Dredgers pumped sand from the seafloor off the coast of Miami, Florida. Out of the warm, choppy waters of Biscayne Bay, the human-made island of Rivo Alto started to take shape. It was eventually joined by five more islands. They were all lined up and connected to downtown Miami by bridges. Since the late 1920s, the Venetian Islands have enticed tourists and celebrities with their tree-lined streets and tranquil atmosphere.
But artificial islands have been around for centuries. For example, sprinkled throughout the lochs of Scotland and Ireland are hundreds of bushy mounds called crannogs. These small, flat pieces of land were built thousands of years ago by placing heavy stones on top of logs driven into shallow water. Why they're here isn't exactly known. Some believe wealthy families built them to help keep sheep and cattle safe from thieves.
Today, advancements in science and engineering have enabled humans to perfect the art of constructing artificial islands. We are now building more new islands than ever before.
Artificial Islands of the World
Why are islands built in lakes, rivers, or seas? One big reason is tourism. When builders started looking for ways to construct a Disneyland in Tokyo-one of the world's most populated cities-they needed a large area of land. So, they decided to use Urayasu, an artificial island located in Tokyo Bay. This island had been built by dredging sand and rock from Tokyo Bay. The new island was 115 acres (0.46 square km) in size. When Tokyo Disneyland opened in April 1983, it quickly became one of the most popular tourist spots in the country.
In Qatar, The Pearl is made up of 13 islands in the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf. This archipelago resembles a string of pearls. It contains more than 10,000 luxury properties, three hotels, and several upscale shopping malls and restaurants.
This story is from the July/August 2022 edition of Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July/August 2022 edition of Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Who's Your Cousin?
The great apes are among the most popular animals in most zoos. Their actions, facial expressions, and family life remind us so much of ourselves. Have you ever wondered, though, how we might look to them?
Is it possible to die of boredom?
To figure out if we can die of boredom, we first have to understand what boredom is. For help, we called James Danckert, a psychologist who studies boredom at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
THE PROBLEM WITH PALM OIL
Palm oil is all around you. It’s in sugary snacks like cookies and candy bars. It’s in lipstick and shampoo and pet food.
SERGE WICH
Serge Wich’s favorite days at work are spent out in the forest, studying orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo or chimpanzees in Tanzania.
ELODIE FREYMANN
When you’re feeling sick, it probably doesn’t occur to you to try eating tree bark.
Guardians of the Forest
EARLY, MAKESHIFT WILDLIFE DRONES HELPED TO DETECT AND PROTECT ORANGUTANS.
APE ANTICS
The Whirling World of primate play
Dr. Ape Will See You Now
HUMANS AREN’T THE ONLY PRIMATES THAT USE MEDICATION.
THE LEFT OVERS
A lot has happened for modern humans to get to this point. We lost most of our hair, learned how to make tools, established civilizations, sent a person to the Moon, and invented artificial intelligence. Whew! With all of these changes, our bodies have changed, too. It’s only taken us about six million years.
SO, WHAT IS A PRIMATE?
What do you have in common with the aye-aye, sifaka, siamang, and potto? If you said your collarbone, you re probably a primatologist—a person who studies primates. If you’re not, read on.
