of the DDR1 gene, a kinase target implicated in fibrosis and other diseases. The system, known as Generative Tensorial Reinforcement Learning (GENTRL), designed the new compounds in 21 days, with a lead candidate tested and showing positive results in mice.

6 September - Mathematicians report, after a 65-year search (since 1954), the solution to the last integer left below 100 (i.e., "42") expressed as the sum of three cubes.

A team of physicists report that the supposed discrepancy in the proton radius between electronic and muonic hydrogen does not exist, settling the proton radius puzzle.

10 September – Scientists report the computerized determination, based on 260 CT scans, of a virtual skull shape of the last common human ancestor to modern humans, and suggests that the human ancestor arose through a merging of populations in East and South Africa, between 260,000 and 350,000 years ago.

11 September - Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology demonstrate the first artificial hand for amputees that merges user and robotic control, a concept in neuroprosthetics known as shared control.

Google reports the creation of a deep learning system, trained on 50,000 different diagnoses, able to detect 26 skin conditions as accurately as dermatologists.

16 September: The most massive neutron star ever discovered, with 2.17 solar masses placing it on the boundary of the theoretical maximum.

16 September - Biochemists report that "RNA-DNA chimeras" (complex mixtures of RNA molecules and DNA molecules) may be a more effective way of producing precursor life biochemicals, than the more linear approaches (with pure RNA and pure DNA molecules) used earlier

Scientists at the Mayo Clinic report the first successful use of senolytics, a new class of drug with potential anti-aging benefits, to remove senescent cells from human patients with a kidney disease.

In a study published in PNAS, researchers at MIT detail a new emission free method of cement production, a major contributor to climate change.

17 September – A small clinical trial, announced by U.S. company NeuroEM Therapeutics, shows reversal of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease patients after just two months of treatment using a wearable head device. Electromagnetic waves emitted by the device appear to penetrate the brain to break up amyloid-beta and tau deposits.

25 September - The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) releases its Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. This includes a revised projection for sea level rise, upwards by 10 cm to 1.1 metres by 2100.

The Amery Ice Shelf in Antarctica produces its largest iceberg in more than 50 years, with a chunk called D28 being calved off that is 1,636 sq km in area and weighs an estimated 315 billion tonnes.

30 September – By combining doses of lithium, trametinib and rapamycin into a single treatment, researchers extend the lifespan of fruit flies (Drosophila) by 48%.

8 October: Researchers find human cartilage repair mechanism which may allow entire limbs to regenerate.

1 October - Scientists at the University of California, San Diego describe how a protein named Dsup (Damage suppression protein) binds to chromatin, which protects the cells of tardigrades and may explain the animals' tremendous resilience.

Physicists report a way of determining the state of Schrödinger's cat before observing it.

15 October – OpenAI demonstrates a pair of neural networks trained to solve a Rubik's Cube with a highly dexterous, human-like robotic hand.

16 October – Researchers at Harvard Medical School identify a link between neural activity and human longevity. Neural excitation is linked to shorter life, while suppression of overactivity appears to extend lifespan.

22 October – Scientists report further evidence supporting the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis that the extinction of ice-age animals may have been caused by a disintegrating asteroid or comet impact and/or airburst about 12,800 years ago.

23 October – Google announces that its 53-qubit 'Sycamore' processor has achieved quantum supremacy, performing a specific task in 200 seconds that would take the world's best supercomputers 10,000 years to complete. However, the claim is disputed by some IBM researchers.

25 October – A new carbon capture system is described by MIT, which can work on the gas at almost any concentration, using electrodes combined with carbon nanotubes.

28 October - A study published in Nature identifies Botswana as the birthplace of anatomically modern humans, based on genetic studies, around 200,000 BCE.

30 October – A large-scale study by researchers in Germany finds that insect populations declined by one-third between 2008 and 2017.

31 October – Researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, develop a new film that is applied to solar cells, which combines nanocrystals and microlenses to capture infrared light. This can increase the solar energy conversion efficiency by 10 percent or more.

1 November – Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute demonstrate a way to 3D print living skin, complete with blood vessels, which could be used for more natural and accurate grafts.

4 November – Scientists confirm that, on 5 November 2018, the Voyager 2 probe had officially reached the interstellar medium (ISM), a region of outer space beyond the influence of the Solar System, and has now joined the Voyager 1 probe which had reached the ISM earlier in 2012.

6 November – Scientists at the University of Rochester demonstrate a new technique for creating superhydrophobic metals that float on water, using femtosecond laser bursts to "etch" the surfaces and trap air.

8 November - Computer experts at Kaspersky Lab report the detection of a very advanced and insidious backdoor malware APT named Titanium, that was developed by PLATINUM, a cybercrime collective.

13 November - Researchers report that astronauts experienced serious blood flow and clot problems while onboard the International Space Station, based on a six month study of 11 healthy astronauts. The results may influence long-term spaceflight, including a mission to the planet Mars, according to the researchers.

Scientists in Japan use single-cell RNA analysis to find that supercentenarians have an excess of cytotoxic CD4 T-cells, a type of immune cell.

15 November – The discovery and interpretation of 143 new Nazca geoglyphs is announced by researchers from Yamagata University.

Scientists report detecting, for the first time, sugar molecules, including ribose, in meteorites, suggesting that chemical processes on asteroids can produce some fundamentally essential bio-ingredients important to life, and supporting the notion of an RNA world prior to a DNA-based origin of life on Earth, and possibly, as well, the notion of panspermia.

Researchers at the University of Notre Dame develop a new method for lifelong learning in artificial neural networks, which entails the use of a ferroelectric ternary content-addressable memory component. Their study, featured in Nature Electronics, aims to replicate the human brain's ability to learn from only a few examples, adapting to new tasks based on past experiences.

23 November – The last known Sumatran rhinoceros in Malaysia passes on.

25 November - IPv4 address exhaustion: The RIPE NCC, which is the official regional Internet registry (RIR) for Europe, officially announces that it has run out of IPv4 Addresses.

The World Meteorological Organization reports that levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached another new record high of 407.8 parts per million in 2018,[453] with "no sign of a slowdown, let alone a decline."

26 November - Researchers report, based on an international study of 27 countries, that caring for families is the main motivator for people worldwide

27 November - Researchers report the discovery of Caveasphaera. a multicellular organism found in 609-million-year-old rocks, that is not easily defined as an animal or non-animal, which may be related to one of the earliest instances of animal evolution.

2 December - Researchers from Tel Aviv University describe how a molecule known as PJ34 triggers the self-destruction of pancreatic cancer cells, which were reduced by up to 90% in mouse models.

3 December – Researchers from the University of Bath report the creation of artificial neurons that reproduce the electrical properties of biological neurons onto semiconductor chips.

4 December – Astronomers publish the first evidence of a giant planet orbiting a white dwarf, WDJ0914+1914, suggesting that planets in our own Solar System may survive the death of our Sun in the distant future

5 December – Researchers at the California Academy of Sciences report the discovery of 71 new plant and animal species, which includes 17 fish, 15 geckos, 8 flower plants, 6 sea slugs, 5 arachnids, 4 eels, 3 ants, 3 skinks, 2 skates, 2 wasps, 2 mosses, 2 corals and 2 lizards.

9 December - Scientists in China create pigs with monkey DNA; thus creating an animal hybrid with genetic material from two different species.

Intel reveals a first-of-its-kind cryogenic control chip – code-named "Horse Ridge" – for control of multiple quantum bits (qubits) and scaling of larger quantum computer systems.

10 December - Ford, in a joint research project with Microsoft, reveals a "quantum-inspired" algorithm able to cut traffic by 73% and shorten commuting times by 8% in a simulation of 5,000 cars.

11 December – Scientists report the discovery of cave art in central Indonesia that is estimated to be at least 43,900 years old, and noted that the finding was “the oldest pictorial record of storytelling and the earliest figurative artwork in the world”.

18 December - Scientists report that Homo erectus, a species of extinct archaic humans, may have survived to nearly 100,000 years ago, much longer than thought previously.

30 December – Chinese authorities announce that He Jiankui, the scientist who claimed to have created the world's first genetically edited human babies, had been sentenced to three years in prison and fined 3 million yuan (US$430,000) for his genetic research efforts

and more on wikipedia

#2019 #science #physics #biology #computer #astronomy #technology

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spaceandrobots · 3 years

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Utopian Literature 5

20th-21st centuries

NEQUA or The Problem of the Ages by Jack Adams – A feminist utopian science fiction novel printed in Topeka, Kansas in 1900.

