Dubai is home to many a feat of engineering‚ but perhaps one of its most iconic is the Palm Jumeirah. This palm-tree-shaped archipelago of artificial islands began construction in 2001 and has since gone on to become one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.So how do you make the world’s biggest artificial set of islands‚ which added a whopping 56 kilometers (35 miles) to Dubai’s coastline? With a whole lotta dredged-up sand and a whole lotta rock‚ it turns out.Rather than using the building materials you might see across the rest of the city‚ like steel and concrete‚ the project utilized natural resources. Over 7 million tons of rock were mined from the Hajar Mountains‚ whilst Dutch company Van Oord set to dredging up around 120 million cubic meters of sand from the bottom of the Persian Gulf.You might be wondering why they didn’t use desert sand considering the area surrounding Dubai is‚ well‚ very sandy. “Desert sand liquifies once in the water‚” Ali Mansour‚ who worked on the project‚ explained to CNN Travel. Considering the plans to house thousands of residents and several hotels on the islands‚ non-liquefying sand was the more preferable of the two.But sand can also be liquefied by other means‚ such as earthquakes. To combat this‚ the engineers compacted the sand using a technique called vibro compaction‚ which is designed to stabilize the material and stop it from acting like water. This required taking a massive vibrator (not that kind) and plunging it (stop it) into the ground‚ where the vibrations forced the particles of sand into the most compact arrangement. The archipelago also has another big protective measure. Constructed from the hefty amount of rock mentioned above‚ the islands are surrounded by an 11-kilometer-long (7-mile) breakwater. This was designed to protect the inner “fronds” from damage by waves or sand erosion. Unfortunately‚ the lack of waves also led to stagnant water – and that’s not the only consequence of the project. While the palm looks impressive‚ researchers have found that its construction has led to shoreline erosion elsewhere‚ deterioration of coral reefs‚ and higher temperatures.The archipelago does‚ however‚ provide escapism in equal measure. Over 20 years since construction began‚ there’s an abundance of luxury hotels‚ aquariums‚ shopping centers‚ and of course‚ beaches. There are even plans to open one of the world’s highest infinity pools later this year.The islands are home to thousands of residents.Image credit: Marat Dupri/Shutterstock.comWhilst it’s the world’s biggest artificial archipelago‚ the Palm Jumeirah isn’t home to the world’s biggest artificial island. Flevopolder in the Netherlands takes that particular crown. Built in 1968‚ the 972-square-kilometer (374.5-square-mile) island acts as flood protection and additional agricultural land.And not to knock a man-made construction when it’s down‚ but the Palm Jumeirah also isn’t even supposed to be the biggest artificial archipelago – that title was planned to belong to Palm Jebel Ali. Construction on the project began back in 2002‚ but financial difficulties led to it being suspended‚ though last year saw renewed plans to bring the project back to life. For now‚ the Palm Jumeirah remains on top… of a lot of sand and rock.

