Friday, January 26, 2018

7 Innovative Ideas In Architectural Design

1. The Urban Forest

MAD Architects, a Chinese firm, has developed a way to reintroduce the reverence of nature to the rapid Westernization and immense population growth of one of China's biggest cities, Chongqing. The Urban Forest, which is intended for commercial and office space, is a swirling skyscraper with no apparent symmetry. Towering above Chongqing at around 116 stories high, (the World Trade Center's twin towers were 110 stories), the Urban Forest is an attempt to combine the careful attention of the green movement the representative power inherent in a skyscraper. Its design "mimics vertiginous hillsides, shifting in a dynamic yet holistic rhythm."An estimated date for the completion of The Urban Forest is unknown, but MAD architects do list it as a "design in progress," having completed the proposal phase.

Eight Issues In Obasanjo’s Statement Nigerian Govt Did Not Respond To:

On Wednesday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, responded to the 13-page statement by former President Olusegun Obasanjo which rated the performance of the Muhammadu Buhari administration as below par.

In the explosive statement, Mr. Obasanjo highlighted the widespread discontent with the Buhari administration and advised Mr. Buhari not to seek re-election but to “dismount the horse” with honour and dignity.

While Mr. Mohammed’s response was measured and devoid of raucous counter-attack that is usually associated with such retorts within political circles in Nigeria, he, however, dodged some salient issues raised by the former president in his statement.

A former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, is mobilising politicians and other Nigerians to sign on to his Coalition for Nigeria project, to oust President Muhammadu Buhari from office.

Many of those consulted by Mr. Obasanjo are said to have signed on to his elaborate plan for a mass movement away from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to “rescue” the country.

Ahead of 2019 election, former president Olusegun Obasanjo is reportedly gathering an army of politicians to form a coalition to oust President Muhammadu Buhari as well as revamp politics and economy in Nigeria. The coalition so far has the support of seven governors and twenty senators as well as other notable politicians.

According to Premium Times, many of those consulted by Obasanjo are said to have signed on to his plan for a mass movement away from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to “rescue” the country.

'SOLID' Hydrogen Phone Shipping This Summer

Boutique Android phone makers didn't have a good 2017, but RED aims to reverse that trend with its high-end Hydrogen handset, which founder Jim Jannard talks up in a recent post on the company's forums. The chunky, unique device will ship in the summer, but those who have pre-ordered will be able to test out its "4-view" display in April.

Jannard crows about the quality of the display, the quality of the audio, the quality of the build, the versatility of the module system, and the "cool as hell" scalloped sides. He admits it's big: 2 ounces more than other 5.7" devices, as well as broader and thicker. "Think SOLID," he concludes. At least that leaves room for a big battery (4500mAh) and dual SIM slots.

Climate Change Exposed Iron and Bronze Age Artifacts

Glacial archaeologists are racing melting ice in Norway to rescue thousands of ancient artifacts exposed by climate change—revealing something surprising about a mysterious and little-known ice age.

A team of scientists from Norway and the United Kingdom working in the mountains of Oppland, Norway, have discovered more than 2,000 artifacts, including Iron Age and Bronze Age weapons, remains of pack horses and even prehistoric skis. Many are made from organic materials (like wood or animal hide) that archaeologists rarely have a chance to study; in pretty much every other environment, they would have decomposed. A paper describing the research was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

Glacial archaeologists systematically survey the mountainous areas of Oppland, Norway.Johan Wildhagen

Radiocarbon dating during the course of the research placed some of the objects, like the nearly 200 arrows, as far back as 4000 B.C. Ancient hunter-gatherer communities in the region lived off reindeer and became proficient farmers, even at an elevation of more than 8,000 feet.

A Ghanaian Launches A Water Bicycle

A 27-year-old Ghanaian who resides in Takoradi in the Western Region gained recognition for his creation of a bicycle which is purposely designed to be used on water surfaces. He revealed that the creation of his invention started in August, 2017 and with a lot of effort and hard work, he managed to finish his project and tested it in a shallow dam in his area.

Now, the young inventor believing in his finished work, decided to test it out on the sea to prove to the world that his invention has come to stay. In the many pictures that the young man sent to NAIJ.com, some people were seen taking turns to experience the unique invention.

Speaking in a telephone conversation with NAIJ.com, Frank Darko revealed that he wanted his invention to help the school children who had to swim to school, find an easier path to their classes.

Frank Darko during the invention

Plane Skids Off Turkish Runway

A Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737 passenger plane was stuck in mud on an embankment after landing at Trabzon's aiport on the Black Sea coast on Sunday.

Terrifying images captured Saturday night at Trabzon airport on Turkey’s northeast coast showed a passenger plane teetering precariously on a steep slope, its nose pointing toward the waters of the Black Sea below, after the jet skidded off the runway as it was attempting to land.

