Giant world map made from recycled computers

by Elizabeth Seward on

Have you ever thought about turning parts from your old, run-down computers into a giant world map? Maybe you have thought about, maybe you haven’t. But Susan Stockwell actually did it. She’s a UK-based artist and, thanks to her most recent work, she’s an eco-friendly artist.

Stockwell created this enormous world map from broken and unused computers for the University of Bedfordshire. She began working on the piece in 2010. She used motherboards, electrical wiring, fans, and many other recycled computer parts to put the piece together. Also known for making artwork from maps and other paper goods, Stockwell is an artist at the hand of various mediums. Take a look at photos of this huge creation here. You can check out more work from Susan Stockwell on her website by clicking here.

UK’s Queen renting out apartments for Olympics

by Chris Owen on

Finding a place to stay for the Olympics is a challenge. Booking a room can be complicated as many entire hotels have been snapped up by the International Olympic Committee or are working on an exclusive-use deal with them.

It looks like the “We” of the growing Collaborative Age movement is taking over for the “Me” of the Industrial Age more all the time though.

Today, Queen Elizabeth II approved renting out her apartments at St. James’s Palace during the 2012 Olympic Games. A nice step in the right direction.

$47,500 a night will get holders of “royal warrants“(long-standing ties to the Royal Family) will get a nice London flat.

Don’t want to pay $47,500? Not even sure what “royal warrants” are?

Our friends at Airbnb have you covered with over 2,000 listings in the Greater London area. The Airbnb London collection features spacious homes, apartments and floatels (houseboats) throughout the city that will be a welcome retreat for those visiting London to cheer on their favorite athletes and partake in the Olympic festivities.

Sculpture by the Sea in Sydney

by Elizabeth Seward on

I have never been to Sydney, and I won’t have a chance to go before an amazing art exhibition, Sculpture by the Sea, that is now up on the beach goes down, but if you’re there or can be there before November 20th, I recommend you check this out. Sculpture by the Sea is a temporary annual outdoor art exhibition. The exhibition features sculptures from artists around the world and they’re large, very large. Currently being held on the coastal walk from Bondi to Tamarama Beach in Sydney, the outdoor art show will only last until November 20th. So if you can catch it within the next week, do so! The show features, among other things, huge sunglasses, a sink faucet and knobs, and screws. These everyday items look quite different when blown up to this large size and the work these artists put into these pieces is nothing short of admirable. And with that I tell you, for the third time, check out this art on the beach if you are or will be in Sydney before November 20th.

Maroon 5 brings Texas sized cruise ship to town

by Chris Owen on

Performing live to a standing-room only crowd, GRAMMY award-winning band Maroon 5 rocked the Port of Galveston over the weekend with 3,690 passenger Carnival Magic as a backdrop. It was a fitting welcome at the ship’s new year-round homeport that cast a spotlight on just how big cruise travel is in Texas.

“We’ve played every kind of venue imaginable across the world, but we’ve never helped to launch a new cruise ship,” said Adam Levine, Maroon 5 front-man and coach on the hit NBC series “The Voice. “We’re excited to work with Carnival and to be part of the Carnival Magic celebration for fans in Texas.”

Plenty of fans turned out at the dock-side event with Carnival Magic parked directly behind the stage. An estimated 5,000 fans, some of which won highly sought-after tickets in a Facebook contest, rocked to the 11-song, hour-long performance.

Wondering how the arrival of a cruise ship translates to bringing a hot, popular band with over 15 million albums sold to town?

Carnival expects to carry more than 450,000 guests annually and have a positive impact on the Texas economy. In 2010, the cruise industry added $1.1 billion in direct spending, generated 16,457 jobs and $828 million in income for Texas workers according to a report from the Cruise Lines International Association.

That was before Carnival Magic joined Carnival Triumph for year-round sailings from Galveston, making Carnival the largest cruise operator in Texas. The new deployment means a 24% increase in capacity for Carnival alone which should translate into even more income and jobs.

It’s big business and not limited to Carnival Cruise lines. Royal Caribbean brought Mariner of the Seas into town without much fanfare a day earlier, also adding to the port’s capacity. Next year, Carnival sister-line Princess Cruises returns to Galveston with one of their newest ships and Disney Cruise Line comes to town.

Reason enough to bring in Maroon 5? You bet. They’d bring in Elvis if they could.

Photo: Carnival Cruise Lines

Nazca lines face threats from elements, negligence

by Sean McLachlan on


The Nazca lines are some of the world’s most mysterious ancient monuments. Giant images of people, animals, plants, and geometric shapes scratched onto the surface of the Peruvian desert by three different cultures from 500 BC to 500 AD, they’ve made generations of researchers scratch their heads over their purpose and meaning.

Now it turns out these unique figures aren’t so unique after all. They’re among the many ancient wonders under threat from the natural and man-made causes. The UNESCO World Heritage Site has been listed in the World Monuments Fund’s 2012 Watch because of threats from flooding and tourism. As you can see from these pictures, roads actually cut through some of the images.

Popular Archaeology has reported that trash has accumulated at the site and that tourism facilities are crowding the area. Some mudslides and flooding nearby didn’t seriously hurt the designs, but serve as a warning of what could happen. The regional government is working on a plan to save the situation. The region makes a good deal of money from tourism, so they have every reason to preserve these enigmatic figures for the next generation.Sadly, there’s another threat to the Nazca lines–the threat of ignorance. Most of what you see about the lines in the media is New Age pseudoarchaeology about Atlantis and aliens. I’ve written before about how the ancient astronaut theory is racist, being implicitly based on the assumption that cultures with dark skin couldn’t possibly have scratched out designs in the dirt without help from beings from another planet.

Yes, they’re so big they can only be seen from the air, but all you have to do is make a smaller drawing you can see easily and then expand the dimensions to create your final product. There’s also a theory that the builders had hot air balloons, although there is no direct evidence of this. There’s no direct evidence that they were UFO runways either, like Erich von Däniken would have us believe. While I’m not sure I buy the balloon theory, that’s no reason to immediately jump to the least plausible explanation.

[Condor image courtesy Wikimedia Commons. Monkey image courtesy Maria Reiche]