Voyager 1 is the furthest any human object has ever gone from Earth. It is now over 24 billion kilometers (15 billion miles) from our planet‚ flying through interstellar space. Since its launch in August 1977‚ the spacecraft has remained in contact with Earth‚ but over the last several months‚ that communication has become non-sensical. Are we about to lose the second-longest operating spacecraft in human history? We spoke to NASA to find out. NASA has been monitoring the issue since September when Voyager first started glitching. Speaking to the Voyager team about the problem and their fixes‚ they told us that they have a better understanding of what the issue is now‚ and they hope with that knowledge they can return Voyager 1 to working order.“In September 2023‚ an issue arose with the data coming back from Voyager 1. Normally transmitted in binary code‚ or a series of 0s and 1s representing words‚ the probe was instead sending only alternating 1s and 0s. Effectively‚ the call between the spacecraft and the Earth was still connected‚ but Voyager’s “voice” was replaced with a monotonous dial tone‚” the NASA Voyager engineering team explained to IFLScience.“Because of this issue‚ scientists are not receiving any science data or updates about the probe’s health and status‚ including information that might reveal the source of the problem. Through various indirect means‚ the team has concluded that the issue is most likely with the Flight Data System‚ one of the probe’s onboard computers. The team is working hard to resolve the issue‚ but this process may take months.”The Flight Data System (FDS) configures each instrument of Voyager 1 and controls its operations‚ as well as collecting all the data the spacecraft is taking in. It also formats them for transmission‚ so it’s bad that we can’t get it to work. Attempts to solve the glitch have been unsuccessful so far but more complex attempts are expected to take place in the coming weeks.“The team has attempted various 'simple' fixes‚ such as resetting the FDS to the state it was in before the issue began‚" the team told IFLScience. "This week the team will send more commands to the spacecraft to gather information about the status of the onboard systems. In the coming weeks‚ the team expects to start making more aggressive attempts to reset various systems that might influence the FDS."Despite the weight restrictions when they were launched‚ the Voyagers had two FDSs each‚ but Voyager 1’s backup failed in 1981 (luckily after it had passed Saturn). At the time‚ most people at NASA thought Voyager 1 had done its job‚ since‚ unlike Voyager 2‚ it would not be passing by any further worlds.Instead‚ both Voyagers have mapped the heliopause‚ studied ultraviolet sources far from interference from the Sun‚ and investigated magnetic fields far from the Sun. Two of Voyager 1’s instruments have failed‚ and five have been turned off by ground control as "no longer priorities". Four (one less than Voyager 2) are still operational‚ or at least were prior to the FDS glitching. The magnetometer and cosmic ray system in particular have proven invaluable in the extended mission. They’re probably still collecting data‚ but need a functioning FDS to return that information to us.“There is no backup FDS‚ so if the team cannot fix this issue‚ it would likely be the end of operations for Voyager 1. However‚ Voyager 2 is operating nominally; the Voyager mission will continue as long as one probe is still working‚” the Voyager team said. The situation is serious but the team is not giving up hope‚ so neither shall we. Best of luck to them as they work out how to get our interstellar traveler back in clear communication with Earth.  

After decades of dreaming‚ Italy has once again set its sights on building the longest suspension bridge in the world to connect the Italian mainland with the island of Sicily. Their vision is a bridge that stretches around 3‚300 meters (10‚800 feet) over the Strait of Messina‚ the thin strip of sea between the “toe” of Italy’s boot in Calabria and Sicily’s Metropolitan City of Messina.If built‚ its suspension span would be around 60 percent longer than that of the world’s current longest suspension bridge‚ the 2‚023-meter (6‚637-foot) long 1915 Çanakkale Bridge in Turkey. However‚ there should be a lot of emphasis on that “if”. Discussions about linking Sicily to Italy have rumbled on since the time of the Romans – and little real progress has been made since. There’s an often-cited account by Pliny the Elder‚ the Roman thinker and army commander who died in the 79 CE eruption of Mount Vesuvius‚ that claims a temporary bridge was placed across the Strait of Messina to transport war elephants captured in 251 BCE from Carthage in North Africa. Whether that’s mere legend or not‚ the idea has never died. The project was first re-imagined in the 1860s amidst the unification of Italy and continually caught the imagination of Italian politicians throughout the latter half of the 20th century.In 2002‚ the late media tycoon-cum-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi restarted the call for the grand bridge‚ boldly proclaiming that the first stone would be laid in 2004 and it would be completed by 2010. Spoiler alert: it was never built. Berlusconi launched the idea again in 2009‚ but it was scrapped in 2013 due to budget cuts. More recently‚ the dream of the Strait of Messina Bridge has been reignited by the string of right-wing populist governments that have taken the helm in Italy. In one of the more significant steps‚ a plan to construct the bridge was formally revived with a decree by the cabinet of Giorgia Meloni in March 2023. Describing it as a “historic day for the whole of Italy"‚ the government argued the infrastructure development would create tens of thousands of jobs while providing Italy’s southernmost regions with more economic opportunities. They believe they can deliver the project in just 15 years with a budget of €12 billion ($12.9 billion). As ever‚ the plan has proved controversial. Opposition parties have claimed there’s been a lack of transparency behind the project’s funding with some critics raising concerns about potential involvement from the Mafia. Environmentalists and some scientists have also said the proposal is risky since the region is a hotspot of seismic activity and prone to earthquakes. Never one to let reality nor history get in the way of a good plan‚ the government is going ahead with all guns blazing. "Let the Left get over it: the bridge will be built and it will be the pride of the whole of Italy‚” Matteo Salvini‚ Italy’s infrastructure minister and leader of the far-right League coalition party‚ recently said according to ANSA press agency."Full steam ahead!" he boasted. 

