Georgina Godwin sets the tone for the weekend. We gauge the mood on the ground in Kyiv as tensions with Russia increase, review the day’s papers and Monocle’s Andrew Tuck shares his thoughts for this weekend.
Front Page: WSJ Weekend Edition – January 29
Namibia Views: &Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge
Within the NamibRand Nature Reserve, this upmarket all-inclusive lodge surrounded by the Namib Desert is a 30-minute drive from a private airstrip and 375 km from Hosea Kutako International Airport.
The lodge is situated within &BEYOND Sossusvlei Private Desert Reserve, a vast 12,715 hectare (31,419 acre) expanse deep in the Namib, the world’s oldest living desert.
Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 3:20 Arrival 5:17 Main pavilion 13:25 Gym & Spa 17:20 Suite 26:17 Breakfast 27:19 San rock art site 28:29 Lunch 30:01 Petrified dune 33:22 Dinner 35:08 Sossusvlei 41:25 Deadvlei
Set amidst an ocean of dunes, rocky outcrops and gravel plains, the utter tranquility and extraordinary clarity of light makes this area one of Africa’s most compelling landscapes. The night skies are heavenly, with the concession bordering the International Dark Sky Reserve of the NamibRand Nature Reserve. A canvas of beauty that invites reconnection with yourself and nature.
Previews: Science News Magazine – January 29
- COVER STORY Materials of the last century shaped modern life, but at a price From our homes and cities to our electronics and clothing, the stuff of daily life is dramatically different from decades ago. By Carolyn Wilke
- NEWS The coronavirus may cause fat cells to miscommunicate, leading to diabetes By Tina Hesman Saey
- NEWS Neandertals were the first hominids to turn forest into grassland 125,000 years ago By Bruce Bower
Italian Village Walks: San Gemini In Umbria (4K)
San Gemini is a comune in the province of Terni in the Italian region Umbria. The town is a well-preserved medieval burgh with two lines of walls, built over the remains of a small Roman center along the old Via Flaminia. It is especially known for its mineral waters.
Science: Fecal Pills That Treat Gut Infections, Squirrel Hibernations
On this week’s show: A pill derived from human feces treats recurrent gut infections, and how a squirrel’s microbiome supplies nitrogen during hibernation.
First up this week, Staff Writer Kelly Servick joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss putting the bacterial benefits of human feces in a pill. The hope is to avoid using fecal transplants to treat recurrent gut infections caused by the bacterium Clostridium difficile.
Also this week, Hannah Carey, a professor in the department of comparative biosciences within the school of veterinary medicine at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, talks with Sarah about how ground squirrels are helped by their gut microbes during hibernation.
Castle Tours: Château de Chantilly In France
Every year, almost half a million visitors flock to Chantilly, one of France’s most beautiful castles. Located an hour from Paris and built in 1358, its princes greeted Louis XIV for sumptuous banquets. In the 19th century, Henri D’Orléans, Duke of Aumale, restored the château and turned it into an exceptional museum, containing the second-largest collection of paintings in France after the Louvre and more than 45,000 books. From restorers to gardeners and horseriders: behind the scenes, more than 100 people work every day on the upkeep of Chantilly. FRANCE 24 takes you to meet them.
Design & Aviation: ‘AirCar’ Is Certified To Fly (Video)
AirCar the dual-mode car-aircraft vehicle has been issued the official Certificate of Airworthiness by the Slovak Transport Authority, following the successful completion of 70 hours of rigorous flight testing compatible with European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards, with over 200 takeoffs and landings.
The challenging flight tests included the full range of flight and performance manoeuvres and demonstrated an astonishing static and dynamic stability in the aircraft mode. AirCar flew 70+ hours of test flights, incl. cross country with 200 takeoffs and landings.
Cover Preview: Science Magazine – January 28
Morning News: Ukraine Politics, China ‘Zero-Covid’ Policy, Portugal
Monocle’s news editor Chris Cermak gives us the latest from Kyiv on a tumultuous week in Ukrainian politics.
Plus: an update from Beijing on China’s “zero-Covid” policy, Portugal’s snap election and Andrew Mueller on why Chile has fallen out of love with Britpop band Blur.
