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| Top 10 Explanations For The Human Fascination With Armageddon Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:05 PM PDT As mankind was drawing closer to the Millennium, an abundance of doom’s day prophets appeared over night. For the past 20 years or so, the popular media was practically flooded with “clear proof” that the world is heading downhill and that it will end tragically. Despite the fact that the so-called evidence didn’t make sense most of the times and the connections between those facts and Armageddon was rather weak, everyone on this planet had a feeling that something is going to happen soon. Now that the notorious 21st of December 2012 has passed, let’s go over the reasons why this event managed to cause a mass hysteria worldwide.
1. It’s the natural order of things Perhaps the most logical explanation as to why even the silliest apocalyptic predictions draw our attention is that this is the normal life cycle. In short, everything that lives must also die, sooner or later. True enough, people do not normally make a habit out of thinking about death every day. However, in today’s context comprising of persistent topics presented in the media regarding disasters, accidents, wars, terrorist attacks, shootings, etc. we just can’t avoid hearing about death.
2. It fulfills a basic human need While some people are perfectly content doing their daily routines, others search for that happiness by trying to find an answer to the universal questions. Even though most of them think they have the solution – and obviously they don’t – the simple fact that they are searching for an answer fulfills a basic human need in this case.
3. Perhaps it helps understand ourselves better If you watch TV regularly, then you probably noticed that some reporters make a habit out of stating that the tragedy they just presented is a great chance for all of us to examine ourselves better. While many people are tired of hearing this cliché, in reality when being confronted with a catastrophic event people typically start reevaluating their lives and sometimes, figure out how they can improve themselves.
4. It is perceived as a breath of fresh air Waking up at 7 am to get ready for work, taking the kids to school in a hectic traffic, arriving a few minutes late at the office, having your boss scream at you until the lunch break, dealing with difficult clients, not getting that deal you worked so hard for during the past 2 month…you got the idea. Compared to the hassle some people have to go through every day, an Apocalypse might be just the thing they need to break out of their vicious circle. Besides, without tomorrow, our actions have no real consequences today.
5. Because the [insert holy book here] says so Truth be told, it is practically impossible to find a religious book that does not debate the end of the world topic or at least analyzes and tries to explain death in depth. Luckily for all the believers out there, these holy books also include sets of instructions on how to behave in order to survive the catastrophe and gain access to eternal life.
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| Top 10 Most Visited Galleries and Museums in the World Posted: 18 Mar 2013 09:05 PM PDT This top 10 article was written based on the research and findings of the Art Newsletter in 2011. 1. Louvre Museum (Paris, France) Total Attendance: 8,800,000 (2011) The Louvre Museum is one of the largest and also one of the most important museums in the world. It is housed in the expansive Louvre Palace, situated in the 1st arrondissement and is situated at the heart of Paris. The collection of the Louvre Museum began in the 16th century as a private collection of King Francis I. One of the works of art he purchased was the now famous Mona Lisa painting – still housed at Louvre. The collection slowly grew thanks to donations and purchases made by the kings. In 1793, during the French Revolution, the Louvre turned into a national art museum and the private royal collection was opened to the public. The museum has a collection of over 1 million works of art, of which about 35 000 are now on display, spread out over three wings of the former palace. The museum has a diverse collection ranging from the Antiquity up to the mid 19th century. Most late 19th century and early 20th century art is housed in Musée d’Orsay. Some of the most famous works of art in the museum are the Venus of Milo, the Nike of Samothrake, the Dying Slave by Michelangelo and who can forget Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. The Sully Wing: The Sully wing is the oldest section in the Louvre. The second floor holds a collection of the most antique French paintings, drawings, and prints. One of the highlights is the erotic Turkish Bath, painted by the late 18th century painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres.
2. Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, USA) Total Attendance: 6,004,254 (2011) The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the largest and finest art museums in the world. Its collections include more than two million works of art spanning 5,000 years, from prehistory to the present. Founded in 1870, the Metropolitan Museum is located in New York City’s Central Park on Fifth Avenue (between 80th to 84th streets). Unless you are planning to spend your entire New York vacation in the museum (some people do), you cannot see the entire collection in just one visit. My recommendation is to give it a good day—or better yet, 2 half-days so you do not feel burned out. One good way to get an overview is to take advantage of the little-known Museum Highlights Tour, offered every day at various times throughout the day in multiple languages including French, German, Spanish and of course English. Even New Yorkers who've spent countless hours in the museum could profit from this once again.
3. British Museum (London, UK) Total Attendance: 5,848,534 (2011) The British Museum is a museum in London dedicated entirely to human history and culture. Its permanent collection, over eight million works, is among the largest and most comprehensive and originates from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its pre-historic times to the present. The British Museum was established in 1753 and is largely based on the collections of the physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. The museum first opened to the public on 15 January 1759 in Montagu House in Bloomsbury, on the site of the current museum building. Its expansion over the following two and a half centuries was largely a result of an expanding British colonial footprint and has resulted in the creation of several branches, the first being the British Museum (Natural History) in South Kensington in 1887. The British Museum houses a number of objects in its collection, most notably the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon, are the objects of intense controversy and of calls for restitution to their countries of origin.
4. National Gallery (London, UK) Total Attendance: 5,253,216 (2011) The National Gallery is an art museum located on Trafalgar Square. Founded in 1824, it now houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. Unlike other museums in Europe, the National Gallery was not formed by nationalizing an existing royal or princely art collection. It came into existence when the British government bought 38 paintings from the heirs of John Julius Angerstein -an insurance broker and lover of the arts in 1824. The current building, the third to house the National Gallery, was designed by William Wilkins between 1832–8. Only the façade onto Trafalgar Square remains unchanged from this time, as the building has undergone expanded piecemeal throughout its history.
5. Tate Modern (London, UK) Total Attendance: 4,802,287 (2011) Tate Modern is a family of 4 art galleries in London which houses UK’s largest collection of modern and contemporary art from 1900 to the present day and hosting special exhibitions and events. It also holds the national collection of British art from 1500 to the present day.
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