STUFF: News, Technology, the cool and the plain weird

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German Mission To The Moon Will Prove The Apollo Landings Weren't A Hoax

A German Lunar X-Prize team has announced its intentions to send two mobile probes to the Moon to inspect the lunar rover left behind by the Apollo 17 mission. Finally, something that will get the Moon landing conspiracy theorists to stop.

The group, known as PT Scientists, is one of 16 teams currently vying for the $US30 million ($40 million) Google Lunar X-Prize, a competition requiring a private group to land an autonomous vehicle on the Moon, travel more than 500m and transmit high-definition photographs back to Earth. The group is currently working with German automobile manufacturer Audi to develop the rover, and it has signed a deal with broker Spaceflight Industries to secure a ride on a commercial launch vehicle (which rocket company is yet to be determined).

The first team to land a rover on the moon and meet the basic requirements will receive the $US20 million ($27 million) grand prize, while the second team to do so will claim the $US5 million ($6.7 million) second place prize. Extra monies will be handed out for exceeding the basic requirements, such as travelling extra distance, detecting water ice and visiting Apollo sites.

PT Scientists is planning to send its probes to the area where Apollo 17 astronauts explored the Moon from 11 to 14 December 1972. This NASA mission is notable in that it's the last time humans visited the lunar surface. Should the PT Scientists mission be successful, it will be our first chance to see the state of the equipment left behind by the astronauts, namely the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle.

ALINA: the Autonomous Landing and Navigation Module that will deliver the probes to the moon

The team hopes to land its probes about 3km to 5km from the touch down site of Apollo 17 in the Taurus-Littrow valley. From there, the vehicles will drive to within 200m of the Apollo rover and inspect it remotely. In accordance with NASA preservation guidelines, the PT Scientists' vehicles cannot land any closer than 2km away, and it cannot get any closer than 200m from the Apollo site. This is a precious heritage site, and NASA would like it preserved for posterity.

Conceptual image of the Audi Lunar Quattro. It will be equipped with a four-wheeled electrical drive chain, tiltable solar panels, rechargeable batteries and high definition cameras.

From its vantage point, the probes should be able to scan the Apollo vehicle and assess its condition, including any possible damage caused by intense radiation, extreme temperatures and micro-meteorites.

The Google Lunar X-Prize requires its competitors to land their probes on the Moon in 2017, which gives us something to look forward to next year. Once the probe sends back its high-definition pictures of the lunar rover, you can happily show them to your Moon Truther friends.

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Matt Damon Vs Chinese Monsters Movie The Great Wall Gets An Appropriately Epic New Trailer

The new international trailer for Zhang Yimou's The Great Wall runs nine minutes and has no subtitles, so unless you're multilingual you will mostly only be able to understand Matt Damon's dialogue. However, you only need eyeballs to appreciate all the insanely lavish costumes, weapons and battle scenes.

The Great Wall, which also stars Jing Tian, Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe and Andy Lau, is out 16 February 2017.

[MIKA27]

The First Mummy Trailer Looks Like Mission Impossible With Monsters 

Despite what it may look like at the start, this is not a trailer for Mission: Impossible 6. Sure, there's Tom Cruise, on a plane, in the middle of a huge action scene. But once the ancient evil lady starts walking around, it's obvious this is something quite different. This is The Mummy.
Directed by Alex Kurtzman, the latest reincarnation of The Mummy does not star Brendan Frasier. Nor is it set in the past. This is a modern story that will also double as our first foray into a brand new cinematic universe, one that will be eventually (or is it "hopefully?") be comprised of iconic Universal Monsters like Frankenstein, Wolf Man, Invisible Man, Creature From the Black Lagoon and others.

A bit more wham, bam than you'd expect from a monster movie, right? Well, director Alex Kurtzman explained that's just part of it.

"There are definitely a lot of scares in the movie. And a lot of that stuff is stuff that we're still rendering. It's going to take a lot of time to do," Kurtzman said of the film, which won't be released until June 9, 2017. "But there's no question there's a lot of adventure in the movie. It's a globe-hopping movie. It takes place all around the world and it's being designed as a movie for the world....I felt like my job was to make sure that was all in service of [the characters and story] and that we were being authentically true to what I felt a monster movie was about."

