Latest news with #GreatWallofChina
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- General
- Scottish Sun
Our picturesque countryside views are ruined by 6ft tall ‘Great Wall of China' fence next door… so we got our revenge
Villagers have persuaded the council to remove the "eyesore" UP THE WALL Our picturesque countryside views are ruined by 6ft tall 'Great Wall of China' fence next door… so we got our revenge Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FURIOUS villagers have succeeded in having a 6ft tall fence, that was blocking beauty spot views, torn down. Residents hit out at their local council for building the large "out of place" steel structure. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Locals said the fence stood out from the stunning landscape Credit: WNS 4 It was dubbed "the great wall of Clydach" Credit: WNS The massive 200 meter long, 6ft tall, spiked steel fence was built by Monmouthshire County Council in Clydach, Wales. Residents were given no notice that the fence was to be erected at a cost of £40,000. Furious with the hideous construction locals campaigned to have the fence removed. It blocked beauty spot views of the Brecon Beacons National Park leaving local residents infuriated and demanding it be taken down. Furious locals could see the fence on the hillside from their back gardens and said it failed to blend in. A heated council meeting in April saw residents fume at the local council with one branding it "disgusting." County council officials have now agreed to take down the fence, forking out an additional £20,000 for its removal. Made of steel spikes, locals blasted the fence as "disgusting" and said it was "absolutely hideous." The council was slammed for not consulting with residents before building the "great wall of Clydach." It was put up along the Pwll Du Road which has been closed off for five years. The council feared the road would collapse and put the fence up to block off the dodgy pathway. They have since agreed to remove the steel fence and replace it with a shorter structure that will "blend in" with the surroundings. Our kids' play area was blocked by huge 6ft privacy fence Nearby resident Clive Thomas said: "We've got a lovely back garden, and it's just an eyesore. "When the sun is on it and everything, it just looks out of place." Simon Elliott said: "There was no consultation with anyone. The fence has been put up with no understanding at all of what the area is. "All it needed was a low-level fencing to stop any cattle or people going over the edge into the quarry." Simon Howarth, independent councillor said he was pleased with the council's decision. He added: "we shouldn't have got here" pointing out that the huge bills could have been avoided. The councillor went on to say: "Overall we are where we should have started, but around £50,000 to £70,000 worse off." A council spokesperson said: "Following a positive meeting, the local community and the council agreed with the proposal to reduce the height of the back line of the palisade fencing, replacing it with stock proof fencing and painting the reveals and pillars with a suitable colour to blend in with the landscape." 4 The council has since agreed to replace the structure with something that will blend in Credit: WNS 4 Residents demanded the fence be torn down immediately Credit: WNS
India.com
25-05-2025
- Science
- India.com
Not Palm Jumeirah Islands, Burj Khalifa or Great Wall of China, real human-made marvel visible from space is...
Not Palm Jumeirah Islands, Burj Khalifa or Great Wall of China, real human-made marvel visible from space is… Most people believed that mega man-made structures, such as the Great Wall of China or the pyramids, could be visible from space. However, satellite images and astronauts have debunked this belief and termed it a myth. On the contrary, a structure in Spain, covered by plastic greenhouses, reflects light that can be visible from orbit. It is located near the El Ejido in Almeria. The area is known as 'Mar de Plastico' or 'plastic sea.' Mar de Plastico The 40,000 hectares area is network of greenhouses that forms a glittering patchwork which can be spot from the space. As per American space agency NASA (NASA Earth Observatory), this white roof made of plastic reflects sunrays like a mirror, making it visible from space. During an interview in 2007, Spanish astronaut and former Minister of Science Pedro Duque informed that he was able to see the greenhouses from the International Space Station. This area produces veggies like – tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc. These vegetables are supplied to European supermarkets throughout the colder months.
