Centripetal Notion: category

6,000 interviews and 4,500 hours (450 translated and subtitled) from people in 65 countries. Bertrand conceived of the idea while traveling and shooting for The Earth From Above. The full project is forthcoming in 2008, but there is sample footage available now on the website.

National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis, here speaking at TED 2003, has some excellent insight to share from his travels. Here he discusses world cultures, dying languages and unique spiritual practices including tribal psychoactive rituals.

“On the rim of the war zone, a new Mecca of conspicuous consumption and economic crime, under the iron rule of Sheikh al-Maktoum. Skyscrapers half a mile high, artificial archipelagoes, fantasy theme parks—and the indentured Asian labour force that sustains them.”

A wall chart about 6.5 x 4.5 feet in size, containing an overview of nearly 13.7 billions years of universal history: biological evolution, culture, literature, religion, philosophy, science, technology, art and music.

(video)

(animation)

“‘But,’ says Man, ‘the Babel fish is a dead giveaway isn’t it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don’t. QED’”

(video: first ~6 minutes of inaugural broadcast)

This month’s TIME magazine takes a look at “The United Stats of America” in the wake of the national population passing 300 million on October 17th.

At 2,222 feet the World Centre of Vedic Learning will be not only the tallest building in the world, but the largest structure period. To be built in the exact center of India, it will have 160 floors and 20 million square feet of space.