Sultana’s Dream (1905) by Begum Rokeya - A Bengali feminist Utopian story about Lady-Land.

A Modern Utopia (1905) by H. G. Wells – An imaginary, progressive utopia on a planetary scale in which the social and technological environment are in continuous improvement, a world state owns all land and power sources, positive compulsion and physical labor have been all but eliminated, general freedom is assured, and an open, voluntary order of “samurai” rules.[27]

Beatrice the Sixteenth by Irene Clyde – A time traveller discovers a lost world, which is an egalitarian utopian postgender society.[28]

Red Star (novel) (1908) Red Star (Russian: Красная звезда) is Alexander Bogdanov’s 1908 science fiction novel about a communist society on Mars. The first edition was published in St. Petersburg in 1908, before eventually being republished in Moscow and Petrograd in 1918, and then again in Moscow in 1922.

The Millennium: A Comedy of the Year 2000 by Upton Sinclair. A novel in which capitalism finds its zenith with the construction of The Pleasure Palace. During the grand opening of this, an explosion kills everybody in the world except eleven of the people at the Pleasure Palace. The survivors struggle to rebuild their lives by creating a capitalistic society. After that fails, they create a successful utopian society “The Cooperative Commonwealth,” and live happily forever after.[29]

Herland (1915) by Charlotte Perkins Gilman – An isolated society of women who reproduce asexually has established an ideal state that reveres education and is free of war and domination.

The New Moon: A Romance of Reconstruction (1918) by Oliver Onions[30]

The Islands of Wisdom (1922) by Alexander Moszkowski – In the novel various utopian and dystopian islands that embody social-political ideas of European philosophy are explored. The philosophies are taken to their extremes for their absurdities when they are put into practice. It also features an “island of technology” which anticipates mobile telephones, nuclear energy, a concentrated brief-language that saves discussion time and a thorough mechanization of life.

Men Like Gods (1923) by H. G. Wells – Men and women in an alternative universe without world government in a perfected state of anarchy (“Our education is our government,” a Utopian named Lion says;[31]) sectarian religion, like politics, has died away, and advanced scientific research flourishes; life is governed by “the Five Principles of Liberty,” which are privacy, freedom of movement, unlimited knowledge, truthfulness, and freedom of discussion and criticism.[citation needed]

Lost Horizon (1933) by James Hilton - The mythical community of Shangri-La

War with the Newts (1936) by Karel Čapek – Satirical science fiction novel.[citation needed]

For Us, The Living: A Comedy of Customs (1938, published in 2003) by Robert A. Heinlein – A futuristic utopian novel explaining practical views on love, freedom, drive, government and economics.[citation needed]

Islandia (1942) by Austin Tappan Wright – An imaginary island in the Southern Hemisphere, a utopia containing many Arcadian elements, including a policy of isolation from the outside world and a rejection of industrialism.[citation needed]

Walden Two (1948) by B. F. Skinner – A community in which every aspect of living is put to rigorous scientific testing. A professor and his colleagues question the effectiveness of the community started by an eccentric man named T.E. Frazier.[citation needed]

Childhood’s End (1954) by Arthur C. Clarke – Alien beings guide humanity towards a more economically productive and technologically advanced society, allowing humans to broaden their mental capacities.[citation needed]

Island (1962) by Aldous Huxley – Follows the story of Will Farnaby, a cynical journalist, who shipwrecks on the fictional island of Pala and experiences their unique culture and traditions which create a utopian society.[citation needed]

Eutopia (1967) by Poul Anderson

The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia (1974) by Ursula K. Le Guin - Is set between a pair of planets: one that like Earth today is dominated by private property, nation states, gender hierarchy, and war, and the other an anarchist society without private property.

Ecotopia: The Notebooks and Reports of William Weston (1975) by Ernest Callenbach – Ecological utopia in which the Pacific Northwest has seceded from the union to set up a new society.[32]

Woman on the Edge of Time (1976) by Marge Piercy – The story of a middle-aged Hispanic woman who has visions of two alternative futures, one utopian and the other dystopian.[33]

The Probability Broach (1980) by L. Neil Smith – A libertarian or anarchic utopia[34]

Voyage from Yesteryear (1982) by James P. Hogan – A post-scarcity economy where money and material possessions are meaningless.[35]

Bolo'Bolo (1983) by Hans Widmer published under his pseudonym P.M. – An anarchist utopian world organised in communities of around 500 people

Always Coming Home (1985) by Ursula K. Le Guin – A combination of fiction and fictional anthropology about a society in California in the distant future.[citation needed]

Pacific Edge (1990) by Kim Stanley Robinson – Set in El Modena, California in 2065, the story describes a transformation process from the late twentieth century to an ecologically sane future.[36]

The Fifth Sacred Thing (1993) by Starhawk – A post-apocalyptic novel depicting two societies, one a sustainable economy based on social justice, and its neighbor, a militaristic and intolerant theocracy.[citation needed]

3001: The Final Odyssey (1997) by Arthur C. Clarke – Describes human society in 3001 as seen by an astronaut who was frozen for a thousand years.

Aria (2001-2008) by Kozue Amano – A manga and anime series set on terraformed version of the planet Mars in the 24th century. The main character, Akari, is a trainee gondolier working in the city of Neo-Venezia, based on modern day Venice.[citation needed]

Manna (2003) by Marshall Brain – Essay that explores several issues in modern information technology and user interfaces, including some around transhumanism. Some of its predictions, like the proliferation of automation and AI in the fast food industry, are becoming true years later. Second half of the book describes perfect Utopian society.[37]

Uniorder: Build Yourself Paradise (2014), by Joe Oliver. Essay on how to build the Utopia of Thomas More by using computers.[38]

The Culture series by Iain M. Banks – a science fiction series released from 1987 through 2012. The stories centre on The Culture, a utopian, post-scarcity space society of humanoid aliens, and advanced superintelligent artificial intelligences living in artificial habitats. The main theme is of the dilemmas that an idealistic, more-advanced civilization faces in dealing with smaller, less-advanced civilizations that do not share its ideals, and whose behaviour it sometimes finds barbaric. In some of the stories action takes place mainly in non-Culture environments, and the leading characters are often on the fringes of (or non-members of) the Culture.

#utopia

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canmom · 3 years

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Animation Night 43 - Early Dreamworks (aka Jaaaaaames Baaaaxter!)

Hello friends. It is once again a week where I have struggled to do the kind of extensive prep for Animation Night that I used to; nevertheless, I hope I have something interesting to show you...

Tonight it’s the point in the three-week cycle where the Anti-Weaboo Pact mandates I must show some animation that was not made in Japan. So, pulling from my collection of Animation Night concepts, let’s scoop up one we mooted back on Hanukkah animation night: that brief window where Dreamworks was a group of ex-Disney animators competing with the Mouse at its own traditional-animation game, under the slightly dubious oversight of good old Jeffrey Katzenburg (and his pals, Steven Spielberg and music producer David Geffen, who together form the initialism Dreamworks SKG).

Despite being entirely the product of the most cynical showbiz capitalism, Dreamworks set out to a surprisingly impressive start - at least on the traditional animation side, let’s not talk about Antz.

We’ve already seen their incredible opening act, The Prince of Egypt (1998). Since then I’ve learned a little of how many key scenes in that movie, the ones that make you just sigh and say “how can anyone animate that good”, were the work of - guess who - James Baxter. The horse guy. Some of his old pencil tests are available on his youtube channel; here for example is a rough pass on Moses returning from having seen God, a scene that was entirely silent in the movie to lean on the strength of Baxter’s character acting:

youtube

The success of Prince suggests something of the space these guys were inclined to work in; Dreamworks followed this up with another traditionally animated movie in a historical setting centring on the totally not gay relationship between two young well-muscled guys, The Road to El Dorado. However, the film suffered a great deal of rewrites; Katzenberg decided midway through production that the film should change from something serious to an adventure-comedy and it sounds decidedly troubled.