Sydney Morning Herald
21-05-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Idiom or idiot? Google's AI Overview is trying its best
Fine words butter no parsnips. A ludicrous phrase, though it's true. Or real at least, listed in the Oxford and elsewhere. Maybe you've met the proverb before, hiding in a PG Wodehouse novel. Yet imagine you haven't. What does it mean? Fancy speech is all very well, perhaps, but it fails to deliver material benefits. Talk is cheap, in other words. Elegant waffle won't moisten your greens. Facing fresh idiom, humans play this mental game, speculating what a lip-sticked pig connotes, a milkshake duck, a rat with a gold tooth. We base our guesswork on kindred expressions or meld the idiom's disparate ingredients into a cogent whole. Ethiopians say, 'The smaller the lizard, the greater its hope of becoming a crocodile.' I don't know the aphorism, but I reckon I could fumble my way towards an answer. Google's AI Overview thinks likewise. Rather than admit ignorance, the software gives any mystery phrase a go, be that a Chinese wisdom or a make-believe badger like Crab Man's prank in April. Crab Man is a Bluesky avatar who learnt that AI Overview is up for defining any guff. 'You can't lick a badger twice.' That was a beta test, a fabrication tapped into Google's window with 'meaning' added to the tail. According to Overview, the proverb means 'you can't trick or deceive someone a second time after they've been tricked once'. Bingo: the machine translation as feasible as the input idiom despite both being phony. Once social media caught wind, fake phrases proliferated, fed into Overview to see what bunkum came back. Allegedly, 'a shower a day keeps the ventriloquist away' means hygiene deters discouragement. While 'you can take your dog to the beach, but you can't sail it to Switzerland' suggests some tasks are manageable, while others are complex. Which is true-ish, for all the gaslighting going on. Kyle Orland, senior gaming editor at Ars Technica, argues in Overview's defence, admitting 'I've come away impressed with the model's almost poetic attempts to glean meaning from gibberish, to make sense out of the senseless'. A perfect example lies in one exchange. For starters, 'dream makes the steam' deserves to be a motto. Just as the proposed translation – how imagination powers innovation – is faultless. Compare that to the claptrap the dad offers in the Telstra ad, telling his son they built the Great Wall of China 'during the time of the Emperor Nasi Goreng, to keep the rabbits out'. If you don't know, say so.
The Age
21-05-2025
- General
- The Age
Idiom or idiot? Google's AI Overview is trying its best
Fine words butter no parsnips. A ludicrous phrase, though it's true. Or real at least, listed in the Oxford and elsewhere. Maybe you've met the proverb before, hiding in a PG Wodehouse novel. Yet imagine you haven't. What does it mean? Fancy speech is all very well, perhaps, but it fails to deliver material benefits. Talk is cheap, in other words. Elegant waffle won't moisten your greens. Facing fresh idiom, humans play this mental game, speculating what a lip-sticked pig connotes, a milkshake duck, a rat with a gold tooth. We base our guesswork on kindred expressions or meld the idiom's disparate ingredients into a cogent whole. Ethiopians say, 'The smaller the lizard, the greater its hope of becoming a crocodile.' I don't know the aphorism, but I reckon I could fumble my way towards an answer. Google's AI Overview thinks likewise. Rather than admit ignorance, the software gives any mystery phrase a go, be that a Chinese wisdom or a make-believe badger like Crab Man's prank in April. Crab Man is a Bluesky avatar who learnt that AI Overview is up for defining any guff. 'You can't lick a badger twice.' That was a beta test, a fabrication tapped into Google's window with 'meaning' added to the tail. According to Overview, the proverb means 'you can't trick or deceive someone a second time after they've been tricked once'. Bingo: the machine translation as feasible as the input idiom despite both being phony. Once social media caught wind, fake phrases proliferated, fed into Overview to see what bunkum came back. Allegedly, 'a shower a day keeps the ventriloquist away' means hygiene deters discouragement. While 'you can take your dog to the beach, but you can't sail it to Switzerland' suggests some tasks are manageable, while others are complex. Which is true-ish, for all the gaslighting going on. Kyle Orland, senior gaming editor at Ars Technica, argues in Overview's defence, admitting 'I've come away impressed with the model's almost poetic attempts to glean meaning from gibberish, to make sense out of the senseless'. A perfect example lies in one exchange. For starters, 'dream makes the steam' deserves to be a motto. Just as the proposed translation – how imagination powers innovation – is faultless. Compare that to the claptrap the dad offers in the Telstra ad, telling his son they built the Great Wall of China 'during the time of the Emperor Nasi Goreng, to keep the rabbits out'. If you don't know, say so.
