Superbus Wubbo Ockels

The first Superbus prototype, designed by former astronaut Wubbo Ockels and his team, is loaded into a KLM cargo plane at Schiphol airport, Amsterdam. The Superbus prototype will be presented in Dubai at the International Association of Public Transport exhibition. The electric Superbus is said to reach a speed of up to 250 kilometres per hour with up to 23 people on board.

Museum Of Science in Miami

The ongoing effort to turn a large swath of downtown Miami’s bayfront into a center of science, art and learning has taken another important step. Knight Foundation announced a $10 million challenge grant to the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science. To be paid, the funds must be matched by an additional $20 million in funding. The pledge comes as the science museum, currently located in Coconut Grove, is poised to break ground next month on its new home in downtown’s Museum Park along Biscayne Bay. The Frost will rise alongside the under-construction Jorge M. Perez Art Museum and sit a block from the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, two institutions that each received $10 million in Knight support.

The two museums and performance center - coupled with the sprawling public park, Museum Park - are set to become a vital, central destination on Miami’s cultural map. So too, the three institutions and public park will serve as a primary anchor in the ongoing revitalization of Miami’s urban core.  It represents a big turn for an area that has long languished.  I remember a decade ago, when I was in Miami for the first time, staying at a downtown hotel, and went for a morning jog through the city. I stumbled upon the 30-acre parcel on the bay; ratty and disheveled – and largely unused. But this $10 million challenge grant seeks to do much more than aide in reviving a barren stretch. It seeks to be a trigger for increased learning and public engagement with the sciences.  With the foundation's support, a new, high-tech learning center – to be called the Knight Learning Center – will be built to include classrooms and laboratories. It will be used for schools, professional development and workshops.

The funds will support a newly-named position, the Knight Director of Education, that will oversee education and programming activities. The grant will also require outreach by the Frost Museum to school children across the metropolitan area. The grant requires that all students in Greater Miami be able to attend the museum at least once during elementary school and once during middle school. Groundbreaking of the new facility is set for Feb. 24, with it slated to open in early 2015.

Bahrain World Trade Center

The Bahrain World Trade Center (also called Bahrain WTC or BWTC) is a 240 m (787 ft) high twin tower complex located in Manama, Bahrain. The towers were built in 2008 by the multi-national architectural firm Atkins. It is the first skyscraper in the world to integrate wind turbines into its design. The wind turbines were developed, built and installed by Danish company Norwin A/S. This 50-floor structure is constructed in close proximity to the King Faisal Highway, near popular landmarks such as the towers of BFH, NBB and Abraj Al Lulu. It currently ranks as the second tallest building in Bahrain, after the twin towers of the Bahrain Financial Harbour. The project has received several awards for sustainability, including;

• The 2006 LEAF Award for Best Use of Technology within a Large Scheme.
• The Arab Construction World for Sustainable Design Award.

The two towers are linked via three skybridges, each holding a 225kW wind turbine, totalling to 675kW of wind power production. Each of these turbines measure 29 m (95 ft) in diameter, and is aligned north, which is the direction from which air from the Persian Gulf blows in. The sail-shaped buildings on either side are designed to funnel wind through the gap to provide accelerated wind passing through the turbines. This was confirmed by wind tunnel tests, which showed that the buildings create an S-shaped flow, ensuring that any wind coming within a 45° angle to either side of the central axis will create a wind stream that remains perpendicular to the turbines. This significantly increases their potential to generate electricity.

The wind turbines are expected to provide 11% to 15% of the towers' total power consumption, or approximately 1.1 to 1.3 GWh a year. This is equivalent to providing the lighting for about 300 homes. The three turbines were turned on for the first time on 8 April 2008. They are expected to operate 50% of the time on an average day.

Popular fiction — The Bahrain WTC was featured prominently in the 2009 science fiction SyFy channel made-for-television movie Annihilation Earth. In the movie, an incident involving a subatomic collider in the year 2020 creates cataclysmic effects on planet Earth. CGI is used in the movie to show the WTC collapsing as a result of an earthquake, though the reason for the earthquake is not fully explained in the movie.

Ferrari Park in Abu Dhabi

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi”, you only need to say the name and the possibilities start racing through your head. This is a world first from a brand that thrives on being first.“Opening in 2010, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is set to be the world’s largest indoor theme park, sitting under a roof designed in the style of a classic double-curve body shell of a Ferrari GT car. There is energy, excitement and passion for the entire family at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. With over 20 rides and attractions, including the world’s fastest rollercoaster, Ferrari World is more than a theme park – it is where Ferrari’s legendary story is unveiled.”Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will captivate the whole family with its array of engaging activities. Couple this with its extremely innovative architecture, a dash of Italian spirit, and you will surely live an experience like nothing else you have before.