El Dorado one takes after a certain tradition of animated films that deal with the genocidal colonisation of the ‘Americas’ one way or another, such as Disney’s Pocahontas or the French-Japanese series Mysterious Cities of Gold, by setting up a European protagonist who takes on something of a saviour role for a typically fictional nation. In the case of El Dorado, a pair of young rogues from Spain are accidentally loaded onto the ship of infamous conquistador Hernán Cortés as he launches one of his expeditions to subjugate the various nations and cultures of mesoamerica (a process that was by no means a straightforward victory of superior technology, but that would be far too long a tangent).

So in this case the film constructs a fictional nation (taking after the Spanish legend of a rich king/city/empire known as El Dorado) and indulges in the tired trope of Europeans being mistaken for gods by the native people. While it does depict, for example, the Mesoamerican ball game, it sounds like this film frankly indulges in a lot of extremely tired shit, and is firmly rooted in coloniser perspectives even as it sets up its protagonists against Cortés. Which is quite a shame, because the clips I’ve seen look quite charming; in any case, the critics were not impressed and the film was mostly forgotten.

This blow was not decisive for the traditional-animation side of Dreamworks, though their CG department was starting to take off with juggernaut franchises like Shrek. Their next traditionally animated film is, of all things, a horse-movie fable also dealing with the genocidal expansion of America, titled Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

Now, let’s talk about horses. (Destroying any chance I have to escape the horse jokes.) Horses are among the most notoriously difficult animals to draw, let alone animate: their limbs seem disproportionate, their movements involve the whole body in complex ways. I have seen many animated films in historical settings whose horses are boxy, move stiffly, or don’t quite seem to have the weight and physicality of the real animal, even if the rest of the film is really good. (Sword of the Stranger, for example, fell down in its horse scenes.)

So who do you call when you want to make an entire movie dependent on the ability to create horses who are as expressive and emotional as any human character? Well, James Baxter obviously. If you’ve ever wondered why Baxter was invited to animate himself as a horse on his episode of Adventure Time, it’s because he spent years teaching himself every nuance of horse movement until he could animate horses better than anyone in history, for this movie.

Like honestly, look at this. Unreasonable.

The skill that most makes me jealous of Baxter is his unbelievable intuition of moving characters in 3D space with consistent shapes and volumes. Of course, working on this movie, he had some CG assistance (unlike The Lion King, where he broke down a circle into perspective segments), but I know from experience that going from a rough CG perspective aid to a fully expressive drawing is an enormous challenge for much shorter cuts.

(‘course, it wasn’t just Baxter; popping onto sakugabooru I find a list of animators including james baxter, william salazar, bruce ferriz, cinzia angelini, jakob jensen, joe achorn and scott wright all contributing to making the horses move good.)

OK, enough salivating over animation; what’s this movie actually about? Well, it’s horse movie tropes: you have the horse that can’t be tamed, representing the wilderness which is being destroyed by the advance of American armies. Spirit, a wild stallion doing his herd-ly duties, is captured by the US army during their westward expansion, but when he proves untamable, faces death; he is freed from captivity by a Lakota man named Little Creek. The two of course face distrust but well, it’s a horse movie, you can probably guess where this is going. (Incredible animation in service of a fairly rote plot does seem to be the fatal flaw of a lot of these Dreamworks movies).

A year later - meaning its animation was concurrent with Spirit, and Baxter was not involved, so this isn’t really a Baxter night - Dreamworks sent out a pirate movie! (It seems something of a shame not to exhibit this alongside Disney’s take on the concept of Treasure Planet, but that will have to wait for another day...) In it, the legendary sailor Sinbad - here interpreted as a pirate with the gay rivalry that Dreamworks loves to put in their movies, though tbf I’m going off the first five minutes which is all I’ve seen - gets sent on a mystical quest by the goddess Eris (hey @grubhonker they put you in a movie!).

Technically, this movie stands as the last time Dreamworks set about mixing 2D and 3D animation, which means, sadly, that we have a lot of really quite incredible 2D animation and some rather dated CGI. My attention was caught by a clip of the opening fight (in this 45 minute youtube video essay, I may have had a problem), a complex multi-layered sequence involving many long shots of pirates fighting each other in a chaotic melee, but still choreographed clearly enough to show their individual personalities.

youtube

From this scene, things get increasingly supernatural as ‘giant woman’ Eris swoops in to assign Sinbad his mission. I don’t necessarily have space here to go into the depths of the Sinbad legend (originally Sinbad the Sailor was a character in later versions of the 1001 Arabian Nights, who turned into a popular film character seeing a number of interpretations

It’s definitely at the silly end of swashes being buckled, but it offers a tantalising glimpse at what could have been if American traditional animation had been allowed to shed some of its Disney child-appeal trappings and try at some of the same territory as anime.

But, of course, instead both Dreamworks and Disney pulled the plug on traditional animation after a series of poor showings (blaming the public being no longer interested in 2D animation, and not a series of bad writing and direction decisions)... and we’re well into the CG/toonboom/flash-puppet animation only era now in America. Luckily the same is not true in Japan, France, or indeed now China.

So tonight I’m going to show you two movies from this era of Dreamworks (Spirit and Sinbad), and also the James Baxter episode of Adventure Time, because it will be cute to watch after Sinbad. We’ll be starting almost as soon as I post this; hope you can join me to indulge in some horses and swashbuckling and appreciate some flawed but, hopefully nevertheless quite fun sakuga juice...

Animation Night 43 will be starting pretty much right now at twitch.tv/canmom, see ya in there!

#animation night #here's to getting back on track with this next week

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spacenutspod · 6 months

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Video: 00:03:03 On Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 October 2023, the European Space Agency opened the doors to the European Space Research and Technology Centre, ESTEC, in the Netherlands. Where science meets science fiction, the theme of this year's open day was ‘Science Fiction Gets Real’, highlighting how science fiction has inspired scientists and engineers to join ESA, and turn once imaginary concepts into science fact. The single largest ESA establishment invited the public to meet astronauts, view spacecraft, and peer behind the scenes of Europe’s space adventure, along with a full schedule of events and talks from Space Rocks, celebrating the art and culture of science and space.

#space #astronomy #news #science

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enjoy-the-small-thingsxx · 3 years

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#Auspol #TonyAbbott

Get this:- (What began as a plague of anonymous fact-checkers attempting to elevate their preferred politics, has metastasised into a truth manufacturing line with the same quality control as a Wuhan mask factory.) NAILED IT.

Probably the best article you will read today and will most likely be ignored because its long it needs to go viral.

(Spectator)

I hope you all have a good memory, because you are going to need it.

Modern political events are being re-written in real-time – dare we say it – ‘whitewashed’ by the unanimous vote of the unelected press. What began as a plague of anonymous fact-checkers attempting to elevate their preferred politics, has metastasised into a truth manufacturing line with the same quality control as a Wuhan mask factory.

There is a danger that the only faithful record of our era will be the one decaying inside our memories. It is a shame that civilisation has fallen back into this bad habit of allowing the powerful to coerce the truth, seizing control on a scaffolding of lies. That said, there is never anything new regarding the squabbles of humanity. The dramatic events of the past few weeks are, in the proper historical context, a tired repeat of the poorly produced saga of our species. These episodes have different authors and a fresh cast, but their underlying story remains the same.

Liberty creates prosperity. Prosperity creates power. Power creates tyranny. Tyranny creates civil upheaval.

After this, the way forward is uncertain. More often than not, the battle for liberty is lost and the citizenry can do little more than lament the freedoms that were so easily and swiftly surrendered to the mob.

If we are to successfully defend our democracy, preserving the historical record is essential. Failure to do so will leave us in the goldfish bowl of fortune, circling the water with Big Brother looking in – distorted and immense on the other side of the glass.

In 2021, our history is guarded by Silicon Valley. We rent space on their cloud servers and entrust companies like Amazon and Google with our private information – usually without reading their terms of service. One accident at a hosting centre or arbitrary censorial act has the potential to erase businesses and memories. Most people place so much faith in these companies that they do not bother backing anything up for safekeeping.

Our civilisation is awash with data hosted by corporate third parties. While most of us are old enough to remember an age before digital streaming, our youngest generations have lived their lives in the palm of Big Tech. They have entwined themselves with these companies in such a way that any attempt made by the wider community to threaten Silicon Valley’s empire will be resisted by devout technological serfs.

When did Social Media’s control of the historical record begin?

Wikipedia was a shiny new thing when I was in high school. Instead of traipsing to the library to locate a reference book that probably wasn’t even filed in the right place, we were gifted this crazy website out of nowhere. Wikipedia was essentially crack for the academic class, providing instant gratification for knowledge-seekers. Type in the question and voila! all the work was done for you. No more waiting in line at the photocopier with an idiot attacking a paper jam with a pair of scissors.

