SPACE SWAG

Radiation from newborn stars heats up the Flame Nebula in the...

Sun, 19 May 2013 10:10:03 -0400

Radiation from newborn stars heats up the Flame Nebula in the constellation Orion, some 1,300 light-years from Earth.

The resulting infrared light reached the European Space Agency’s Herschel space telescope’s sensitive instruments on April 18, and was colored white, yellow, and pink to create this image.

The star illuminating the Flame Nebula would appear as another dot on Orion’s belt but for the huge cloud of dust obscuring it from view and making it appear four billion times dimmer.

—Brad Scriber

diamonds-wood: A polarized microscope photograph of elemental...

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:10:50 -0400

diamonds-wood:

A polarized microscope photograph of elemental sulfur. Ryoji Tanaka

“Chinese inventor Tao Xiangli welds a component of his...

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:40:00 -0400

“Chinese inventor Tao Xiangli welds a component of his self-made robot (back) at the yard of his house in Beijing, on May 15. Tao, 37, spent about 150,000 yuan ($24,407) and more than 11 months to build the robot out of recycled scrap metals and electric wires that he bought from a second-hand market. The robot is 6.8-feet-tall and around 529 lbs in weight, local media reported. ”

kcluvskc: Amazing light at sunset last night. Looking NE from...

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:54:25 -0400

kcluvskc:

Amazing light at sunset last night. Looking NE from 2nd & Delaware.

Arafat Dj - Kpan Kaka (HD)

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:34:33 -0400

Arafat Dj - Kpan Kaka (HD)

Photo

Tue, 14 May 2013 01:44:00 -0400

kcluvskc: KCTV’s Tower at 31st and Grand. Facts: It weighs in...

Mon, 13 May 2013 20:15:33 -0400

kcluvskc:

KCTV’s Tower at 31st and Grand.

Facts: It weighs in at 1,200,000 pounds and stands 1,042-foot (318 m) tall. Which is for reference purposes twice the height of the Kansas City Power and Light Building at 13th and Baltimore. Built in 1956 it boasted the title of “World’s Tallest Self-Supporting Tower”, and for an old school picture of it taken the same year it was erected, click here.

kcluvskc: The finished product from my October 7th post and a...

Sun, 12 May 2013 23:28:55 -0400

kcluvskc:

The finished product from my October 7th post and a link to their website.

tylerdking:

The new Whoop Dee Doo mural in down town Kansas City. (this is why KC rocks sometimes)

diamonds-wood: Kendrick Lamar by Robbie Fimmano for INTERVIEW...

Sun, 12 May 2013 20:17:00 -0400

diamonds-wood:

Kendrick Lamar by Robbie Fimmano for INTERVIEW MAY 2013

maximilianyearsbc: (via concept ships: SpaceShipTwo and...

Sun, 12 May 2013 16:17:37 -0400

maximilianyearsbc:

(via concept ships: SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo)

wayworld: Nneka the Pretty Serpent, Igbo film. 90s. Nora got...

Fri, 10 May 2013 20:20:43 -0400

wayworld:

Nneka the Pretty Serpent, Igbo film. 90s.

Nora got made fun of for this movie when she was in grade school and lived in Nigeria. :( This gif cracks me up tho.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4IEWPqQLUk

To put a human face on our ancestors, scientists from the...

Fri, 10 May 2013 17:24:40 -0400

Sahelanthropus tchadensis, aka "Toumai" - 6.8 million yrs

Australopithecus afarensis - 3.2 million yrs

Autralopithecus africanus, aka "Mrs. Ples" - 2.5 million yrs

Paranthropus aethiopicus - 2.5 million yrs

Paranthropus boisei, aka "Zinj" - 1.8 million yrs

Homo rudolfensis - 1.8 million yrs

Homo ergaster, aka "Turkana Boy" - 1.3 million yrs

Homo heidelbergensis, aka "Miquelon" - 500,000 yrs

Homo neanderthalensis, aka "Old Man of La Chapelle" - 56,000 yrs

Homo floresiensis, aka "hobbit" - 18,000 yrs

To put a human face on our ancestors, scientists from the Senckenberg Research Institute used sophisticated methods to form 27 model heads based on tiny bone fragments, teeth and skulls collected from across the globe. The heads are on display for the first time together at the Senckenberg Natural History Museum in Frankfurt, Germany.

“Orthodox Christians observe Good Friday celebrations in...

