A bench engraved with the name of the grounded Costa Concordia cruise ship (seen at rear) is seen washed up on the shore of Giglio island, in this January 20, 2012 file photo. The trial of Francesco Schettino, accused of causing the deaths of 32 people in the 2012 Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster, nears its climax with a verdict expected over the coming days. The prosecution has demanded that he be jailed for 26 years but the captain denies all the charges against him. Schettino was the commander of the vessel when it came too close to shore and hit rocks off the Tuscan holiday island of Giglio. (Photo by Paul Hanna/Reuters)

A woman sings as Tibetans celebrate the 80th birthday of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, July 6, 2015. Around 1,000 monks and other Tibetans gathered at the school compound to celebrate their spiritual leader's birthday. Exiled Tibetans allowed celebrating the Dalai Lama's birthday only inside school compound and refugee camps as long as the facilities do not contain slogans or banners protesting against China. Nepalese government has banned all kinds of Tibetan activities against Chinese rule in Tibet. (Photo by Niranjan Shrestha/AP Photo)

What would superheroes do if they had a part time job? Well… besides fighting crime, the powers of most superheroes aren’t exactly very useful. Sure, Flash would make a great delivery boy, delivering the freshest pizza in the world, while Thor might turn out to be a great smith (though judging by the way he handles his mallet, it is very unlikely), but in the end of the day, all these things are pretty useless. It sure is hard being a superhero when you have no villains to catch; especially if the only superpower that you have is lighting yourself on fire. Reducing you to a mere job of being used as fuel for cooking grilled chicken. Besides, it’s not exactly useful for catching villains either, if you don't plan on burning them alive… (Photo by Chow Hon Lam)

“Sidney D. Gamble (July 12, 1890 – 1968) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to David Berry and Mary Huggins Gamble; grandson of James Gamble, who, with William Procter, founded Procter & Gamble in 1837. in 1912 he graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Literature degree and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He visited China for four extended periods, 1908, 1917–1919, 1924–27, and 1931–1932, doing Christian social work for the Y.M.C.A and conducting social surveys. He is now best known for his remarkable and extensive photographs of Peking and North China.” – Wikipedia. (Photo by Sidney David Gamble via Duke University Libraries)

Photo: Hillcoat Riding Fu Tu. China, An Xian, 1917-1919. P.S. All photos are available in high resolution.

It is amazing how much the humanity can change the face of the earth. Not only can it create huge craters, which look a lot like craters from meteors, they leave a big enough impact that it can be seen from space. Though this crater, caused by a massive explosion on 1 July 1916, looks large, being 90 feet deep and 300 feet across; it is nowhere big enough to be viewed for space. A common misconception is that the Great Wall of China can be seen from space. In reality, however, it is impossible. Not only is it of the same color as the earth near it, it is also not that wide. Deforestation, on the other hand, can be clearly seen from space. Also, at night, all the lights that the large cities produce are also very visible.

In the past, having a car was synonymous to success. Now, however, having a bicycle in the new trend. Riding a bicycle is all pros and no cons. It makes you slimmer and healthier, it allows you to enjoy the fresh air, traffic jams are no longer a problem, and of course you don’t waste money on gas. However, there was always a problem of leaving your bike unattended. With thieves lurking behind every corner, there is always a risk of someone stealing your bicycle. Thus, the authorities of Zurich have decided to do something for cyclists. They’ve created the first café for cyclists where the person can sit on his bike while enjoying a cup of coffee. This is a great idea since the visitors will not have to worry about their bikes being stolen. Though to visit such a café, you might want to bring a cushion with you, since sitting on small, hard plastic seat is not very relaxing.

A burning flame and a broad expanse of water are among the few things which do not tire us with their beauty. However, while we have many sources of water around us, it is quite hard to marvel at a burning flame on a daily basis. Melissa Crisp is one of the few people who were able to subdue the element of fire. She is the person who is behind the design of the uniquely-shaped fire pits, which feature mystifying themes, including a pair of lovers, a fire on the rodeo arena, a forest fire, a fiery flower, and a number of others. Each of the fire pits entrances you, and it almost seems like the characters are alive, as the hot fire burns deep within the spheres, casting dancing shadows all around. (Photo by Melissa Crisp)

We place too much value into something as elusive as time. This is the lesson that Arina Pozdnyak, the creator of Perpetual Calendar, is trying to teach us. Days fly by, and even months are mere speckles of sand in an hourglass of eternity. People do not realize that the time given to us by fate cannot be measured using months or even years. It is measured using emotions and impressions. If a person lives to be 150 years old without experiencing any emotions, he might as well have lived one day, for all it’s worth. On the other hand, a person who lived an exciting, fulfilling life, read countless books and cherished every moment that he had, is actually the one who lived a longer life, even if in reality his flame was snuffed out much too soon. (Photo by Arina Pozdnyak)