It was like cheating, and that was certainly what our teachers called it. Despite having this glorious database of seemingly infinite knowledge, no one was allowed to use it for anything other than time-wasting ‘wiki-surfing’. (If you haven’t done it, don’t start.)

Our teachers had two objections to the rise of Wikipedia.

The first was a (perfectly reasonable) fear that it would make our inquiring minds lazy. With everyone receiving instant answers, there was no opportunity to stumble over the complexities of a topic. Wikipedia left classrooms in danger of forming monotonous opinions.

Which brings us to the second concern. Wikipedia was given authority over the truth because of its usability, not quality.

Conceived in an open-source environment, it invited thousands of users to post entries about topics which other users then edited – collaborating to create a vast network of information that quickly outstripped the dictionary cabal. With enough people interacting, it was assumed that the truth would win out. Generally speaking, that was the case.

It later became obvious that absolute freedom over information in a publishing environment had a few flaws – namely – humans could be real little shits when they set their minds to it. A common muck-up day activity involved editing the school’s Wikipedia entry with the level of hormone-induced humour that you’d expect.

As usual, politics ruined everything.

The official pages of contentious public figures were the first to be vandalised by bad actors attempting to defame and damage their political opposition. These budding propaganda agents soon learned that subtle changes were the most effective because they went unnoticed for longer. Slight edits to history could be compounded over time, gradually altering the accepted truth until it became the only truth.

As an intellectual product, Wikipedia was simply too good to die from its wounds. It fed off the accumulation and summation of vast quantities of knowledge. Dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauruses – they all joined this digital abyss, leaving our language vulnerable to shifting definitions. As Wikipedia’s traditional market competition learned, information grows too fast to filter through layers of validation. If you can’t keep up, you die off. This is the exact same dynamic playing out between legacy media and social media.

Wikipedia’s influence over society became so acute that it suffered censorial attacks by the European Union when the commission launched Articles 11 and 13 in 2019. This caused a crisis of intellectual freedom across the world that went largely unreported by the mainstream press. In response, Wikipedia blacked out swathes of the European continent until amendments were made. Extraordinary, considering the inflexibility of the EU.

Things declined rapidly with the rise of Cultural Marxism. Wikipedia became the choking canary, wiggling its legs at the bottom of a mine shaft while a cuckoo took up residence. Its articles have since been heavily edited to bring them in line with the prison cell of social justice. Instead of recording knowledge, Wikipedia’s primary goal is to avoid causing offence, leaving the site rife with contradictions and politically correct fiction. It capitulated to these censorial demands and maintained its position as caretaker of (revised) information.

For all the power Wikipedia has, it pales in comparison to social media – a conglomerate in charge of the real-time recording of history. Forget editing the facts; they aren’t even making it to print.

With the US election over, the next information scandal will revolve around medical tyranny. When China’s Covid-19 became a Catch 22 for the global political class (who are terrified that private citizens will sue them for incompetence), discussion surrounding vaccines became intrinsically linked with the survival of those in power.

Medical advances have always created conflict between healthcare, politics and corporate – especially with the global vaccination market worth almost $US60 billion in 2020.

‘Trust the experts’ simply isn’t a good enough mantra for social media to invoke during its censorial binges when we have hard evidence that experts often make horrific mistakes. Thalidomide was available over the counter for years before it was found to cause birth defects. Despite mounting complaints in the public sphere, it was deemed safe across the medical spectrum. In the end, it killed two thousand children and left ten thousand with serious physical abnormalities. Without public pressure, it would have killed more.

Vaccines carry similar risks. While they save millions of lives, they can be wildly unpredictable in their medical infancy. It is imperative that the government maintains public choice and consumer transparency across social media platforms to ensure that alarm bells ring when something goes wrong.

Silicon Valley has inserted itself into the pandemic, no doubt due to political pressure, by announcing plans to ban users from reporting or discussing side effects related to Covid19 vaccines. They claim that these measures are in the interest of public safety, but Big Tech is not a medical institution, nor should it be allowed to silence the necessary feedback to protect its political and corporate friends.

Under their heading ‘Our Expanded Approach’, Twitter detail their intent:

Twitter has an important role to play as a place for good faith public debate and discussion around these critical public health matters. […] Using a combination of technology and human review, we will begin enforcing this updated policy on December 21, and expanding our actions during the following weeks. We will enforce this policy in close consultation with local, national and global public health authorities around the world, and will strive to be iterative and transparent in our approach. We remain focused on helping people find credible health information, verifying public health experts, and updating our policies in an iterative and transparent approach.

If anything goes wrong with a Covid-19 vaccine, don’t expect to hear about it.

Who are these public health experts allowed to dominate the market of information? Absolute authority demands intense scrutiny. Let us run one example.

The World Health Organisation is one of Twitter’s verified sources. They are a medical bureaucracy that has conducted itself appallingly during the Covid-19 health crisis. When Covid-19 emerged, the WHO helped the Chinese Communist Party suppress reports about the severity of the virus circulating inside Wuhan. It released incorrect information about Covid19’s transmission and deliberately ignored Taiwan’s dissenting medical evidence because of regional politics. The WHO then looked the other way when China bullied nations with accusations of racism if they tried to close their borders. When it became clear that a pandemic was underway, the WHO assisted China in concealing the (previously acknowledged) origin of the virus while allowing the Chinese Communist Party to avoid a mandatory independent investigation into ground zero of the pandemic.

This is the same ‘trusted’ WHO that has been caught editing medical advice to keep up with propaganda circulated on social media. Two prominent examples come to mind. The first is their flip-flopping over mandatory mask-wearing after various world leaders put their careers on the line by interfering with constitutional rights. To justify medical mandates, the ‘science’ behind mask-wearing was altered by the WHO after the political decision to enforce them had been made. Warnings printed on the boxes of these masks still contradict the WHO’s advice.

The second and most concerning manipulation of information by the WHO relates to the long-held definition of herd immunity. Our medical understanding of herd immunity has not changed since the arrival of Covid19. What has changed is the effectiveness of the vaccine in relation to the grand promises made about it by politicians who used its existence to initiate financially devastating lockdowns.

Both of these releases are by the same department at the WHO (the emphasis in red is mine for clarity):

9th June, 2020: Herd Immunity is the indirect protection from an infectious disease that happens when a population is immune either through vaccination or immunity developed through previous infection. This means that even people who haven’t been infected or in whom an infection hasn’t triggered an immune response, they are protected because people around them who are immune can act as buffers between them and an infected person. The threshold for establishing herd immunity for Covid19 is not yet clear.’

13th November, 2020: ‘Herd Immunity’, also known as ‘population immunity’, is a concept used for vaccination, in which a population can be protected from a certain virus if a threshold of vaccination is reached. Herd immunity is achieved by protecting people from a virus, not exposing them to it. Read the Director-General’s 12 October media briefing speech for more detail.

The second statement from the WHO erased the natural phenomena of herd immunity – which remains the dominant method by which human populations overcome disease – and replaced it with an absolute mandate to vaccinate. The true definition of herd immunity survives with people who remember studying it prior to the edit and anyone in possession of medical books that cannot be so easily manipulated.

It doesn’t help that these institutions in charge of reality are headed up by some of the world’s shonkiest people.

When asking questions about why the WHO has acted inconsistently and bizarrely concerning China’s role in the pandemic, it is worth noting that China played an instrumental role in putting its Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, into power. His ascent was vocally opposed due to positions held within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) – an ethnically-based party that has been the dominant force in Ethiopian politics for nearly thirty years. Tedros served as Health Minister despite the regime being recognised as a serial offender against human rights.

In an open letter against Tedros, it was noted that inside an eight-month period, eighty thousand Ethiopians were imprisoned in gulags run by the TPLF where they were tortured for holding a different political opinion. Party officials stole billions from public and state-run projects. Dr. Abiy Ahmed, the current Prime Minister as of 2018, later admitted that the regime Tedros served under was essentially a terrorist state.

Tedros’ own actions were called into question regarding his handling of a Cholera epidemic – which he incorrectly renamed as ‘Acute Watery Diarrhoea’ even after Cholera was confirmed. A letter signed by the Amhara Professionals Union suspected this inaccuracy related to Tedros covering up a public health crisis to protect the tourist industry – an action which prevented aid organisations from intervening. The open letter further accused Tedros of actively marginalising health care treatment based on ethnicity, resulting in a disproportionate mortality rate among the Amhara people.