So what does he feel a monster movie is about and how will that play out in The Mummy?

"What separates a monster movie from a horror movie or a slasher movie is the ability to fear the monster and fear for the monster," he said. "Which means getting to know the monster. It means not just letting the monster have random lines of bad guy dialogue. That means actually giving the monster a story."

We don't exactly what the story of this Mummy is just yet, but we're going to know that and much more.

"What you will come to understand is The Mummy exists in a continuum of monsters and monsters have been around for potentially longer than we have," Kurtzman explained. "Part of the reason we wanted to start with the mummy is she's one of the oldest ones. She's 5,000 years old."

 

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EXOTIC PREDATOR JERKY

While we can all get behind a good bag of beef jerky, there’s something to be said for dried meats that are a little bit out of the ordinary. Maybe it’s the excitement of rarity or the fact that you’re not quite sure what to expect. With this one, at least, we’re pretty sure it has something to do with the thrill of eating an animal that would happily eat us first, if we gave it a chance.

Aptly named the Predator Pack, this set of jerky is made from Mako shark, alligator, and python – featuring peppered, cajun, and original spicing respectively. These dried meats are also antibiotic, growth hormone, and steroid free – all things we’d expect out of any jerky, really and they’re made in the U.S.A. Prove you’re the top of the food chain with this delicious trio of jerky for just $40. [Purchase]

MIKA: Shame we can't import this stuff to Australia, I'd give alot things a try but we have so many regulations etc, some good and for obvious reasons and some that are a load of BS.

[MIKA27]

SHINOLA RUNWELL ALL BLACK WATCH

As stealthy as it is sophisticated, the Shinola Runwell All Black Watch is a versatile timepiece that looks great with anything... as long as there's some black involved. It's powered by the company's Argonite 1069 movement, with a matte black dial, black numerals and hands, and a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. The 47mm watch has a PVD black sandblasted finish, and in addition to the black leather strap, it comes with black nylon and rubber straps for added versatility. Arrives in a handsome black presentation box and is covered by a limited lifetime guarantee.

[MIKA27]

VIGILANT GIN

Inspired from a mission to make the perfect cocktail gin, Vigilant Gin is a great looking new kid on the block in the gin industry. This London style dry gin employs hand-foraged Oregon juniper berries, citrus, and an herbal blend that helps balance it out nicely. Distilled in Washington, DC, it's worthy of a spot at your bar for the packaging alone, but makes a gin cocktail you can be proud of as well.

[MIKA27]

Beoplay H9 Headphones

Bang & Olufsen’s Beoplay line of accessories has consistently produced some of the best sounding, greatest looking pieces of audio tech on the market. The Beoplay H9 Headphones continue the tradition with a number of notable features. Soft lambskin and adaptive memory foam ear cushions make sure the over-ear headphones envelop your ears stylishly while also keeping them comfortable for a full day’s wear. You also get up to 14 hours of wireless music with active noise cancellation technology and the ability to keep listening with a cord if the battery does die. The controls are probably our favorite part because you have access to sliding volume controls, next/previous track and play/pause right on the exterior of the headphones.

[MIKA27]

Skid Wooden Chef Knife

Lignum’s Skid wooden chef knife, which is billed as the first wooden chef knife, is going to completely change the way you prepare a meal at home. Made with 97% wood for the handle and body and 3% alloyed carbon steel for the blade, Skid uses a unique design and production method to create a functional knife that’s so cool you’re going to want to display it to friends. By using Robinia wood for the construction, Skid can leverage the high tannin percentage for a healthier working environment and easy cleanup. That wood, or nuttree / mahogany / moor oak / ebony, is paired with carbon or damascus steel to help you julienne, chop and dice with ease.

