‘Lost’ Ancient Roman Palace Reopens After 50 Years

Daily Upsider on January 1, 2024

After 50 years of closure, Rome’s Domus Tiberiana, an ancient imperial palace near the Colosseum, has reopened as an open-air museum. The first-century palace, initially built by Emperor Tiberius and later expanded by Nero, now welcomes visitors after a six-year makeover.

The site, located on Palatine Hill, showcases artifacts like stuccos, frescoes, and statues related to cults of Isis, Dionysius, and Mithras. The renovation, led by archaeologist Alfonsina Russo, uncovered well-preserved antiquities, including some of the earliest paintings of lemons and depictions of gladiators. With 400,000 visitors since reopening, the revamped Domus Tiberiana is hailed as a successful restoration, blending original materials with careful reconstruction. Archaeologist Giorgio Franchetti sees it as a recaptured jewel on the historic Palatine Hill, offering a unique glimpse into Rome’s past.

Ozone Layer to Recover Within Decades

Daily Upsider on December 24, 2023

Scientists and researchers have been closely monitoring the ozone layer since the 1980s, when alarming reports of its depletion first surfaced. Now, over 40 years later, have we gotten past this potential danger?

The ozone layer, a vital shield that protects Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation, is on track to be fully restored within the next few decades. This remarkable recovery is likely the result of decisive action taken around world to phase out ozone-depleting substances, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), following the 1989 Montreal Protocol.

In the years since the Montreal Protocol was signed, the ozone layer has shown steady improvement. Scientists and researchers have been closely monitoring the ozone layer since the 1980s, when alarming reports of its depletion first surfaced. In the years since the Montreal Protocol was signed, it has shown steady improvement.

According to the latest UN assessment, the ozone layer is expected to be completely recovered by 2040 across most of the world, with the polar regions taking a bit longer – 2045 for the Arctic and 2066 for the Antarctic.

If you liked that article, you will probably enjoy reading this article about Amazon deforestation. Don’t worry, it is good news!

These 1920 Inventions Will Shock You!

Daily Upsider on December 21, 2023

It amazes me to no end what we humans can come up with. There are many amazing inventions happening right now, but I think some of the most fascinating come to us out of the early to mid-20th century.

Some of these are seriously ingenious! Let us know if you got a favorite one. I think my favorite is the helicopter boat thing. That looks so fun.

This Smart Roof Can Cut Heating and Cooling Bills

Daily Upsider on December 16, 2023

UC Santa Barbara researchers, Charlie Xiao, Elliot Hawkes, and Bolin Liao, have introduced a solution to address the high energy consumption associated with heating and cooling in buildings. Their creation, outlined in a recent Device journal paper, is an adaptive roof tile designed to autonomously switch between heating and cooling states based on the temperature, without relying on electronics.

The breakthrough came with Xiao’s idea of utilizing a wax motor—a technology found in common appliances. The wax motor responds to temperature changes and adjusts louvers on the tile’s surface. In colder temperatures, the wax solidifies, closing the louvers and absorbing sunlight. As temperatures rise, the wax melts, opening the louvers to reflect sunlight and emit heat.

The researchers’ tests showed a significant reduction in cooling and heating energy consumption—3.1 times and 2.6 times, respectively—compared to non-switching devices with conventional coatings. Remarkably, the device operates without electronics, batteries, or external power sources, relying solely on the wax motor. Its simplicity allows for customization and potential mass production.

While still in the proof-of-concept stage, the researchers anticipate that this technology could positively impact the cost of heating and cooling our houses.

The Future of One of the Largest Franchises of All Time

upsider admin on December 3, 2023

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is one of the largest movie franchises to ever exist. But since the finale of the Avengers story line, ending with the massive success of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the franchise has has been increasingly less well received.

What is in the future for this media giant, and what is the path for recovery?

The MCU’s most recent cinematic release, The Marvels, has been a box office disaster, so far pulling in around $76 million in the domestic box office, and near $187 million world wide. It currently sits as the lowest box office of any MCU movie ever.

While $187 million sounds like a lot of money, it pales in comparison to $2.7 billion of Avengers: Endgame.

While this stands out as Marvel’s least successful movie, it’s not the only one facing challenges recently, both at the box office and in terms of fan reception. Let’s delve into the two primary issues plaguing Marvel’s latest releases.

The Path to Recovery

The Avengers movies had very well liked characters. Getting to know them, usually through their own film, then putting them together and showing their interactions was very engaging. We knew of these characters formative experiences and driving motivations and we could see these interact and clash with the other characters.

Unfortunately, many of these early characters are no longer in the movies, and their replacements have in general have not been as well received.

Devoid of this, the only thing that could bring success back to the MCU would be movies that are good enough to stand on their own. While Spider-Man: No Way Home certainly managed that, not many of the others have.

The Big Question

To fix all these problems, do we need to reboot the whole franchise? Is starting over from scratch the best way to revitalize the story and bring back the characters we know? Taking the characters we have grown to love and showing us new and different stories that we have never seen from them? I am not sure, but I would love to see what you all think.

p.s. If we do a full reboot, my vote is for Alan Ritchson to play Captain America.