New Century Global Centre

See http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/slideshows/infrastructure/chinas-new-century-global-centre-worlds-largest-building/slideshow/20875656.cms for a slide show

In China they have been working on an incredible construction which is virtually a small town or village, inside a building. It is called the 'New Century Global Centre' and is the world’s largest building. It is 1.7 million square meters and opened very recently on the 28^th June and will house citizens, have vast shopping centres and just when you think it can’t get any more bizarre; it has an artificial beach with fake sea breezes to make it feel as if you are at an actual, real beach.

Source: http://www.rsvlts.com/2013/07/08/new-century-global-center/

This idea reminds me of the film 'The Truman Show' because if someone is born in an environment that they have never been out of, one day they will realise that during their whole life they have not been living in a small town but a building, and won't be familiar with reality or what's beyond where they have been living.

Here are some of the many features this building holds:

• A water park
• IMAX cinema
• Luxury shopping centres
• Offices
• A skating rink
• Hotels
• A pirate ship
• Mediterranean village

Just so you can’t picture the size of this building it can fit a whopping twenty Sydney Opera houses inside it! It has been built in Chengdu which has a population of fourteen million. In my opinion it is a unique and interesting idea but might have just been a waste of money considering the poverty and homelesness in China (http://www.china.org.cn/government/news/2008-09/13/content_16448084.htm), however I would like to experience something like this in my city.

Dolphins Have Names?

Do dolphins have names for each other? Well, a study run by Stephanie King between 1988 and 2004 was there to see if dolphins really did call each by name.

179 pairs of wild bottle nose dolphins off the coast of Florida where monitored on and it turns out ten of them had copied one pf the dolphins signature whistle, these sounds where what they used to identify one another. These clever dolphins only imitate the whistle of the other dolphin if they are separated or apart and respond with the same sound.

Some of the dolphins may just be copying the whistles because they hear them a lot or because they are calling each other. No other animal can copy whistles of each other but parrots may be able to.

Here is a link to an article in more detail about these dolphins. And here

The Eco-Ride Roller Coaster

Recently I read an article in New Scientist called 'Ride to Work on a Roller Coaster' which was based on a new creation in  Chiba, Japan. This creation is called the Eco-ride, it is basically an energy saving train and roller coaster in one! I really like this idea of going to work or school not in a car or bus but on a roller coaster. 

How fun and cheap would that be? However, for some reason I doubt this idea will catch on to the country I live in, which is England. I do hope this idea is taken on board for England or maybe even the whole of Britain for many reasons including the fact that it is cheap, eco friendly, fun, and you can arrive at work in style!

Here is a helpful link to check out more about the Eco-Ride in more detail:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21628945.600-commute-to-work-on-the-roller-coaster-train.html

New Scientist

Recently I have been reading an interesting magazine called New Scientist. It covers many scientific topics including space, animals, electronics and nature. You can also subscribe to the magazine and weekly receive a New Scientist magazine filled with amazing facts and scientific event going on in the world right now!

I have also been reading New Scientist online on my iPhone it is a shame there isn't a New Scientist app! People who have not yet subscribed to it could read the fascinating articles. Do you think there should be an app for the magazine? Feel free to comment and share your views. If anyone is wondering this is the latest New Scientist magazine. The optical illusion is a great way to make someone want to read the article on Tree sense. Have you spotted it yet?

The article that caught my eye a few days ago when I was skimming the magazine to see if anything interested me was an amazing article on how a 30-year-old male Bonobo had the ability to make flints like early humans, the Bonobo (Kanzi) made these tools in order to retrieve food from logs. Its hard to believe animals can be so very intelligent! We do not yet know if all Bonobos have the same skill as Kanzi, he might just have a gift, but who knows! Does this prove humans evolved from such primates?