[MIKA27]

ICEHOTEL

It's rebuilt every winter in northern Sweden, only to melt away in the spring. Yet that impermanence is part of the appeal. Built with two ton blocks of ice from the nearby Torne River, the Icehotel is the result of collaborations between artists and engineers, who work together to create the arched hallways, unique rooms, and reception areas. Since it stays around 23 degrees inside, guests are outfitted with warm outer clothing and Arctic sleeping bags for their bed. Warm accommodations are also available, as is an ice chapel and ice bar, and tanks to a solar-powered addition, part of the hotel will now be able to operate year-round, giving even more people a chance to spend a night on ice.

[MIKA27]

FULTON & ROARK CAPTIVA COLOGNE

Never worry about leaky or broken bottles. Made with a high performing wax base rather than a traditional alcohol spray, the Fulton is made to travel. The solid scent is is inspired by its Floridian namesake, packed with notes of green citrus, rockrose, and salt water for a refreshing masculine aroma suited for every season. As part of the Limited Reserve, the first one-thousand colognes arrive packaged in an exclusive gun metal container.

[MIKA27]

Peter Vaughan, Game Of Thrones' Aemon Targaryen, Has Died

Peter Vaughan, known to many for his role as Maester Aemon in the first five seasons of Game of Thrones, has passed away at the age of 93.

Best known in the UK before his Thrones role as the villainous Harry Grout in the prison sitcom Porridge, Vaughan's five-season stint at the Maester of the Night's Watch — and descendant of Targaryen royalty — familiarised the actor with a whole new generation of viewers. Over the years Vaughan was a regular character actor in the UK, with appearances in Our Friends in the North, Chancer and Citizen Smith, but to many, he'll always be remembered for his time on Game of Thrones.

MIKA:  "And now his watch is ended." - R.I.P

 

[MIKA27]

Van Williams, TV's Green Hornet, Has Died

Actor turned police officer and firefighter Van Williams died last week at the age of 82. Williams appeared in many popular TV shows in the '60s and '70s, but was best known for playing The Green Hornet on the iconic TV series, alongside Bruce Lee as Kato.

In 1957, Williams was discovered as a Hawaiian diving instructor by the then husband of Elizabeth Taylor. He went to Hollywood and immediately starting acting. After Green Hornet, he also appeared on The Beverly Hillbillies and The Dick Van Dyke Show.

Williams hadn't acted in decades, however. In the late '70s, he turned in his fame to first become a reserve deputy sheriff and then a firefighter in the Los Angeles area. It's rare that someone who played a hero in make believe becomes one in real life, but that's what Williams did.

[MIKA27]

Mummified Legs Connected to Ancient Egyptian Queen

A pair of unidentified mummified knees – as well as the rest of the legs – found in 1904 in a tomb in the Valley of the Queens in Egypt have finally been confirmed to have once been attached to the rest of Queen Nefertari, the wife of King Ramses II. Unfortunately for the knees, they won’t be reconnected with the rest of the queen because her mummified remains, along with most of the contents of tomb QV66, were looted before the tomb was rediscovered by Ernesto Schiaparelli in 1904

According to the report published in the journal PLOS ONE, Joann Fletcher from the University of York and a team of researchers tested the mummified legs – currently stored in Turin, Italy, at its Egyptian museum – using radiocarbon dating, X-rays, chemical analysis of the embalming fluids, and a comparison to similar legs of ancient and modern women.

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Having studied the woman, and having looked as so many images of her beautiful face, I think there is a sense of immense irony that physically this is what we have got. She has been reduced to knees. But because we don’t give up – it’s like: ‘we have got the knees, well, let’s do what we can with them.’

They must have been some legs and knees. Nefertari’s tomb is considered to be one of the most beautiful in Egypt – an appropriate eternal resting place for a beautiful and beloved queen who held the titles Sweet of Love and Lady of Grace. The walls are covered with paintings which highlight the looks of the queen. For comparison, every beautiful actress in Hollywood competed for the part of Nefertari in the 1956 classic film The Ten Commandments, with the role going to Anne Baxter.

What Fletcher and her team determined is that the mummified legs belonged to a woman between 40 and 60 years of age, five feet, four inches tall, and suffering from arthritis. The high quality of the mummification – wrappings, materials, care, etc. – told them she was someone of extremely high status.

A queen of Egypt?

