background preloader

12 bizarre real-life places that are stranger than science fiction

12 bizarre real-life places that are stranger than science fiction
Science fiction is home to some fantastic societies, from Cloud City to Bartertown. But you doesn't have to leave reality for this—our own world has places so abnormal, they make alien societies seem ordinary. Here are 12 remarkable locations in which people once lived (and some still do). 1. Izu Islands Off the coast of Japan lies a series of volcanic islands. 2. Neft Daslari is a functional city built 34 miles from the nearest shore. 3. One of the creepiest places on Earth, Sedlec Ossuary is a Roman Catholic chapel in the Czech Republic. 4. Temperatures in this Australian mining town reach well into broiling, so the opal miners who live there have built most of their town underground. 5. In 1962, a huge underground coal deposit ignited beneath the town of Centralia, Pa. 6. It's funny how something as boring as zoning regulations could lead to one of the most exciting office buildings on the planet. 7. Inside a spectacular Spanish church sits an enormous glass box. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

http://www.blastr.com/2011/01/12_bizarre_real_life_plac.php

Related:  reading and writing

Character Chart for Fiction Writers - EpiGuide.com If you're a fiction writer -- whether you're working on a novel, short story, screenplay, television series, play, web series, webserial, or blog-based fiction -- your characters should come alive for your reader or audience. The highly detailed chart below will help writers develop fictional characters who are believable, captivating, and unique. Print this page to complete the form for each main character you create. CNC carpentry: the 'selfsupportingframework' Two students working on load-bearing systems in the architecture department at Kassel University, Mischa Proll and Andreas Günther, have taken advantage of the wide range of design techniques available and breathed new life into a one-hundred-year-old construction concept. The traditional reziprocal frame consists of short wooden joists, whose ends are carpentry-joined to a surface structure. With consistant types of profiles, lengths of elements and positions of the knots on the axises, a dome shape is created.

MIT Creates New Energy Source This is some pretty exciting news. It seems that researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the most prestigious science and engineering schools in the United States, has created a new energy source -- and it's clean and renewable. The odd thing is that the only way you can see this energy source is with a very powerful microscope, because it is created by using nanotechnology. For a few years now, we have been hearing about the possibilities offered by the new field of nanotechnology. Up Close, a photo from Uttar Pradesh, North Critiques | Translate rikko77 Hello Steve, good POV and framing, the use of wide angle lens enhances the big size of this beautiful building. Beautiful colors, especially the hi-key. Well done! Rikk

How To… Embed This Infographic <a href= ‎"><img src=" title="10 How Tos" alt="How To Infographic" border="0" class="nopin" /></a><br />Source: <a href=' title='Interesting Facts'><a href=' title='Interesting Facts'>Today I Found Out</a></a> 1) How to drastically increase the life of your shaving razor Before or after you shave (I prefer before so that the blades are dry), place your jeans on a hard flat surface; then run the razor up the pant legs about 10-15 times quickly; then repeat running it down the pant legs 10-15 times quickly. No need to press that hard, but a little pressure is necessary. necessary.

Ann VanderMeer: The 13 Of The Weirdest Short Stories Ever Written The Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories [Tor, $29.99] contains 110 tales from the past 100 years of weird fiction collected in a single volume of over 750,000 words. Over 20 nationalities are represented and seven new translations were commissioned for the book. This is the largest collection of weird fiction ever housed between the covers of one volume. A compendium is neither as complete as an encyclopedia nor as baggy as a treasury. Glass door with a surprise - StumbleUpon Posted on November 23, 2010 in Bizarre Rate this Post (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5) Loading ... Ultimate FPS Simulator Actually Shoots You October 18th, 2011 by Shane McGlaun This is the most awesome, intense, realistic (and painful) video game simulator I have ever seen. It’s not a fancy driving or flight simulator; this is a simulator for FPS games.

Places to see before you die, Italy Top selection of places in Italy to see at least once in life Top 10 places to see in Italy before you die! I have a long, endless list of places to see before I die. Things My Father didn’t Teach Me, How to tie a Tie) ABOUT ARCHIVE FOLLOW Facebook Twitter Instagram Google+ Ads Via The Deck Things My Father didn’t Teach Me, How to tie a Tie 23 Websites that Make Your Writing Stronger We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master. ~Ernest Hemingway How strong is your writing? No matter how good you think it is, there’s always room for improvement. In most cases, plenty of room. Luckily, there are some amazing websites that’ll help you improve your writing, and take it to the next level.

See-through church, Limburg/Belgium by Gijs Van Vaerenbergh Project Details: Location: Limburg, Belgium Type: Cultural - Public Architects: Gijs Van Vaerenbergh - www.gijsvanvaerenbergh.com Photos: Kristof Vrancken / Z33 – Mine Daelemans photo by Kristof Vrancken / Z33 The church is a part of the Z-OUT project of Z33, house for contemporary art based in Hasselt, Belgium.

Them Punks: The Reality of Cyber, the Rise of Steam « SciFi4Me.com Since my work with SciFi4me began I’ve had to catch up on some science fiction films I’ve never seen before, essentials I should have seen years ago. Starting with the classic Blade Runner the theatrical cut, we are brought to the topic at hand, “Cyber Punk”. What is “cyberpunk” you ask? Its origin is dated back to the mid 80’s, according to cyberpunk is a noun meaning: science fiction, featuring extensive human interaction with supercomputers and a punk ambiance. To me, cyberpunk means extensive human interaction with supercomputers, a place where society is run on and functions on the use and success of computer technologies, and artificial intelligence.

Related:  racomptInterestingcool placesInteresting Random Linkseastofutopia