Mr Muro
Wonder is nourishment for the
soul. We are the only animal on earth, as far as we know, that can
be moved to tears by a sunset, that marvels at the stars at night,
that feels awe, and humility, at the achievements of our past.
Wonder defines us as human beings.
Of the original Seven Wonders of the World, only the Great
Pyramids remain. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Lighthouse of
Alexandria, the Colossus of
Rhodes have all faded to dust and memory.
These, instead, are seven wonders for our time. They are the
Acropolis of our day, the Stonehenge of now. Which also means they
can be seen firsthand. And so they should. Because the real magic
of wonder is not in the thing itself, but in the fact that the more
you look for wonder in the world the more the wonder of the world
becomes a part of you.
Socrates said: 'Wisdom begins in wonder.' Studies show that the
awe induces deeper levels of cognitive processing; it boosts
empathy and helps us connect with the world around us in meaningful
ways. Art and science are borne from it. Wonder is more than just a
good feeling; it is a seed from which our greatest treasures
grow.
1: Sagrada FamÃlia, Spain
At first glance GaudÃ's masterpiece cathedral, the Sagrada
FamÃlia in
Barcelona, is absurd: columns twist like plant
stems, the roof is shaped like leaves and instead of gargoyles,
amphibians stand watch on the doors. But that was GaudÃ's genius:
nature-inspired design; evolution has been perfecting its
construction for millions of years, all we need do, Gaudà reminds
us, is copy it. That idea, biomimicry as it's known, is now
revolutionising our lives, from the way airplanes are designed to
how mobile phone screens are made brighter. And it started here: a
cathedral for our time, inspired by the natural world and pointing
towards the future.
2: Great Migration, Serengeti | Tanzania & Kenya
The annual wildebeest migration across the
Serengeti and Maasai Mara is the most
spectacular wildlife event on the planet. More than 1.5 million
make the 1,000-mile circular journey every year, chasing storm
clouds in search of fresh grass to pasture. Herds stretch dozens of
miles and fill the horizon with dust clouds and the thunder of
their hooves. The migration is the lifeblood of the plains,
fertilising the soil and providing vital protein for predators;
without it the entire ecosystem would collapse. In the end, that's
the true wonder of the great migration: more than mere spectacle,
it is a glimpse into the interconnectedness of life itself.
3: Aurora Borealis
Looking up at the stars has filled us with awe and mystery for
as long as human beings have walked the earth. But one celestial
event is special: the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, where
vast curtains of colour sway in the Milky Way, shifting from light
green to bright blue and red, like waves dancing on the sky. In
Norse mythology they were believed to be the Valkyries leading
fallen soldiers to Valhalla; the Cree Indians saw their ancestors;
the Chinese, fire-breathing dragons. Today we know they are caused
by particles from the sun interacting with gases from the earth's
atmosphere, but the science is upstaged by the effect. Somehow, we
see ourselves reflected in their light, all that we feel but can't
articulate or understand, a sense of transcendence, and hope, the
unfathomable mysteries of the cosmos of which we are part.
4: Large Hadron Collider
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the biggest and most
complicated machine ever built. To complete it took
100,000-person-years of work - the same amount of time it took to
build the Great Pyramid of Giza. Inside sub-atomic particles are
fired at 99.999999 per cent of the speed of light through tunnels
colder than outer space and collide in an explosion 100,000 times
hotter than the centre of the sun. But the real wonder is not so
much in the making as in the questions it asks. Just a few thousand
years ago we were rubbing sticks together to make fire. Now we are
building machines that can look back in time to the origins of the
universe itself.
5: Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest is the most important ecosystem on earth.
Ten per cent of all known species live here; it produces 20 per
cent of the world's oxygen and stores one fifth of the planet's
fresh water. And we've only just begun to understand it. We know
more about the bottom of the ocean floor than we do about the
canopy of the Amazon rainforest. But what we do know is staggering:
25 per cent of all prescription drugs derive from ingredients found
in rainforests, yet less than 1 per cent of plants have been
studied for their medicinal potential. The Amazon is the pharmacy
of the world and we've barely opened the door. That's its real
wonder, not facts and figures, but its value as a living forest and
the secrets it has yet to reveal.
6: Bristlecone Pines, USA
Bristlecone Pines are the oldest living organism on earth. They
pre-date the Great Pyramids, the birth of Christ and the invention
of the Alphabet. But what's truly remarkable is that these gnarled
and wind-twisted trees, the most ancient of which are close to
5,000 years old, have rewritten history. When scientists calibrated
the radiocarbon dating of archeological sites with the amount of
carbon-14 in these ancient tree-rings, they discovered their
estimates were out by hundreds of years; the entire map of how
civilisation evolved, the human story itself, had to be redrawn.
But perhaps we shouldn't be surprised: with age comes wisdom; to
see these trees is to touch deep time itself.
7: Rio Carnival, Brazil
The Rio de Janeiro Carnival, in
Brazil, is the biggest party on the planet:
five days of non-stop dancing, drinking and drumming that makes
Mardi Gras, in New Orleans, look like a quiet get-together among
friends. Huge parades and samba battles take over the streets; the
atmosphere is wild, colourful and infectious. But the true wonder
of the Rio Carnival is what it represents. Music and dance are as
vital to human life as air and water. We have been getting down
since we got up on two legs. Celebrations lift us out of the
mundane and shine a light on the pure joy of being alive. And the
Rio Carnival is the biggest spotlight of all.
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