Fun Duniya: May 2012

Amazing Underwater Images of Titanic-100 years after Titanic disaster

Titanic, the world s best-known cruise ship was launched in May 1911, the ship sank in April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg en route from Southampton, England to New York City. Titanic was carrying more than 2,200 passengers and more than 1,500 reportedly died. Today, the Titanic rests, disintegrating at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 12,405 feet below the water’s surface.Take a look at a collection of amazing underwater images of the ship. A view of the bow and railing of the RMS Titanic.

Rusticles growing down from the stern section of Titanic.

Ethereal views of Titanic s bow (modeled) offer a comprehensiveness of detail never seen before.

The first complete views of the legendary wreck Titanic s battered stern is captured overhead here. Making sense of this tangle of metal presents endless challenges to experts. Says one, If you re going to interpret this stuff, you gotta love Picasso.

As the starboard profile shows, the Titanic buckled as it plowed nose-first into the seabed, leaving the forward hull buried deep in mud—obscuring, possibly forever, the mortal wounds inflicted by the iceberg.

National Geographic magazine s April 2012 issue provides the first-ever complete images of the Titanic wreck.

A view of the bow of the Titanic from a camera mounted on the outside of the Mir I submersible.

A view of the bow and railing of the RMS Titanic.

A view of the bow of the Titanic from a camera mounted on the outside of the Mir I submersible.

A view of the steering motor on the bridge of the Titanic.

A view of the bathtub in Capt. Smiths bathroom. Rusticles are observed growing over most of the pipes and fixtures in the room.

With her rudder cleaving the sand and two propeller blades peeking from the murk, Titanic s mangled stern rests on the abyssal plain, 1,970 feet south of the more photographed bow. This optical mosaic combines 300 high-resolution images taken on a 2010 expedition.

Detached rusticles below port side anchor indicating that the rusticles pass through a cycle of growth, maturation and then fall away. This particular crop probably was in a five to ten year cycle.

Rusticle hanging from the stern section of the RMS Titanic showing secondary growths during maturation.

Remembering the Titanic 100 Years on

RMS Titanic leaves Southampton

A group of survivors of the Titanic disaster aboard the Carpathia after being rescued, April 1912. The Titanic was considered unsinkable but foundered in frigid Atlantic waters off Newfoundland after striking an iceberg. About 700 passengers survived in lifeboats, but some 1,500 perished in the sinking.

A crowd in New York awaiting survivors from the Titanic to arrive aboard the Carpathia following the sinking of the Titanic, April 18, 1912. The Titanic was considered unsinkable but foundered in frigid Atlantic waters off Newfoundland after striking an iceberg. About 700 passengers survived in lifeboats, but some 1,500 perished in the sinking.

Child survivors of Titanic sinking, April 1912. Michel and Edmond, ages four and two, better known as the Titanic Orphans were the only children rescued from the Titanic without a parent or guardian. The children, who spoke no English, were cared for by first-class French-speaking passenger Margaret Hays until their mother was located in France. Their father placed the two in the last lifeboat successfully launched from the Titanic. The Titanic was considered unsinkable but foundered in frigid Atlantic waters off Newfoundland after striking an iceberg. About 700 passengers survived in lifeboats, but some 1,500 perished in the sinking.

Edmond and Michel Navratil, of Nice, France, on their mother Marcelle s lap after being reunited with her, 1912. Michel and Edmond, ages four and two, better known as the Titanic Orphans were the only children rescued from the Titanic without a parent or guardian. The children, who spoke no English, were cared for by first-class French-speaking passenger Margaret Hays until their mother was located in France. Their father placed the two in the last lifeboat successfully launched from the Titanic. The Titanic was considered unsinkable but foundered in frigid Atlantic waters off Newfoundland after striking an iceberg. About 700 passengers survived in lifeboats, but some 1,500 perished in the sinking.

The Titanic set sail from Southampton on April 10, 1912 and was considered a remarkable feat of human engineering. It was the biggest and most luxurious ocean liner in the world. Upon entering Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, which opens at the Science Museum of Minnesota on June 12, 2009, visitors will receive replica boarding passes and assume the role of passengers, getting a sense of what life was like aboard the famous vessel.

The Titanic is launched into the River Lagan for towing to a fitting-out berth where her engines, funnels and interiors would be installed, May 31, 1911. The Titanic was considered unsinkable but foundered in frigid Atlantic waters off Newfoundland after striking an iceberg. About 700 passengers survived in lifeboats, but some 1,500 perished in the sinking.

The Titanic just prior to being launched into the River Lagan for towing to a fitting-out berth where her engines, funnels and interiors would be installed, May 31, 1911. The Titanic was considered unsinkable but foundered in frigid Atlantic waters off Newfoundland after striking an iceberg. About 700 passengers survived in lifeboats, but some 1,500 perished in the sinking.