Fri, 10 May 2013 15:48:00 -0400

“Orthodox Christians observe Good Friday celebrations in and around the famed monolithic rock-cut churches in Lalibela, Ethiopiaon May 3.”

Space Age Pimpin - Eightball 8ball & MJG

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:41:00 -0400

Space Age Pimpin - Eightball 8ball & MJG

Photo

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:23:22 -0400

The construction of Egypt’s Aswan High Dam during the...

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:10:00 -0400

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beboflickr/6064902202/sizes/l/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcelschmitz/4659407047/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcelschmitz/4647812769/sizes/o/in/photostream/

The construction of Egypt’s Aswan High Dam during the 1960s and subsequent filling of the Lake Nasser reservoir forced relocation of Nubians living in the region. Many efforts were taken by the government to better the lives of those forced to leave. Irrigated land was given to displaced Nubians who owned at least an acre previously and monetary compensation was given to those who owned less. Subsidies were given to help families move and to help in the time immediately after moving. Economic development to benefit Nubians was also considered through the agricultural land previously mentioned as well as the construction of factories in the town of Kom Ombu, less than 30 miles downstream of the dam. Additional housing and infrastructure was provided to accommodate an influx of people in Kom Ombu and for the construction of two new villages for people who did not wish to live in Kom Ombu (Scudder).

While the Egyptian government showed concern for people displaced by the dam project, problems still arose. Design of housing and choice of location for resettlement were the only inputs Nubians were given for relocation planning. In construction, the Nubian village structure was upended through increased population density, neighborhood layout modification for production ease, and smaller dwellings in comparison to traditional housing. Due to time constraints, contractors provided rushed, shoddy housing and much of the new farmland was not ready for use. Additionally, physical removal of Nubians became uncoordinated, and food shortages arose. Higher death rates and lack of water supply existed in Kom Ombu during the initial years after the Nubian influx. Significant cultural loss due to moving inland from the Nile and assimilation occurred during this time. The acre stipulation for land compensation left 40 percent of previous land owners without plots, and those who did receive plots were expected to farm theirs (Scudder). Additionally, promised land and housing was not given to all Nubians due to shortages. Lack of development in the region post resettlement has lead to high unemployment (Egypt Independent); combined with overall dissatisfaction of government sponsored developments, many have found reason to leave the area to seek jobs in larger cities such as Cairo and Alexandria (Guardian). Through assimilation and dispersal, their ancient language is becoming lost (Egypt Independent). Some factions of Nubians have wanted to reclaim their land by resettling on the shores of Lake Nasser, but priority has not been given to them over other groups. There is a silver lining in all of this: Nubian women gained economic power, attending school at higher rates and working in shops offices for the first time during after the filling of Lake Nasser (Scudder).

The Egyptian government took steps to accommodate the relocation of Nubians, but they have been and continue to be marginalized as a result of the Aswan High Dam construction. Overall, the construction of the dam is a success; whether or not one views Nubian dislocation as a failure should rest in how little the government empowered the Nubians during the process. Today, three dams are planned which may force relocation of Sudanese Nubians and threaten the existence of 500 archaeological sites (International Rivers).

The pictures above are from Nubian developments sponsored by the Egyptian government.

ialghamdi: Red car by twan-k5 Santiago Calatrava shows us what...

Thu, 09 May 2013 22:16:48 -0400

ialghamdi:

Red car by twan-k5 Santiago Calatrava shows us what a car park can look like.
(explore 30-04-2013) http://flic.kr/p/ef6SzF

olio-ataxia: ‘The Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket...

Sun, 05 May 2013 09:45:01 -0400

olio-ataxia:

‘The Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket launches from Pad-0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, on April 21, 2013. The test launch marked the first flight of Antares and the first rocket launch from Pad-0A. The Antares rocket delivered the equivalent mass of a spacecraft, a so-called mass simulated payload, into Earth’s orbit.’ (Reuters/Bill Ingalls/NASA)

Photo

Sun, 05 May 2013 09:44:07 -0400

knowledgeisqueen: WATCH: the official video for Q.U.E.E.N. by...

Sun, 05 May 2013 09:43:07 -0400

knowledgeisqueen:

WATCH: the official video for Q.U.E.E.N. by janelle monáe feat. erykah badu.

#keepitQUEEN.

My crown too heavy like the Queen Nefertiti/Gimme back my pyramid, I’m trying to free Kansas City