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Chief Wizard: Zarrar Khuhro Master Storyteller: Ameer Hamza Knowledge Navigator: Dilaira Mondegarian Creativity Analysts: Amna Iqbal, Maha Haider, Jamal Khurshid, Samra Aamir, Essa Malik, M.Suhaib, Kiran Shahid, Faizan Dawood, Anushay Furqan, Umar Waqas
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 10, 2013
Hi Light
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Lost Civilisations There are many mysteries in our ancient past, but there may be clues to that past around the world in the form of sunken cities, ancient structures, cryptic hieroglyphics, artwork and more. There are records going back hundreds of years of explorers discovering huge temples swallowed by jungles, or giant pits full of treasure that were once grand palaces. What happened to the Indus Valley civilization, the Maya or the Nabatean? Alien abduction? Maybe not, but it’s still a mystery.
Easter Island You might have seen a picture of the enormous stone statues of human heads (called Moai) lined up along Easter Island. The people of Eastern Island are another lost civilization. Scientists say that the Easter Islanders were incredibly sophisticated, but their methods weren’t sustainable. During the time they lived in Easter Island, they used up all the island’s trees and agricultural resources, and then had to move on.
The Maya The Maya are perhaps the classic example of a civilization that was completely lost, its great monuments, cities and roads swallowed up by the central American jungles, and its peoples scattered to small villages. One of the largest Mesoamerican civilizations, the Maya made extensive use of writing, math, an elaborate calendar, and sophisticated engineering to build their pyramids and terraced farms. Though it’s often said that the Maya civilization began a mysterious decline in roughly the year 900, a great deal of evidence points to climate change combined with internecine warfare, which resulted in famine and abandonment of the city centres.
Moche Civilization More of a collection of peoples that shared a similar culture than an empire, the Moche civilization developed an agriculturally-based society complete with palaces, pyramids and complex irrigation canals on the north coast of Peru between about 100 and 800 CE. While they had no written language, leaving us few clues as to their history, they were an artistic and expressive people who left behind incredibly detailed pottery and beautiful architecture. There are many theories as to why the Moche disappeared, but the most popular explanation is the effect of El Nino, a pattern of extreme weather characterised by alternating periods of flooding and extreme droughts.
Catalhöyük Often called the world’s oldest city, Catalhöyük was part of a large city-building and agricultural civilization that used to live in south-central Turkey. What’s interesting about Catalhöyük is its structure, which is quite unlike most other cities. It contained no roads as we know them, and was instead built sort of like a hive, with houses built next to each other and entered through holes in the roofs. It’s believed that people farmed everything from wheat to almonds outside the city walls, and got to their homes via ladders and sidewalks that traversed their roofs. Often, these people decorated the entrances to their homes with bull skulls, and buried the bones of their honoured dead beneath the packed dirt of their floors. Why did people eventually abandon the city? It is unknown.
Nabatean The ancient Nabatean civilization lived in southern Jordan, Canaan in the sixth century BCE. They built the breathtaking city of Petra, carved into the solid sandstone rock of Jordan’s mountains. They are remembered for their skills of water engineering and of managing a complex system of dams, canals and reservoirs which helped them expand and thrive in the desert. Little is known of their culture. They were defeated by the Romans, who took full control of their kingdom, renaming it Arabia Petrea. Sometime around the 4th century CE, the Nabateans left Petra for unknown reasons.
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 10, 2013
Hi Light
3 The Turquoise Mountain Though not every crumbling monument represents a lost civilization, some of them do. Such is the case with the Minaret of Jam, a gorgeous architectural feat built as part of a city in Afghanistan. Archaeological remains suggest that it was a cosmopolitan area where many religions, including Jews, Christians, and Muslims, lived together harmoniously for hundreds of years. It’s possible that the incredible minaret was part of the lost medieval capital of Afghanistan, called Turquoise Mountain.
Indus Valley Civilization You might already know this one. One of the great civilizations of the ancient world is called the Indus or the Harappan civilization. Thousands of years ago, it may have boasted up to 5 million people, almost 10 percent of the world’s population, spread over a region that encompassed parts of today’s India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. But its grand walkways, metal working shops, and massive, multi-story, brick houses were abandoned over 3,000 years ago. Scientists believe that this ancient civilization suffered from changes in rainfall patterns that made it difficult for its peoples to raise enough food for their massive population.