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Thus, the most likely scenario is that the mummified knees truly belong to Queen Nefertari. Although this identification is highly likely, no absolute certainty exists.

That’s not a cop-out by the researchers. The study noted that the looters who found the cave before Schiaparelli “smashed the stone sarcophagus, pulled the coffins out and ripped the mummies of Nefertari and her children into pieces.”

This is why we’ve never been able to have nice things. Let’s hope the museum gives her a comfortable place to finally rest her legs.

[MIKA27]

Some Of The Oldest Whiskies You Can Buy

There are a lot of bucket lists that include drinking really old whiskey and in some cases, a decades old bottle of whiskey really is a fulfilling experience. The older whiskey gets, the more time it’s had to develop complex flavors and character, making it a more interesting sip. But people should also realize, getting older doesn’t guarantee that it’s going to be better, only that it’s going to be more expensive, and you definitely don’t have to spend that much to get a great tasting whiskey. Some would much rather get thirty or forty bucks together and drink a good bourbon or rye than drop a couple hundred or even a couple thousand on what could amount to chewing the inside of an old oak barrel. Because what we found pretty quickly was, the alternate title for this list could easily be, “The 6 Most Expensive Liquids You Won’t Believe You Just Spent Money On.”

Macallan 37 Year Old

This bottle is two kinds of old. First off, it was distilled in 1937, which means if the product were human, it’d be just past its life expectancy. Second, it was bottled in 1974, meaning this thing’s had 42 years of limbo time since it came out of its barrel. To be clear, keeping the whisky in a bottle longer doesn’t do anything to the taste or feel or anything like that. We’re not dealing with wine here. At the most, it enhances that particular run’s reputation and allows Macallan to up the price each year. But we have to say that the opportunity to drink a single malt put in glass back when our parents still had baby teeth is an intriguing one. $32,375

Yamazaki 50 Year Old (2005 Release)

Japanese whisky’s always been somewhat pricey, but now that more people are starting to get into the drink, the prices are starting to get a little more approachable. Although, this probably isn’t the first place you should go if you’re looking to join the scene. For the money, you could just go to Japan and get personalized tours of distilleries with tastings thrown in.

If you do spend the money though, you’ll get one of the rarest bottle of whisky on either side of the Pacific. It’s a bottle of 50 year old whisky first released in 2005, and is a part of the same line as the whisky that won double gold medals at the San Francisco Spirits Competition. The winner was the 18 year old variant, so if the young one’s that good, then the 50 must be something unlike most whiskies on the market. $134,000

Glenfarcas 60YO #1672

This is the first bottle of whisky on the list that could probably be considered elderly. This is the whisky that doesn’t understand where all these new punnily named coffee shops are coming from. This is the whisky that has jelly spearmint leaves in a decorative crystal jar in its wallpapered living room. This is the whisky that drives the Buick that made you late to work this morning.

Of all the whiskies on this list, this is the one with the most interesting color. It’s a mix between traditional whisky color and a deep red wine, and comes from the Sherry casks it’s aged in. The tasting notes have it being one of the longest finishes of any whisky they’ve sampled, which is totally believable. There’s no way you can spend as much time in an old barrel as this whisky without getting some long lasting consequences.

For your money you’re getting some slick presentation as well, with a fancy bottle, case, and decanter stopper. You should be able to get some years out of this one and you’ll definitely want to. This isn’t the kind of bottle you pop and finish. Ripping shots of a sexagenarian just doesn’t feel right. $14,583

Royal Brackla 1924

Royal Brackla is a mix of the Japanese and Scottish markets in that the Scottish bottled this particular run for the Japanese in 1984. When they bottled it, it had been aged for 60 years and that was in 1984. Another 32 years in the bottle puts this whisky at 92 years old, but remember, whisky doesn’t age once it’s been bottled. This won’t ever age to be more than a 60 year Scotch, even if it does keep getting older. That’s actually the reason we didn’t put this whisky last. It’s easily the oldest time-wise, but it’s not the most aged whisky you can buy. $16,007

