Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Thousands of rare documents burned in Egypt clash
The volunteers, ranging from academic experts to appalled citizens, have spent the past two days trying to salvage what's left of some 192,000 books, journals and writings, casualties of Egypt's latest bout of violence.
Institute d'Egypte, a research center set up by Napoleon Bonaparte during France's invasion in the late 18th century, caught fire during clashes between protesters and Egypt's military over the weekend. It was home to a treasure trove of writings, most notably the handwritten 24-volume Description de l'Egypte, which began during the 1798-1801 French occupation.
The compilation, which includes 20 years of observations by more than 150 French scholars and scientists, was one of the most comprehensive descriptions of Egypt's monuments, its ancient civilization and contemporary life at the time.
The Description of Egypt is likely burned beyond repair. Its home, the two-story historic institute near Tahrir Square, is now in danger of collapsing after the roof caved in.
"The burning of such a rich building means a large part of Egyptian history has ended," the director of the institute, Mohammed al-Sharbouni, told state television over the weekend. The building was managed by a local non-governmental organization.
Al-Sharbouni said most of the contents were destroyed in the fire that raged for more than 12 hours on Saturday. Firefighters flooded the building with water, adding to the damage.
During the clashes a day earlier, parts of the parliament and a transportation authority office caught fire, but those blazes were put out quickly.
The violence erupted in Cairo Friday, when military forces guarding the Cabinet building, near the institute, cracked down on a 3-week-old sit-in to demand the country's ruling generals hand power to a civilian authority. At least 14 people have been killed.
Zein Abdel-Hady, who runs the country's main library, is leading the effort to try and save what's left of the charred manuscripts.
"This is equal to the burning of Galileo's books," Abdel-Hady said, referring to the Italian scientist whose work proposing that the earth revolved around the sun was believed to have been burned in protest in the 17th century.
Below Abdel-Hady's office, dozens of people sifted through the mounds of debris brought to the library. A man in a surgical coat carried a pile of burned paper with his arms carefully spread, as if cradling a baby.
The rescuers used newspapers to cover some partially burned books. Bulky machines vacuum-packed delicate paper.
At least 16 truckloads with around 50,000 manuscripts, some damaged beyond repair, have been moved from the sidewalks outside the U.S. Embassy and the American University in Cairo, both near the burned institute, to the main library, Abdel-Hady said.
He told The Associated Press that there is no way of knowing what has been lost for good at this stage, but the material was worth tens of millions of dollars — and in many ways simply priceless.
"I haven't slept for two days, and I cried a lot yesterday. I do not like to see a book burned," he said. "The whole of Egypt is crying."
He said that there are four other handwritten copies of the Description of Egypt. The French body of work has also been digitized and is available online.
There may have been a map of Egypt and Ethiopia, dated in 1753, that was destroyed in the fire. However, another original copy of the map is in Egypt's national library, he said. The gutted institute also housed 16th century letters and manuscripts that were bound and shelved like books.
The most accessible inventory at the moment for what was housed in the institute is in a 1920's book kept in the U.S. Library of Congress, according to William Kopycki, a regional field director with the Washington D.C.-based library. He said the body of work that was destroyed was essential for researchers of Egyptian history, Arabic studies and Egyptology.
"It's a loss of a very important institute that many scholars have visited," he said during a meeting with Abdel-Hady to evaluate the level of destruction.
What remains inside the historic building near the site of the clashes are piles of burned furniture, twisted metal and crumbled walls. A double human chain of protesters surrounded the building Monday.
At a news conference Monday, a general from the country's ruling military council said an investigation was under way to find who set the building on fire. State television aired images of men in plainclothes burning the building and dancing around the fire Saturday afternoon. Protesters also took advantage of the fire, using the institute's grounds to hurl firebombs and rocks at soldiers atop surrounding buildings.
A military colonel, helping out with rescue efforts at the library, said about 10 soldiers have been tasked with assisting the volunteers. He asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.
Volunteer Ahmed el-Bindari said the military shoulders the brunt of responsibility for using its roof as a position to attack protesters before the fire erupted.
"When the government wants to protect something, they do," el-Bindari said. "Try to reach the Interior Ministry or Defense Ministry buildings. You won't be able to."
Monday, December 19, 2011
One crazy Drake fan
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Water-powered LUXURY's MIG 675 cruiser
Jaspreet Kaur Walia:
The concept
Here is a water vehicle that has the capability to produce its own fuel! Don't get shocked as a French company named Quimperié has manufactured the all new MIG 675 cruiser that does exactly what has been mentioned. It will produce fuel by directly harvesting hydrogen from seawater with the help of on-board generators. This means that the need of unstable and risky hydrogen tanks will be deleted from the design as live hydrogen production will take place.
MIG 675 cruiser
The cruiser boat measures 6.7 x 2.5-meter or 22 x 8-foot and can touch a top speed of 113 km/h or 70mph. It can seat three people and has a cruising speed of 72.5 km/h or 45 mph. The hydrogen powered board will produce nothing but water vapors. All the electric devices, like a 10-inch touchscreen controller, an electric anchor roller, depth finder, an Alpine audio system, GPS, an LED navigation lighting system, rear-view camera and a bar fridge with an electric retractable table, all are powered by the hydrogen generator.
