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Archive for April, 2008

4 Eerie Abandoned Cities

Published

Fingel

on April 14, 2008

in Bizzare

. 6 Comments

Hashima Island

Hashima, or Gunkanjima Island, is an abandoned coal mining community 15km outside of Nagsaki, Japan. In 1959, the island had the highest population in the world with a density of 1.391 people per km^2. The island was abruptly abandoned in 1974 when the coal resources ran out an the workers living there were no longer needed. Travel to the island is prohibited.

The literal translation of the island means “Battleship Island” because of it’s silhouette.

Everything literally falls apart, in a relatively short period of time.

The abandoned school:

Here is an interesting video of a man returning to the island where he grew up:

via videosift.com

Kowloon Walled City

The Kowloon walled city had a long history with political and territorial disputes. After Japan’s WWII surrender in 1948 the area became a part of British Hong Kong. Squatters began to build, and when the city became part of the People Republic of China, even more were added. The city was a lawless haven, British government didn’t want to deal with it, and Hong Kong Police were not allowed to enter. The Kowloon walled city was an “in-between zone” ruled by nobody but the fearsome triads that ran the city.

View of the city shortly before demolition.

Inside the city’s alleys. In some areas, daylight was completely blocked out.

Shabby makeshift power lines littered the city and it’s rooftop.

The Kowloon Walled city was demolished in 1993. Check out this great video of the interior of the city from the movie “Bloodsport:

Pripyat

The infamous Chernobyl nuclear power plant failure left this entire city abandoned. Because the residents were only allowed to take a single suitcase of items with them during the evacuation, almost everything was left behind. This gives the city the appearance that it’s inhabitants simply vanished - children’s toys, documents, photos, can all still be found withing thousands of abandoned apartments.

View of the city’s ferris wheel. Those of you who play Call of Duty 4 will recognize this.

Although radiation still exists, its possible to visit for a short amount of time without getting sick.

The swimming pool

Like other abandoned cities, Pripyat has been the setting of many movies and video games. Watch this incredible video of the city:

San Zhi

Outside of Taipei, Taiwan, lies the abandoned San Zhi Resort. What makes this abandoned place unique is the strange buildings. In fact, that could be why they are abandoned - faulty construction practices caused several of the worker’s death. Consequently the resort was never finished and it is said that the place is haunted by the workers who died building it.

A futuristic resort - now completely abandoned.

Haunted? Looks like it.

They don’t look safe. Some say the pods are made of a faulty kind of plastic, which is why the pods seem to be falling apart after such a short period of abandonment.

Know of any other modern abandoned cities I should include in this list? Feel free to comment.

Barbarity in Brazil: Man Throws Daughter out of Six Story Window

Published

Fingel

on April 13, 2008

in News

. 0 Comments

Sao Paulo, Brazil - Isabella Nardone died on March 29th after she appeared to have fallen down into the garden outside of her father’s apartment. The police suspect that that the girl, five years old, was pushed out the window of her dad’s flat on the sixth floor. Some witnesses claim to have heard shouts from the girl saying “Stop dad! Stop!” The lead investigators believe that she was murdered by her father, Alexander Nardone, and her stepmother Ana Carolina Jatoba. Alexander’s ex wife said that the man had made death threats against the girl following their divorce and were supposed to stay separate at all times. Specific evidence against the father has been found on the scene, but investigators are still at work. Public outrage has been following the case, with Brazilians calling for the two adults to be put in jail. Still no conviction has been made.

Amazing Geological Oddities

Published

Fingel

on April 13, 2008

in Science

. 122 Comments

Update! I’ve taken some of your suggestions and feedback and written part 2 of Amazing Geological Oddities! See it here: Amazing Geological Oddities Part II

Moving Rocks at the Racetrack Playa, Death Valley California.