A tiny French Bulldog puppy‚ no bigger than a potato‚ found a family amongst an unlikely crew — kittens. This heartwarming story unfolds as we meet a special little pup‚ born with both a cleft lip and palate‚ facing a world of challenges from the very start. Surrendered by the breeder to a rescue organization‚... The post Timid French bulldog with difficult start to life finally ‘opens up’ when he meets kittens appeared first on Animal Channel.

Imagine a world where the sight of abandoned cats and dogs is all too common‚ a heartbreaking reality that’s hard to ignore. Yet‚ in the U.S.‚ we’re fortunate to have incredible rescue services at our disposal‚ a luxury not available worldwide due to funding constraints. The Greek Islands‚ known for their breathtaking beauty‚ face a... The post Small puppy abandoned outside supermarket huddles in box and calls out for help appeared first on Animal Channel.

Does anyone remember back when the 25th Amendment could suddenly become a hot topic of discussion on the airwaves for pretty much any reason whatsoever? It was back between about 2017 and 2020‚ coincidentally around the same time that the media’s least favorite person ever was president of the United States. Now that there’s a Democrat in office‚ there seems to exist no possible combination of incompetence and overt senility that could force anyone in the corporate TV news world to suggest invoking the 25th. Most readers will at least vaguely remember the 25th Amendment being brought up with relative frequency back during the Trump years. But it’s hard to emphasize just how in love with it the corporate media really were. As one of just two procedural tools that could be used to remove a sitting president from office‚ liberal journalists clung to it like a security blanket. We’ve put together a compilation to demonstrate the extent of the media’s love for the 25th Amendment under Trump. Just for the added challenge‚ we left out clips from 2017‚ which was far and away the year most heavily laden with talk of using it.     Admittedly‚ we were even surprised at just how much it was actually invoked; we found over 600 search results for “25th amendment” on Nexis alone‚ and that’s TV transcripts only. Former West Wing writer and current MSNBC conspiracy theorist Lawrence O’Donnell deserves a special mention here. This man was talking about the 25th Amendment within less than a month of Trump taking office‚ and he spent the next three and a half years bragging about how early he’d brought it up. In O’Donnell’s mind‚ basically‚ everything was 25th Amendment territory. He brought on multiple deeply political psychologists to diagnose the President with all manner of neuroses that supposedly rendered him incapable of serving. That particularly ugly brand of credentialism ended up catching on‚ and soon both O’Donnell’s colleagues and various CNN hosts were wheeling doctors in front of cameras to wring their hands and gravely opine about Trump’s disturbed cognitive state. Fast forward to 2024‚ and we’ve got Robert Hur’s report telling us what most Americans already knew: President Joe Biden was extremely old‚ and maybe kind of senile. Yet oddly‚ the only mentions of the 25th Amendment we can find on SnapStream or Nexis are in the form of “Republicans Pounce!” stories. On the February 9 edition of CNN News Central during the 11 a.m. Eastern hour‚ host Sara Sidner said of Hur’s report: Now the GOP lawmakers are using this as a springboard to call for Biden’s removal from office under the 25th Amendment. The House GOP leadership saying‚ quote‚ “He is certainly unfit for the Oval Office.” The following day on that same network‚ host Chris Wallace remarked that Congressional Republicans were “piling on” in calling for the President’s removal. Where are all the mercenary psychiatrists with their politically-motivated armchair diagnoses? Where are all the excited conversations about the President “losing it?” Why isn’t Lawrence O’Donnell out there chanting “25th Amendment” every third sentence? That’s all rhetorical‚ of course. Obviously‚ it’s because Biden was a Democrat‚ and that means it’s the media’s job to protect him‚ not go after him. Admittedly‚ the odds of Biden being removed from office under the 25th Amendment are no higher than the odds were that it would be used against Trump. But boy‚ is the corporate media coverage different.

