Smorgasbord of tasty news nuggets to help ensure it's a sunny day.
Coronation Chairs
Twelve chairs made for the King’s Coronation will be sold by Christie’s in the autumn. The auction house announced that it would open browsing in October for the six pairs of historic chairs which were used to seat members of the Royal family as well as dignitaries in Westminster Abbey on 6 May last year. It is understood that their specific occupants will be kept under wraps, however, to keep the pricing of the chairs at a similar level. The sustainably made oak chairs used for the King’s ceremony will be offered in London, New York and Paris on consecutive days. The sale will raise funds for four charities.
Paleolithic Cave Art
Archaeologists have discovered a major Paleolithic cave art site near Valencia in Spain. More than 100 ancient paintings and engravings, thought to be at least 24,000 years old, have been found in a 500 meter-long cave in Cueva Dones. The large number of motifs and the variety of techniques involved in their creation make the cave the most important Paleolithic cave art site on the eastern Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Findings of a study into the cave art, which highlight its true significance, are now published in the journal Antiquity.
Sistine Chapel of the Ancients: One of the world’s largest collections of prehistoric rock art discovered in the Amazonian rainforest. Thousands of ice age paintings on cliff faces - stretching across nearly 8 miles - shed light on people and animals from 12,500 years ago in Colombia. More...
Lithium From Seawater
Princeton researchers have invented a better way to extract lithium from saltwater using porous strings that naturally concentrate lithium salts as water evaporates. With potential for large-scale production from new sources like seawater, the breakthrough could reduce the cost of lithium-ion batteries, and support the growth and sustainability of clean energy technology.
Missing X-Wing
A long-lost model of an X-Wing Fighter that was used in the original Star Wars movie has been put up for auction. Bids are starting at $400,000 for the 20 inch model that was discovered in the collection of the late Oscar-nominated model-maker Greg Jein. Visual effects expert Gene Kozicki told The Hollywood Reporter that the model was regarded as a “white whale” because no one knew where it was. Heritage Auctions said it is the “pinnacle” of Star Wars artefacts to “ever reach the market”.
“If you see ten troubles coming down the road, you can be sure that nine will run into the ditch before they reach you.” Calvin Coolidge
On this Day
13 September 122: Romans begin building Hadrian's Wall, Northern England.
Old clothes took center stage at New York Fashion Week as sustainability becomes the trend of choice. Big shift...
Almost every driver, everywhere, loathes potholes and the risks they pose. Could a thermo-active solution solve the problem? Maybe...
Wit and Wisdom of Dr Seuss: A handful of quotes from one of the best known children’s writers of the 20th century. Enjoy...
Mood Booster
Bottlenose dolphins are incredibly intelligent. Off the coast of South Africa they surf the waves. As far as we can tell they do it for the sheer joy of it.