RMS Titanic s propellers compared to yard workers

Titanic lifeboats on their way to the Carpathia following the sinking of the Titanic April 15, 1912. The Titanic was considered unsinkable but foundered in frigid Atlantic waters off Newfoundland after striking an iceberg. About 700 passengers survived in lifeboats, but some 1,500 perished in the sinking.

A lifeboat from the Titanic pulls alongside the Carpathia following the sinking of the Titanic, April 15, 1912. The Titanic was considered unsinkable but foundered in frigid Atlantic waters off Newfoundland after striking an iceberg. About 700 passengers survived in lifeboats, but some 1,500 perished in the sinking.

Mr. & Mrs. G.A. Harder and Mrs. Charles M. Hayes, survivors of the Titanic disaster, talking aboard the Carpathia after being rescued, April 1912. The Titanic was considered unsinkable but foundered in frigid Atlantic waters off Newfoundland after striking an iceberg. About 700 passengers survived in lifeboats, but some 1,500 perished in the sinking.

World's Tallest Tower to be Completed by 2017‎

Sketches show dramatic views from a planned record-breaking 3,281-foot-tall tower. Kingdom Holding s HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal said that the 1,050m high skyscraper in the Red Sea port city would be finished in 63 months.Burj Khalifa, the 2,717-ft high tower, will continue to hold the title for the tallest building in the world, at least, till 2017.

The Kingdom Tower Waterfront District encompasses a high-end shopping mall and additional development parcels that accommodate commercial and high-density residential uses, offices, two luxury hotels and high-quality open spaces, including the central Tower Plaza.

A serene waterfront promenade connects Kingdom Tower, the various development parcels, the open space areas and the mall together. The result is an exciting mixed-use area that offers a concentrated and comprehensive experience including vibrant shopping, entertainment and open-space amenities. The Waterfront District also provides an array of connections to other areas within Kingdom City s overall master plan, designed by HOK Architects.

Architects Gordon Gill and Adrian Smith.

Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal speaks at a news conference in Riyadh August 2, 2011. Prince Alwaleed unveiled plans to build the world s tallest tower in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, signing a 4.6 billion riyal ($1.23 billion) contract with Bin Laden Group.

Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal speaks near a model of the world s tallest tower during a news conference in Riyadh August 2, 2011. Prince Alwaleed unveiled plans to build the world s tallest tower in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, signing a 4.6 billion riyal ($1.23 billion) contract with Bin Laden Group.

Expected to cost $1.2 billion to construct, Kingdom Tower will be a mixed-use building featuring a luxury hotel, office space, serviced apartments, luxury condominiums and the world s highest observatory. Kingdom Tower s height will be at least 173 meters (568 feet) taller than Burj Khalifa, which was designed by Adrian Smith while at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

AS GG s design for Kingdom Tower is both highly technological and distinctly organic. With its slender, subtly asymmetrical massing, the tower evokes a bundle of leaves shooting up from the ground—a burst of new life that heralds more growth all around it. This symbolizes the tower as a catalyst for increased development around it.

The sleek, streamlined form of the tower was inspired by the folded fronds of young desert plant growth. The way the fronds sprout upward from the ground as a single form, then start separating from each other at the top, is an analogy of new growth fused with technology. While the design is contextual to Saudi Arabia, it also represents an evolution and a refinement of an architectural continuum of skyscraper design.

The three-petal footprint is ideal for residential units, and the tapering wings produce an aerodynamic shape that helps reduce structural loading due to wind vortex shedding. The Kingdom Tower design embraces its architectural pedigree, taking full advantage of the proven design strategies and technological strategies of its lineage, refining and advancing them to achieve new heights.

The result is an elegant, cost-efficient and highly constructible design that is at once grounded in built tradition and aggressively forward-looking, taking advantage of new and innovative thinking about technology, building materials, life-cycle considerations and energy conservation.

For example, the project will feature a high-performance exterior wall system that will minimize energy consumption by reducing thermal loads. In addition, each of Kingdom Tower s three sides features a series of notches that create pockets of shadow that shield areas of the building from the sun and provide outdoor terraces with stunning views of Jeddah and the Red Sea.

The great height of Kingdom Tower necessitates one of the world s most sophisticated elevator systems. The Kingdom Tower complex will contain 59 elevators, including 54 single-deck and fi ve double-deck elevators, along with 12 escalators. Elevators serving the observatory will travel at a rate of 10 meters per second in both directions. Another unique feature of the design is a sky terrace, roughly 30 meters (98 feet) in diameter, at level 157.

It is an outdoor amenity space intended for use by the penthouse floor. The area surrounding Kingdom Tower is known as the Kingdom Tower Waterfront District. Designed by AS GG, the 23-hectare Waterfront District provides a cohesive and pedestrian-friendly setting for the magnificent Kingdom Tower while creating a pleasant neighborhood experience nestled along the Kingdom City lakefront.

The World's Tallest Tower Opened To The Public On

Tokyo Skytree, the world s tallest tower opened to the public on Tuesday. We look at some of the world s other tallest free-standing towers. 1. Tokyo Skytree. Height: 634 m (2,080 ft), Country: Japan