This is the man Silicon Valley allows to fact-check your opinion. In addition, Big Tech is heavily invested in the pharmaceutical industry and does not disclose its financial interest in the silencing of information regarding side effects that could harm its profits.

The control that these corporations exert over our access to information has gone far enough that it may never be unpicked.

We are now at the point where the facts of history are so distorted that activists can claim, without contest, that the months of Antifa and Black Lives Matter riots were entirely peaceful, then use this false claim to validate their censorious reaction to the ‘unprecedented’ Capitol Hill riots.

Fearing that their despicable actions would be covered up, I kept a sample of the direct incitement to violence propagated on Twitter by activist groups it publicly endorsed. You can view the archive here – including images of burning public buildings and captions that read: ‘this is what justice looks like’, ‘all pigs burn’ and ‘riot 2020 – burn this motherfucker down – eat the rich’.

The manipulation of truth within our civilisation is nearly impossible to believe. We already know that you can convince people of fabricated facts if you bombard them with enough marketing material from certified sources – especially if it supports their preferred world view.

The twenty-four hour news cycle that created a heightened sense of drama to pull ratings, has transformed into a full-time propaganda house. The media are over-feeding the goldfish as they swim around in stagnant water.

Why would anyone, including Silicon Valley, seek to corrupt the story of humanity?

Simply put, it is to install a political party into government who will not punish them for breaking antitrust legislation or the Communications Decency Act – both of which carry serious penalties if convicted. Big Tech corporations are free to continue making money in their lofty oligarchy while a political party has solidified its position in the absence of opposition.

In truth, politics has become the law, with information as its accomplice.

https://spectator.com.au/2021/01/welcome-to-the-age-of-the-goldfish/

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eridesolutionsau · 3 years

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The Best Electric Bikes and Electric Scooters from Bolzzen

Australia is known for many things: its natural wonders, beaches, vast spaces, attractive mega cities, and more. One thing it’s also famous for is the many outdoor activities like diving, and cycling. Biking trails which allow electric bikes have been the talk of the town, and e-ride manufacturers took notice.

With the electric rides’ surge in popularity in the country, manufacturers and distributors doubled (or even tripled) in number as well. One of these manufacturers is Bolzzen, and their electrified rides are claimed to be designed with Australia in mind.

In this article, we will introduce you to the brand Bolzzen, and their range of electric bikes and electric scooters!

Electric Rides from Bolzzen: An Introduction

Derived from the German word “bolzen”, which in English means bolt, Bolzzen is an electric ride manufacturer committed to creating electrified cycles and scooters suitable for every Australian. Their products are heavily-influenced by German heritage and the European culture of e-transportation.

Bolzzen specializes on two types of electric rides—electric bikes and electric scooters. Their vision is to make high-quality electric mobility rides accessible to everyone. Their range of e-bikes and e-scooters boast of technology that allows the rider to tackle the toughest mountains and trails, to the simplest city roads.

Their guarantee is to make every ride convenient, fun, and full of adventures!

Electric Bikes from Bolzzen

For years, people found the thought of electric bikes inconvenient. They were bulky, heavy, expensive, and had limited battery life. However, things have changed for the better. Because of recent innovations and improvement, e-bikes have made a reputation for being the convenient transportation alternatives they are today.

Modern electric bikes are now made more transportable, light-weight, and even longer-lasting. In addition, they’re designed to be even more durable and able to tackle any kind of terrain!

Bolzzen, as one of the leading manufacturers of e-bikes in Australia created e-bikes with the enthusiast in mind. Their electric bike units are crafted with many impressive components that are sure to impress every hardcore cyclist.

Take the Condor Pro Electric Bike for instance. This e-bike has an impressive range of up to 100KM. This range is reliable enough to make sure that you et from point A to B without any hassle, and maybe even with occasional trips on the side.

Let’s take a closer look at Bolzzen’s Electric Bikes!

Bolzzen Condor Pro Electric Mountain Bike

Price: $2,395

This all-around electric mountain bike from Bolzzen is one of the most reliable e-mtbs out there. The Bolzzen Condor Pro boasts of a Shimano 9-speed cassette and derailleur. It is also fitted with a 5-speed pedal assist, and hydraulic brakes that make up for a nice and easy ride. The durable mountain e-bike is powered by a 250W motor with a top speed of 25km/h, which is the legally accepted speed within Australian laws. With this powerful motor, it’s easy to tackle even uphill climbs.

Design-wise, the Condor Pro is very sleek. Unlike other e-bikes, its battery is hidden into the frame, preserving its stylish and subtle look. Its fat tyres are also there to provide stability in every ride. It’s truly an electric mountain bike that puts all the fun in one go. Not only that, the Bolzzen Condor Pro is also suitable for every-day use. Once it’s in full charge, you’ll never have to worry about the e-bike giving up on you halfway to your destination.

The e-bike comes in two sizes, the 27.5 inch and the 29 inch. A six-foot rider will fit in a 29-inch Condor Pro perfectly.

Specifications:

Frame: Aluminum 6061

Fork: Suntour XCM-HLO-DS with lockout

Brake: Tektro HD-M275 Hydraulic Front Disc and Rear Disc 180mm Front, 180mm

Brake Lever: Tektro M275 Hydraulic Disc Brake

Handle Bar: Promax

Stem: Promax

Pedal: Wellgo, B087DU

Saddle: Selle Royal Gel A230H

Grip: Hualong, HL-G308, pure black

Tyre: Kenda

Crank: Prowheel

Shifters: Shimano SL-M4000, ALVIO, Right, 9-Speed

Derailer: Shimano RD-M4000-SGS, Alivio, 9-Speed

Chain: KMC X9NP

Flywheel: 9-Speed

Light: LED Front & Rear

Display: KD51C-D (WITH USB)

Motor: SY X2 High Torque, 48V 250W Rear Motor

Battery: 48V 14AH 672W Samsung

Charger: 48V 2A

Kickstand: Yes

Distance: 60-100KM

Max Speed: 25KM/H

N.W. 25KG

Max Load: 120KG

Bolzzen Macaw Step Through Electric City Bike

Price: $2,395.00

If you’re looking for a powerful unisex electric city bike, then the Macaw Step Through Electric City Bike from Bolzzen is the one for you. The city electric bike is the perfect companion for your day-to-day activities. Built with specialized components like a true Bolzzen model, the Macaw E-City Bike is an all-in-one package.

Bolzenn’s very own electric city bike boasts of a range that’s up to 110KM depending on charge and riding style. It can be utilized in many forms— for daily commutes, food deliveries, long leisure rides. You can enjoy these activities comfortably with the Macaw City’s top-of the line suspension seat post and adjustable pro-max handlebar stem. It’s also installed with a sizeable back-lit centre mount display that shows you all the vital information you need to know about your trip.

The Macaw City from Bolzzen is a versatile electric city bike that’s worth the investment. It’s definitely the epitome of convenience and functionality in one electric bike!

Specifications:

Frame: Aluminum 6061

Fork: RST Neon-700C

Brake: Tektro HD-T285 Hydraulic Front Disc and Rear Disc 180mm Front, 180mm

Brake Lever: Tektro HD-T285 Hydraulic Disc Brake

Handle Bar: Promax

Stem: Promax Adjustable

Pedal: Neco

Saddle: Relle Royal Gel A230D

Grip: Hualong, HL-G308, pure black

Tyre: Kenda

Crank: Prowheel

Shifters: Shimano SL-M4000, Alivio, Right, 9-Speed

Derailer: Shimano RD-M4000-SGS, ALIVIO, 9-Speed

Chain: Kmc X9NP

Flywheel: Shimano Cassette Flywheel CS-HG400-9, 9-Speed

Light: LED Front & Rear

Display: KD51C-D (WITH USB)

Motor: SY DGW07, 48V 250W Rear Motor

Battery: 48V 14AH 672W Samsung

Charger: 48V 2A

Kickstand: Yes

Distance: 70-110KM

Max Speed: 25KM/H

N.W. 25KG

Max Load: 120K

Electric Scooters from Bolzzen

E-scooters are in the peak of its popularity now more than ever. This is because they have introduced a new way of transportation that allows you to travel five times faster more than the average car. Knowing this, Bolzzen crafted their powerful electric scooters to suit even the even terrains Australia is known for.

