Photo credit: Snøhetta | Ivar Kvaal
Europe’s first underwater restaurant, called “Under” (means “wonder” in Norwegian), opened in Norway on Wednesday with more than 7,000 customers booked in to eat among the aquatic life. The modern structure was designed by Norwegian architecture firm Snoehetta. “The fascination is just this movement from above water to underwater through the building … The big window exposes the underwater not like an aquarium, it’s the real thing,” said Snoehetta’s founder Kjetil Traedal Thorsen to Reuters. One caveat: a full 18-course meal can cost you up to $430 USD, including drinks. Read more for a video, additional pictures and information.
Even when the Concorde was in service, it still took just over 3-hours to travel from New York City to London, but SpaceX could change that within a decade. If you were to take the same journey Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship, it would take just 29 minutes. Analysts believe that point-to-point rocket travel will be worth $20-billion in less than 10-years, thanks to SpaceX rockets traversing the upper atmosphere. Read more for a TED Talks video about these 30-minute trips.
No, this isn’t an alien structure that landed in NYC, just “The Vessel,” a public landmark that was built as part of the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project in Manhattan. Featuring a stunning honeycomb-like structure, it rises 16 stories and consists of 154 flights of stairs, 2,500 steps, and 80 landings. It was designed by British designer Thomas Heatherwick, and is the main feature of the 5-acre Hudson Yards Public Square. Read more for a complete walkthrough of the structure, additional pictures and information.
Photo credit: Sankei News / FNN
If you’ve seen pictures of bizarre “crop-circle-like” patterns in a Japanese forest, it’s not computer-generated imagery, but rather a real place you can visit. They can be seen on Google Earth and are actually the result of experiments by the Japanese government conducted more than 50 years ago. That’s right, a 1973 document from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, states that researchers started a project designed to examine tree spacing and its effect on growth, and the result was this “experimental forest” near Nichinan City. Read more for an interactive Google map you can play around with.
Photo credit: HiConsumption
For an interactive museum experience unlike any other, look no further than SPYSCAPE in New York Center. You’ll receive a unique Identity Band, which uses RFID technology to personalize your experience, upon entry. Then you’ll step into Briefing, a high-tech theater which rises up through the building as it introduces the world of secret intelligence through an immersive film developed with the studio that creates VFX for films such as Avengers, Ex-Machina and Blade Runner 2049. Read more for an in-depth walkthrough of all the different challenges, additional pictures and information.
Sleek and stealthy, the 105-meter Oceanco Esquel Expedition Yacht was designed for the billionaire must have the latest and greatest of everything. It’s powered by an innovative compact diesel-electric propulsion system that offers cruising range of 7,000 nm, a cruising speed of 13 knots, and a max speed of 16.5 knots, which means you should be able to take extended vacations without any problem. Read more for a video, additional pictures and information.
Photo credit: Daily Mail
China’s first Mars simulation base has just opened to the public, and it’s located in Mangya city, in Northwest China’s Qinghai Province. Many consider Qinqhai’s red rock area the most Martian-like place on Earth, with its natural features, landscape and climate. Visitors can try and solve problems they might face on the Red Planet, such as planting potatoes for food and using solar technology for power generation. The base covers an area of 53,330 square meters, and can accommodate up to 60 people in its capsules / tents. Construction began in June 2018 at a cost of about 150 million yuan ($22.3 million). Read more for an aerial view video of the base.
Photo credit: Quintin Soloviev
JetBlue is offering a chance to win free flights as part of its “All You Can Jet” sweepstakes, but to even have a shot at winning, you’ll have to temporarily delete your Instagram photos. The company says that “with a blank social slate, participants are able to make room for all the destinations and activities they could capture and share using the pass.” To enter the contest, simply create a customized image on Jet Blue’s website by filling in the blank for “All You Can ____” and picking an image to illustrate a place, activity or person you’d like to visit if you win. Read more for a video and additional information.
Flight delayed at Denver International Airport this week? You’re in luck, they city is celebrating its 24th birthday with a playful nod at the many conspiracy theories that have surrounded the facility since its construction, with “Chatty Gargoyle”. This animatronic robot stationed in the airport’s main terminal surprises travelers with phrases like “Welcome to Illuminati Headquarters!” Read more to see what all the fuss is about.
In Japan, it’s common to find internet cafes and capsule hotels for cheap nightly accommodations, but now, there’s a place just for manga fans. Officially called the “Manga Art Hotel, Tokyo”, it’s located in Jimbocho, Japans’ “city of manga,” complete with over 5,000 manga titles (English versions included) to choose from during you stay in one of the 35 guest rooms. Read more for a short tour of one of the guest rooms, additional pictures and information.