1. CERN’s Large Hadron Collider
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With an ability to change our understanding of the world around us and give us the reasons of our own existence,
CERN’s LHC
is for now the most spectacular and important technological marvel
modern science has created. The particle accelerator is just a couple of
days away from action, and the large construction 17 miles in
circumference will surely make the coming two decades the most exciting
for modern physicists. It's truly amazing creation that could answer the
questions about the creation and existence of this universe itself!
2. International Space Station (ISS)
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It is one thing making wonders of engineering on earth and a whole
different ballgame when you need to do it outside the planet in outer
space. The
International Space Station (ISS)
is a research facility that is a joint project among the space agencies
of the United States (NASA), Russia (RKA), Japan (JAXA), Canada (CSA)
and eleven European countries. When completed in 2010, it will be the
largest and grandest human endeavor away from home, and to build such a
massive structure in such dangerous conditions is one magnificent
tribute to both human will and skill.
3. Three Gorges Dam
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Taking shape of the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world and that too by a long shot, the
Three Gorges Dam
in China is not just spectacular to watch but enormous in magnitude.
Generating 22.5 GW of power it will supply energy amounting to 4% of
China’s national needs. Creating a reservoir as large as Lake Superior,
this dam will be good as a grand marvel of modern engineering by
becoming the world’s largest concrete structure!
4. Petronas Twin Towers
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At 452 meters tall, the
Petronas Twin Towers
are magnificent and unique. While their familiarity seems at times to
diminish their true aura, you only need to stand in front of the towers
for one moment to realize the magnitude of the construction. For sheer
intimidating height and the sophisticated look, they are a marvel of
modern times.
5. Space Telescope Chandra
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Also
known as the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, Chandra is an X-ray
telescope orbiting the earth and sending back the most spectacular
images of the cosmos that man has ever captured. The telescope moves in
an orbit which makes it the furthest traveling earth-orbiting man-made
object. The X-ray images offered by
Chandra since its launch have redefined our notions of the cosmos and have given astronomy a whole new direction.
6. Palm Deira of Dubai
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Palm
Deira is the latest of Dubai’s trilogy of man-made islands. This island
will occupy all of 46.35 million square meters of land reclaimed from
the Persian Gulf to make the
Palm Deira
the largest man-made island in the entire world. All set to be finished
by the year 2013, the island will further alter the landscape of
effervescent Dubai!
7. Viaduc de Millau Bridge
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Stretching higher than the Eiffel Tower, the
Viaduc de Millau
Bridge is a marvel of art and architecture that caught the eye of even
flamboyant French President Jacques Chirac. Stretching across southern
France's Tarn River Gorge, it is 1.6 miles (2.6 kilometers) long and
soaring to 1,132 feet (343 meters) at its highest point, it is the
tallest bridge in the world. Built by the firm that also built the
Eiffel Tower, its spectacular presence bowls over one and all!
8. Bird’s Nest
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The
Bird’s Nest in the heart of Beijing needs little introduction to
anyone, and it is one structure that has now become synonymous with the
Olympic Games. Apart from its grand, yet unique design, the stadium is
the world’s largest steel structure. No other man-made structure used up
as much steel as the
Olympic Stadium,
with its intricate yet hypnotic design. That surely sets it apart in
terms of being a one of a kind venue in the sporting world.
9. Burj-Al-Arab Hotel
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By
now almost everyone knows about the Burj-Al-Arab, and if you have not
heard of it or seen its picture till now, then welcome back to earth.
The hotel stands at a height of 321 meters and is the tallest
operational hotel in the world. While the Rosa Tower is set to soon take
away that crown, it still will not diminish the unique aura of the
Burj, with its unique shape and its own artificial island. This is one hotel where you can live it up in a grand style!
10. Kingda Ka Roller Coaster
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At a height of 456 feet, the
Kingda Ka
Roller Coaster is the tallest fun ride in the world. Located in the Six
Flags Theme Park in New Jersey, the ride will take you into a different
world and even before you know it, you will be plunging back towards
earth at a speed of 128 mph. This heart-stopping and mind-numbing ride
is not just the tallest in the world but also the most exhilarating.
This is a modern marvel that is just for fun and adrenaline, and that
makes it our personal favorite!
11. Rungnado May Day Stadium
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Located in Pyongyang, North Korea, the May Day stadium is the largest in the world and has seen some pretty big crowds. The
May Day stadium
has 150,000 seats and a total floor space of more than 207,000 square
meters. The inner stadium floor area covers 25,000 square meters,
including 14,000 square meters of which its athletic field is
artificially made and 8,300 square meters of lawn. Vertical axis of
stadium is 450 meters and horizontal axis 350 meters. Those are just a
few numbers from this humongous stage for sporting extravaganza!
