A 300 meter long (984 ft) glass suspension bridge, 180 meters (591 ft) above the ground has recently opened in Hunan, part of China’s Shiniuzhai National Geological Park. As if that wasn’t scary enough, the entire thing is made of glass-like material, and it’s transparent. Eloquently named Haohan Qiao or ‘Brave Men’s Bridge’, the bridge is an adventure in itself, as the
Watch these drones build a rope bridge that’s safe to walk on
Drones are often feared as instruments of destruction, and as John Oliver pointed out, in some parts of the world, people fear blue skies because that’s when the drones strike. But this technology isn’t only used to destroy – it can also be used to create, as demonstrated by these very efficient quadrocopters building a rope bridge. Flying machines, by definition,
Computer squares off against professional poker players – and loses badly
Even the best chess players are no match for computers these days, but computers are still struggling when it comes to games that have a random or unknown component. In games like Bridge or Poker, humans still hold the crown. Scientists from the Carnegie Mellon University tried to change that, by designing Claudico – a computer program built to defeat humans. But Claudico lost, badly.
Why you feel the urge to jump off a ledge. No, you’re not suicidal
A few months ago I went hiking with some of my friends in an absolutely stunning mountain setting. We climbed a country road for half an hour or so on foot, then reached a chalet right in the middle of a pine tree clearing and had a few beers with the keeper there, who was gracious enough to show us
The science (or art?) of growing tree root bridges
In the depths of northeastern India, in one of the wettest places on earth, bridges aren’t built—they’re grown. India has over 1 billion people, and many of them live in poverty – 21% of all people in India fall below the international poverty line of US$ 1.25 per day. In many parts of the country, especially in the north-east, it always seems to rain, roads are hard
