Russia: a place where you can visit a monument to enemas, spend a day at a military-themed amusement park, attend a circus show performed by cats, or race inflatable sex dolls down a river. And that’s just the crazy stuff we’ve already covered.

Winston Churchill famously called Russia “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” Decades later, the country is no less mysterious and no less intriguing. That it remains so is part of its charm.

Forget the Russia you think you know from movies and internet memes. We’ve bundled up some of the most interesting facts about the country, from drinking habits to secret cities. They may not make Russia any less inexplicable, but they’re guaranteed to arouse curiosity.

The geography is one of a kind.

Russia is the largest country in the world by area. Clocking in at 17,075,200 square kilometres (6,592,800 square miles), it covers more than one eighth of Earth’s inhabited land area. The country is so huge that it spans eleven time zones.

Much of that area is Siberia, a vast (and notoriously cold) province that encompasses most of Northern Asia. Siberia is more than three quarters of Russia, yet is home to only 40 million people – 27% of the country’s population. It’s one of the most sparsely populated regions on the planet.

What Siberia lacks in human presence it makes up for in interesting natural features. The region is home to Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake and the world’s largest freshwater lake by volume. It contains roughly 20% of the world’s unfrozen freshwater. It’s also considered one of the world’s clearest lakes and, at 25 million years, the world’s oldest lake.

That’s the good news. Russia is also home to Lake Karachay which, after years of serving as a dumping site for radioactive waste, is now the most polluted spot on Earth. The radiation level is reportedly high enough kill a human being within an hour.

There are fascinating gaps in the population.

For a country in the grips of a crippling recession, Russia boasts an astoundingly high number of billionaires. According to the 2016 Forbes list of the world’s richest people, there are 1,810 billionaires in the world, with an aggregate net worth of US$6.5 trillion. Seventy-seven of those billionaires reside in Russia, with a combined net worth of US$282.6 billion.

There are also significant gaps between the sexes in Russia. Data from the Pew Research Center put the gender ratio at 86.8 men per 100 women in 2015. For a long time, the split was chalked up to World War II, in which Russia lost millions of its male population. In modern times, researchers speculate that the hard-living tendencies of Russian men are contributing to early deaths. Russian women born between 2010 and 2015 are expected to live to age 75.6, while Russian men are only expected to live to age 64.2.

The drinking lives up to expectations.

Russia has a certain… reputation… when it comes to alcohol. It is, after all, a country that didn’t legally consider beer an alcoholic beverage until 2011.

Russian alcohol consumption is consistently amongst highest in the world. The average Russian consumes 18 litres of alcohol annually – over two times what experts consider dangerous. Russians are the world’s fourth biggest drinkers, according to World Health Organization statistics, behind Belarus, Moldova, and Lithuania.

A study published in the journal The Lancet found that 25% of Russian men die before the age of 55, compared to 7% of men in the UK and 10% in the US. It’s a shcoking number that researchers attribute to Russia’s deeply ingrained drinking culture.

Just how ingrained is it, you ask? So much so that there’s a word to describe a drinking binge that lasts several days (zapoi), and the word “vodka” is derived from the Russian word for “water” (voda).

Russia scores many superlatives.

Along with having the largest land area of any country and the world’s deepest lake, Russia lays claim to an array of other superlatives. Within its borders you’ll find the world’s longest railway and the world’s largest McDonald’s. Moscow boasts Europe’s busiest metro system and one of the ten busiest in the world. St. Petersburg has three times as many bridges as Venice.

Russia also counts Europe’s longest river amongst its distinctions. The Volga clocks in at 3,690 kilometres (2,293 miles). With its 200+ tributaries added to the main river, the number jumps to 357,000 kilometres (221,800 miles). It’s something you might want to add to your bucket list, unlike this superlative: the coldest inhabited place on earth.

That dubious honour goes to Oymyakon, a remote village with only 500 residents. In 1924, a temperature of −71.2 °C (−96 °F) was recorded in Oymyakon – the lowest temperature ever recorded in an inhabited place. Only Antarctica has recorded lower official temperatures.