Bolzzen’s range of electric scooters are undeniably a cut above the rest. They are made of light-weight yest sturdy materials that make them easily-foldable and highly-portable. Storage and transportability would be the least of your problems when you own one for yourself or any member of your family.

Moreover, you can enjoy a range of up to 75KM aboard an e-scooter from Bolzzen. You can also get a wattage of up to 1000W, ensuring an effortless cruise anywhere.

Let’s get to know more about these electric scooters from Bolzzen!

Bolzzen Magneto Electric Scooter

Price: $1,299.00

When talking about functional and powerful electric scooters, you cannot leave the Bolzzen Magneto Electric Scooter out. Its speed is capped at 25km/h as per Australian guidelines, but the electric scooter houses a 600W motor that allows you to reach a range of up to 75KM. With this kind of wattage, you’d be impressed by its acceleration.

The Bolzzen Magneto E-Scooter has a wide deck and 8.5” tyres that provides a stable ride for every rider. It can also be easily folded, allowing the owner to bring it anywhere! Spruce up your daily commute aboard a Bolzzen Magneto, and you’ll be making one of the best investments possible!

Specifications:

Model: Magneto

Motor Power: 600W

Motor Type: DC brushless gearless motor

Maximum Load: 120kg

Material: Aluminum alloy

Speed: 25km/h

Dimensions When Unfolded: 1180x545x1180mm

Dimensions When Folded: 1180x180x470mm

Weight: 20.6kg

Distance Range: 60-75km

Brake: Front disk and rear drum brake

Frame Width: 18cm

Battery Voltage: 52V

Battery Capacity: 18Ah

Battery Type: Environmental lithium battery

Input Voltage: AC100-240V

Output Current: 2A

Charging Time: 9-10h

Color: Black

Gradeability: 15º

Tires Size: 8.5 inches

Tire Type: Front and rear solid tires

Display: Multifunctional color LCD display with USB charging port

Cruise Control Mode: Available

Bolzzen Dynamo Electric Scooter

Price: $2,195.00

Feast your eyes on Bolzzen’s most powerful electric scooter yet, the Dynamo Electric Scooter! The sky is the limit with this scooter’s dual 1000W motors. Although it has a combined equivalent of 2000W, its speed is still capped at 25 KM/H as per Austalian laws. However, you can take advantage of this wattage and the top speed of 62 KM/H if you want to take it for a spin in private properties or off the road.

Depending on your riding style, the Dynamo Electric Scooter from Bolzzen can reach a range of up to 60KM at a single charge. It has an over-all charging time of 12 hours, but you can cut it short to 6 hours by using a fast charger, or two separate regular chargers.

Just like the Bolzzen Magneto, the Dynamo is ultra-portable. It folds within seconds, making it perfect for on-the-go riders. Made with quality-standard materials and components, the Dynamo Electric Scooter from Bolzzen is definitely one of the best electric scooters in Australia!

Specifications:

Dual 1000W Motors ( 2000W Combined )

Limited top speed: 25km/h Australian Law

Top speed: 62km/h for private property/off road use

Max. incline: 25 degrees

Battery type: 52V 18.2aH battery

Travel distance (range): 60 KM

Number of charging ports: 2

Charging time: approx. 12 hours (6 hours with fast charger upgrade or two regular chargers)

Smart power management: short circuit protection, overcurrent protection, double protection from overcharging, double protection from over-discharging, temperature resistance, Undervoltage auto-sleep protection

Standard power consumption: 2.2kWh per 100km

Display: LED with mode controls and key riding statistics (speed, distance, battery charge, etc.)

Tire size: 10 inch

Tire type: pneumatic (air-filled) in the front and rear

Weight: 29 KG

Folded dimensions: 128 CM x 24 CM x 53 CM

Unfolded dimensions: 128 CM x 24 CM x 127 CM

Packing dimensions: 134 CM x 34 CM x 62 CM

Max. load: 135 KG

(Note: To know more about Australia’s E-ride laws, read here.)

Buy Bolzzen from E-Ride Solutions

E-Ride Solutions is one of the latest official distributors of Bolzzen electric bikes and scooters! The two brands are like-minded when it comes to one goal—making the best electric rides accessible to every Australian.

Just like Bolzzen, we here at E-Ride Solutions are committed to providing our customers with the latest, most innovative, and most affordable transport alternatives. We take pride in our wide range of quality and best value electric rides. Once you purchase any Bolzzen electric ride from us, you are also eligible for our 100% Price Guarantee!

Don’t be the last to discover the wonders of electric bikes and electric scooters from Bolzzen! Get in touch with E-Ride Solutions today to get started!

For more information, visit our website at www.eridesolutions.com.au

#electric bicycles #electric scooter #electric bike #e bike #e-scooter #e-bike australia #e-scooters in australia

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geekgirles · 4 years

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Hi , what's up ? I have an idea of a possible Trolls AU , tell me what do you think : what if the Trolls didn't live in a magical-like land , but in Europe during XVIII Century ? What if Poppy was the princess of Spain who fell in love with the French prince Branch ( or Louis-Benoit in this AU ) , who is already bethroted to Barb ( an Italian princess ) ?

Okay, first of all: I LOVE THE CONCEPT YOU GOT RIGHT THERE.

Maybe it’s because by making Poppy the princess of Spain you’re making her a Spaniard just like me! LOL

Although, maybe you’re a Spaniard yourself! Judging by the fact you actually used Roman numbers when talking about the century, but moving on!!

This AU has actually given me so many ideas as to what to do with it, even making it relatively accurate to actual Spanish and, to a lesser degree, European History!

Please, allow me to share them:

It is obvious Barb could still be called Barbara in this AU, just like you decided to have Branch be Louis-Benoit. Many names could be adapted, in fact.

The only one whose name I cannot find a proper substitute for is Poppy, however. There’s just… no appropriate name for her in Spanish… Because Paula is a bit of a far cry, Paola (although used in Spain) is more Italian-like, the translation of her name (amapola) is one we don’t even use as a girl’s name to begin with… The best solution I can think of would, maybe, be Paloma (and considering an old, regal name used to be Urraca, it’s not so bad).

But I’m not too sold on the idea, so let’s go with Poppy.

King Peppy, on the other hand, could be King José, because a very common nickname for José is Pepe, which is a lot closer to his actual name.

Since Spain is my country, I know enough History to make it as historically accurate as possible, while still being true to the essence of the franchise.

Luckily for you (and anyone who reads this AU but doesn’t know about Spanish History), the 18th Century happens to be a time when the king Carlos III actually made a lot of changes in Spanish society, many of those changes being centred around making Madrid a more cultural space (the Botanical Garden, the Museum of Prado, a better sewer system…).

This kind of things are actually useful if you want to add the canonical love Por trolls have for Arts over other disciplines to your AU! Just like you could take advantage of The Enlightenment being native to France to reflect Branch’s tendency of being the most sensible and scientifically and mechanically inclined troll. Or The Renaissance being born in Italy to reflect the Rock trolls’ apparent superior technology...

As for the story itself, your idea has inspired several of my own.

For starters, I can see Barb’s role in the story as being a reluctant antagonist. I get the feeling she wouldn’t love Branch (and she certainly wouldn’t want to marry him!) but not really having a choice because her own country is in desperate need of France’s power and wealth. So, for the sake of her people, she would try and get in the way between Poppy and Branch.

Also, if you ask me, she’d totally be a badass lesbian, like Julie d’Aubigny (she’s real and totally hardcore, look it up!).

As for Poppy and Branch…

I’d say they’re childhood friends. I always liked to think that, were they both royalty, Poppy would’ve had a crush on Branch but, being a few years younger than him, he would’ve been slightly put off by her puppy love for him. And would gently let her down in that aspect.

That rejection could actually play a part in Poppy's future turmoil once they’re older and she finds out he’s engaged. Because of course he is to be married! He didn’t like her when they were both single, only seeing her as a friend or little sister! How would he not be engaged if he never thought of her that way!?

Except… He would indeed think of her that way.

A few years after Branch rejected Poppy (let’s say, a year before the AU actually takes place) they would meet again, this time both being fully adults. And Branch’s reaction at seeing Poppy’s bloomed into a beautiful flower would be akin to the one Prince Dereck had when he saw adult Odette for the first time in The Swan Princess (but he would actually be in love with her for more than just her beauty because, as I said, she was always dear to him).