Mass Burial Of Victims Of Herdsmen Killings In Benue State, NIGERIA

Friday, January 12, 2018

Housing: Why Educators, Health Professionals, and All Should Care About It

Lessons Learned from MacArthur's Investment in Housing Research

When cities strive to improve the lives of their residents, they often focus on issues such as schools, parks, jobs, or, health. Yet often overlooked is something equally fundamental. Trace the lineage of many social welfare issues today, and you will likely uncover a history of substandard, unaffordable housing. As research increasingly shows, housing that is safe and affordable and in a strong and thriving neighborhood is a launching pad to upward mobility for families.

For more than a decade, MacArthur has supported research on the role of housing as a platform for opportunity among families. As the following summary of findings from more than 20 studies shows, housing shapes our lives in critical and long-lasting ways. Through this and others' work, our understanding has expanded and continues to grow, providing greater nuance and insight into the specific pathways through which housing makes a difference in people's lives and in communities. These pathways include housing stability, affordability, quality, and location.

The findings are organized for audiences who regularly see the direct impact of poor-quality, unaffordable housing but who at the same time may not realize housing's role in those outcomes: educators, health professionals, and economic development experts.

Don't Break Our Grazing Law! Ortom, Benue State Governor Warns

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state has said declared that nobody would be spared in the enforcement of anti-grazing law in the state. The Nation reports that the grazing law took effect from Wednesday, November 1 some months after the governor assented to it.

NAIJ.com gathered that Ortom recently called on writers to partner with his government on advocacy for ranches.

5 Reasons Nations Are Afraid Of Israel

The technology that binds all of these other systems together is the Israeli soldier. Since 1948 (and even before) Israel has committed the best of its human capital to the armed forces. The creation of fantastic soldiers, sailors, and airmen doesn’t happen by accident, and doesn’t result simply from the enthusiasm and competence of the recruits. The IDF has developed systems of recruitment, training, and retention that allow it to field some of the most competent, capable soldiers in the world. None of the technologies above work unless they have smart, dedicated, well-trained operators to make them function at their fullest potential.

Since 1948, the state of Israel has fielded a frighteningly effective military machine. Built on a foundation of pre-independence militias, supplied with cast-off World War II weapons, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have enjoyed remarkable success in the field. In the 1960's and 1970's, both because of its unique needs and because of international boycotts, Israel began developing its own military technologies, as well as augmenting the best foreign tech. Today, Israel boasts one of the most technologically advanced military stockpiles in the world, and one of the world’s most effective workforce.

(This first appeared in 2015.)

Here are five of the most deadly systems that the Israeli Defense Forces currently employ.

Conjoined Twins, Abby and Brittany Hensel Today!

TLC has never had a shortage when it comes to introducing the world to interesting people with interesting stories — but there are few people who have captivated an audience like twins Abby and Brittany Hensel!

Wikileaks releases documents it claims detail Russia mass surveillance apparatus

Wikileaks has released a new cache of documents which it claims detail surveillance apparatus used by the Russian state to spy on Internet and mobile users. It's the first time the organization has leaked (what it claims is) material directly pertaining to the Russian state.

As ever, nothing is straightforward when it comes to Wikileaks. And founder Julian Assange continues to face charges that his 'radical transparency' organization is a front for Kremlin agents (charges that stepped up after Wikileaks released a massive trove of hacked emails from the DNC last year at a key moment in the U.S. presidential election).

Twisting Buildings

In August 2016, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) published a new study, Twisting Tall Buildings, examining the recent proliferation of spiralling towers being developed around the world.

The report defines a building as ‘twisting’ if it progressively rotates its floor plates or its façade as it gains height. It is usual that each plate will be similarly shaped in plan, and turned on a shared axis a consistent number of degrees from the preceding floor.

Not only are these ‘twisters’ often aerodynamic and energy-efficient as a result of their design, they are able to incorporate a wide variety of textures, view angles and ripple effects.

The origins of fabric structures

The origins of fabric structures can be traced back over 44,000 years to the ice age and the Siberian Steppe, where remains have been found of simple shelters constructed from animal skins draped between sticks. It is likely that structures of this type were the first dwellings actually constructed by humans, and it has even been suggested that simple textiles were used for spatial division and shelter before they were used as clothing.

Initially associated with nomadic peoples, one of the earliest and most successful types of fabric structure was the loosely woven black tent. The black tent spread throughout the civilised world during the Arab conquests of the eighth century, and its descendants are still in use today.

Black tent.

From these nomadic origins, more permanent urban shading systems evolved. These were initially used to provide cover over streets and domestic courtyards, but later, larger 'velum' or 'velarium' were developed, primarily to provide shelter at theatres. In more recent times, simple cable stayed, prestressed fabric structures were used to provide decorative shelter for special events. These 'toldos' or 'envelet' were particularly popular at the end of the nineteenth century in the Cataluna region of Spain.

In March 2017, architecture studio Oiio released designs for an ambitious skyscraper in New York City. The concept of The Big Bend grew from considering what would happen if New York substituted height with length, and what if buildings were long instead of tall?

Super-slender

Introduction

In June 2016, New York's Skyscraper Museum released an online tool that tracks the growing number of ‘super-slender’ towers in the city.

