Re -Train Your Brain To Happiness

September 15, 2015

Rome Reborn – An Amazing Digital Model of Ancient Rome

What did ancient Rome look like in A.D. 320? Rome Reborn is an international initiative to answer this question and create a 3D digital model of the Eternal City at a time when Rome’s population had reached its peak (about one million) and the first Christian churches were being built.

The result is a truly stunning bird’s-eye and ground view of ancient Rome that makes you feel as if you were actually there. There are also some high-resolution images that lend themselves perfectly to being used as wallpaper for your computer. HT @amishare

By profession, Matthias Rascher teaches English and History at a High School in northern Bavaria, Germany. In his free time he scours the web for good links and posts the best finds on Twitter.

With many thanks to Open Culture

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Go-Pro: Grand Canyon From The Stratosphere! A Space Balloon Story

Normally when you send something up in a weather balloon, you expect it to come back down again. The only problem is, what if you lose the ability to track your package… and the terrain it lands in is a virtually endless desert up to 80 kilometres away from your original launch location? Gulp.

That’s what happened to this group of Arizona-based university students who wanted to find out what their GoPro camera would see if they attached it to a weather balloon and sent it to the edge of space over the Grand Canyon.

The team’s video shows they weren’t exactly unprepared for the voyage, either, spending months testing parachutes, calculating wind trajectories, and custom 3D-printing their GoPro camera chassis for its maiden flight.

Everything goes swimmingly at first. On launch day the students drive out to their chosen spot, 32 kilometres west of the Grand Canyon. They release the balloon, which swiftly ascends to an altitude of more than 30 kilometres in less than an hour and a half, at which point the Grand Canyon has become more of a grand indentation on the distant orb below.

However, sometimes no amount of preparation can fend off bad luck. As one of the team recounts in a Reddit post, due to GPS and data coverage difficulties, their package’s return to Earth didn’t go quite as smoothly as planned:

“We planned our June 2013 launch at a specific time and place such that the phone was projected to land in an area with cell coverage. The problem was that the coverage map we were relying on (looking at you, AT&T) was not accurate, so the phone never got signal as it came back to Earth, and we never heard from it….

The phone landed ~50 miles [80 km] away from the launch point, from what I recall. It’s a really far distance considering there’s hardly any roads over there!”

AT&T may well have been responsible for the group losing their device, but as luck would bizarrely have it, it would later come to the team’s rescue also.

Two years after losing track of their GoPro, an employee of the company happened upon the device while hiking in the desert. She was able to identify the SIM card and return the camera – and its valuable recorded footage – to the owners.

An amazing story and an awesome video.

By Peter Dockrill

With many thanks to Science Alert

September 10, 2015

Keith Richards ‘Under The Influence’

Check out the new trailer for Netflix Original Documentary Keith Richards: Under the Influence premiering on Friday, September 18, exclusively to Netflix members worldwide.

The film is a beautifully documented portrait of Keith Richards that takes us on a journey to discover the genesis of his sound as a songwriter, guitarist and performer.

Keith Richards: Under the Influence is unparalleled in its access as it looks at one of the architects of rock ‘n’ roll music, while charting his sound and influences, back to the music that inspired him then and now — electric blues, country honky-tonk, southern soul, and more, as he creates his first solo album in 23 years.

A culmination of both new and beloved music, rare archival materials and hours of intimate and reflective conversations with Keith, the film documents his long and unusual path to become the legend we all love.

In Keith Richards: Under the Influence, we visit key people and places that have always enchanted Keith and inspired his music with The Rolling Stones to his latest solo record: Chicago, home of the blues, where Keith first encountered Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and the hallowed halls of Chess Records; Nashville, where Keith explores his long love of country music; and New York where Keith recorded the album and collaborated with the likes of Steve Jordan and Waddy Wachtel. And along the way, we get an additional dose of inspiration from a long-time friend, Tom Waits.

Lastly, this film is a chance to sit at the feet of one of music’s most iconic and least understood figures.

The Keith Richards we get to know is smart, funny, poignant and profound.

With many thanks to Noise 11

The Rolling Stones At Their Peak: 1965 Touring Ireland

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‘Fascination’: Graff’s $40 Million Diamond Transformable Watch

If you are looking for something which can simply define elegance and style, then do not miss out on Graff’s one-of-a-kind bracelet-cum-watch. This prized possession ‘Fascination’ is encrusted with astonishing 152.96 carats of Graff’s finest white diamonds.

The British Jewellery brand Graff has always been on the forefront launching exquisite and elaborate pieces.And this specific piece designed by Graff is one of the most expensive timepiece till now. The watch is unveiled at the biggest annual watch trade show in Basel, Switzerland.

Now if you are wondering how come a bracelet be turned into a watch and then into a ring. Then keep reading as the meticulous craftsmanship used in this piece is outstanding and phenomenal. The pear shaped diamond in the centre weighs 38.13-carat and this piece of diamond can be removed from the bracelet and fitted into a bespoke ring structure.

So if you don’t want to wear a bracelet then you can opt to wear it as a ring. If these two options are not enough for you then you can remove the diamond all together and wear it as a watch, making the ‘Fascination’ one of the most expensive three-in-one jewels ever created, with a value of around $40 million (£27.3 million).The bracelet holding the watch in its centre is a masterpiece of metallurgy and gem setting.

By Avinder Vij

With many thanks to Billionaires NewsWire

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23 James Bond Themes And How They Charted

It was officially announced today that Sam Smith has recorded the theme for the 24th James Bond film, Spectre.

Writing’s on the Wall was co-written by Smith and Jimmy Napes and will be released on September 25. Spectre will be out on October 26.

Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli released a statement saying “Sam and Jimmy have written the most inspirational song for Spectre and with Sam’s extraordinary vocal performance, Writing’s On The Wall will surely be considered one of the greatest Bond songs of all time.”

Smith said “This is one of the highlights of my career. I am honoured to finally announce that I will be singing the next Bond theme song. I am so excited to be a part of this iconic British legacy and join an incredible line up of some of my biggest musical inspirations. I hope you all enjoy the song as much as I enjoyed making it.”

So the big question is, can Writing’s on the Wall become the first Bond theme to ever top the British singles chart and only the second to do it in the U.S. Smith, along with Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift, form the trio of artists whose albums have been near the top of both country’s album charts since their release over 60 weeks ago for Smith and Sheeran and 45 weeks ago for Swift. He is hot right now and, if the song is good, it has an excellent chance of being a record setter.

Here is a ranking of the James Bond themes as they charted in Australia:
Goldfinger – Shirley Bassey (1964 / #2)
You Only Live Twice – Nancy Sinatra (1967 / #2)
For Your Eyes Only – Sheena Easton (1981 / #2)
Nobody Does It Better (from The Spy Who Loves Me) – Carly Simon (1977 / #3)
Live and Let Die – Paul McCartney and Wings (1973 / #4) (below)
Die Another Day – Madonna (2002 / #4)
Skyfall – Adele (2012 / #5)
A View to a Kill – Duran Duran (1985 / #6)
Thunderball – Tom Jones (1965 / #13)
The Living Daylights – a-ha (1987 / #29)
Another Way to Die (from Quantum of Silence) – Alicia Keys & Jack White (2008 / #29)
GoldenEye – Tina Turner (1995 / #72)
All Time High (from Octopussy) – Rita Coolidge (1983 / #80)
Tomorrow Never Dies – Sheryl Crow (1997 / #84)

Those that did not chart in Australia:
Diamonds Are Forever – Shirley Bassey
James Bond Theme – John Berry Orchestra
From Russia With Love – Matt Monro
We Have All the Time in the World (from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) – Louis Armstrong
The Man With the Golden Gun – Lulu (1975)
Moonraker – Shirley Bassey (1979)
License to Kill – Gladys Knight (1989)
The World is Not Enough – Garbage (1999)
You Know My Name (from Casino Royale) – Chris Cornell

Here is a ranking of the James Bond themes as they charted in the U.S.:
A View to a Kill – Duran Duran (1985 / #1)
Live and Let Die – Paul McCartney and Wings (1973 / #2)
Nobody Does It Better (from The Spy Who Loves Me) – Carly Simon (1977 / #2)
For Your Eyes Only – Sheena Easton (1981 / #4)
Goldfinger – Shirley Bassey (1964 / #8)
Die Another Day – Madonna (2002 / #8)
Skyfall – Adele (2012 / #8)
Thunderball – Tom Jones (1965 / #25)
All Time High (from Octopussy) – Rita Coolidge (1983 / #36)
You Only Live Twice – Nancy Sinatra (1967 / #44)
Diamonds Are Forever – Shirley Bassey (1971 / #57)
You Know My Name (from Casino Royale) – Chris Cornell (2006 / #79)
Another Way to Die (from Quantum of Silence) – Alicia Keys & Jack White (2008 / #81)
GoldenEye – Tina Turner (1995 / #102)

Those that did not chart in the U.S.:
James Bond Theme – John Berry Orchestra
From Russia With Love – Matt Monro
We Have All the Time in the World (from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) – Louis Armstrong
The Man With the Golden Gun – Lulu (1975) (below).
Moonraker – Shirley Bassey (1979)
The Living Daylights – a-ha (1987)
License to Kill – Gladys Knight (1989)
Tomorrow Never Dies – Sheryl Crow (1997)
The World is Not Enough – Garbage (1999)

In Britain, it’s a different story as only two of the themes did not chart:
Skyfall – Adele (2012 / #2 U.K.)
A View to a Kill – Duran Duran (1985 / #2 U.K.)
We Have All the Time in the World (from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) – Louis Armstrong (1969 / #3 U.K.)
Die Another Day – Madonna (2002 / #3 U.K.)
The Living Daylights – a-ha (1987 / #5 U.K.)
License to Kill – Gladys Knight (1989 / #6 U.K.)
You Know My Name (from Casino Royale) – Chris Cornell (2006 / #7 U.K.)
Nobody Does It Better (from The Spy Who Loves Me) – Carly Simon (1977 / #7 U.K.)
For Your Eyes Only – Sheena Easton (1981 / #8 U.K.)
Live and Let Die – Paul McCartney and Wings (1973 / #9 U.K.)
Another Way to Die (from Quantum of Silence) – Alicia Keys & Jack White (2008 / #9 U.K.)
GoldenEye – Tina Turner (1995 / #10 U.K.)
You Only Live Twice – Nancy Sinatra (1967 / #11 U.K.)
The World is Not Enough – Garbage (1999 / #11 U.K.)
Tomorrow Never Dies – Sheryl Crow (1997 / #12 U.K.)
James Bond Theme – John Berry Orchestra (1963 / #13 U.K.)
From Russia With Love – Matt Monro (1963 / #20 U.K.)
Goldfinger – Shirley Bassey (1964 / #21 U.K.)
Thunderball – Tom Jones (1965 / #35 U.K.)
Diamonds Are Forever – Shirley Bassey (1971 / #38 U.K.)
All Time High (from Octopussy) – Rita Coolidge (1983 / #75 U.K.)

Those that didn’t chart in the U.K.:
The Man With the Golden Gun – Lulu (1975)
Moonraker – Shirley Bassey (1979)