The Ancient Cities and Kingdoms

1-Title Anchor Wat in Khmer means "city-church." This is the great religious building of any known on Earth was built in the early XII century during the reign of King Suryavarman II. The giant temple dedicated to Vishnu, one of the supreme gods of Hinduism. The huge temple symbolizes the sacred Mount Meru - the center of all universes and the abode of the gods. In the central part of the church are more tall buildings, and passes around the perimeter of the moat width of 200 m. The temple is decorated with five majestic towers in the shape of lotus flowers, covered with carved figures. Many of the sculptures of this complex were severely damaged in the late 70s of last century during the reign of Pol Pot. The total height of the temple 65 m above the ground.  2-Anuradhapura and today is the capital of North-Central Province of Sri Lanka. Today the city is divided into two parts - the old and new, separated by a river. In 1950 the government resettled residents especially in the "new city" to save the ancient temples from destruction. The first settlements in this area date back to the VI century BC In 377 BC the city became the capital of the Sinhala state. In the eleventh century AD Anuradhapura was almost completely destroyed when the island was captured by the Chola rulers of South Indian States. Today it attracts tourists and Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world. 3-The founder of the Tibetan kingdom was the son of King Glang Darma, who ruled around the tenth century. 700 years after its foundation, the kingdom perished under mysterious circumstances, and its population, numbering tens of thousands of people disappeared without trace. The surviving ruins of the palace, which stands on an impregnable rock near the cliff give an idea of ​​how high the culture of this ancient kingdom. In addition to the numerous above-ground facilities in the palace complex are also caves with murals painted walls, and intricate underground labyrinth. 4-Hampi - a small Indian village, which is located right in the middle of the ancient ruins of Vijayanagara (the title translates as "City of Victory") - the capital of ancient Vidzhayanagarskoy Empire, which until Serena XVII century occupied the entire south Indian subcontinent. Today the remains of the temple towers of the Gopuram tower in the middle of the village. Because of this unique architectural heritage of the village of Hampi is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. 5-This kingdom was competing with its power and majesty of ancient Egypt from about 2500 BC to 1520 BC The Kingdom of Kerma was located in the valley of the Nile in Upper Nubia, and was an important trade center of its time. Today in towering high-preserved cemetery mounds that cover the imperial burial. Some archaeologists believe that the Kerma may have some connection with the kingdom of Kush, which is mentioned in Genesis. 6-This state existed on the island of Sri Lanka in the XV - XVI centuries, and dragged along almost the entire western coast of the island. Its last ruler, who managed to unite under his rule the whole island, was King Parakramabahu VI, who ruled the country for almost 55 years. After his death, the struggle for power is so acute that the state was divided into three areas that are in a constant state of war. In the 1550s the state was fully captured Cote Portuguese. 7-Today, the remains of 14 tombs of the rulers of this state are scattered in three cities: Vunu, Guoney and Wanda, are in the Chinese provinces of Jilin and Liaoning. In ancient times, all these cities belonged to the Koguryo. Representatives of the Koguryo dynasty ruled in northern China, and in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula from 277 BC and up to 668 AD 8-This is an ancient state existed on the territory of Yemen in the late 2nd millennium BC on the III. BC It was one of the largest states in the ancient Near East. Dawn Sabaean state accounted for the VIII century. BC In the picture you can see the ruins of the ancient Sabaean temple, which was recently discovered by archaeologists. The temple was decorated huge columns and statues of the rulers. 9-As part of this historic monument, located in the northern part of Thailand, is a lot of beautiful old churches. The city itself Sukhothai (the title translates as "Dawn of Happiness") was the capital of Sukhothai in the XIII - XIV centuries. The city, whose territory is 70 square kilometers, surrounded by perimeter walls, while in the city was the royal palace, and 26 churches. The biggest of these temples - Wat Mahathat, combining the temple-tower and a Buddhist stupa. Inside the temple there is a large statue of a seated Buddha

