Notre Dame rebuild proposal would bring solar glass, urban farm to cathedral roof

The "green" proposal would bring a 21st-century update to the 850-year-old cathedral.

Image source: Vincent Callebaut Architectures
  • Shortly after a fire destroyed Notre Dame's roof and spire in April, France announced it'd be accepting rebuild proposals from architects around the world.
  • One Paris firm has proposed a "green" design that would rebuild the Gothic cathedral's roof with a mixture of glass, oak and carbon fiber.
  • There's an ongoing debate in France as to whether the cathedral should be rebuilt exactly as it was, or with a more modern touch.
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Culture & Religion

Should France rebuild Notre Dame exactly as it was?

The lack of tall, strong oak trees poses something of a problem for the restoration effort.

Photo credit: Chesnot / Getty Images
  • A fire destroyed Notre Dame's 115-foot roof on April 15, immediately sparking a debate on how France should restore the cathedral.
  • Some argue that it should be rebuilt to its original specifications, while others say alternate materials would be a better options.
  • The debate calls to mind the philosophical thought experiment known as "The Ship of Theseus."
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Culture & Religion

Late historian's 3D map of Notre Dame can help France restore it to impressive detail

Digitally recording historical sites could serve as insurance in the case of disaster.

Photo credit: Dan Kitwood / Getty Images
  • Notre Dame, France's famous medieval cathedral, was severely damaged by a fire on Monday.
  • Fortunately, at least two recent projects have taken detailed 3D scans of the cathedral, which could help in restoration efforts.
  • As laser-scanning and digital imaging technology gets cheaper, some suggest we should digitally record historical sites in the event they get damaged, or worse.
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Culture & Religion

Discovered: The birthplace of Europe's ancient megaliths

Sacré bleu!

Photo credit: Matthew Cattell / Getty Images for Samsung Galaxy S8
  • New research uses radiocarbon dating to create a timeline of the construction of 2,410 megaliths across Europe and Britain.
  • The original builders were people believed to be solely hunter-gatherers who were actually also sailors.
  • The megaliths studied go back 7,000 years.
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Culture & Religion

4,000-year-old termite mounds are so vast they're visible from space

Long hidden under trees, it's utterly massive.

(Roy Funch)
  • This 4,000-year-old structure can be seen from space and wasn't built by humans.
  • The mounds are made up of 200 million mounds of earth.
  • They're still under construction today.
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Surprising Science