Death Valley in California is home to rocks that seem to move on their own. Pebbles to Boulders are found scattered around the “racetrack” with trails that turn, loop, and zigzag behind them. Some of the Rocks move, others don’t. It was thought for some time that magnetic forces were the cause of the phenomena. Scientists now believe that the cause is wind. When there has been enough water to soak the flat clay, and temperatures lower below freezing, it causes tiny ice crystals to form. When the surface of a rock is slick enough in these conditions wind will actually have enough power to move them around, leaving a trail.

The Richat Structure, or “Eye of the Sahara.”

This spectacular landform in Mauritania in the southwestern part of the Sahara desert is so huge with a diameter of 30 miles that it is visible from space. The formation was originally thought to be caused by a meteorite impact but now geologists believe it is a product of uplift and erosion. The cause of its circular shape is still a mystery.

The driest place on Earth, Atacama Desert.

The Atacama Desert receives less than 1mm of rain per year, and at one point not a single drop of precipitation landed on its dry surface for 400 years. It’s caused by the Andes rainshadow; meaning that the trade winds moving east along South America lose all moisture when they slam against the steep slopes of the Andes Mountains. The Atacama Desert is found nestled up against the western slopes of the mountain range. Interestingly, several thousand miles south the winds change direction, and the deserts are then found on the eastern side of the Andes, such as the Monte Desert in Argentina.

The Naica Mine, Cave of Crystals, Mexico.

These caverns found in a mine in Chihuahua Mexico
are home to some of the largest crystals ever discovered and are an impressive sight. The crystals are made mainly of Gypsum, and under these extremely rare conditions were allowed to grow unimpeded.

The Curtain of Fire, Hawaii.

These amazing lava fountains erupted during the first stage of the Puu Oo eruption in January, 1983. The lava created a wall of magma 100-160 feet high along a fissure along the Eastern Rift of Mount Kilauea.

Sinkholes

What could be more terrifying than the earth opening itself and swallowing your entire home? Among other places, this can become a reality in the Southeastern United States. Sinkholes are found in regions of Karst Topography, where pockets of loose sedimentary rock found under the surface can be eroded by groundwater, leaving behind caverns and caves, some of which collapse.

Stone Forest, Southwest China.

The Shilin (Chinese for stone forest) is an impressive example of karst topography. The rocks are made of limestone and are formed by water percolating the ground’s surface and eroding away everything but the pillars.

Close Calls

Published

Fingel

on April 12, 2008

in Bizzare

. 0 Comments

Just when you thought the suburbs were safe, a b26 bomber has to crash land in your front yard.

Amazingly, the plane didn’t hit a single house, not even so much as a telephone pole. Unfortunately, both pilots died. This photograph was the Pulitzer Prize winner for best photography in 1956.

Hanging by a thread, literally.

I would forgive the guy if he crapped his pants.

Vista’s UAC Not What You Think.

Published

Fingel

on April 12, 2008

in technology

. 0 Comments

Microsoft Vista’s User Account Control is one of the OS’s most hated features. Whenever a program runs on Vista that required elevated permissions, or Admistrative user access, UAC pops up a window asking the user, “Do you really want to do this?” This could be one of the main reasons what Vista has been getting such a bad rap, its just damn annoying. But could anyone ever have guessed that MS designed it to be just that - annoying?

According to Microsoft’s David Cross, “The reason we put UAC into Vista is to annoy users. I’m serious.” He explained at the RSA 2008 confab in San Francisco that UAC was really meant to encourage software developers to write applications that don’t need administrative permissions in the first place. This makes sense because UAC doesn’t do much in the way of security besides pop up a box with an “ok” button on it. The real security enhancement comes when software doesnt need elevated permissions, because then the amount of harm it can do to your computer is minimal.

Linux, Macs and other Unix like operating systems have worked like this for years. One of the main reasons why Windows has always had such bad security flaws is because applications did not need permission to access crucial parts of the system. Now, MS is trying to change that by manipulating software developers to wire better programs. They way MS looks at it is, if you’re going to write a program that needs administrative access, your users will be annoyed. If the competition writes a program that doesn’t, you might lose customers.

Microsoft badly needed to change the way their operating system worked, and although their method is strange, it will probably end up being effective.

Now,