Video: Scientists Make Easter Island Statue Walk

by Kraig Becker on

Easter Island is a remote and mysterious place best known for the iconic and other worldly stone faces that dot its landscape. More than 880 of those statues, known as moai, are spread out across the island, some of which weigh in excess of 80 tons and stand more than 10 meters in height. One of the enduring mysteries of the moai is just how they were carved and then moved miles away from the stone quarry. Now two archaeologists believe that they have come up with the answer, which you can see demonstrated in the video below.

Terry Hunt and Carl Lipo believe that the inhabitants of Easter Island used ropes to rock the statues back and forth. This built forward momentum could then be used to “walk” the stone figures to their permanent sites. The duo put their theory to the test with a moai replica last year and was able to maneuver the large statue with as few as 18 people. As you can see from the video, which comes to us from National Geographic, this seems to be an efficient and quick way to move heavy objects.

So what do you think? Is this how the moai were moved about the island? Have Hunt and Lipo solved one of the great archaeological mysteries of all time?


Kelburn Castle To Lose Psychedelic Art, Going Old School

by Sean McLachlan on


Kelburn Castle isn’t your typical 13th century Scottish castle and aristocratic estate. It’s an example of some of the best street art in the world.

As you can see, it’s pretty trippy, the product of a group of Brazilian street artists in 2007. It was allowed by the local council on the understanding that it would be up for no more than three years. Generally, there are strict rules in the UK about changing the appearance of historic buildings.

Despite this, the castle’s owner, the Earl of Glasgow, has been fighting to keep it. Now it looks like the mural will have to go. It turns out the layer of cement that the mural is painted on is damaging the original medieval walls.

Being a modern sort of aristocrat, the Earl of Glasgow has launched a Facebook page to save the mural. So far it’s attracted more than 4,000 likes.

[Photo courtesy Iain and Sarah]

%Poll-75981%

Turn Travel Sounds Into Jewelry: Sound Wave Necklaces

by Elizabeth Seward on


Rusty Blazenhoff recently wrote about sound wave necklaces on Laughing Squid. Created by Berlin-based designer David Bizer, these necklaces are custom made and based off of the sizes of sound waves in a recording. Bizer offers these necklaces in acrylic, wood and silver and they can be strung on leather, PVC or elastic. But Bizer also has a detailed tutorial available on Instructables for those who want to make these necklaces on their own. So how does this tie into travel?As a musician, I think a lot about what I’m hearing when I travel anywhere. As I write this, I’m in my van in a parking lot where I spent the night outside of DC. The sound of the birds in the park beside this parking lot this morning was like a choir. Had I been interested in capturing that travel moment, I could have pressed record on GarageBand (or any other recording software). Were I inclined to translate the sounds of those birds this morning into a fashionable necklace with a personal memory behind it, I could have followed Bizer’s tutorial and done just that. Moving forward, I’ll be listening even more attentively to that which is around me while traveling. Whether it’s an interesting person I have just met, a street performer, water falling, birds singing, city construction or traffic or any other sound that captures the essence of a moment in travel, I now know I can record these moments and recreate them with jewelry. That’s pretty cool.

Hong Kong To Host 2012 International Dragon Boat Festival

by Kraig Becker on

Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor will soon play host to an exciting and colorful event unlike any other. Starting on July 4 and running through July 8, the iconic Asian city will welcome more than 200 teams from around the globe as they get set to compete in the 36th annual International Dragon Boat Festival.

More than 6000 competitors from as far away as Germany, France, Canada and the U.S. are expected to be on hand for the event. These athletes will take to their ornate boats, each adorned with the traditional Chinese dragon head, and race one another across the historic harbor with the dramatic Hong Kong skyline serving as a backdrop. Keeping time with their drummer, these dedicated and talented crews will go head to head as they vie for the 2012 Dragon Boat Championship.

For more than 2000 years the dragon boat has been a part of Chinese culture, tracing its origin back to the Pearl River Delta region, of which Hong Kong is a part. Traditionally carved out of teak wood, these aquatic works of art come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Historians believe that they were used in races almost from the time they were first built, which adds yet another layer of history and tradition to this event.

With Hong Kong as its host city, the International Dragon Boat Festival promises to be a wonderful mix of culture, history and athletic competition. While the crews battle it out on Victoria Harbor, the crowds cheering them on from the East Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront will have access to an array of the city’s famous food and drinks. Additionally, the San Miguel Beerfest is conveniently being held at the same time and a steady line-up of live music will only add to the raucous atmosphere.

Does anyone know how to paddle? I think we need a Gadling boat in this race!

[Photo credit: Atmhk via WikiMedia]

Video: Guitar Pee, The Electric Guitar Urinal

by Elizabeth Seward on

If you’re a male who urinates in public bathrooms and likes the sound of an electric guitar, the Guitar Pee made by Billboard Brasil is a urinal you’ll have to try out for yourself the next time you’re in Sao Paulo. The Guitar Pee is a guitar-shaped urinal brilliantly engineered so that men can make music with their stream of urine. Currently touring bars in Sao Paulo, the Guitar Pee is making the routine bathroom trip a lot more rockin’ for the lucky men who have had the chance to try it out (this is not sarcasm, I actually think this is amazing). This video demonstrates men trying it out. Furthermore, Guitar Pee has its own mobile app complete with “MPee3s” captured from the gadget.