MSNBC’s Joy Reid and Katie Phang were not happy on the Thursday edition of The ReidOut that Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis has had to defend herself against accusations that hiring Nathan Wade as a special prosecutor in the RICO-election case against Donald Trump represents a conflict of interest. The two played both the race and sexism cards against Willis’s critics‚ but the only thing they proved was that identity politics turns your brain into mush‚ as Phang‚ a lawyer‚ couldn’t understand the difference between the prosecution and the defense. Reid took the opportunity to do a little self-promotion‚ “Well‚ and the thing is‚ Katie‚ you‚ as a woman of color‚ who have to stand in a courtroom‚ you know this all too well. Yeah‚ look‚ I have a book about this‚ about the way they did this to Myrlie Evers-Williams: be pretty‚ but not too pretty. Be forceful‚ but not too forceful. Don't be loud‚ don't be angry.”     Defending Willis in a way she never defended Brett Kavanaugh‚ Reid continued: Excuse me‚ if you're questioning my integrity and accusing me of hiring somebody that I was having an affair with when I'm telling you the timeline and then asking did my kids live at my house? You want to know how much money I have? Is he giving me cash? She was insulted and rightfully so. This idea that women of color have to sit there and be demure and take it‚ there were people on social media saying "oh‚ she's coming in too hot." No‚ she wasn't. She was offended and she had a right to be offended.  Phang began by claiming‚ “Yeah‚ so you know‚ there is something to be said about decorum and professionalism‚ but you didn't hear anything that wasn't decorum and professionalism from Fani Willis. I'm glad you bring about the example of being a woman of color‚ especially in a courtroom.” Also reaching for the identity politics bag of tricks‚ Phang added‚ “There are more women that are in law school than there ever was when I was in law school‚ but the problem is when it comes to women of color‚ we're so sorely‚ sorely underrepresented when it comes to court. Especially‚ especially‚ Joy‚ when it comes to trials. When it comes to trial lawyers and so for a woman to have to defend the fact that she makes her own money‚ the fact her daddy told her to make sure she had money stashed away. My mom told me the same damn thing.” Later‚ she ranted‚ “In fact‚ in this case‚ you have lawyers on the defense side that are married to each other. You have lawyers on the defense side that are dating each other‚ and yet nobody has made a big stink about that. It is only the defense making a big stink about that for Fani Willis.” Yes‚ because the prosecution has the power of the state and the defense‚ by definition‚ does not initiate cases. Wasn’t Phang supposed to be the legal expert? Still‚ Phang concluded by urging people to remember‚ “The important thing that everybody has to remember what Fani Willis said today is this: she's not on trial. It's the people that tried to steal an election in the state of Georgia that are on trial. This is a sad‚ sorry side show that needs to end.” Maybe Willis should’ve considered that before bringing Wade onboard. Here is a transcript for the February 15 show: MSNBC The ReidOut 2/15/2024 7:11 PM ET JOY REID: Well‚ and the thing is‚ Katie‚ you‚ as a woman of color‚ who have to stand in a courtroom‚ you know this all too well. Yeah‚ look‚ I have a book about this‚ about the way they did this to Myrlie Evers-Williams: be pretty‚ but not too pretty. Be forceful‚ but not too forceful. Don't be loud‚ don't be angry.  Excuse me‚ if you're questioning my integrity and accusing me of hiring somebody that I was having an affair with when I'm telling you the timeline and then asking did my kids live at my house? You want to know how much money I have? Is he giving me cash? She was insulted and rightfully so. This idea that women of color have to sit there and be demure and take it‚ there were people on social media saying "oh‚ she's coming in too hot." No‚ she wasn't. She was offended and she had a right to be offended.  KATIE PHANG: Yeah‚ so you know‚ there is something to be said about decorum and professionalism‚ but you didn't hear anything that wasn't decorum and professionalism from Fani Willis. I'm glad you bring about the example of being a woman of color‚ especially in a courtroom. There are more women that are in law school than there ever was when I was in law school‚ but the problem is when it comes to women of color‚ we're so sorely‚ sorely underrepresented when it comes to court.  