There’s a handful of cities you’re forbidden to visit.

Russia’s secretive tendencies are well known, but did you know the country has secret cities? Officially known as “closed administrative-territorial formations”, Russia’s closed cities were established in the Soviet Union from the late 1940s onwards. They housed sensitive military, industrial, or scientific facilities, like arms plants and nuclear research sites. Foreigners were typically barred from entering, and some cities were so restricted that even citizens could not enter without proper authorisation.

What’s most surprising about Russia’s closed cities is that many still exist. There are currently 44 publicly acknowledged closed cities with a total population of around 1.5 million people. Another 15 or so are believed to exist, but their names and locations have not been disclosed by the Russian government.

The post What You Don’t Know About Russia appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Pastries. Pizza. Pasta. Pretzels. Carbohydrates are an essential source of energy for the body, but gorge on the wrong kind (hint: any of the ones we just mentioned), and you’re setting yourself up for an array of undesirable health effects. It makes you wonder: if they’re so bad for us, why do we want them so badly?

A recent study from the Department of Food Science and Technology at Oregon State University may have discovered why we crave carbs. Scientists have long believed that the human palate is only able to recognise a small number of primary tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. The list hasn’t changed in years, but findings from the Oregon State study indicate that there may be a sixth taste – a ‘starchy’ flavour associated with carbohydrate-rich foods like bread and rice.

“Every culture has a major source of complex carbohydrate. The idea that we can’t taste what we’re eating doesn’t make sense,” said lead researcher Juyun Lim.

Puzzled by the disconnect, Lim and her team conducted a series of taste tests on 22 subjects. Participants sampled a selection of solutions containing varying levels of carbohydrates, then described and rated the taste of each one.

“They called the taste ‘starchy,’” said Lim. “Asians would say it was ‘rice-like’, while Caucasians described it as ‘bread-like’ or ‘pasta-like’. It’s like eating flour.”

Even when given a special compound that blocked the tongue’s receptors that pick up sweet tastes, the subjects could still identify this starchy flavour. Human saliva contains enzymes that break starch down into simple sugars, leading many to assume we detect starch by tasting these sweet molecules. Lim’s findings disprove that theory by showing that humans can recognise the presence of carbs even before they have been broken down into sugar molecules.

“I believe that’s why people prefer complex carbs,” Lim explained. “Sugar tastes great in the short term, but if you’re offered chocolate and bread, you might eat a small amount of the chocolate, but you’d choose the bread in larger amounts, or as a daily staple.”

This research is the first evidence that we can taste starch as a flavour in its own right, and adds to growing evidence that human taste is more complex than previously thought.

The post The Scientific Reason Why We Crave Carbs appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

This story was originally published on Gizmodo

It seems the death of the monogamous long-term relationship, thanks to Tinder and other dating applications, has been greatly exaggerated, new research from the University of Sydney has found.

Contrary to reports online dating apps, such as Tinder, OKCupid and Grindr, are creating a “hook-up” culture of short-term relationships, the study instead found the apps were simply facilitating people’s search for long-term love.

The research looked at the online dating habits of 365 people, mostly aged below 30, and found more than half used the apps to find dates, while only a quarter of respondents reported using the apps for purely sexual encounters.

Furthermore, the study found almost three quarters of users were just as inclined to seek a monogamous relationship since taking their search for love online, with a further 14 percent saying they were more inclined to seek monogamy since using the technology.

“Tinder was by far the most popular application with 84 per cent of respondents having used it, followed by OKCupid at 30 per cent.”

Dr Mitchell Hobbs from the University’s Department of Media and Communications said his research showed the negative hype surrounding dating apps bringing about the end of romance was wrong.

“Most people are not using the technology merely for increased sexual promiscuity, but are in fact seeking to find a potential longer-term partner,” he said. “Dating apps are also making it easier for people to meet like-minded individuals. This is especially important for individuals who don’t have the time, or the inclination, to meet people in sites of traditional matchmaking, such as bars and clubs.”