Facts About Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein, a genius, an icon, a man in desperate need of a comb! Most people know a lot about the famous physicist without even trying to. To begin with it’s easy to see that he never owned a comb in his entire adult life, and it is also common knowledge that never wore socks because he disliked the way holes developed around his big toe. He was born on March 14th 1879 and ended his life in America in 1955 where his last words were lost to use because the nurse at his bed side didn’t understand German. He is a man who has had a periodic element, (einsteinium), named in his honor and one whose social and political rhetoric is studied as avidly as Machiavelli and Gandhi. But let’s see if there aren’t some more fascinating facts about one of the most fascinating people of the 20th century. Here is a list of top 10 fascinating facts about Albert Einstein.

10. Did not Talk Till he was Three

Albert Einstein is called by many the smartest man to have ever lived, but he had a great deal of difficulty in his early childhood development. Some have wondered if he suffered from ‘Asperger’s syndrome’ a high function type of autism. But such speculation is exactly that, speculation. But we do know that he did not learn to speak until he was three years old and even at the age of nine he is said to have spoken hesitantly and with uncertainty. This later information could have been a result of his dislike of this school system, (he went through several and never seemed to enjoy any of them), and his tendency towards introspection and thoughtfulness. If nothing else Albert Einstein is a good example of why being a late bloomer isn’t such a bad thing.

9. A Cottage in Norfolk Saved the World…Maybe

During the 1930’s while Hitler’s National Socialist Party, (the NSDAP), was gaining power and prominence Albert Einstein went to stay in a cottage in Norfolk, England. Einstein (a symptom of being of Jewish ancestry in the 1930’s) constantly had to be uprooted and moved as the political and geographical topography of the world shifted under the pressure of the Nazi’s. When Hitler was elected to power as Chancellor in 1933 it became impossible for him to stay in Nazi Germany and a British M.P, (Member of Parliament), Commander Oliver Locker-Lampson offered him a place to stay in Norfolk. While at the M.P’s cottage, located in the English countryside, Einstein was able to continue work on his scientific theories including developing the ideas behind the first atomic bomb. In many ways being able to retreat to the small cottage in Norfolk could be said to have helped end the war, (depending on your opinion on the atomic bomb), but certainly advanced scientific theory and progress. He left Norfolk to move to America.

8. Grand Theft Cerebral

A lot of people know that Albert Einstein’s brain was removed and given to science for research several hours after his death in 1955, but not many know that he might not have given his consent. It has been said in the past by biographers and friends of the famous physicist that it was Albert’s wish that his mind should be used for scientific research but more recently evidence has come to light to suggest he might never have requested anything of the sort and that his brain was removed without his or his family’s permission. Although Hans Albert Einstein, his son, did agree to it after the brain had already been removed but insisted it only be utilized for serious scientific research in respected journals. After significant study it was discovered that among other thing’s Einstein’s mind contained more gilal cells then most people. These cells are responsible for synthesizing iinformation.

7. He was Swiss

Einstein regained his Germany citizenship in 1914 during the changing political climate at the end of the First World War. He did so when he entered the Germany civil service, (the famous patent office), as well as being a member of the Prussian army and professor at the academy of sciences. But when he left the civil service in 1933, and Germany, he lost that citizenship. Before this happened he had already gained his Swiss citizenship in 1901. But unlike many of the bonds he made during this almost nomadic time in his life he retained his Swiss citizenship until the day he died, even after he became an American citizen in 1940. In fact between 1933 and 1940 he retained his Swiss citizenship only and you could argue that since he held it longer, and until he died, he was more Swiss than anything else.