12. Akashi Kaikyo Suspension Bridge
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The
Akashi Kaikyo
Suspension Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the world and is a
spectacular visual delight. It apparently took 2 million workers 10
years to construct the bridge, 181,000 tons of steel and 1.4 million
cubic meters of concrete. The four-mile bridge links the island of Awaji
and the mainland city of Kobe. This is probably one man-made marvel
that even the Japanese are proud about and look at in awe!
13. Lake Mead
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Lake Mead is one of my own personal favorites not just because it is
such a spectacular human creation among nature’s brilliant creations,
but it also brings in the aura of the Hoover Dam into the list. When it
was completed, the Hoover Dam was the largest concrete structure in the
world, and also the largest power-producing entity. With time all that
might have gone, but the artificial lake it creates among the gorgeous
Grand Canyons—
Lake Mead—is still the world’s largest man-made reservoir. Simply spectacular!
14. Project Genesis
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When finished in 2009, Royal Caribbean's
Project Genesis
luxury cruise ship will be the largest cruise ship the world has ever
known. This modern-day luxury-on-ocean will end up costing a cool $1.24
billion to make. It will measure 1,180 feet long and carry 5,400
passengers. When ready, the ship would have a central park, luxury
hotels, restaurants, public spaces, picnic spots and bars. Yes, it is
like a little city of its own!
15. Hangzhou Bay Bridge
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There is something about bridges that we just cannot get enough of. It
is just the scientific knowledge and the engineering skill involved in
building them that makes them stand out as technical pieces of art. The
Hangzhou Bay Bridge
is the longest road bridge in the world and another Chinese marvel that
made it to our list. The £840 million Bridge, measuring 36km, spans
Hangzhou Bay to link China’s financial hub and the port city of Ningbo
to the south. The fact that it is anchored in waters that are 60 meters
deep in places and yet is so solid and spectacular makes it a feat of
accomplishment indeed!
16. Channel Tunnel
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The Channel Tunnel, more popularly known as the
Eurotunnel,
is the longest under-sea rail tunnel in the world in terms of length of
the tunnel under the sea. Connecting England and France, it starts out
at Kent in England and finishes at Coquelles near Calais in northern
France. Creating a bridge over water is hard enough but to plow under
the sea to create a rail tunnel! This is one ride that you will never
forget.
17. Singapore Flyer
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These
big giant wheels that go round and round giving you a spectacular view
of the city are so cool, and the one in London is obviously pretty
famous. But there is plenty of hard work and engineering skill behind
the apparent simplicity. The
Singapore Flyer
is the world’s largest Ferris wheel and reaches 42 stories high, it
comprises of a 150-metre high wheel built over a three-story terminal
building, thus giving it a total height of 165 meters. It not only gives
you a view of Singapore in totality but parts of Malaysia and Indonesia
as well... Awesome!
18. Pan STARRS-1
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Built
at Manoa’s Institute for Astronomy in Honolulu at the University of
Hawaii, the largest digital camera has been installed on the
Pan STARRS-1
telescope on Haleskala, Maui. This digital wonder along with the
telescope will form one of the most powerful observatories on the planet
and will monitor the cosmos constantly.
19. MareNostrum
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It is not often that science and religion get along well, and that makes the MareNostrum all the more special.
MareNostrum
is the most powerful supercomputer in Europe and while Europe does not
cover the world, it is the only one where you will find a church. The
supercomputer consists of 2560 JS21 blade computing nodes, each with 2
dual-core IBM 64-bit PowerPC 970MP processors running at 2.3 GHz for
10240 CPUs. All this in a chapel, and the ironic part: it is used for
human genome research!
20. San Alfonso Del Mar
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After
taking a trip across the planet in search of the mind-boggling modern
technological wonders, it is better everyone takes a cool dip on our
final spot, and that is exactly why we reserved this one final spot for
San Alfonso Del Mar
in Chile. This amazing resort in the beautiful South American country
sports the world’s largest swimming pool, and when I say large, I mean
it. The San Alfonso pool is 1km in length and contains an incredible
250,000 cubic meters of water. The technology used to create the crystal
clear water that is transparent to a depth of 35 meters is the real
technological aspect of this pool, and an exclusive secret for now. The
pool, spread over 8 hectares, is surely good enough for all those who
came along on this fabulous journey!
That is the end of the
journey, I’m afraid. Hope you all had as much fun and clicked on as many
amazing images of these breathtaking human creations as I did. Now that
you all cooled off at the San Alfonso Del Mar, just wipe yourself dry
and head back home with the memories... Or you can enjoy the pool a bit
longer. Adios!