The study also explored why people used the apps, with users saying they enjoyed the convenience of connecting with a large group of people at once and the efficiency of the technology, as people were less likely to waste others’ time. Others reported they enjoyed the sense of control they had over their dating lives, and the ability to get to know someone prior to meeting them.

However, the study also found the apps encouraged a small number to look outside their relationships.

“Of those survey respondents who indicated that they were in a relationship, 10 per cent said that they had used the technology to engage in a sexual affair, with a subsequent question revealing that most felt that they would not have cheated on their partners had the apps not made it so easy to do so,” Dr Hobbs said.

Ultimately, while almost two thirds of the survey respondents said they would prefer to find love via a traditional face-to-face encounter, many believed that technology was increasingly being seen as a “legitimate” means of meeting a partner, something Dr Hobbs agreed with.

“The social stigma that was once associated with online forms of dating is also breaking down, as more people embrace the technology,” he said. “The technology thrives because it is useful, and will die when it no longer offers pathways to connect and communicate that are advantageous to users.

Remembering this is important as dating apps provide merely the potential to facilitate real-life sexual and romantic encounters.”

Gizmodo explores the smart design, breakthrough science and awe-inspiring tech shaping your future.

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The post Tinder Isn't The Reason For Your Failed Relationships appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Unless you’re shelling out big bucks for access to airport lounges, finding open wireless connections while travelling can be a major challenge. A new app called WiFox hopes to ease those connectivity woes by revealing the passwords in airports across the globe.

Available now on iOS and Android, WiFox is a continuously updated map of airport and lounge passwords from blogger and computer security engineer Anil Polat. The app lets users around the world add password information as they learn it. Passwords are then verified and added to the WiFox map, which updates in real-time when you have an internet connection. When you don’t have a connection, the map is available offline with the info from its most recent update.

Along with revealing passwords, WiFox alerts users if a wireless access point has a time restriction – and if it does, the app shows you how to get around it. The app’s Wi-Fi icons are color coded to indicate how fresh and reliable a given access point’s password information is. Users can also rate the information to let Polat know when a password needs an update or a verification. And for maximum ease of use, you can copy passwords directly from WiFox into your phone’s settings.

The idea for the app came after Polat wrote a popular blog post containing a list of passwords accompanied by the hotspots shown on a Google map.

“I originally had a list of passwords in a blog post on my site where readers could contribute more passwords they came across when travelling. Some time later, a reader gave me the idea to turn the original password list into a map, and I later decided to put it into an app,” he told Lonely Planet News. “The goal of WiFox is to create a crowd-sourced map of all the airports in the world so users can get online when travelling, either through the Wi-Fi offered or using airport lounge passwords.”

The post New App Reveals Wi-Fi Passwords In Airports Around The World appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Remember reading? That thing you did back in school, before CliffsNotes and Kindles and Wikipedia meant you never had to crack an actual book again? It’s time you brought that back.

Reading is like exercise. You know you should do it, but without the proper motivation, it’s all too easy to settle for sweatpants and Netflix instead. Studies show that reading can increase your lifespan, with the natural side effects of making you a more interesting and educated guy. And with so many incredible options to choose from – from the best new releases to the controversial classics – there’s zero excuse not to find something that captures your imagination.

Back to that “motivation” part. What constitutes sufficient motivation to read? The answer will vary for everyone, but an inspiring bookshelf is a strong start. You want your books to be organised, easily accessible, and displayed in a visually appealing way. They should enrich your home at the same time as they enrich your mind.

The post 31 Creative Bookshelves To Inspire Your Inner Bookworm appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Exclusivity is a major drawcard of owning a Ferrari. Needless to say, the Maranello company’s latest open-top effort is already sold out on the day of its debut.

Say hello to the LaFerrari Aperta – that’s fancy for ‘without a roof’. The car made its debut at this year’s Paris Motor Show and unlike the picture renderings we received earlier, this showing came with a commercial starring none other than the prancing horse’s star driver, Sebastian Vettel.

