Manifesto in Defense of Fundamental Rights on the Internet

Published on March 19, 2010 | No comments | 1,407 views

A group of journalists, bloggers, professionals and creators want to express their firm opposition to the inclusion in a Draft Law of some changes to Spanish laws restricting the freedoms of expression, information and access to culture on the Internet. They also declare that:

1. Copyright should not be placed above citizens’ fundamental rights to privacy, security, presumption of innocence, effective judicial protection and freedom of expression.

2. Suspension of fundamental rights is and must remain an exclusive competence of judges. This blueprint, contrary to the provisions of Article 20.5 of the Spanish Constitution, places in the hands of the executive the power to keep Spanish citizens from accessing certain websites.

3. The proposed laws would create legal uncertainty across Spanish IT companies, damaging one of the few areas of development and future of our economy, hindering the creation of startups, introducing barriers …

Depthscraper: The underground building against earthquakes

Published on March 3, 2010 | 1 Comment | 2,006 views

Japan is subject to earthquakes of distressing violence at times; and the concentration into small areas of increaing city populations invites great destruction. After the Tokio earthquake of 1923, unprecedented in magnitude of property loss as well as life, the best engineering brains of Japan tried to find out a solution of the problem of building earthquake-proof structures; and a clue was given by the interesting fact that tunels and subterranean structures suffer less in seismic tremors that edifices on the surface of the ground, where the vibration is unchecked.

In 1931 some engineers came up with the design of the enormus structure ilustrated below. The proposed “Depthscraper” -whose frame resembles that of a 35-story skycraper of the type familiar in American large cities- was design to be built in a mammoth excavation beneath the ground. Only a single story protrudes above the surface furnishing acess to the numerous elevators; housing …

Pub 226 meters underground

Published on February 26, 2010 | No comments | 1,663 views

If you don’t suffer claustrophobia and you don’t mind dark places you can visit this pub 226 meters (741 feet) underground during the underground tour at Gold Reef City.

The pub is on level 5 of the mine known as Shaft 14 at Gold Reef City, six kilometers south of the city centre. The tour takes 35 minutes and will give you an idea of what it must have been like to work 12-hour shifts down the mine to earn a living.

When Shaft 14 was opened in 1897, just 11 years after Johannesburg was established, there was no electricity at the mine. Lighting underground was by means of candles, which posed a risk for explosions caused by methane gas. Combined with the darkness, the wetness, the heat, …

The Creation of Pandora

Published on February 21, 2010 | No comments | 1,696 views

Everything started when all the Gods and Titans were on a meeting. It was organized to decide who was taking the biggest portion of an ox that had been offered in sacrifice. Prometheus presented the ox divided in two portions: a selection of the best meat hidden inside an ox’s stomach and the ox’s bones wrapped completely in “glistening fat”.

Zeus took as Prometheus wanted, taking all the bones. When Zeus discovered the trick, he used all his rage to punish Prometheus and his beloved humans. To start he took away the fire from the humans, but Prometheus stole it again to bring it back to the humans. Then Zeus said: “You really delighted in swindling me by stealing the fire, but soon you will find it a curse to yourself and to men yet to be. I shall give them a present to compensate for the fire.”

Then, Zeus ordered Hefesos …