Modern architecture is nothing short of a miracle. For example, the mind-boggling skyscrapers of Dubai would dumbfound anyone who is lucky enough to witness them in real life. Nevertheless, there are some modern buildings that are not as grand as the Burj Khalifa or Princess Tower, but are still wondrous to look at. Emporia Shopping Centre, located in Malmo, Sweden, is one of those places. The architect who designed this building is named Gert Wingardh. Emporia Shopping Centre was built to look as if its center was melted through by an inferno, leaving behind a giant molten block of gold.

William Gibson is not one of the authors that spits out novels like a machine – in his long and fruitful career he has only published 11 novels andof short stories and articles in the tens each. Still his impact on modern literature was huge – the “noir prophet” of the cyberpunk subgenre (that he was one of the pioneers of) has predicted the rise of reality television, virtual reality, video games and the internet. He is a Hugo and Nebula award winning science fiction writer, with a special eye for what the future might bring.

Long-tailed mayflies (Palingenia longicauda) at Tisza river near Tiszainoka 135km (84 miles) southeast of Budapest, June 23, 2013. Millions of these short-lived mayflies engage in a frantic rush to mate and reproduce before they perish in just a few hours during “Tiszaviragzas” or Tisza blooming season from late spring to early summer every year. (Photo by Laszlo Balogh/Reuters)

“Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986), better known as L. Ron Hubbard (and often referred to by his initials, LRH), was an American pulp fiction author and religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology. After establishing a career as a writer, becoming best known for his science fiction and fantasy stories, he developed a self-help system called Dianetics which was first published in May 1950. He subsequently developed his ideas into a wide-ranging set of doctrines and rituals as part of a new religious movement that he called Scientology. His writings became the guiding texts for the Church of Scientology and a number of affiliated organizations that address such diverse topics as business administration, literacy and drug rehabilitation”. – Wikipedia

Photo: American science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology, uses his Hubbard Electrometer (patent pending) to determine whether tomatoes experience pain, 1959. His work led him to the conclusion that tomatoes “scream when sliced”. (Photo by Scott Lauder/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Bloodthirsty by Thomas P. Peschak, Germany/South Africa — winner, Behaviour: birds. When rations run short on Wolf Island, in the remote northern Galápagos, the sharp-beaked ground finches become vampires. Their sitting targets are Nazca boobies and other large birds. The finches rely on a scant diet of seeds and insects, which regularly dries up, so they drink blood to survive. ‘I’ve seen more than half a dozen finches drinking from a single Nazca booby,’ says Tom. Rather than leave their nests the boobies tolerate the vampires, and the blood loss doesn’t seem to cause permanent harm. (Photo by Thomas P. Peschak/2018 Wildlife Photographer of the Year)

Lebanese university students wearing municipality police costume regulate the traffic in the village of Brummana, east Beirut, Lebanon, 23 June 2018. The touristic town of Brummana is making a daring move in anticipation of the crowded summer season, by forming a group of young policewomen wearing mini shorts to regulate the traffic. (Photo by Wael Hamzeh/EPA/EFE)

“Cosplay, short for “costume play”, is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centred around role play. A broader use of the term "cosplay" applies to any costumed role play in venues apart from the stage, regardless of the cultural context”. – Wikipedia. (Photo by Luffy Monkey D.)