Petra: Jordan

On the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the glittering capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to 40 A.D.). Masters of water technology, the Nabataeans provided their city with great tunnel constructions and water chambers. A theater, modelled on Greek-Roman prototypes, had space for an audience of 4,000. Today, the Palace Tombs of Petra, with the 42-meter-high Hellenistic temple

Taj Mahal: Agra, India

This immense mausoleum was built on the orders of Shah Jahan, the fifth Muslim Mogul emperor, to honor the memory of his beloved late wife. Built out of white marble and standing in formally laid-out walled gardens, the Taj Mahal is regarded as the most perfect jewel of Muslim art in India. The emperor was consequently jailed and, it is said, could then only see the Taj Mahal out of his small cell window.

Christ Redeemer: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This statue of Jesus stands some 38 meters tall, atop the Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Designed by Brazilian Heitor da Silva Costa and created by French sculptor Paul Landowski, it is one of the world’s best-known monuments. The statue took five years to construct and was inaugurated on October 12, 1931. It has become a symbol of the city and of the warmth of the Brazilian people, who receive visitors with open arms.

Roman Colosseum: Rome, Italy

This great amphitheater in the centre of Rome was built to give favors to successful legionnaires and to celebrate the glory of the Roman Empire. Its design concept still stands to this very day, and virtually every modern sports stadium some 2,000 years later still bears the irresistible imprint of the Colosseum’s original design. Today, through films and history books, we are even more aware of the cruel fights and games that took place in

Pyramid at Chichén Itzá: Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Chichén Itzá, the most famous Mayan temple city, served as the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization. Its various structures – the pyramid of Kukulkan, the Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall of the Thousand Pillars, and the Playing Field of the Prisoners – can still be seen today and are demonstrative of an extraordinary commitment to architectural space and composition. The pyramid itself was the last, and arguably the greatest, of all Mayan temple

The "Space Age"

Running almost in tandem with the Atomic Age has been the Space Age. American Robert Goddard was one of the first scientists to experiment with rocket propulsion systems. In his small laboratory in Worcester, Massachusetts, Goddard worked with liquid oxygen and gasoline to propel rockets into the atmosphere, and in 1926 successfully fired the world's first liquid-fuel rocket which reached a height of 12.5 meters. Over the next 10 years, Goddard's rockets achieved modest altitudes of nearly two kilometers, and interest in rocketry increased in the United States, Britain, Germany, and the Soviet Union.

The Atomic Age and "Big Science''

One of the most spectacular – and controversial – accomplishments of US technology has been the harnessing of nuclear energy. The concepts that led to the splitting of the atom were developed by the scientists of many countries, but the conversion of these ideas into the reality of nuclear fission was accomplished in the United States in early 1940s, both by many Americans but also aided tremendously by the influx of European intellectuals fleeing the growing conflagration sparked by Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini in Europe.

Early North American science

In the early decades of its history, the United States was relatively isolated from Europe and also rather poor. At this stage America's scientific infrastructure was still quite primitive compared to the long-established societies, institutes, and universities in Europe.
Two of America's founding fathers were scientists of some repute. Benjamin Franklin conducted a series of experiments that deepened human understanding of electricity. Among other things, he proved what had been suspected but never before shown: that lightning is a form of electricity. Franklin also invented such conveniences as bifocal eyeglasses. He did not invent the Franklin stove, however, it was named after him but is a much simpler version of his original

Science and technology in the United States

He United States came into being around the Age of Enlightenment (circa 1680 to 1800), a period in which writers and thinkers rejected the superstitions of the past. Instead, they emphasized the powers of reason and unbiased inquiry, especially inquiry into the workings of the natural world. Enlightenment philosophers envisioned a "republic of science," where ideas would be exchanged freely and useful knowledge would improve the lot of all citizens.
The United States Constitution itself reflects the desire to encourage scientific creativity. It gives the United States Congress the power "to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective

Medieval marriage

A conference in celebration of the work of Professor James L. Bolton

This conference will present current research on themes connected with Jim Bolton’s work, including money supply and the operation of credit, international banking, the impact of the Black Death, the impact of Italians and other alien groups in London, and relations between the city of London and the Crown. Keynote speakers are Caroline Barron (RHUL) and Phillipp Schofield (Aberwystwyth).

