ALSO BY STEVEN JOHNSON WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM The Natural History Of Inno...
8th wonder
1. 8 Wonder of
th
the World
FROM THE PYRAMID OF GIZA TO GOOGLE TO ELVIS PRESLEY
2.
3. What is a Wonder?
A feeling of surprise mingled with admiration,
caused by something beautiful, unexpected,
unfamiliar, or inexplicable.
4. If you were merely to glance at a piece of rock,
It would turn into a jewel if you so desired.
Slave of gold, don‟t measure yourself by gold–
It was your glance that turned it into gold.
Allama Iqbal
5. Does the 8 th Wonder exist?
Umm…..No
Officially, seven.
No idea why……
Silly reasons why they do:
Seven sounds cooler.
The word „WONDERS‟ has 7 letters.
If you choose an 8th wonder, you‟ll have to choose a ninth and
so on until teachers would give quizzes like, “Q) List the current
138 wonders of the world (5 marks)…”
6. New 7 Wonders
The issue of 8th wonder pushing the nations to war.
Dire need for an organization for solving this issue.
The New7Wonders Foundation is made in 2001 in Switzerland.
Solves the problem by making new 7 wonder lists.
Had different historical structures and phenomenon voted on
by countries. (Very unreliable voting method used by the
way).
Top candidates chosen for new lists.
7 Wonders of the Ancient world.
New 7 Wonders.
New 7 Wonders of Nature.
New 7 Wonders Cities………
12. Milford Sound
A fjord in the Fiordland National Park- one of the largest
wildlife preserves in the world.
New Zealand‟s most famous tourist destination.
World‟s top travel destination according to an international
survey.
Given the title by Rudyard Kipling.
13. Natural Bridge (Virginia)
Made by that little stream flowing in
the corner. (Yeah, it took some
time).
Surveyed by George Washington
(before he was president of
course).
Bought by Thomas Jefferson along
with 157 acres land for 1 pound in
1774. :-0
Along with Niagara Falls,
considered the most remarkable
feature of North America.
14. Pink and White Terraces
Natural Wonders of New
Zealand.
Made by geothermally
heated water containing
chemicals.
Destroyed in 1886 by
eruption of Mount Tarawera
but not completely.
Rediscovered in 2011 and
marked as a heritage site
15. Burney Falls DOWN
Waterfall on Burney Creek
in California.
Have a constant flow rate
of 100 million US gallons per
day throughout the year.
(This is what happens when
we don‟t meddle with the
environment).
Given the title of 8th wonder
by President Teddy
Roosevelt.
16. Stonehenge
5000 year old monument
Located in England
Oldest known mass burial
ground.
Not much of interest. Just a
couple of rocks next to a
graveyard.
18. Brooklyn Bridge
One of the
oldest suspension
bridges in the United
States.
Longest suspension
bridge until 1903.
Cost $15.5 million to
build.
Designated a Natural
Historic Landmark in
1964.
19. Palm Islands
Artificial archipelago in
Dubai, UAE.
Made by sand dredged
from the bottom of the
Persian Gulf.
2 Palm Islands are planned
with two more
archipelagos- World and
Universe in-between.
Cost US$12.3 billion as of
yet and maintenance is
costly as well.
20. Amber Room
Complete chamber
decoration
of amber panels backed
with gold leaf and mirrors.
Looted by the Nazis during
WWII.
After that lost (or sold in
exchange for a tank).
Rebuilt from 1979 to 2003.
21. International Space Station
Habitable artificial
satellite in low Earth orbit.
Joint venture of Russia,
America and Europe.
Can be seen with the naked
eye from earth.
Costs $72.4 billion. Each
astronaut costs $7.5 million to
send and maintain in the ISS.
22. Statue of Liberty
Colossal neoclassical
sculpture on Liberty Island.
An icon of freedom and of
the United States.
Gift to United States from the
people of France.
Made of copper but is green
now due to oxidation.
23. Sydney Opera House
A multi-venue
performing arts
center in Australia.
One of the most
famous performing arts
centers in the world.
Hosts over 1,500
performances each
year attended by some
1.2 million people.
25. André the Giant
French-American professional
wrestler and
actor of Bulgarian and Polish
descent.
Remembered for role as the
giant in the movie „The Princess
Bride‟.
Called 8th wonder because of
his sheer size.
7 feet, 4 inches (2.24 meters) in
height.
Don‟t ask about the weight.
27. Elvis Presley
One of the most popular
musicians of the 20th
century.
Known as „the King‟.
Released 70 albums and 102
singles
Nominated for 14 Grammy
awards, won 3.
Inducted into multiple Music
Hall of Fames.
28.
29. Gap Between Rich And Poor
The World Heritage Committee officially
recognized the Gap Between Rich and
Poor as the 8th wonder.
Described the global wealth divide as
the "most colossal and enduring of
mankind's creations.“
"Of all the epic structures the human
race has devised, none is more
staggering or imposing than the Gap ► The original Seven Wonders
Between Rich and Poor. It is a of the World pale in
tremendous, millennia-old expanse that comparison to this.
fills us with both wonder and humility." ► It is an astounding feat of
human engineering that
"And thanks to careful maintenance
eclipses all the other
through the ages, this massive relic
wonders.
survives intact, instilling in each new
generation a sense of awe.”