Fab Friday News
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Wrapping up the week with an upbeat selection of positive news nuggets.
New Supersonic Age
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is clearing the way for the return of commercial supersonic air travel by revamping regulations for faster-than-sound aircraft for the first time since 1973 - to reflect progress in aviation engineering, and the new ability to muffle sonic booms. A number of companies, plus NASA, are working on new fuselage and wing designs that minimize the sonic boom by spreading the shockwave along the whole of the aircraft and directing it skyward instead of at the ground until it can only be heard as a thud about as loud as a car door closing. These changes will be informed by flight tests using NASA's X-59 supersonic prototype, and the technical noise and operational certification standards are expected to be finalized by mid-2027.
DR Congo Super Fan
In the realm of soccer, what happens on the pitch is just one part of the spectacle. A good chunk of what makes this sport such an electrifying experience is the fans. One of the best examples of this is DR Congo super fan Michel Kuka Mboladinga. The 49-year-old is known for standing motionless with his arm up for the entire 90 minutes of the matches, spotlighting his home country’s heritage while supporting the national team. Kuka’s act is a tribute to Patrice Lumumba, an independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the First Congolese Republic. The fan dresses up in a suit featuring the colours of the Congolese flag - blue, yellow, and red - with a hairstyle and glasses like those worn by the late PM. He then adopts the same pose as the famous Lumumba statue in the city of Kinshasa, raising his right arm toward the sky. These efforts have resulted in Kuka getting the nickname of Lumumba Vea, which translates to “Lumumba Lives.”
Blockbuster Show
Tens of thousands of people faced long waits to buy the first tickets to see the Bayeux Tapestry when it goes on display at the British Museum in September. The 11th Century embroidery, which depicts the Norman conquest of England in 1066, is being loaned to the UK while its usual home, the Bayeux Museum in Normandy, undergoes a major renovation.
The 70m-long masterpiece will go on display in London for 10 months - the first time the tapestry has been exhibited on British soil. More than 65,000 people joined in the online queue after the first batch of tickets were released.
New Micro-Car
One of the most delightful categories of carspotting in Europe are the microcars. Some are quadricycles which have their own vehicle category. These gorgeous little runarounds are barely "cars," with restrictions on power and speed that make them really only feasible in the city. But they're cute and cheap, and in countries like France and Italy, people as young as 14 can legally drive them without a license. Last year, Fiat's Topolino became the European sales leader in the quadricycle segment, and Fiat is leaning hard into the rapidly growing micromobility market with its Multiplina, an adorable new four-seat microcar inspired by the 600 Multipla of the 1950s - and set to go on sale in October.
Transformation
A Greek Revival building in Philadelphia stands as the physical embodiment of Alexander Hamilton’s bold experiment: a national bank run by the government. The concept was controversial when it was first proposed following the Revolutionary War. Centuries later, the First Bank of the United States has been transformed into a museum dedicated to the country’s economic history just in time for America’s 250th anniversary. In addition to the behind-the-scenes updates, the renovation team also restored the ornate interior. The building - with its marble columns and barrel-vaulted rotunda - is an example of American neoclassical architecture.
Canada Joins Eurovision
Canada will make its Eurovision Song Contest debut next year in Bulgaria, the country’s national public broadcaster said yesterday. The decision comes as Canada seeks to expand European ties. The contest began in 1956 with a mission to unite postwar Europe and is open to all members of the European Broadcasting Union. Today, Eurovision is the world’s largest music event, reaching more than 130 million viewers.
"By the time a man realizes that his father was right, he has a son who thinks he’s wrong." Charles Wadsworth
On This Day
3 July 1861: Pony Express arrives in San Francisco with overland letters from New York - taking just 10 days. Riders braved nearly 2,000 miles of hazardous terrain to connect the East and West coasts, ferrying urgent overland letters, newspapers, and crucial Civil War news across the American frontier.
Today's Articles
James Pond: License to Stall. No Time to Dry. The James Bond jokes were inevitable after driver failed to get upgrades from Q Branch.
New Era of Astronomy: Vera C. Rubin Observatory begins it's 10-year mission to shoot the greatest cosmic movie ever created.
Mood Boosting Video
The Odyssey: Film makers and cast members discuss the challenges of shooting a movie entirely on IMAX.
