MetaFilter posts tagged with Germany and technology

Atlantropa: Dam in the Straits of Gibraltar and Flood Africa

filthy light thief — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:45:22 -0800

The Canal des Deux Mers connected the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, the Zuiderzee Works reclaimed part of shallow inlet of the North Sea to expand the Netherlands, so why not try taming the Mediterranean and irrigating Africa? Part ocean reclamation, part power generation (the "white coal" of falling water), Atlantropa wasn't simply the stuff of science fiction. First called Panropa, it was the long-term goal of a German architect and engineer named Herman Sörgel, a dream that lasted until his death in 1952, and the Atlantropa Institute continued on another 8 years. Sörgel wrote four Atlantropa books and some 1000 publications, and at the peak, his project included designs from many architects, including Peter Behrens, Erich Mendelsohn and Hans Poelzig. Atlantropa was largely intended to be a development for peace, even called a "technical-architectural utopia" (Google books), other sources list that his aim was to align the Americas with Atlantropa, against "the yellow peril" which "arises from the racial antipathy of India, China and Japan". According to the Cabinet Magazine article (last link above the break), Atlantropa lives on in an odd way:

in German high schools, where it is still being used as a question on a physics exam in which students are asked to calculate the lowering of the Mediterranean's water level. The test mentions the project as if it was currently being planned and the pupils could contribute to its success by solving a mathematics problem: "How many people could be provided with energy from this power plant?", the test asks.

Bonus: Atlantropa - Der Traum vom neuen Kontinent (YT playlist) Atlantropa - the dream of the new continent - a German TV documentary from 2005, with computer renderings of the hypothetical Atlantropa.

Braindriver

jason's_planet — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 10:41:42 -0800

Braindriver is a car that allows you to steer, accelerate and decelerate with nothing more than the faint electrical signals generated by the brain.

Tools made in German Prisons

Rumple — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:21:31 -0800

Escape and other tools made by inmates in German prisons, from the photographer Marc Steinmetz. My favorite is the functional battery-powered shotgun, although the hand-made toaster is a testament to the love of a decent breakfast. via.

Trashtalking - German Style

gregb1007 — Sun, 23 Nov 2003 22:07:22 -0800

Trashtalking - German Style. Forget talking dolls, Berlin's speechifying its trash cans to thank pedestrians after they dump their litter. But is it appropriate to have immaterial things tell you how to use them? [More Inside]

crunchland — Fri, 01 Nov 2002 12:47:54 -0800

To lessen the clutter on their dashboard, a German auto manufacturer has put in a data screen and command input device that allows the driver to control 700 different aspects of their driving experience (including Navigation, Communication, Car Data, and Settings). More interestingly, there's an undocumented feature in the high-tech control system -- Press the right buttons in the right order and the car will launch you from a stop after revving the engine to 5,000 rpm... at least it will if you're in Europe, where performing the trick more than 15 times voids the car's warranty. Cars sold here in the US will only rev to 1,500 rpm. Supposedly, this is the first example of an Automotive Easter Egg.