Walkie Talkie Building in London Creates ‘Death Ray’ with Reflected Sunlight
A new London skyscraper dubbed the “Walkie-Talkie” due to its distinctive shape, has been blamed for reflecting light and heat from the sun onto buildings in the next street, scorching sidewalk, dazzling passersby and melting cars parked on the street. Business owners and motorists hit out at developers of a new skyscraper for starting fires and causing damage to paintwork, cracking tiles, and smoking a carpet. One journalist even managed to fry an egg on the hotspot. The half-finished 37-storey tower in central London has been thus dubbed the ‘Walkie Scorchie’.
The beam from the concave south side of the building, officially known as 20 Fenchurch Street, was only noticed last week when the sun reached a certain position in the sky. The “Walkie Scorchie” phenomenon apparently lasts for around two hours a day and will come to a natural end in about three weeks’ time as the autumnal sun stays closer to the horizon. Continue reading »
World’s First Lab-Grown Burger Tested in London
A burger made from cultured beef, which has been developed by Professor Mark Post of Maastricht University in the Netherlands (pictured) is shown to the media during a press conference on August 5, 2013 in London, England. The in-vitro burger, cultured from cattle stem cells, the first example of what its creator says could provide an answer to global food shortages and help combat climate change, was fried in a pan and tasted by two volunteers. The burger is the result of years of research by Dutch scientist Mark Post, a vascular biologist at the University of Maastricht, who is working to show how meat grown in petri dishes might one day be a true alternative to meat from livestock.The meat in the burger has been made by knitting together around 20,000 strands of protein that has been cultured from cattle stem cells in Post’s lab.
PETA, the animal rights organization has already voiced its support for the lab-meat initiative. “Instead of the millions and billions of animals being slaughtered now, we could just clone a few cells to make burgers or chops,” said Ingrid Newkirk, PETA president and co-founder, in a statement. Post said his method would require only a stem cell contribution from animals, which could then be used to create 20,000 tons of cultured beef.
Photos by David Parry / Getty Images. Continue reading »
Red Bull Soapbox Race Speeds into London 2013
Red Bull racers – soapboxes including a Beatles-inspired yellow submarine, a police car and a black cab are taken for a test drive ahead of the Red Bull Soapbox race at Alexandra Palace, London on 14 July. The vehicles, which each took three weeks to make, are made from BMX bicycle wheels and a steel axel steering mechanism. They were customized using plywood, polystyrene and cardboard tubing, and are covered in coloured plastazote foam with details such as number plates and other branding created using vinyl.
After a nine year hiatus, the world’s wackiest road race returns as 70 human-powered soapboxes compete for glory as part of a festival of music and fun. Entrants include a loaf of bread baked to soapbox size, Elvis’ blue suede shoe and a Royal baby carriage. Off the race track, there will be plenty of action to keep the crowds entertained including face painting, ‘people pit-stops’ and live music from DJs. Continue reading »
Cardboard London
Artist Chris Gilmour stands in the middle of his cardboard model of London. The 40-foot wide replica of London includes Big Ben, the London Eye and a towering Shard. (Phil Tragen / Barcroft Media)
Eurostar ‘Paris – London’ Interior Design
Travelling from the capital of cool to the capital of fashion we think the Euro Star needs an urgent make over. This is what designer Christopher Jenner would do, creating a modern yet classic look. Continue reading »
Mark Jankel’s Gory Gourmet Street Food Around London
Mark Jankel of Street Kitchen will be manning a special food truck to dispense particularly gory offerings around London. It’s as part of a publicity campaign for the DVD release of the second series of Walking Dead. Food is free to the first few in the queue, but you need to check in on Facebook first. Walking Dead is out on Monday 27th August. Continue reading »
London Zoo Staff Conduct Their Annual Weigh In For the Animals
Zookeeper Grant Kother, at ZSL London Zoo, weighs and measures a giant tortoise during the zoo’s annual weigh-in on August 22, 2012 in London, England. The height and mass of every animal in the Zoo, of which there are over 16,000, needs to be recorded. The measurements are collated in the Zoological Information Management System, from which zoologists can use the data to compare information on thousands of endangered species. (Photo by Oli Scarff) Continue reading »
World’s Biggest McDonald’s Outlet to Open in London
When the Olympic Games begin in London next month, the capital will play host to the fittest, fastest and strongest athletes in the world. But it will also be home to a rather different superlative – the biggest McDonald’s on the planet, right in the middle of the Olympic park. So while the competitors stretch themselves to their very limits, hungry spectators will gorge on tens of thousands of burgers and portions of fries.
An exterior view of the world’s largest McDonald’s restaurant, their flagship outlet in the Olympic Park. (Getty Images) Continue reading »
New Network on the Streets of London Broadcasts News to City Workers via Recycling Bins
New recycling units, by private company Renew, feature news aimed at workers in the City like this one which was unveiled in Gresham Street, St Paul’s. The $48,000 devices broadcast news to the City but can also transmit updates during emergencies. Content will be provided by The Economist and the London Stock Exhchange among other outlets. The idea could be transferred to New York, Tokyo and Singapore.
Postal Chiefs Unveil the Official Stamps of the London 2012 Olympic Games
As with all produced by Royal Mail, the Queen’s image also features on the stamps, in the corner. Two versions of the stamp books will go on sale, one containing the key dates in the countdown to the Games, the other with a quote from Lord Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Continue reading »
London Olympic Village
When it opens this summer a series of cuboid blocks of eight to 12 storeys, clad in prefabricated concrete panels, laid out on a rigid rectangular grid, will become home to 17,000 athletes, and after that transform into 1,400 affordable homes and another 1,400 for profit. Continue reading »
MCM London Comic Con
Joely Olsen wears a turret costume from the computer game “Portal,” Kaitie Rule wears a full “Smurfette” costume and two visitors wear “Pikmin” costumes at the “MCM London Comic Con” convention in London. Running over two days, the event will see thousands of comic, sci-fi and gaming enthusiasts coming together to buy, sell and celebrate everything from sporting heroes to Japanese “Steam Punk” characters. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images) Continue reading »
Deers in Richmond Park, London
A fallow deer buck watches from the cover of a bracken thicket after sunrise during the autumn rut at Richmond Park on October 10, 2011 in London, England. Autumn sees the start of the ‘Rutting’ season where the stags and bucks bellow in an attempt to attract female does and hinds. (Dan Istitene/Getty Images) Continue reading »
Celebrating the Harvest in London
Pearly Kings and Queens gather to celebrate their annual Costermonger’s Harvest Festival at the Guildhall in London on September 25. (Ben Stansall / AFP-Getty Images) Continue reading »
Monkeys Play Soccer at the London Zoo
The Bolivian squirrel monkeys played with a toy soccer ball as photographers snapped away at the London Zoo in England on August 18. The zoo has a total of 22 squirrel monkeys, with 5 babies having been born in 2011. Male monkey Bounty has fathered eleven baby monkeys in the last three years since his arrival, enough to make up a football team. His latest offspring named Rolo was the eleventh and arrived last month. (Ben Stansall / AFP – Getty Images) Continue reading »
Alternate Logo for the 2012 London Olympic Games
Very fresh and actual. By Jon Defreest.
Arab Supercars Takes Center Stage in London
Yes. Watch out number plates. Continue reading »