The MIG 675 cruiser is a true call of luxury and will also feature a sun deck, toilet, leather interior, retractable shower and teak floor. It will make sure that your dream of spending a pollution-free day at the beach soon turns into reality. The environmentally-friendly boat will come stashed with a price tag of $325,000 and is expected to hit the market next year.
The inspiration
Keeping the environment clean and saving precious resources is what stirred the designing of Water-powered LUXURY's MIG 675 cruiser. Fuel is not only expensive but also produces harmful emissions. The cruiser has been created to deal with both the troubles and help people enjoy an Eco-friendly ride.
Eco credentials
Many designers have come up with boats and ships that are powered by solar and wind energy. But there are many who are trying to exploit other sources of fuel as well and hydrogen is one of them. MIG 675 cruiser is a hydrogen powered boat that will keep the seawater and environment clean by producing hydrogen from seawater. The MIG 675 cruiser will definitely give a new meaning to clean and green boats. It has a super clean engine that won't pollute the underwater ecosystem.
Feasibility
Hydrogen is being used as a fuel to power many boats, therefore, MIG 675 cruiser's feasibility is not questionable. Keeping in mind that the creation will harvest hydrogen from the water body it will move on, the boat will not require any fuel refills. But the company has not made it clear whether the cruiser boat will run on seawater indefinitely or will it require other kinds of fuels to escalate its hydrogen production. Not much has been revealed about the engine it will come fitted with, so one can't give a final word on what the result produced by the cruiser will be like.
Related trends
1. Hydro Dolphin
Dolphin inspired boat runs on hydrogen for clean seas
Rayka Design Studio has come up with a passenger boat that will be powered with hydrogen fuel and has been named Hydro Dolphin. As the named suggests, the Hydro Dolphin has fetched heavy inspiration from dolphins. It has a length, width and height measuring 22m, 6m and 5.25m, respectively. The design features a wide outer skin that can be exploited depending on the weather condition.
The glass facade will let people enjoy a panoramic view and give them a chance to appreciate the beauty of their surroundings. It lets passengers sit in different positions, while it can also be used in still waters like the Golden Horn. Hydro Dolphin also has a space that can be used to install a small kitchen unit. The Eco-friendly, hydrogen-powered Hydro Dolphin will take people on a fun-filled ride that too without harming the surroundings with any kind of pollutants.
2. Orcageno
Orcageno low emission yacht by Pharos Marine
Orcageno is a low-emission super-yacht concept that has been crafted by Pharos Marine, which is a design studio based in Egypt. The attention-grabbing yacht will fetch all the power from a hydrogen diesel electric engine that will fitted in Orcageno. The concept is 60 meters long and will deliver a range of approximately 1800 nautical miles at a speed of 18 knots that too in an environmentally-friendly way.
The yacht manages to deliver an even better fuel-efficiency, thanks to the axe-bow structure of the hull that brings down residence because the entrance is placed at a low angle. The best part is it will also reduce the impact on marine life and shoreline erosion. The operating range of Orcageno is pumped up as hydrogen fuel used produces three times more energy than diesel and that too without producing harmful gases. The design also features a generator that will get power from hydrogen-diesel IC engine.
3. EkranoYacht
Hydrogen powered flying yacht based on the Ekranoplan
EkranoYacht is a hydrogen-powered, flying yacht concept that has been designed by Jaron Dickson. The Australian designer was inspired from the Ekranoplan, which is the legendary Soviet super-vehicle. Hydrogen powered vehicles are quite sustainable and do not produce harmful emissions. These use sustainable fuel that only produces hydrogen in small amounts and water vapor as emissions.
The cool vehicle has been designed for the year 2025 and will be used for permanent residence. It will unfurl a great way to travel by sea while keeping the environment pollution free. EkranoYacht will let you carry your home wherever you go that will surly leave people awestruck. It comes injected with the comfort of a yacht and at the same time will let you savor the convenience that an airplane comes with.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Frozen Planet fakery row Polar bear filmed in zoo
Frozen Planet's eight million devoted fans will not take kindly to being left out in the cold.
It emerged yesterday a key scene from the hit BBC series showing a polar bear tending her newborn cubs was filmed in a zoo using fake snow.
Mixing real Arctic shots with zoo scenes, documentary makers fooled the audience into believing the footage was gathered by intrepid cameramen in the brutal sub-zero wilderness.
It was actually filmed from the comfort of a wildlife park enclosure using bears in a man-made wood den.
During the carefully worded Frozen Planet commentary, Sir David Attenborough's script failed to explain how the moving scene was made.
The truth behind the trickery is only revealed in a hard-to-find video among dozens of clips on the BBC website.
It emerged yesterday a key scene from the hit BBC series showing a polar bear tending her newborn cubs was filmed in a zoo using fake snow.
Mixing real Arctic shots with zoo scenes, documentary makers fooled the audience into believing the footage was gathered by intrepid cameramen in the brutal sub-zero wilderness.
It was actually filmed from the comfort of a wildlife park enclosure using bears in a man-made wood den.
During the carefully worded Frozen Planet commentary, Sir David Attenborough's script failed to explain how the moving scene was made.
The truth behind the trickery is only revealed in a hard-to-find video among dozens of clips on the BBC website.
Manuel de los Galanes - FotografÃas
Recojo una muestra de las imágenes que "Manuel de los Galanes" expone en el espacio "Unonueve" de Madrid hasta el 27 de Enero 2012 con el tÃtulo "No tan felices". Por si queréis ver las 15 imágenes, pasaros por "Ciervomaya".
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