Especially‚ especially‚ Joy‚ when it comes to trials. When it comes to trial lawyers and so for a woman to have to defend the fact that she makes her own money‚ the fact her daddy told her to make sure she had money stashed away.  My mom told me the same damn thing. REID: Same. PHANG: Make sure that you have money stashed away to take care of yourself because you shouldn't count on someone else‚ right Errin? And that's the thing. Why should anybody have to defend this? But under the law‚ unfortunately‚ because the other side made these representations that met this threshold that forced this evidentiary hearing to have to come to pass‚ that is the reason why Fani Willis and Nathan Wade got dragged into court‚ but I will remind our viewers too‚ Joy‚ under Georgia law‚ you do not disqualify a prosecutor simply because there is a personal relationship. In fact‚ in this case‚ you have lawyers on the defense side that are married to each other. You have lawyers on the defense side that are dating each other‚ and yet nobody has made a big stink about that. It is only the defense making a big stink about that for Fani Willis.  The important thing that everybody has to remember what Fani Willis said today is this: she's not on trial. It's the people that tried to steal an election in the state of Georgia that are on trial. This is a sad‚ sorry side show that needs to end.

A group of cops with an Atlantic Coast police department in Central Florida tried to lighten the mood on Valentine's Day with a satirical social media post‚ filled with chocolates and jokes. But sadly‚ not everyone was laughing.On Wednesday‚ the Port Orange Police Department took to Facebook and offered to rescue area singles from loneliness on the lovers' holiday by spending the day with them. All interested bachelors and bachelorettes had to do to win some special one-on-one time with a local police officer was complete one simple task: "Commit a crime.""We know you're lonely on Valentine's Day‚" the post said‚ "but don't worry‚ we have a way! Just commit a crime and we'll come to you‚ we'll bring the chocolates and the handcuffs too."Lest anyone mistake the humorous intent of the message‚ the post also included white and pink heart emojis. A picture of five smiling officers‚ four males and one female‚ holding various Valentine's Day sweets‚ including a box of chocolates and a box of doughnuts‚ was included for good measure.Despite the post's clear levity‚ some Facebook users insisted on taking it seriously. Very seriously."I would think you would be encouraging people not to commit crimes‚" one user wrote."That's cute. Police encouraging people to break the law‚ so they can make an arrest? Why not just make something up?" another wrote in part."While the creativity is noted‚ let’s aim to keep our community space positive and supportive‚ especially on days like Valentine’s Day‚" said yet another Facebook marm. "Instead of encouraging actions like 'just commit a crime and we’ll come to you‚' let’s spread love and kindness instead."The post also received a lot of positive reactions from those with a sense of humor. Not only did hundreds of people like‚ love‚ or laugh at it‚ but some even decided play along. "Careful.... Some people will do anything for a donut‚" one user quipped with a winking emoji."Only if you guys use the fluffy pink cuffs‚" joked another."Officer Vasquez I've been bad!" claimed one female user.There have been no reports of otherwise law-abiding citizens in Port Orange committing a criminal offense in the hopes of finding true love with a member of law enforcement after reading that Facebook message. POPD did not respond to the Daytona Beach News-Journal's request for comment.