Mortlach 1938

It comes in a straightforward but extraordinary tear shaped, hand blown crystal decanter that’s as much a piece of glass art as it is a container for whisky. The complete lack of embellishment emphasizes that the whisky is the important thing here, not the container. The whisky’s supposed to be some of the best ever made too, with a unique flavor that only seven decades in a barrel could create. It’s supposedly a malt like no other, so if you find yourself trying to figure out what to do with twenty grand, get yourself this whisky and a candy bar with your leftover dollar. $19,999

Mortlach 1939

When it was released in 2010, the Mortlach 1938 was the longest aged whisky the world ever sipped. Distillers Gordon & MacPhail then broke their own record with Mortlach 75 Year Old, a Scotch Whisky aged for three quarters of a century. It was well received by most, though maybe somewhat hyperbolically.

To us, the most impressive part of the 75 year whisky, and by extension, all whisky older than a week, is the patience it takes to make it. For a 75 year whisky, if 75 years is the original plan when you first pour it into its cask, you do so knowing you most likely won’t be alive to drink it. And possibly your children won’t be either, making your grandchildren the ones who will bottle it. At that point, it’s not really about how good the whisky’s going to taste, it’s a test of whether or not you’re good enough at your job and confident enough in your product that there will even be a market that wants your whisky 75 years from now. That’s a level of certainty that most governments can’t attain. £24,002

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Brookstone Grill Tumbler

Leave it to Brookstone to come up with an ingenious new version of something as simple as the grilling basket. The Brookstone Grill Tumbler transforms the traditional grill basket by turning it into a a hexagonally shaped tube. This clever design allows you to easily rotate your meat and veggies while they’re on the grill, and the silicone handles keep the basket closed while also allowing you to rotate it without gloves. There’s even a special marinating tray that allows you to get that perfect flavor and tenderness. It even has a non-stick coating to prevent food getting stuck and make cleanup easier.

[MIKA27]

FICKS VITAMIN & ELECTROLYTE INFUSED COCKTAIL MIX

A great cocktail mixer can take the effort out of making a great drink, but most of them are packed with calories and artificial ingredients. Ficks Vitamin are a line of premium cocktail mixers launched this year in San Francisco. They use all natural ingredients like fresh pressed ginger juice in their Moscow Mule and organic agave nectar in their Margarita. With just 35 calories and 10g of sugar per 3oz serving, Ficks has almost made drinking healthy.

[MIKA27]

WTF: A Guy Won Finland's Got Talent By Making Fart Noises With His Hand

Years of this mediocre talent show was worth it. 

For this.

It's majestic. How is he doing this? Hand fart noises. This guy deserves all the fame and riches he can handle.

For the record, the song is Happy Christmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon.

MIKA: I also like the way he's standing as if he's about to follow through! 

 

[MIKA27]

Nearly 100 Dead As Strong Earthquake Rocks Indonesia

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Indonesia's Aceh province yesterday, leaving 97 dead and hundreds injured. Though the quake did not trigger a tsunami, it triggered memories of the horrific 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake when more than 100,000 were killed in Aceh alone.

The US Geological survey said the shallow earthquake struck at 5:03AM local time and was centred about 19km southeast of Sigli, a town in northern Aceh. The quake has spawned a frantic rescue effort as thousands of villagers, soldiers and police search for survivors in the rubble of dozens of collapsed and damaged buildings. The number of casualties is expected to increase.

The M6.5 quake struck at a depth of 8km

Local authorities say more than 500 people have been injured, nearly a quarter of them seriously. Nearly 250 buildings, including 14 mosques, have suffered major damage, mostly in the city of Pidie Jaya. Images show roads with cracks, cars crushed by fallen debris and power lines that have toppled over. The conditions are making it difficult for rescuers to access some of the affected areas. To make matters worse, at least five aftershocks have been recorded since the initial quake, including a M4.8.

A boy sits on the rubble of a building that collapsed after an earthquake as he takes shelter from the sun in Pidie Jaya.

Men inspect a collapsed mosque after an earthquake in Pidie Jaya.