6. His Work Largely went Unnoticed After the War

While Einstein gained a lot of popular attention for his eccentricity and public image as a member of the scientific community behind the discovery of the atomic bomb, and while most people knew the sight of his unkempt hair style and that he did not own a pair of socks, his work in the later part of his life, went largely unexamined until recently. Einstein had been working on a Unified field theory, (it involved gravity and electromagnetism being solved by one set of equations), and would do so until he died, but from 1920 onwards he also began to concentrate on quantum theory. Most people will have heard of this area of theoretical physics by now, (if not in class then in any number of Hollywood movies that have exploited it), but the work was neglected until very recently and is now at the centre of the discipline being considered alongside such high sounding things as ‘superstring theory.’

5. Married his Cousin

A number of famous people have married their cousins including Jesse James, Franklin Roosevelt, H.G Wells and Charles Darwin. But so did Einstein and he did so with gusto. His first wife, Melvia Maric, (married in January 1903), was a Serbian woman and has been described as having more of an intellectual partnership with Einstein. He had two sons by her. He married his second wife, Elsa Lowenthal, about four months after divorcing Maric who had been living separately for five years. Elsa had nursed Einstein through an illness and this might have led to his affection for her. In any case she was his first cousin on his mother’s side, but also his second cousin on his father’s side making him her cousin two times over on both sides of the family!

4. Won the Nobel Prize for…

One of the more fascinating facts about Albert Einstein is that very few people know what he won a Nobel Prize for in 1922. (Coincidently Nobel was the inventor of dynamite.) Of course an award like the Nobel Prize is actual given for a life time of work, and no one specific thing, but for the purpose of naming a winner a single thing is generally named. In Einstein’s case it was his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect in 1905. (Let’s not go there, but the photoelectric effect has to do with electrons that are given out of a material after the absorption of energy, more to the point x-rays, and Einstein postulated that this absorption was caused by quanta’s of light, now called protons) He invested the prize money heavily in the United States and saw much of his investments wiped out in the Depression of 1929.

3. President of Israel

Here’s a good one. It is largely believed that in 1952 Israel asked Albert Einstein to become Prime Minister. In fact Einstein was asked by the Prime Minister, Ben Gurion, to become Israel’s Second President since it’s foundation in 1948, asking him ‘whether you would accept the Presidency of Israel if it were offered you by a vote of the Knesset.’ Albert, a Jew but not an Israeli citizen, declined the offer saying that while he was honored he was also sad and ashamed to say he could not accept it. There are various reports as to why he turned it down, but by and large they come down to his disinterest at taking on such responsibility, or joining the stress of the political world. After all his entire life had been spent fascinated by physics and the pursuit of scientific answers, his causes and ideology were a necessity brought on by the urgency of his time for good men to say wise words.

2. Funded WWII

In 1944 Albert Einstein decided to write out his 1905 paper, the one that won him the Nobel Prize in Physics, (see item 4 on this list), and auction it off. The papers earned six million dollars and the money was sent to help with the war effort of World War Two. A vocal pacifist and author of the book, ‘Why war?’ ironically Einstein actually helped fund World War Two.

1. Money

Naturally we have been interested in what one of the smartest men who ever lived has to say on nearly everything, not least because he seems to have had so much to say on social and moral issues. A pacifist and social thinker Einstein has undoubtedly been able to teach us a lot outside the world of science, so what did he think was the greatest hold up to human development and social advancement? That’s right, money! In 1934 he wrote that he was convinced wealth would never be an aid to the betterment of humanity, ‘even in the hands of the most devoted worker in this cause.’ He felt that money only caused greed and envy which brought on selfishness and an abuse of power. At the end of the day it is only one man’s opinion and he never said it would be absolutely detrimental or disastrous to have a currency, only that it was the single greatest thing holding us back.

The Human Sausage Sizzler: 'Battery Man'

Mail Online

The HUMAN SAUSAGE SIZZLER: 'BATTERY MAN' Stuns Scientists

by Conducting 20,000-Volt Current Without Feeling A Thing!

Last updated at 6:54 PM on 13th June 2011

Human conductor Slavisa Pajkic has scientists scratching their heads because he can withstand high voltages without feeling a thing.

