Opus – Page 22 – Encyclopædia of the sublime

Lost City Hydrothermal Field

The Lost City Hydrothermal Field, located on the Atlantis Massif in the mid-Atlantic Ocean, is a remarkable deep-sea ecosystem that has captivated scientists since its discovery in 2000. Unlike typical hydrothermal vents fueled by volcanic activity, Lost City is powered by serpentinization, a chemical reaction between seawater and mantle rocks, producing hydrogen and methane that sustain unique microbial life. Towering carbonate chimneys, some reaching heights of 60 meters (200 feet), release warm, alkaline fluids rich in minerals, creating a stark contrast to the scalding, acidic environments of black smoker vents.

Heavy water

Heavy water is a form of water in which hydrogen atoms are all deuterium rather than the common hydrogen-1 isotope that makes up most of the hydrogen in normal water. Heavy water has different physical properties from regular water, such as being 10.6% denser and having a higher melting point. Heavy water is less dissociated at a given temperature, and it does not have the slightly blue color of regular water. It can taste slightly sweeter than regular water, though not to a significant degree.

Biblioteca Vasconcelos

Located in Mexico City, the Biblioteca Vasconcelos is one of the most striking libraries in the world. Designed by architect Alberto Kalach and inaugurated in 2006, this "megalibrary" spans over 38,000 square meters, making it a centerpiece of knowledge and design.

Frankfurt kitchen

The Frankfurt kitchen is considered an important point in domestic architecture. It is also thought to be the forerunner of modern fitted kitchens because it was the first kitchen in history built after a unified concept: low-cost design that would enable efficient work. It was designed in 1926 by Austrian architect Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky for architect Ernst May's social housing project New Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany. Some 10,000 units were built in the late 1920s in Frankfurt.

Beryl Markham

Beryl Markham was a Kenyan aviator born in England (one of the first bush pilots), adventurer, racehorse trainer and author. She was the first person to fly solo, non-stop across the Atlantic from Britain to North America. She wrote about her adventures in her memoir, West with the Night.

Vladimir Demikhov

Vladimir Demikhov was a Soviet Russian scientist and organ transplantation pioneer, who performed several transplants in the 1940s and 1950s, including the transplantation of a heart into an animal and a heart–lung replacement in an animal. He is also well known for his dog head transplants, which he conducted during the 1950s, resulting in two-headed dogs.

Model warship combat

Model warship combat is an international club activity, in which participants construct radio-controlled scale models of actual warships, most commonly those built by various nations prior to 1946, such as the USS Des Moines or the German battleship Bismarck. The models are armed with pneumatic cannons, and fight against one another on ponds and lakes.

Gumboot chiton

The gumboot chiton is the largest species of chiton, a type of marine mollusk found along the rocky coasts of the North Pacific, from California to Alaska and across to Japan. Known for its reddish-brown, leathery mantle that covers its eight armored plates, the gumboot chiton is often referred to as the "wandering meatloaf" due to its appearance. It can grow up to 36 cm (14 inches) in length and feeds primarily on algae, which it scrapes off rocks using its radula, a tongue-like organ studded with rows of teeth.

Camel Trophy

Camel Trophy was an off-road vehicle-oriented competition that was held annually between 1980 and 2000. It was best known for its use of Land Rover vehicles over challenging terrain. The event took its name from its main sponsor, the Camel cigarette brand.

Gyro monorail

The gyro monorail is a single rail land vehicle that uses the gyroscopic action of a spinning wheel to overcome the inherent instability of balancing on top of a single rail.