The problem is... since years have passed since they last saw each other, since he rejected her, Branch would most likely believe he’s lost his chance at winning her heart. Surely she must have moved on from him by then! So he doesn’t try courting her then.

Which would explain why he’d agree on marrying Princess Barbara instead of Poppy when Spain was an allied country and their parents would’ve been over the moon with their union.

So I can picture the rest of the AU centring around:

Poppy being invited to Branch’s palace (probably Versailles?) for the announcement of his engagement

Poppy being devastated at the news of losing the love of her life for a second time.

The two half-unintentionally, half-intentionally ending up in intimate situations where it’s just the two of them which would then lead to some serious internal monologues and struggles over what’s best according to reason and what’s best according to their hearts.

Barb catching wind of it all and, although she’d just wish to call off the entire thing and run off with her personal maid Carol, being forced to antagonise Poppy for the sake of her country in the meantime.

Something, something in between and… Ta Da! Poppy and Branch are happily married!

Now that I think about it, Carlos III used to rule over Sicily before he ascended to the throne of Spain. So maybe the conflict between Poppy and Barb could be solved if Spain agreed on helping Italy out?

I’ve personally named this AU the Royal Love Triangle! AU. But the name’s up to you, too.

Of course, the AU is yours and I’m totally willing to hear what else you have to say about it. I was just sharing what it’s inspired in me. Hope you still like this!!

#trolls #dreamworks trolls #trolls world tour #twt #trolls au #Royal Love Triangle!AU #Poppy #Branch #Barb #queen Barb #prince!Branch #Spanish! Poppy #French! Branch #Italian! Barb #Carol #Broppy #Carb #headcanons #ask&answer

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theislandkid · 4 years

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Pre-Colombian Architecture

The Americas was once a rich and diverse continent. Before the Europeans arrived, Mesoamerica and South America was once home to ancient civilizations such as the Aztecs and Incas. Being two of the most complex and sophisticated civilizations to exist, they expressed their cosmology and astronomical beliefs in the architecture and urban plans of their cities. Despite their Neolithic technology, these civilizations managed to flourish greatly without fail. After the arrival of the Spaniards in 1519 C.E, both Mesoamerica and South America were continuously exploited to fit the standards of European religion, culture, and architecture. This blog post will focus primarily on the Pre-Colombian architecture and practice from 1800 B.C.E to 1519 C.E, where Ancient American races had established their prominent civilizations.

Map of Ancient Mesoamerican Civilizations. (Image sourced from lesannberry.com)

The first successful Mesoamerican civilization is Teotihuacan. Located in Mexico, very little is known about its origins and previous inhabitants. However, it is estimated that Teotihuacan was created before 250 C.E and was found abandoned by the early Aztec race.

Teotihuacan facing North, Temple of the Moon. (Image sourced from history.com)

Architecturally speaking, Teotihuacan is primarily monolithic, organized in a North to South fashion, and pays tribute to the “constellations and planetary events” during its time. The architects expressed this astronomical intelligence by placing large monumental landmarks (the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon) in the direction of sunrise and sunset.

Teotihuacan facing East, Temple of the Sun. (Image sourced from smarthistory.org)

These landmarks follow a single linear main street called “The Street of the Dead”, where it is intersected by the San Juan River. This street and river become the main axes of the city, where surrounding dwellings and buildings start to abide by. As Dr Maya Jimenez (the author of the “Teotihuacan” article I provided), states, Teotihuacan is “the first American city on a grid plan” which helped establish a order for the “religious, domestic, and commercial complexes” of the city and its population. It would also come to serve as the inspiration of Aztec architecture later on in the Post Classic Period (900 C.E - 1529 C.E).

Zoomed in plan of the Street of the Dead. (Image sourced from Elms Teotihuacan Lecture Slides).

The next successful Mesoamerican civilization is Cuzco. This is an Incan Civilization that was established roughly in 1200 C.E. in the Andes Mountains of Peru. Cuzco is the capital of the Incan Empire that shelters only residents of noble status.

Sacsayhuaman, Cuzco, Peru. (Image sourced from ancient.eu)

Unlike Teotihuacan, the urban planning in Cuzco did not follow a perfect grid. However, there was some organization to its urban layout. As Dr. Sarahh Scher (the author of the “City of Cuzco” article I provided) claims, “The city was divided into two sections, hanan (upper or high) and hurin (lower)”.

Hanan (Red), Hurin (Yellow). (Image sourced from americanindian.si.edu)

This is representative of the social organization in Incan society. Hanan, is dedicated to the higher ups of the noble class, whereas hurin is dedicated to lower moieties. These two halves are connected by a single main plaza called “Hawkaypata”. This plaza serves as the central focal point to Cuzco, and is predominately used for rituals and ceremonies. Cuzco is also divided into quarters which symbolizes the four divisions of the Incan empire.

Hawkaypata, the main plaza. (Image sourced from americanindian.si.edu)

Cuzco is primarily monolithic in materiality, but the craftsmanship of its masonry pays close attention to detail. The stones that compose the walls of buildings and its plaza barriers are chiseled to fit snugly next to each other. Dr. Sarahh Scher states that symbolically, “The masonry of Cuzco displays an understanding of stones as being like people, in that many different ones may fit together if they are properly organized”. The famous Twelve-Sided stone in the walls of Hatun Rumiyoq Street displays such craftsmanship. Another important factor regarding these stones is that they are fitted with a slight amount of space to allow for small amounts of movement. This an effective strategy in protecting the walls from earthquakes.

Twelve sided stone, Cuzco. (Image sourced from smarthistory.org)

The last and final successful Mesoamerican civilization is Tenochtitlan. Tenochtitlan is an Aztec civilization that was built in 1325 C.E and lasted until 1521 C.E. This Mesoamerican city had a large population, and was located in the middle of Lake Texcoco.

Tenochtitlan. (Image sourced from mexicolore.co.uk)

Being centered in the lake, the Aztecs had to create a city that compromised for the future aquatic challenges. To conquer these challenges, the Aztecs had created bridges for travel, floating agricultural islands called chinampas, and large monolithic temples for their culture and traditions. Much like Teotihuacan, Tenochtitlan’s city plan was a grid based on a symmetrical layout. This layout has four sections or “camps”. Each camp was divided into even smaller districts, with each district being crossed by streets.

Major “camps” that compose Tenochtitlan. (Image sourced from twitter.com)

The Aztecs also took advantage of Lake Texcoco by developing canals for easy transportation and travel. At the center of the city was the sacred precinct, where public buildings, temples, and schools were located. The temples and shrines were large in scale, with the Temple Mayor being the largest. According to an online article, regular residential houses were “made of wood and loam, and roofs were made of reed; pyramids, temples, and palaces were generally made of stone.”

Typical Aztec housing in Tenochtitlan. (Image sourced from pinterest.com)

On the border and outer perimeter the city are the famed chinampas - which were plant beds set upon the lake’s shallow bottom. These chinampas took advantage of Tenochtitlan’s surrounding environment, and created an efficient agricultural system for the city.

Cross section of chinamapas. (Image sourced from ancient-origins.net)

Bibliography:

https://smarthistory.org/teotihuacan-2/

https://smarthistory.org/city-of-cusco/

https://americanindian.si.edu/inkaroad/inkauniverse/cusco/cusco-experience.html

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-arthistory/chapter/the-aztecs/#:~:text=The%20Architecture%20of%20the%20City,city%20sections%2C%20known%20as%20campans.

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-americas/teotihuacan

https://lesannberry.com/2012/02/09/the-wonders-of-ancient-mesoamerica/

https://www.ancient.eu/Sacsayhuaman/

https://www.mexicolore.co.uk/aztecs/aztefacts/tenochtitlan-centre-of-the-aztec-world

https://twitter.com/Cuauhtemoc_1521/status/1212907384512761856

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/420312577714209389/

https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-americas/chinampas-floating-gardens-mexico-001537

#mesoamerica #architecture history #south america #aztec #inca

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English History (Part 4): Bronze Age

Bronze Age (2500 – 800 BC)

Around 2200 BC, the first stone circle was created at Stonehenge. This change from wood to stone may have been part of a great cultural movement, one that resulted in the building of monumental enclosures in other sites; the decline of ancestor worship; and bouts of warfare between opposing groups.

