Project 1: Check Point 1
The Language of Sims
Anyone who's played The Sims has likely experienced Simlish - the made-up iconic Sim language that, although nonsensical at its core, is still able to get multiple points and emotions across to the player. Simlish was created by The Sims creator Will Wright, who is believed to have explored different languages when creating Simlish. Wright ultimately decided he wanted a language that could be understood globally but also left a lot to the player's imagination, allowing for more creative and individualistic experiences.
Jesuit Artist Revolutionized Qing Court Art
One of the key figures in establishing the new aesthetic at the Qing court was the Italian Jesuit Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766), whose illusionist approach to painting revolutionized chinese art. Born in Milan, Castiglione arrived in Beijing in 1715 as a young missionary of twenty-seven and was assigned to work as an artisan in the palace enameling workshop, but with the ascension of the Yongzheng emperor in 1723, his fortunes changed dramatically. Castiglione served at Forbidden City for fifty years, working under the Chinese name Lang Shining. He was a master of vividly naturalistic craftsmanship and large-scale compositions, Castiglione successfully combined Western realism with traditional Chinese conventions of brushwork in a manner that suited the imperial taste.
Son Doong Cave
Son Doong is considered to be the largest cave in the world, based on volume and also the biggest cave in Vietnam, found by Ho Khanh – a Phong Nha jungle man in 1990. In 2009, Hang Son Doong was officially surveyed and measured by the The British -Vietnam Cave Expedition Team led by Howard Limbert. The Expedition team then announced it as the world's largest natural cave with a volume of 38.5 million m3. The measurements were then accepted by a number of world's senior karst geologists including Dr. Tony Waltham. This team along with National Geographic magazine had announced Son Doong Cave as the largest natural limestone cave on the planet in the same year. In 2013, the Guinness World Records Organisation recorded it as the world's largest natural cave.