With global sea levels continuing to rise, a few designers and architects are starting to design living solutions that literally float. The solidly practical Dutch have already built houses along the banks of the Meuse river that are anchored to land but rise and fall as the water does and that look pretty nifty besides. Other visions are a little more fantastical, like Vincent Callebaut's proposed Project Lilypad (pictured right). Beautiful in an artist's rendering, sure, but the cost of the project is prohibitive and raises questions about who would populate such cities, who would actually benefit. From Oliver Burkeman's article in the Guardian:
Besides, it's hard to imagine that life on a Lilypad would really be such a paradise. Surely they'd soon become floating refugee camps, housing people the rest of the world would prefer to forget - prisons for an unrooted, essentially homeless underclass? Even as an elite getaway, it's not clear that a floating metropolis would be that much fun. Cruises, after all, are an acquired taste, and there's something unavoidably fake and claustrophobic about even the finest ships. On board QM2, for example, according to publicity material, "sybarites can enjoy the rejuvenating treatments of the world-renowned Canyon Ranch Spa Club... Or how about a visit to the planetarium? A wine-tasting seminar? Or a walk down history lane at the Maritime Quest exhibit? QM2 is a veritable City at Sea, with everything from virtual-reality golf [and] a basketball court to a bookshop." Now imagine living there all year round.
Images from WALL·E do spring immediately to mind.
A couple more science notes for your Thursday:
- Water on Mars! This mission has been so exciting, with everything actually working pretty much as planned. And if you're not already following the Phoenix lander's Twitter, it's one of the better ones out there.
- Thriving gorillas! Supposedly their numbers in the Congo have doubled since the last time they counted. I just hope it's true.