Survivors are being treated in hospital corridors and hastily-built disaster tents. A Red Cross volunteer said health workers were struggling to meet demand, as there aren't enough medical staff to deal with the hundreds of injured patients. President Joko Wikodo has ordered all government agencies to take part in the rescue efforts, and Red Cross Indonesia has dispatched its rescue teams.

Mercifully, the quake did not trigger a tsunami, but it rattled the nerves of many who are still reeling from the earthquake and tsunami disaster that struck 12 years ago. "It was very bad, the tremors felt even stronger than 2004 earthquake," noted Musman Aziz, a Meureudu resident, in an Associated Press article. "I was so scared the tsunami was coming."

[MIKA27]

Walt Disney World Turned Epcot's Spaceship Earth Into The Death Star

Now that Disney owns Lucasfilm and everything Star Wars, the company's theme parks are slowly becoming giant advertisements for the upcoming films. Which is totally cool with us if it means awesome publicity stunts like turning Epcot's giant spherical Spaceship Earth into the Death Star — complete with a working superlaser.

Even if that super laser can't destroy entire planets, this is still one of the cooler Rogue One: A Star Wars Story promotions we've seen leading up to the film's release on December 15. Next they should fill Disney's Animal Kingdom with snow and turn it into a real-life version of Hoth.

[MIKA27]

Antarctic Crack Threatens Scientific Research Station

The British Antarctic Survey has a problem in the form of an enormous crack in the East Antarctic ice sheet. Dormant for about 35 years, The Crack began to grow in 2012. Today, it threatens to cleave off the entire ice shelf supporting the Halley VI research station. And so, Halley VI is being towed out of harm's way.

"If [the crack] continues to move and the ice breaks off, the station would be on the wrong side of the crack," Athena Dinar, a spokesperson for the British Antarctic Survey, said, when asked why the meteorological station is being moved 23km inland. If The Crack is simply ignored, Halley VI could wind up adrift in the sea.

Map showing the current location of Halley VI, its future location, and The Crack (chasm 1).

Installed in 2012 to study extreme space weather and ozone, Halley VI is located on the 150m-thick Brunt Ice Shelf, a dynamic region of the East Antarctic ice sheet that flows toward the sea at approximately 0.4km per year. Here, and elsewhere along Antarctica's margins, the slow migration of glaciers pushes ice shelves out over the open ocean, a bit like a diving board being unfurled over a swimming pool. Eventually, a buildup of stress causes these ice shelves break off and form icebergs, a process known as calving.

Fortunately, the British Antarctic Survey was aware of the dangers of calving when it installed Halley VI; the latest in a long line of Antarctic research stations that led to the discovery of the ozone hole. Accordingly, Halley VI was designed to be mobile. Each of the station's eight modules can be decoupled from its neighbours and towed across the ice on tractors, which is exactly what's happening now that Antarctic is emerging from months of wintry darkness.

The process of moving the station is expected to take three years.

"Halley was designed and engineered specifically to be re-located in response to changes in the ice," Tim Stockings, director of operations at the British Antarctic Survey said in a statement. "Over the last couple of years our operational teams have been meticulous in developing very detailed plans for the move and we are excited by the challenge."

Unlike West Antarctica's coastline, where ice is being lost at a more rapid clip due to climate change, the Brunt Ice Shelf has not experienced significant warming, and it has shown no signs of increased calving in recent years. The Crack, however menacing, appears to be perfectly natural.

[MIKA27]

Aussie Scientists Can Give Regular Glasses Night Vision

Australian scientists are at it again. This time researchers at The Australian National University have worked out a way to improve night vision googles - by designing a nano crystal, 500 times smaller than a human hair, that turns darkness into visible light and fits right on regular lenses.

Basically, they have invented reverse sunglasses.
The new discovery could mean the end for the "cumbersome and bulky" binoculars we are currently using to see at night, Professor Dragomir Neshev from ANU said, by fitting the crystals an an ultra-thin film to regular eye glasses.

The crystals could also be used in as anti-counterfeit devices in bank notes, imaging cells for medical applications and holograms.

The research team's decision to build the device on glass not only makes it more useful for a number of applications, it also represents the first time anyone has been able to achieve it - it's super hard to do.