The bodies of two adults (male and female) and two children have been found in a single grave in Peterborough. In Dorset, several bodies were found lying in a ditch, with a rampart fallen on top of them. One of them had been killed by an arrow.

The construction of Stonehenge was the largest program of public works in the history of England, and the most drawn-out. The stone circle built in 2200 BC was a series of bluestones, mostly igneous in origin, and considered to have magical healing properties.

Around 2100 BC, the bluestones were taken down and replaced by 30 sarsen stones, in a circle around five pairs of trilithons, which were themselves arranged in a horseshoe pattern. At around the same time, a wooden henge (a circular monument) of 24 obelisks was built less than 800m away from the stone circle. This may have been a burial centre or the site of some other ritual activity.

Bluestonehenge (another henge & stone circle) was built 1.6km to the south-east, along the bank of the Avon River. A large village was built, less than 3.2km away – this may have been a ritual centre, a place of healing, a lodging for pilgrims, or a home for those who set up the sarsen stones. Clearly Salisbury Plain was the site of communal and spiritual settlement on a very large scale.

Digital reconstruction of Bluestonehenge. No stone remains aboveground.

Also around 2100 BC, the Amesbury Archer was buried. He is also called the “king of Stonehenge”. His grave contained over 100 artifacts, including gold ornaments, copper knives, boar tusks and pots. His body was crouched in a foetal position, and flint arrowheads were scattered over him.

The Amesbury Archer would have been a tribal chieftain, but oxygen isotope analysis has shown that he grew up in the colder regions of Northern Europe. It is not known why a foreign king was buried on Salisbury Plain. His body shows evidence of an abscess and a painful bone infection. He may have been on pilgrimage, or he may have crossed the sea to be healed. Or he may have ruled here as one of the tribal chieftains who were not necessarily confined to one region (as there were no countries or nations as we have now).

The Amesbury Archer and grave-goods.

Stonehenge's last construction phase was around 1600 BC. Two circles of standing stones were planned, but only the pits/holes were dug for them. So the structure of Stonehenge has changed over 1,200 years, and possibly its purpose as well. It may have been a burial ground, a site of public ceremonial and ritual, a centre of pilgrimage and ritual healing, a great observatory and celestial clock. We do not know.

However, in all of these ears, Stonehenge is evidence of a controlling power that could organize many people in this project. There was a hierarchical society with an elite group at the top (tribal or priestly) that could force or persuade thousands of people into building Stonehenge (and other ritual sites). Stonehenge would have taken millions of hours of labour. The bluestones came from the Preseli Hills in south-west Wales, about 320km away. Land, material resources and labour were governed by some form of central control.

Stonehenge quarry.

It is possible that during the 1,200 years of Stonehenge's construction phases, communal burials were being replaced by individual burials – the Amesbury Archer is one example. In some graves, the chieftain's body is accompanied by weapons; in others, the body is surrounded by goods. These would have been the graves of leaders and high priests, often buried with their immediate families. England had become an aristocratic society, rather than a tribal one.

Stonehenge today.

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The Bronze Age cultivation of the landscape can still be seen, especially from the air. The banks & ditches of hundreds of rectangular fields can be seen. They were photographed from the air for the first time in 1929, and a lost world was revealed.

The uplands and downlands of southern Britain were laid out in fields, with hedges and stone walls stretching for miles. Among these ditched fields were drove-ways and waterholes. Central planning would have been essential for this level of land planning. Thousands of square miles of land were laid out in this way.

This intense cultivation is the strongest evidence for a steady population increase. By 1900 BC (600yrs into the Bronze Age) there were perhaps a million people, and when Julius Caesar invaded in 55 BC (near the end of the Iron Age), there were over 2 million people.

England was an agricultural society, with regional variations. The cultivated land has continued to be used as productive arable land ever since. Woodland was cleared, and pastureland was created with grass. There were more sheep than there would be in 1600 AD. There was little monumental construction – working the land was now a more important activity.

There were settlements everywhere, most of them situated away from the monumental sites. Single households and small hamlets were common. Enclosures were surrounded by a fence or ditch. Hut circles were groups of round stone houses with beehive roofs. People who lived there burned peat, and the hut circles included farmyards (or perhaps they were nearby?)

The Bronze Age people buried their dead in family units, cremating the bodies and placing the ashes in decorated urns. The cemeteries of the Late Bronze Age (from c. 1300 BC) are known as urn fields.

Men wore a tunic known as a “kirtle”, with a woollen cloak above it. Women wore a tunic and jacket, also covered by a woollen cloak. Their shoes were made of skin, and the men wore woollen caps. Higher-status women wore elaborate jet necklaces. One grave has evidence of a woman who had a concealed pad to bolster her hair. Higher-status men and women wore gold & bronze ornaments, and blue beads imported from Egypt. They also imported amber jewellery from the Baltic region. There was quite a lot of international trade in Bronze Age England.

The people ate soups, stews and dressed meat; and a type of porridge made of wheat, barley and oats. Alcoholic drinks such as beer and wine were an important part of their diet. They also ate hazelnuts, herbs, seaweed, and varieties of berries.

The focus of ceremony & worship shifted from the sky to the earth. The cultivation & increased use of the land would have increased the importance & significance of fertility rituals. Specific attention was given to water and watery places, including rivers, springs, marshes and fens.

Bronze Age weapons & other artifacts have been found in the Thames. The offerings of weapons, ornaments and bones were kept separate and distinct. At Eton, there are many skulls, but no metal. Tools were left in dry locations, and weapons in wet locations. Wooden platforms & causeways were built beside the river – they were part of the sacred space in which the peoples' priests dwelled.

Leaf-shaped bronze (copper-alloy) sword (Late Bronze Age).

Burial mounds and henge monuments have been located by rivers throughout prehistory. 368 Neolithic axes have been found in the Thames. The Bronze Age river offerings may have been part of a rite to gain the favour of the dead, i.e. part of ancestor worship. If the dead were believed to cross between the world of the living and the world of the dead, they would have a particular affinity with the river – the river would give access to the underworld though many passages, and it springs fresh and renewed froms its source.

During the Bronze Age, the weather was growing cooler and wetter.

Weapons have been found all over England – spearheads, socketed axes, rapiers, and (at a slightly later date) swords. Stirrups have been found; there is evidence of harnesses and bronze fittings for horses. There were chariots as well – traces of wheel ruts have been found at Peterborough that would have supported a vehicle with a width of one metre.

The evidence points to a warrior aristocracy, in a kingdom or group of sub-kingdoms stretching from Dorset to Sussex. The middle & late Bronze Age is roughly contemporaneous with the culture of Homer's Troy, with the same focus on kings & warriors, feasting and ritual battle. It would have been a warrior society with small-scale sporadic fighting between elites, gift exchanges between leaders, and tribute (in the form of food) from the subject population. This would have been one of the reasons why the land was farmed so extensively.

Defended settlements were found everywhere, as well as other enclosures that contained buildings. These were the prototypes for the Iron Age hill forts of southern England. In Dorset, a fence made out of great tree trunks was built around an area of 11 acres (4.4 hectares). It was set in a trench about 3 metres deep.

Strong regional identities & divisions were already being formed. The Thames Valley had access to the European mainland, which gave it an advantage in trade. This helped the region to eclipse the agricultural wealth of the Salisbury Plain. Northern England was focused on stock-raising, whereas southern England focused on cereal production. Trade encouraged interdependence between regions.

Commerce of all kinds was increasing, and this was very important. Trade leads to the growth of civilizations; it enables wars; it encourages technological growth; it creates towns & cities. Some types of swords were manufactured in western France, and ended up in eastern England. Also imported to England were highly-embellished barbecue spits from Spain, metalwork from Mycenae in Greece, and gold ornaments from Ireland.

In turn, England exported linen, woollen fabrics, slaves and hunting dogs to Europe. Children worked in Cornwall's tin mines, using bones and hammer-stones to dig out the ore. The metal was then sent to England's coastal ports for shipment to the continent.

When tin is added to molten copper, bronze is formed. The new technology changed everything, from cutting down forests to building houses to fighting. There were even bronze razors, with oil used as a lubricant for shaving.

Many Bronze Age settlements & cemeteries used the same sites as the Neolithic Period, and Bronze Age settlements were continuously in use throughout the Irone Age. The Iron Age people consistently respected the burial mounds and boundary lines of those who had come before them.

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