GTA 5: new screenshots – in pictures

Rockstar has revealed a selection of new screenshots from the long-awaited return of its multimillion-selling Grand Theft Auto series. In a collection entitled 'The Fast Life' we see lead characters Michael, Trevor and Franklin in a variety of cool vehicles, causing trouble through the open streets of Los Santos. The game is not due until 17 September, so for now, this is as close as we get to the chaos. This zoom along the

heft Auto GTA 5: new screenshots – in pictures

Rockstar has revealed a selection of new screenshots from the long-awaited return of its multimillion-selling Grand Theft Auto series. In a collection entitled 'The Fast Life' we see lead characters Michael, Trevor and Franklin in a variety of cool vehicles, causing trouble through the open streets of Los Santos. The game is not due until 17 September, so for now, this is as close as we get to the chaos.

GTA 5: new screenshots – in pictures

Rockstar has revealed a selection of new screenshots from the long-awaited return of its multimillion-selling Grand Theft Auto series. In a collection entitled 'The Fast Life' we see lead characters Michael, Trevor and Franklin in a variety of cool vehicles, causing trouble through the open streets of Los Santos. The game is not due until 17 September, so for now, this is as close as we get to the chaos..

new screenshots – in pictures

Rockstar has revealed a selection of new screenshots from the long-awaited return of its multimillion-selling Grand Theft Auto series. In a collection entitled 'The Fast Life' we see lead characters Michael, Trevor and Franklin in a variety of cool vehicles, causing trouble through the open streets of Los Santos. The game is not due until 17 September, so for now, this is as close as we get to the chaos..We know that we can

new screenshots – in pictures

Rockstar has revealed a selection of new screenshots from the long-awaited return of its multimillion-selling Grand Theft Auto series. In a collection entitled 'The Fast Life' we see lead characters Michael, Trevor and Franklin in a variety of cool vehicles, causing trouble through the open streets of Los Santos. The game is not due until 17 September, so for now, this is as close as we get to the chaos...

GTA 5: new screenshots – in pictures

Rockstar has revealed a selection of new screenshots from the long-awaited return of its multimillion-selling Grand Theft Auto series. In a collection entitled 'The Fast Life' we see lead characters Michael, Trevor and Franklin in a variety of cool vehicles, causing trouble through the open streets of Los Santos. The game is not due until 17 September, so for now, this is as close as we get to the chaos. This is unhinged drug

Florida executes mentally ill man despite constitutional prohibition

The execution's opponents argued that Ferguson should have been given life without parole because he had been mentally ill since before he committed the crimes. Photo: Antonio Olmos

Florida has executed a schizophrenic man who believed that he was the immortal prince of God vested with superhuman powers including an ability to control the sun, despite the US constitution's prohibition against

Pikmin 3 – review

Transfer your ageing Wii content across to a Wii U and, instead of a utilitarian loading bar, you'll see a gaggle of Pikmin carry the saves, download games and other digital flotsam from one machine to the other. It's the sort of generosity of imagination that still sets Nintendo apart from its console rivals. But in Pikmin 3 the colourful, ant-like helpers carry a far greater weight on their shoulders: that of the hopes of

Amazon's CEO to buy Washington Post for $250M

Jeff Bezos, the chief executive of Amazon.com, entered an agreement with the Washington Post Co. Monday to buy its newspaper publishing businesses for $250 million, including its flagship newspaper after decades of family ownership.
The purchaser is an entity that belongs to Bezos and is not Amazon.com.
It follows other indications of Bezos' interest in news. He made a $5

Gov. Brown's three-member board puts brakes on BART strike

A Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train in the Rockridge station in Oakland. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
Gov. Jerry Brown is urging both sides in the BART standoff to reach an agreement to avoid a strike in “the strongest terms possible.”
The sides need to “meet quickly and as long as necessary to get this dispute resolved,” Brown said Sunday.
The governor also announced that he has appointed a board to