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Suborbital space tourism finally arrives | FCC prepares to run public C-band auction | The big four in the U.S. launch industry — United Launch Alliance, SpaceX, Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman — hope to be one of two providers that will receive five-year contracts later this year to launch national security payloads starting in 2022. | China’s launch rate stays high | The International Space Station is the largest ever crewed object in space.

 
Ikebukuro Shimento Pagoda in Tokyo, Japan
Ikebukuro is a bustling neighborhood in northern Tokyo, known as a major shopping hub and nightlife district. Somewhat sketchy at times, the area has been hit by a number of tragic incidents throughout its history, including the knifer rampage of 1999 and the runaway car crash of 2019. Ikebukuro’s violent reputation is not just a recent smear, but much predating any of these incidents. Back in the Kyōhō era (1716–1736), the district was the haunt of a mad, cut-throat...

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Demand for Tiny Plants Is Driving a...
This story was originally published in Yale Environment 360 and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Tiny plants in plastic pots, each carefully labeled, cram a South African greenhouse. Each is the evidence of at least one crime. These are strange plants without typical stems or leaves. Some look like greenish thumb-tips, others like grapes or rounded stones. Some sprout small, bright flowers. Few are more than an inch tall. I’ve agreed not to disclose this...

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Dear Atlas: How Do I Safely Explore...
Dear Atlas is Atlas Obscura’s travel advice column, answering the questions you won’t find in traditional guidebooks. Have a question for our experts? Submit it here. * * * Dear Atlas, I want to explore some abandoned buildings and ruins. What do I need to pack? What tips should I keep in mind? There’s something magical about visiting the world’s forgotten places, from deserted mining towns like the Okanogan Highland Ghost Towns in Molson, Washington, to abandoned Italian mansions...

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AI Marketing Tips: Best Practices & Insights...
Question for Our Hotel Marketing Expert Panel What are your top suggestions and best practices for using AI in hotel marketing activities (e.g., communication, data analysis, etc.)? (Question proposed by Michael J. Goldrich.) Our Marketing Expert Panel Michael J. Goldrich – Founder & Chief Advisor, Vivander Dr. The post AI Marketing Tips: Best Practices & Insights from Hospitality Experts appeared first on Revfine.com.

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What Does a Galaxy Taste Like?
This article is adapted from the March 22, 2025 edition of Gastro Obscura’s Favorite Things newsletter. You can sign up here. In 2017, Starbucks released the Unicorn Frappuccino for four days only. This swirled, color-changing concoction of purple and blue Lisa Frank hues came on the heels of a wave of social-media food hype for all things “unicorn”: cakes, drinks, and even bagels dyed improbable pastels and often sprinkled with edible glitter. But what did this “unicorn” drink taste...

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AI-Driven Analytics Will Provide Hard Fast ROI...
For hoteliers looking to Find customers, convert them to Book, and Grow revenue amid stiff competition, smarter data insights are necessary. But if more isn’t done to bring system data together in a cohesive, intelligent and integrated way, commercial teams will flounder, unable to deliver hard fast ROI cannot. The Balancing Act of Modern Hospitality The post AI-Driven Analytics Will Provide Hard Fast ROI – But Are Hotels Ready? appeared first on Revfine.com.

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How to Segment Your Guests: 5 Basic...
Understanding your guests is key to standing out as a hotel. But with diverse demographics and travel styles, a one-size-fits-all approach simply won’t cut it. This is where guest segmentation comes in, a powerful strategy that allows you to personalize your offerings and communication to resonate with each guest on a deeper level. This article The post How to Segment Your Guests: 5 Basic Tips to Boost Conversions appeared first on Revfine.com.

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The Five Building Blocks of Hotel Revenue...
Revenue is the lifeblood of any hotel. The more effectively you generate, capture, and optimize it, the more successful your property will be. But too many revenue managers still rely on outdated revenue strategies, legacy metrics and clunky technology that hold them back. The result? Missed opportunities and money left on the table. Modern revenue The post The Five Building Blocks of Hotel Revenue Maximization appeared first on Revfine.com.

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Berlin Wall Section at Kennesaw State University...
Tucked between classrooms and coffee-fueled study sessions, a massive concrete slab stands outside Kennesaw State University’s Social Sciences building. This 10-foot-tall, 2.7-ton piece of the Berlin Wall once served as a brutal barrier between East and West Germany. Today, it rests in suburban Georgia as a powerful reminder of division, unity, and the passage of time. Originally gifted to Senator Chuck Clay, grandson of General Lucius D. Clay, the architect of the Berlin Airlift, this section of the Wall...

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Levadura de Olla in Oaxaca, Mexico
As an enterprising teenager growing up in San Mateo Yucutindoo (population 2,500) in Oaxaca’s remote Sierra Sur region, Thalía Barrios García financed her first bakery by peddling goods she’d buy in bigger cities to locals. As a culinary school student, she almost got expelled for selling home-made tacos and fruit ices to classmates.  Her grit and persistence paid off. In 2019, she used her savings to open a little patio restaurant, Levadura de Olla, naming it after the homemade ferments that...

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Tierra de Sol in Oaxaca, Mexico
Chef-owner Olga Cabrera Oropeza hails from the provincial town of Huajuapan de Leon in Mixteca, the rugged northwestern region shared by Oaxaca and the states of Puebla and Guerrero. She grew up with the sweet smell of pulque-leavened breads made by her mom, a renowned local baker, and helped her abuela run a rustic comedor (lunchtime restaurant) famous for pipianes (moles thickened with pumpkin seeds) and chileajos, the Mixtecan stews powered with fruity-hot slender chiles costeños. After moving to...

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Big Shoe Repair in Bakersfield, California
While “the old woman who lived in a shoe” might only exist in a nursery rhyme, there are a surprising number of very real, gigantic versions of footwear scattered around the globe. These mega-shoes range in function from a wedding venue to an ice cream shop. This particular one, however, keeps things literal. To this day, it’s the biggest shoe repair shop in town.  It was built by cobbler Chester Deschwanden in front of his house in 1947. Despite...

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Heathrow to restart some flights following power...
In the early hours of Friday morning, passengers were advised not to travel to the airport and told to contact their airline for further information after a blaze started at an electrical substation a 10-minute drive away from the airport. The substation supplies power to the UK’s largest airport.  Nearly 300,000 passengers across the world were impacted by the shutdown. Heathrow-bound flights were diverted to airports in Ireland, Cardiff, Manchester, Munich, Frankfurt and Madrid among others throughout Friday.  “Our...

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Hwangnyonsa Temple Site in Gyeongju, South Korea
Originally planned to be a palace for King Jinheung of the Silla dynasty of Korea, the construction that began in 553 BC changed its direction when a great yellow dragon allegedly appeared at the site. Awestruck and considering it to be a providential sign, the king ordered his people to turn the unfinished palace into a Buddhist temple. It was completed in 570 BC and named Hwangnyongsa. Over the next seven centuries, the temple would come to interact with...

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The Heyday of Horror Hotlines and Why...
It’s no accident Freddy Krueger is the most famous monster of the last 50 years. He craves the spotlight. Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Leatherface—those killers operate in the shadows. They hide their faces, dispatch their victims quickly, and don’t speak. But Freddy is an exhibitionist. Each kill in the Nightmare on Elm Street saga is an elaborate production of Freddy’s design. His kills are performances, right down to working out his new comedy material—which is really its own form...

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