Only 209 samples of the LaFerrari Aperta have been built with 200 going to ‘regular’ customers and the remaining 9 staying with Ferrari for event duties during 2017 in preparation for its 70th anniversary. The cost to call an Aperta your own? US$2,000,000.

A closer look at the car reveals a removable carbon-fibre hard top and a removable soft top whilst everything else in the running department is the same as a standard LaFerrari – 6.3-litre V12 with KERS technology bringing total power up to 949hp and 900Nm of torque. Modifications were made to retain the car’s torsional rigidity without a roof as were some aerodynamic refinements to keep the drag coefficient down during open-top driving.

The post Watch The LaFerrari Aperta In Action With Sebastian Vettel appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

We get it. Being responsible can be a disheartening affair. With your hard earned coinage tied up in mortgages, bills and kids parasites, there’s little left over for the other love of your life: the four-wheeled mistress.

Thankfully you’d have a pretty stable career by this point and have been accumulating a secret fund well away from the fun police. Today we’re cracking open that piggy and showing you the eight most rewarding cars to drive for under $50,000.

If your secret stash doesn’t extend to that far, don’t fret. We’ve done the homework for the most rewarding cars to drive for under AU$20,0000 and $5,000.

2008 Lotus Elise S

Don’t let the diminutive little 1.8-litre Toyota engine strapped behind you and your passenger deter you. The older generation Elise S is one of the world’s most focused drivers cars which delivers supreme performance through the corners. The Elise S takes the simple formula of raw lightweight sports car by marrying a stiff chassis to a mid-ship layout. A high-revving engine and zero power steering for direct road response is then thrown in. The result might not sound like much on paper with 100kW and 172Nm of torque, but as with everything in life it’s all about the package. Tipping in at a meagre 860kg, the Elise S sits well into go-kart territory. Bring a vomit bag for your passenger if you’re going to throw this one around corners all day.

Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG

Power, class, sophistication. This is the car you need for those chasing German bang-for-buck. The AMG-tuned sedan takes the standard 5.0-litre V8, blows it out to 5.4-litres and straps on a supercharger to make a grand total of 469hp. In a family sedan. For Autobahn duties that means downing the 0-100km/h sprint in 4.5 seconds in a highly capable car that encourages driver confidence through its stability. You also get heated seats and standard Mercedes-Benz luxury appointments, if that’s your kind of thing.

BMW E46 M3

The Bavarians know how to build a driver’s car and the E46 M3 was one of their most involving back in the hey-day of sports coupes. Reigning supreme in the car world during the early 2000s, the M3 sported a naturally aspirated 3.2-litre straight-six that was tuned more like a race engine. The result was 338 ponies with a redline that extended all the way to 8,000rpm. Pair this with unrivalled driving dynamics on the road and track and you have one hell of a ride for under $50,000.

Ford Focus ST

Don’t write off this grocery getter just yet. There’s a reason why the Focus ST beat out many for the best sports car for under $50,000 last year. This little hot hatch from the Blue Oval takes the standard European body and injects a bit of fun with sharpened handling,  a six-speed manual and a 2.0-litre turbo engine which boasts a healthy 246hp and 345Nm going to the front wheels – 360Nm on overboost. Hooray for torque steer. But that’s the overall appeal of the Ford. It takes a standard car and makes driving it a lot more manic. In our world, that means fun.

VW Golf R

The previous generation Golf R was built to take on the reigning rally duo known as the WRX STI and Lancer Evolution. As such it needed an AWD hot hatch which it could bring to the party as well. Enter the Golf R, a car packing a lively 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine which churned out 250hp and 330Nm of torque before sending it through an AWD system borrowed from the Audi S3 Quattro. This is rallying, German style.

Subaru BRZ

The Subaru/Toyota BRZ/86 twins may well be four years old now but that doesn’t mean they’re any less engaging to drive within this price bracket. The cars were conceived in a joint venture between the two Japanese automakers to revive the affordable and lightweight RWD sports car era. When it debuted many praised its handling and driving dynamics but cried for more power from its 2.0-litre boxer engine, which boasted 200hp and 205Nm of torque. Til this day that call still hasn’t been answered but for those who value the nurturing of driving technique over traffic light runs, this is your ride.