Daily Maverick
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Crystal Palace revel in historic FA Cup victory which broke Man City hearts
A solitary goal from Eberechi Eze was sufficient for Crystal Palace to upset Manchester City in the FA Cup final, thus ending a 119-year wait for a major trophy. Backed by prestige and a rich history, the FA Cup is one of the biggest soccer shows in the world. Annually, it dares all its participants to dream big, no matter which tier of English soccer they find themselves in. Now, with their 1-0 win over Manchester City in this season's final on Saturday, 18 May, Crystal Palace have interwoven their name into the fabric of the Cup. Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze scored the sole goal of the final at London's Wembley Stadium. His strike just 16 minutes into the decider proved decisive in seeing the Eagles prey on City and soar to their first major trophy in 119 years of existence. Even more important to Palace triumphing and rewriting history was the mammoth goalkeeping contribution of former Manchester United fringe player Dean Henderson. The 28-year-old glovesman made a string of match-winning saves, putting on his best Great Wall of China impersonation to deny City a second Cup crown in three years. Henderson's colossal contribution included denying City's Egyptian attacker Omar Marmoush from the penalty spot late in the first half. He maintained this exhilarating form until the final whistle at Wembley, blocking City's final opportunity to end the season with silverware. 'I lost my dad at the start of the season, but he was with me today. He was with me every kick of the game. I dedicate that win to him,' said Henderson after the match. Saturday's result means the Manchester side will end a season empty handed for the first time since Pep Guardiola's debut campaign in English soccer, in 2016/17. For the fans As for Palace, third time proved the charm for the London outfit. They reached the Cup final in 1990 and again in 2016, both occasions culminating in heartache. Not in 2025. 'The biggest success we can have is not winning the trophy, it's that we could give thousands of our fans a moment for their lives,' said Palace manager Oliver Glasner. 'We can give them great times. Maybe they have some problems, we give them hours and days they can forget all of this, just being happy,' the Austrian added. 'This is what they deserve, because they always stick with us. This trophy is especially for all our fans from South London.' Palace's Cup success is the most shocking and magical since Wigan Athletic won it on their way to being relegated from the Premier League in 2012/13. Coincidentally, in that season's final Wigan stunned City. Palace are the 45th team to lift the Cup. The last time it was won by a new team was when Brendan Rodgers steered Leicester City to overall success in 2021. Palace also qualify for the Europa League through this victory. Special win 'It's a special one. I don't know what to say. We were up against a team that has been the best team in the world for how long? To show so much spirit, so much energy. They keep the ball so well. You have to work so hard to get anything off them. We know when you get in the box you have to do something,' said match winner Eze. Although City have been super consistent and dominant over the past few years, during this campaign their aura diminished drastically, to the point where they are locked in a tough battle just to secure European Champions League participation next season. City sit in sixth spot on the Premier League table and are in a Champions League qualification race with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest. 'We created a lot but we didn't score and that's why we could not win. The game plan didn't work because we didn't win. But I don't have any regrets,' Guardiola said. 'Now we rest and recover quickly for the last two finals to qualify for the Champions League,' the Spanish manager added. Guardiola's charges face Bournemouth and Fulham in their final two league matches, knowing that anything other than maximum points will mean they miss out on Champions League qualification. DM
