A weightlifter from Kiribati is our favorite Olympian. After completing a move called the “clean and jerk lift”, he steps away from the barbell and transitions into jubilant dance. He wasn’t celebrating his sixth-place finish in the 105kg weightlifting competition; he’s not aiming for gold on social media. His message is serious, belying the grin […]
Stuff. We’ve all got it. Unless we’re from the Nomad class, we’ve got stuff to move and ship. Lighter stuff can be packed in a small envelope or box and sent in the mail. Just about everything else from printers to mattresses to books and clothes. We can’t send it over high speed Internet, yet. […]
Solar Impulse, the world’s first intercontinental solar energy powered aircraft, finally touched down last month in Abu Dhabi after completing a round the world flight. The flight took more than a year to complete, after originally taking off from Abu Dhabi in March, 2015. The 2.3 tonne aircraft was piloted by Swiss adventurer Bertrand Picard and his […]
With the advent of low-cost sensors and wide-spread internet connectivity, more of us are buying smart home products that can conserve and even generate energy. Many of these products are getting smarter, with the integration of the real and virtual worlds with artificial intelligence. We’re in love with Smart Home products like Nest which can […]
The thought of going more eco-friendly in your daily life may be something that has crossed your mind a few times. Some may be turned off the idea as it may seem initially daunting, and others may be convinced that they do not have the time or resources to live a more environmentally friendly life. […]
Our planet is passing through the path of Comet Swift-Tuttle, a once-in-133-years-or-so event happening this year from July 17 to Aug. 24. But this week we encounter the densest area of this celestial debris field when we’ll spot the most meteors in the shortest time period. So why are you reading this article? Grab a blanket, […]
Beirut art collective Dictaphone Group is combining activism with show-biz in a fight to preserve Lebanon’s public spaces. Their series of interactive performance pieces is inciting hipsters and historians to join up in protest of Beirut’s unbridled development plans. Tension is never far below the surface of the capital’s staunchly secular social scene. Tagged as the […]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaNZzUg5Opg[/youtube] It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s birdmen Yves Rosset and Vince Reffet flying their jet propelled wingsuits over and through one of world’s most futuristic cities, Dubai. The two air daredevils, each strapped into specially designed and constructed wing suits staged a 10 minute acrobatic jet flight at a location best known for its […]
People are often defensive when it comes to headscarves, which have strong links to specific religious and cultural beliefs. Now a Beirut-based architect has designed a headwrap that uses defense as the justification for wearing it: this updated version of the classic Arab keffiyeh (allegedly) deflects bullets! Functional fashion takes a remarkable turn in the hands of […]
Green Prophet loves eL Seed, the French-Tunisian artist is the Arab world’s Banksy. He specializes in what he calls ‘calligraffiti’, a brilliant mashup of spray paint techniques and traditional Arabic calligraphy on an outsize scale. eL Seed painted Tunisia’s tallest minaret and covered hoarding that wrapped Paris’s Pont des Arts “love lock” Bridge. He’s collaborated with Louis Vuitton on […]
Water is an essential commodity, especially in the arid Gulf states where it surpasses oil in liter-to-liter price comparisons. Now a Danish designer has pushed the wet stuff into the luxury goods category, proposing to hawk his H2O in crystal water bottles shaped like the tallest tower in the world, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.
Spencer Tunick is coming back to the Dead Sea! In 2011, artist Spencer Tunick invited hundreds of people to shed their inhibitions (and their clothes) to raise awareness to the environmental threats facing the Dead Sea.
Take empathy to a new level by living just like a displaced person. A group of Syrian refugees advertised their camp tent as a rentable destination on Airbnb, offering intrepid travelers “scorpions, dehydration and broken promises”. They describe the Ritsona, Greece refugee camp, about 80 kilometers north of Athens, as “the most unique neighborhood in […]
Cities in Iran are some of the most polluted in the world. It’s estimated that 27 people a day die in Tehran from the low quality of air. Mohammad Bakhtiari, 25, from Arak decided he couldn’t take it anymore, and started car-free Tuesdays –- a day when he’s encouraging Iranians to find alternative ways to […]
Today on the streets of Jaffa, where I live, I saw for the first time in my life a woman in hijab (helmet on top) driving her motorbike in full throttle along Jerusalem Boulevard. She was too quick for me (on my peddle bike!) to take a photo. I was pretty proud of her, because […]