Portugal

Would you like to visit Portugal? This is how David Schlichter, an Erasmus student, sees it:

And here you have some pictures of Portuguese places...

                                                     Santarém

                                          Cascais

                                                       Porto

                                                         Foz do Arelho

                                           Alentejo

                                          Sintra

If you wish to discover more about Portugal, you can go to http://www.nationalgeographic.pt/ or http://cafe-portugal.blogspot.com/

Noma Bar

Israeli illustrator who uses negative space to create thought provoking illustrations. His art works are so simple, yet so clever you can't fail to be impressed. Born in 1973, Noma graduated from Bezalel Academy of Art & Design in 2000. Since 2001 he has been working in London with a lot of big names and media outlets including: Vodafone, Coca Cola, BBC, The Observer, The Economist, Wallpaper and many more.

He has illustrated over sixty magazine covers, published over 550 illustrations and released two books: Guess Who - The Many faces of Noma Bar, in 2008 and Negative Space, in 2009.

In this video he talks about his latest creation for the London Design festival, "the dog", an image-making machine that produces die cuts from various materials - from paper to wood.

To find out more information about his work, go to http://quigleyscabinet.blogspot.com/2012/01/nomas-negative-space.html or http://www.artica.com.

Animal Life

No Dummies Here: 9 of the smartest animals on Earth

 Squirrels
Anyone who has ever seen a squirrel dart across a crowded street has wondered if they are aware of the danger. It turns out they may be - but if there is food on the opposite end of the street they may not care. Squirrels are fast learners, according to a recent study from Science Daily.

Bonobos
The bonobo is a close cousin to the chimpanzee, another famously intelligent animal. Extremely endangered, the bonobo is found only in central Africa. Like other great apes, bonobos have been taught to use sign language and symbols.

Elephants
Elephants have a reputation for smarts. Elephants have been observed using tools such as sticks to pick at ticks or using palm fronds to swat at flies. As the Nature Institute points out, “many young elephants [in the wild] develop the naughty habit of plugging up the wooden bell they wear around their necks with good stodgy mud or clay so that the clappers cannot ring, in order to steal silently into a grove of cultivated bananas at night.” The elephants will then gorge on the banana while the nearby farmer is none the wiser.

Cows

Cows seem like placid animals merely concerned with chewing their cud. As it turns out, they possess a rich and complex emotional life. The Times reports that scientists have found that cows have friends and enemies. Further, “Cows are also capable of feeling strong emotions such as pain, fear and even anxiety - they worry about the future.”

Bees

Bees exhibit what experts call classic swarm intelligence. A single bee may not be smart in the classical sense, but a hive of bees is. As National Geographic reports, swarm intelligence works when no single creature sees “the big picture.” Rather, each works on simple rules in one location. But what happens when bees disagree? It turns out that they can hold a democratic “dance-off” to make a hive decision.

Pigs

Pigs may be the smartest domestic animals in the world. The New York Times reports on researchers who have found that domestic pigs can use mirrors to find their food, and will try to deceive other pigs so they can "hog" more food. They also learn quickly and can do tricks ranging from jumping through hoops to playing video games with joysticks. (The pig in this photo is winding its way through an obstacle course.)

Dolphins

Dolphins are well-documented as intelligent animals. As Discovery News reports, the dolphin’s large brain is structured for awareness and emotion. In fact, dolphin brains are more structurally complex than humans. As Emory University dolphin expert Lori Marino told Discovery News, “If human standards for intelligence are applied to non-human animals, however, dolphins come very close to our own

Ravens

Ravens are more than the subject of dark themes by writer Edgar Allen Poe. They are also extremely resourceful animals that have been known to multi-task. Researchers from Canada and Scotland have shown that ravens use logic to understand their surroundings in a way that may surpass the ability of the great apes. The crow, a close cousin to the raven, is also an extremely smart bird.

Rats

Rats get a bad rap. Perceived as purveyors of disease, Rattus norvegicus have earned a bad reputation, but they are highly intelligent creatures. As researchers at the University of Guelph in Ontario point out, “Although rats may not approach cognitive tasks using strategies observed in human subjects, they are frequently successful on their own terms. Indeed, rats are adept at exploiting procedural loopholes and confounded variables overlooked by human test designers.”

Text: Katherine Butler

Planking: What's that?

Planking: what's that?

Have you ever planked?
No idea what planking is? Here are some clues:

• It’s a fad;
• It involves taking photos.

Have a look:

Flickr

Still don’t get it?

Check Wikipedia
Check or become a fan of the Organization Facebook Page
Visit The Official Home of Planking
Don’t forget this wonderful post: “Have you ever planked?”

Now you're ready to try it!

Lisbon

The European city of the year 2012

The European city of the year 2012 is…Lisbon.

Google Images

The award came from The Academy of Urbanism based in London. The city was chosen because of its character and distinctiveness, environmental and social sustainability, and urban environments.
According to the Globe Shopper City Index, Lisbon is one of Europe’s best shopping cities. It points out its competitive prices of hotels and restaurants. Lisbon has the sunniest weather in Europe, ranking number one in climate.
The French magazine IDEAT also considers Lisbon as one of the coolest cities in Europe and lists 10 reasons to go there. Check them here. 

Learning in Portugal

Learning in Portugal

google Images

The multi-tasking phenomenon has reached tourism. If relaxing on the beach and travelling around to learn about culture and the people are not enough. If you are into languages, and you’re in Portugal, then join a language vacation course.
You can find more information at “Language Vacation”.
Have fun and learn.

World Visions

World Visions

Image credit Smithsonian.com

Which places would you like to visit before you die?
From wonders of the world to thrills for adventure seekers, the Smithsonian.com has compiled a list of sites that any true world traveler cannot miss. Check the list here. Why not add your own Life List?

The Walls

The Walls

Photos available in StreetArt Portugal

'The Walls' is part of a city art project which provides space in Lisbon, Telheiras, for graffiti. 

Read more about it at StreetArt Portugal.

Red Ball Project

What is a ball (a red one) doing here?

Image credit to Flickr user Kendo

Redball Project

Image credit to Flickr user Kendo

When a red ball is a red ball (even an artistic one), what do you do with it?
You do what you are supposed to do with balls, right?

Image credit to Flickr user Gabriel Li

The ball is part of “The Red Ball project”. Some mention it as a pilot interactive art and education programme. Others say it is the brainchild of its author (Kurt Perschke). According to the artist it is an invitation to people from all over the world to engage and collectively imagine. It is a special traveling public art project and it really has proven to be the catalyst for people to use their imagination.