Angkor Most people have heard of the magnificent temple Angkor Wat in Cambodia. But it was only one small part of a massive urban civilization during the Khmer Empire called Angkor. The city flourished during the late middle ages and may have supported up to a million people. There are a lot of good reasons why Angkor may have fallen, ranging from war to natural disaster. Now most of it lies beneath the jungle. A marvel of architecture and culture, the city is mysterious mostly because we still aren’t certain how many people lived there. Given all the roads and canals connecting its many regions, some archaeologists believe it may have been the biggest urban site in the world at its height.
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 10, 2013
4 Woodcut Art : d e d e e n s ie l p p u S •Paper •Styrofoam •Scissors •Pencil and Marker •Ink
Instructions: The steps are simple. Create a basic design on a piece of paper. Next, draw the design onto a piece of styrofoam (cut in a square or rectangle, rounded edges removed) with a marker. Finally, use a pencil to colour in everything that wasn’t drawn by the marker - you are supposed to press hard here, leaving the marker lines raised above the background. Those lines pick up the ink and the part coloured in with pencil will not. Then ink the styrofoam with an ink pad or other type of ink. Make sure all the lines were marked with the ink. Then quickly but carefully press the styrofoam onto a piece of paper.
Recipe
by Laila Dharamsey
Pina colada
With hot summer days approaching, this refreshing cool drink, is sure to quench your thirst!
You will need: 1 cup ice 1/2 cup pineapple juice 50 ml of coconut milk 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup milk
Instructions Blend all your ingredients together in a blender. Taste before pouring into your glass, you may want to add more sugar to make it sweeter. If you’re using sweet pineapple juice, use less sugar. Pour into a tall glass and decorate with a small umbrella and a cherry!
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 10, 2013
World wide weird
Get your weekly dose of the unusual and funny from across the globe!
A year and 400k bricks later... You’ve probably seen plenty of impressive Lego projects over the years, but we’re really blown away by this massive recreation of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Alice Finch, 38, spent 12 months constructing the replica of the school from the films based on JK Rowling’s books. The Seattle teacher has also recreated scenes from the movie in various rooms throughout the model including classroom scenes and meal time in the Great Hall. She said: “It is designed to be architecturally accurate and completely playable. There are about 10,000 bricks just in the big central staircase to give you a sense of scale.” Finch said the project was so huge that she suffered a number of what she terms ‘Legorelated injuries’. She added: “At one point I over-stressed my knees by leaning over my work table for hours upon hours and I’ve worn off my fingerprints several times. When I was putting on thousands of cones on the roofs, I wore band aids on my fingers because they were so worn and sore.”
Zoo lets the lions out
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Wondering why the lion’s cage at this Chinese zoo is so empty? That’s probably because a dozy zoo keeper caused panic after he left the doors to the lion’s enclosure open while he cleaned it. Armed police and wildlife experts evacuated the zoo in China’s Chongqing city while they stalked the big cats — one male and one female — for three hours. “We found the female first and subdued her with a tranquilliser gun but the male took longer to find and bring back,” said a zoo spokesman. Officials have apologised to locals and customers for the drama. “You can’t blame the lions. It was human error and they naturally took advantage of it,” said one. SOURCE: WEB.ORANGE.CO.UK
SOURCE: WEB.ORANGE.CO.UK
What did you do today? So you think you’re pretty smart because you were finally able to solve that Rubik’s cube that’s been sitting on your shelf for years? Well, meet Stanford math student Ravi Fernando, he can solve a rubics cube while juggling! The video of this mathematics undergraduate solving a Rubik’s Cube while juggling it with two balls has gone viral online. The amazing clip of the man has been viewed more than three million times. In the film, Ravi manages to complete the puzzle in just a minute-and-a-half. If you want to get started with cube-solving, make this video your source of inspiration.