The interactive chart compares the heights and silhouettes of 18 'skinny' towers now complete or under construction in New York.

What is ‘super-slender’?

A new form of skyscraper has evolved in New York over the past decade: the super-slim, ultra-luxury residential tower. These pencil-thin buildings of 50-90+ storeys use a development and design strategy of slenderness to pile their city-regulated maximum square feet of floor area (FAR) as high as possible to create luxury apartments with spectacular views.

The defining characteristic of these new towers is not height, but slenderness. A tower can be very tall, but not slender, and it can be slender without being very tall.

New York Horizon

On 23 March 2016, 'New York Horizon' was announced as the winner of the eVolo Skyscraper Competition, an annual competition that invites architects and designers to imagine futuristic structures.

On 1 June 2017, Google submitted an application for planning permission to Camden council for its proposed King’s Cross Campus. This building will be the first, wholly-owned and designed Google building outside the United States.

Construction of the purpose-built 11-storey 'groundscraper' building, providing 1 million sq. ft, of accommodation will commence in 2018. The building will be longer than The Shard is tall.

Designed by Heatherwick Studio and Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the building will feature a natural theme, with all materials sourced through Google’s healthy materials programme. The new building, combined with the current building at 6 Pancras Square and an additional third building, will create a Google campus with the potential to house 7,000 employees.

A Glimpse Into 22-year-old Conjoined Twins ‘One-Body’ World!

These extraordinary conjoined twins are making major headway in their lives as they enter early-adulthood. They are learning to tolerate one another, work together as two individuals, but as one body. They share the same world spending all their days together—living a unique life as conjoined twins.

Abigail and Brittany Hensel are conjoined twins with a medical condition called, Dicephalic Parapagus. They are fused together at the torso, and share one body. At birth, doctors told their parents they wouldn’t live for more than a few hours—miraculously they are now full-grown adults today. For their entire lives—from the time they were infants, through childhood, through the difficult teen years, and through to today—the twins have had to struggle to overcome many challenges.

Now at the age of 22, Abby and Brittany are sharing the next chapter of their lives with the whole world in a new TV reality series. Their lives will be aired as they make the leap from being students to young professionals, and share an adventure touring across Europe with their friends.

£25,000 Debt As Wife-to-be Dumped Groom For Another Woman

A groom is facing a bill of £25,000 after his wife-to-be left him for another WOMAN just six weeks before their wedding.

Heartbroken Adam Vickers, 24, had planned to marry childhood sweetheart Laura O’Callaghan, 24, in a beautiful rural venue and they had already sent out invites, hired a photographer, DJ and Bentley for the bride.

The couple of 10 years had even booked their honeymoon to Thailand, bringing the total cost up to £25,000.

However, just weeks before the big day, plumber Adam discovered his partner had been having an affair with Sinead Keziah.

A racist Airbnb host denied Dyne Suh (pictured) lodging because of her race. (Photo: NBC4)

Dyne Suh was looking forward to a Presidents’ Day weekend stay at a mountain cabin in California with her fiancé and friends, but her Airbnb host swiftly canceled the reservation. Suh explained that the host, in a racially insensitive exchange, praised President Trump and denied the stay because Suh was Asian.

Suh, a law student studying race relations, hails from Riverside, Calif., and was looking to get away with a pair of friends and her dogs back in February. In a report by Los Angeles-based NBC affiliate KNBC, Suh claims that the owner of the home denied the stay because of Suh’s race just as she was on her way to Running Springs, Calif., in snowy weather.

FILE - In this March 15, 2017 file photo, U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson approaches to participate in the annual joint military exercise called Foal Eagle between South Korea and the United States, at Busan port in Busan, South Korea. The Pentagon says A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike group is departing the South China Sea to provide a physical presence near the Korean Peninsula. Its activities in the disputed waterway were considered a message to Beijing about Washington’s determination to maintain its forward presence in the disputed waterway amid challenges from China. Beijing said it was well aware of the activities of the Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its support ships. (Jo Jung-ho/Yonhap via AP, File)

BEIJING (AP) — A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves:

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a weekly look at the latest developments in the South China Sea, home to several territorial conflicts that have raised tensions in the region.___

The Pentagon says A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike group is departing the South China Sea to provide a physical presence near the Korean Peninsula.

The U.S. Pacific Command directed the carrier group to sail north to the western Pacific after departing Singapore on Saturday, according to a Navy news release. The strike group includes the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, with support from several missile destroyers and missile cruisers.

The story of the "Mowgli girl" in India received a twist when two men claiming to be her uncles approached a care home for the mentally ill where she is currently being cared for.

The girl, initially reported to be about 8 years of age but now believed to be 11 years, was rescued from a forest in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in late January. Media reports had suggested she was being taken care of by a troop of monkeys in the forest. The girl walked mostly on all fours and could not speak any human language.

But authorities and doctors have denied these reports and suggested that she could be mentally ill and could have been in the forest for only a few days before she was rescued.