Far from an overnight success, this is the culmination of more than 15 years of research.

 

[MIKA27]

STUNNING PHOTOS OF HONG KONG IN THE 1950S TAKEN BY A TEENAGER

These exceptional photographs are the work of Ho Fan who arrived from Shanghai in 1949. At the time he was just a teenager, armed with a heavy duty Rolleiflex camera and all-consuming desire to discover as much as he could about this strange new city he now called home.

What's sets his incredible photographs apart is not just his tender age. What is particularly remarkable about his images, is they showcase an eye for composition and lighting far exceeding his years.

Instead of shooting the city's cliched landmarks or restricting his work to a confined and cramped studio, Fan decided to document the fascinating (and at times chaotic) scenes from the streets of 1950's Hong Kong itself.

Strangers going about their business, hidden communities and the hustle and bustle of daily life were all captured and fused into his camera roll.

66 Years later, his work provides a candid and beautiful account of one of China's emerging cities, including the individuals that contributed to its development and evolution during that era.

The entire series is available in his stylish book 'A Hong Kong Memoir' available here.

[MIKA27]

Here's Our First Proper Look At The Nintendo Switch

After Nintendo's initial reveal back in October, here's the first proper hands-on that anyone has had with the Nintendo Switch. On Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show, Nintendo of America's very own Reggie Fils-Aimé took the new console through its paces with Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

[MIKA27]

American Space Legend John Glenn Has Died At 95

John Glenn, an aviation legend and the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth, has died at the age of 95.

Glenn passed away at a hospital in Columbus, Ohio, having been admitted more than a week ago, although the cause of his hospitalisation is not yet apparent and was only reported yesterday. He lived a long life of remarkably good health, and died surrounded by his family.

Glenn was a highly-decorated marine who piloted nearly nearly 60 combat missions in the South Pacific during World War II, followed by another 90 during the Korean War. After the Korean War, Glenn remained in the military as a test pilot, flying supersonic aircraft and other state-of-the-art military models. On July 16th 1957, he broke the transcontinental speed record, taking off from Los Alamitos Naval Air Station in California, and touching down just over 3 hours and 23 minutes later at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, New York.

At the height of the military arms race between the US and the Soviet Union, aviation records were a big deal. This one earned Glenn the accolade of being selected for Project Mercury, the United States' first man-in-space program. A few years later, on February 20th, 1962, Glenn rocketed his way into the annals of spaceflight history, becoming the first American to orbit the Earth — three times, in just under five hours.

Glenn left the astronaut program in 1964 to pursue a career in politics, serving four terms as a Democratic US senator from Ohio between 1974 and 1999. Years as a lawmaker, however, did not soften Glenn's appetite for daring feats: in 1998, the retired astronaut made spaceflight history again, becoming the oldest man in space as part of a seven-person crew aboard the space shuttle Discovery. Glenn served as the mission's payload specialist.

"John Glenn is, and always will be, Ohio's ultimate hometown hero, and his passing today is an occasion for all of us to grieve," said Ohio Gov. John R. Kasich. "As we bow our heads and share our grief with his beloved wife, Annie, we must also turn to the skies, to salute his remarkable journeys and his long years of service to our state and nation."

Glenn was the last surviving member of the original seven astronauts who made up Project Mercury.

[MIKA27]

Sean Bean Is Sad He Can't Even Survive A Civilization 6 Trailer

He thought he made it through this one. He really did.

Sean Bean, a man cursed by some sort of time genie to die a thousand deaths, can't even make it through a damn Civilization 6 trailer. The funny/sad part, though, is that he could've sworn he survived this time. In a new behind-the-scenes video, he gets asked how he feels about dying again;

"Do you mean I don't survive the trailer?"he asks incredulously as footage of his character dying in a terrifying plane explosion plays in the background. "But... but I thought I survived this."

He then thinks for a moment before chuckling, "Well, I guess I don't. I guess they're just gonna get somebody else in to do the next one."

It was great while it lasted, Sean Bean. And who knows, maybe they will bring you back to narrate another Civilization anyway. After all, history has a way of repeating itself.