Panda pad To the Chinese, pandas represent love, happiness, warmth and nature. Jian Qin, founder of the first pandathemed hotel says the venture is an opportunity to promote the panda spirit to the whole world and raise awareness for the protection of the environment. All the hotel’s facilities are related to pandas, including the slippers, towels and pyjamas, and the staff is dressed in giant panda suits. Qin believes pandas are not just for China to enjoy but the whole world. He said he hopes to open another panda-themed hotel in London if the first one is a success. If you plan on visiting China soon, this panda-themed hotel will officially open its door for you in May. SOURCE: TELEGRAPH.CO.UK
SOURCE: WEB.ORANGE.CO.UK
High jump
Winged wetsuit
A four-year-old boy from Colorado is alive after falling out of a three-story apartment window, and miraculously landing on his feet. Jessica Hayes of Aurora said her 4-year-old son, Dylan, climbed atop her couch to talk to her downstairs neighbours through the window and fell through the screen. “I was terrified,” Hayes said. “I didn’t know what I was going to see when I got down to the ground floor.” The mother said she was shocked and relieved to discover Dylan had landed on his feet on the rocks below. “I feel beyond lucky. There must have been something watching over Dylan that day,” she said. Dylan spent about 20 hours in the hospital and wore a neck brace as a precaution, but doctors said he did not appear to have any serious injuries. SOURCE: UPI.COM
This unique free-diving wetsuit allows the wearer to feel like they are actually ‘flying’ underwater. A French designer has invented a special wetsuit that he says allows divers to ‘fly’ underwater. The Oceanwings suit resembles a regular wetsuit but has webs between the legs and arms to provide resistance. Guillaume Binard, who designed the suit, was inspired by wingsuits used by the likes of ‘jetman’ Yves Rossy for aerial flights. But he says aqua-gliding in his prototype wetsuit, which has been tested by free diver Pierre Frolla, is an altogether more serene experience. Webbed wings under the arms and between the legs allow the wearer to glide through the water like a manta ray. Sadly for those keen to try it out, Aqua Lung spokesman Frédérique Gouin says the Oceanwings is a work of art that “will never be for sale”. SOURCE: WEB.ORANGE.CO.UK
Monster catch A British adventure angler achieved a lifelong ambition when he landed a 250lb monster fish in South America — using a piranha as bait. Steve Townson landed the wild arapaima — the world’s largest scaled freshwater fish — from Middle River Essequibo in Guyana. Townson, who travels the world catching exotic fish, used a 2lb piranha to catch the mighty fish, plus another weighing around 150lb. “The Arapaima is one of the world’s biggest and mightiest freshwater fish and to catch them in the wild is a rare privilege,” he said. He added: “They are protected and cannot be removed by law for the table, but our partners in Guyana are working on strictly catch and release with the local Amerindians. The fish I caught were never removed from the water and swam away strongly to fight another day!” SOURCE: WEB.ORANGE.CO.UK
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 10, 2013
Did you know?
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s n i g i r O d r o W Did you know the difference between the UK, England and Great Britain? The actual name the sovereign state we are talking about is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK). The United Kingdom is made up of the countries England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The confusion of the terms seems to revolve around the term “country” and the political powers that are perceived based on that word. While the Four countries that make up the UK are considered separate in the minds of locals and in certain sporting events, their powers for local law and control are devolved from the UK. The term Great Britain refers to the land mass that comprises England, Scotland and Wales. In summary: Great Britain = England. Scotland and Wales UK = England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (and the Full name is the ‘United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) England = Just the part of the island that is England
How to say wish people ‘luck' in different languages! Afrikaans Basque Catalan Chamorro Cornish Corsican Croatian Danish Dutch Estonian Fijian Finnish French Friulian Galician German Indonesian Japanese Latin Malay Nepali Polish
: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
Sterkte! Zorte on! Bona sort! Buena suette Chons da! Bona furtuna Sretno Held og lykke! Succes! Edu! Vanuinui vinaka Onnea! Bonne chance! Buine fortune Boa sorte! Alles Gute! Semoga Beruntung! Gambatte ne Bona fortuna! Selamat maju jaya! Subhakamana Powodzenia!
Cool facts One type of hummingbird weighs less than a penny. Slugs have four noses. Sharks can live up to 100 years. Kangaroos can’t walk backwards. The largest recorded snowflake was 15 Inch wide and 8 Inch thick. It fell in Montana in 1887. The tip of a bullwhip moves so fast that the sound it makes is actually a tiny sonic boom. Koalas and humans are the only animals that have finger prints. There are 200,000,000 insects for every one human. It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery had in it to begin with. Octopus have three hearts. If you eat too many carrots, you could turn orange.
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 10, 2013
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Fun & games
Want to be hi five’s artist of the week? Send your drawing with your name and age to: hifive@tribune. com.pk
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 10, 2013
Comic strip
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