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Popular video game franchise Tomb Raider received an in-game content warning for "offensive depictions" and "racial" prejudices for a recent remastered release‚ but it was not censored.Tomb Raider I-III Remastered‚ released on February 14‚ 2024‚ was a re-release of classic Lara Croft video games that have historically had massive sales. In fact‚ 2013‚ 2015‚ and 2018 iterations of the game were more successful than their predecessors‚ with the franchise having sold a total of over 75 million units throughout its life span.The games even spawned movies starring Angelina Jolie in the early 2000s‚ with another version released in 2018.While production house Crystal Dynamics chose not to censor or delete any portions for the remastered version‚ the art did come accompanied by an in-game warning about its content from the ancient times of 1996-1998."The games in this collection contain offensive depictions of people and cultures rooted in racial and ethnic prejudices. These stereotypes are deeply harmful‚ inexcusable‚ and do not align with our values at Crystal Dynamics‚" a prompt in the game read."Rather than removing this content‚ we have chosen to present it here in its original form‚ unaltered‚ in the hopes that we may acknowledge its harmful impact and learn from it‚" the warning concluded. What\u2019s going on with the Tomb Raider Remastered Collecti\u2026.oh. — (@) Although the developers did not provide details as to which specific portions of any of the three games were deemed offensive‚ fans and outlets such as Bounding into Comics have pointed to some educated guesses.One such guess was an enemy called a "tribesman" from the third game. The characters purported to be from Polynesia and "shoot poison darts from blowguns" and killed and ate explorers on multiple occasions.Apparently the controversy is not that the Tomb Raider remasters include dated racial stereotypes‚ but that they put the warning there for no reasonidk I mean I am pretty woke but uhhhhh https://t.co/eqzsGF4RUP— Celwynvian 🏳️🌈 (@Celwynvian) February 14‚ 2024 Another pixelated tribesman is depicted with a strong accent in a cutscene. However‚ the harsh polygonal character modeling of the mid-1990s makes it hard to imagine that any person was particularly offended.The character is described killing and eating a "white fella" who brought him a "magic stone."Tomb Raider wasn't the only remaster of note to receive a warning in its new version. Capcom's Mega Man Battle Network warned players that the company "values diversity and inclusivity within its games.""Please be aware the games in this collection may contain some cases of insensitive cultural depictions and are presented as originally created to preserve their authenticity‚" the warning added.While such warnings would likely be fit to serve a newer‚ more sensitive audience‚ it is indeed a strange move for gaming companies to criticize their own material that is likely being replayed by those who enjoyed the titles originally. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) learned on Thursday that he should be better prepared the next time he wants to interrogate a former judge.At a House Oversight subcommittee hearing on "The Consequences of Catch and Release at the Border‚" Goldman challenged Matt O'Brien‚ a former immigration judge in Virginia‚ on his assertion that President Joe Biden has the authority to shut down the border. Democrats‚ in an effort to protect Biden‚ have said this is not true."Under what authority do you refer to?" Goldman challenged."As I said‚ Section 1182(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act‚ which was the statutory provision that was at issue in Trump v. Hawaii‚" O'Brien answered. "It's a provision that allows the president by proclamation to temporarily suspend the admission of certain classes of aliens into the United States."Indeed‚ Section 1182(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act is clear:Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States‚ he may by proclamation‚ and for such period as he shall deem necessary‚ suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants‚ or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate. Not addressing the substance of O'Brien's response‚ Goldman then targeted Donald Trump."So why didn't Donald Trump use that?" Goldman asked."He did — that's why the Trump v. Hawaii case went all the way to the Supreme Court‚" O'Brien explained. — (@) The Supreme Court‚ in fact‚ ruled in Trump's favor in 2018. The court agreed that Section 1182(f) "grants the president broad discretion to suspend the entry of aliens into the United States."In a follow-up question‚ Goldman asked why Trump relied on Title 42 for mass deportations. O'Brien explained that happened during the COVID-19 pandemic because Title 42 is designed for a "public health crisis‚" whereas 1182(f) is "a general power to manage the border in confrontation of a crisis."Not surprisingly‚ Goldman chose to ask O'Brien no further questions.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!