Known as 'Battery Man', the machinist claims he can act as an insulator, conductor and even a heater.

Videos on the internet show the 54-year-old powering up a lightbulb and cooking sausages by using energy stored in his body.

Hot dog: Slavisa cooks a sausage by passing an electric current through it from power stored in his

body. He holds two Guinness World Records, for withstanding 20,000V and being the quickest

to heat up a cup of water to 97C, in 1min 37secs

Slavisa, from Pozarevac, Serbia, says he discovered his amazing talent when he was a teenager.

He said: 'I was 17 years old when accidentally during work, I felt that electricity can not do anything. The rain was falling, and my colleagues made a metal fence."

The fence somehow became live, and it was then his new life began.

'My friend, who was leaning against the fence, said he could feel electricity but as I approached and touched the wet spot, I felt nothing.

'I was open-mouthed, but then I realized that current could not harm my body.

'When there is a sudden power failure, my folks do not have to worry. My house is always shining. I can be an insulator, conductor, accumulator and heater.

'People have seen me on television so they are glad to meet me but afraid to shake hands.'

Bright idea: Slavisa lighting a bulb by discharging a current stored in his body

Bright spark: Slavisa Pajkic from Serbia sets light to a fuel-soaked cotton wool ball with an electric

discharge from his scalp

Modest claim: Battery Man Slavisa says he has extraordinary powers, controlling electricity without

harm to himself

The Serbian man set his first Guinness World record in 1983, when he allowed a current of 20,000 volts to pass through his body.

His next accolade came in 2003, after he became the quickest man to heat up a cup of water to 97 degrees Celsius, in 1 minute and 37 seconds.

He now hopes to set a third world record by charging on a million-volt power generator and shooting laser from his fingers.

Slavisa added: 'I will try to charge on it and become a wireless laser man.'

--

The two video to the above article may be viewed at the following links:

1. http://youtu.be/7NT78 nrjrUM

2. http://youtu.be/X_YqHL7p5Yk

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2003016/The-human-sausage-sizzler-Serb-Slavisa-Pajkic-claims-20-000-Volts-harm-him.html#ixzz1PFzzI400

Playing pilots

Lufthansa needs pilots.  Do you think you know your way around Europe?
 
Take the short pilot's test and see if you should apply for a job.

Click on where you think the city is and the plane will land there.  Then it will show where the city actually is.  You get less information in each round.  You'll like round 3!

Warning -- it can become addictive!http://www.lufthansa-usa.com/useugame2007/html/play.html

World's Most Exhilarating Bridges

Akashi-Kaikyō Bridge (Kobe, Japan) Bixby Creek Bridge (Big Sur, California, USA) Bosphorus Bridge (Istanbul, Turkey) The Bridge of Aspiration (Covent Garden, London, UK) Bridge of Sighs (Venice, Italy) Brooklyn Bridge (Brooklyn, New York, USA) Chengyang Bridge (Sanjiang of Guangxi Province, China) Chesapeake Bay Bridge (Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA) The Iron Bridge (Coalbrookdale, UK) Confederation Bridge (New Brunswick, Canada) Coronado Bridge (San Diego, California, USA) Donghai Bridge (Shanghai, China) Erasmus Bridge (Rotterdam, Netherlands) Fehmarn Belt Bridge (Hamburg, Germany to Copenhagen, Denmark) Forth Railway Bridge (Fife, Scotland) Gateshead Millennium Bridge (Gateshead to Newcastle, UK) Golden Gate Bridge (San Franciso, California, USA) The Half-Bridge of Hope (Russia) Hangzhou Bay Bridge (Hangzhou Bay, China) Humber Bridge (Kingston upon Hull, England) Hussaini Bridge (Passu, Pakistan) Jadukata Bridge (Ranikor, India) Kawazu (Kawazu-cho, Japan) Khaju Bridge (Isfahan, Iran) Kintaikyo Bridge (Iwakuni City, Japan)

The Strangest Bridges in the World