Honda S2000

As we mentioned above, the BRZ/86 twins didn’t live up to the sports car hype for those who claimed that their Camry could beat it in a straight line. Enter the older generation sports coupe known as the Honda S2000. Derived from Honda’s F1 DNA, the last generation S2000 benefitted from a razor sharp chassis paired with a sublime high-revving 2.0-litre four which saw a redline of a silly 8,600 (down from the earlier model’s 9,000rpm). The last generation of Honda’s highly praised car was a more refined affair which made it more manageable to handle at the limit. The front-engined rear wheel drive convertible managed a healthy 250hp and 217Nm of torque without a turbocharger.

Porsche 911SC Cabriolet

And finally we have one for the cruiser who appreciates a bit of top-down action with that signature Stuttgart noise. The 911 SC is well into classic car territory now but find one in good nick for under $50,000 and you could still be turning heads in a different way. A 3.0-litre six cylinder engine churns out a healthy 204hp and is paired to a five-speed manual but you’re not here just for that. It’s all about the mountain bends on a summer’s day done the old school way.

The post Most Rewarding Cars To Drive For Under $50,000 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Many people incorrectly assume that ‘modern’ and ‘contemporary’ are synonymous in the design world. However, while modern interior design has been around since the early 20th century, contemporary style refers to what is ‘hot’ right now.

Defining Contemporary

Today, contemporary interior design encompasses big, bold dramatic pieces with simple, sleek lines and smooth finishes. A contemporary home welcomes geometric accents, stark bare spaces and neutral tones with pops of colour to create a memorable space with little effort and clutter.

Keep decorative accents to a minimum or risk ruining your contemporary efforts. Instead consider large pieces of furniture configured in an open plan.

Fluidity punctuated with functionality is the cornerstone of contemporary design. Read on to learn how you can achieve this look in your own pad.

Lighting

What To Do

Contemporary lighting combines functionality with striking form. A few of the most commonly implemented contemporary lighting fixtures include pendant and track varieties. Don’t be afraid to be extravagant with lighting: a striking light fixture can bring a room to life and highlight the sleek lines and design elements you have implemented.

Where To Get It

Contemporary furniture store Misura is located in Waterloo and boasts a lighting range that will have you seeing stars and struggling to make a decision. To help, we suggest the minimalist arc floor lamp by Lampo.

Misura: 840 Bourke St, Waterloo NSW 2017

Rugs

What To Do

With not a scrap of daggy carpet to be seen, contemporary flooring options tend to span wood, stone and cement. As such, the nature of contemporary design means you can end up with a home that looks great but feels a little sterile and cold.

Offset stark spaces with strategically placed plush rugs. Not only will they add warmth to a room, they are also fantastic at segmenting open plan spaces.

Where To Get It

BoConcept in Crows Nest and Moore Park specialise in contemporary furniture and accessories. Inspect their incredible range of rugs online or in store and try to go past this 100% wool Midori rug.

BoConcept: Moore Park: Shop GA 03, Moore Park SupaCenta, 2A Todman Ave. Kensington NSW 2033

Colour

What To Do

Opt for mostly neutral colours when choosing contemporary furniture and add interest with a feature wall or statement piece of furniture. Start with beige, cream, white and black with splashes of taupe and work from there.

Where To Get It

German company Siekaup offers sleek contemporary furniture, which can now be found at their showroom in Crows Nest. They excel when it comes to both indoor and outdoor sofas, like the multifunctional swivel sofa available in a range of neutral colours.

Siekaup: Shop 1/360 Pacific Highway Crows Nest, Sydney, NSW

Metal

What To Do

Masculine metals will add even more sophistication to a contemporary home. Steel and chrome are a couple of options that offer high-shine and maximum impact. From lamps and tables to mirror frames and door handles, incorporate metallic elements into each room.

Where To Get It

West Elm is has two stores in Sydney and a vast range of contemporary metallic furnishings. Check out this awesome Origami Coffee Table with a bone tile tabletop and steel base with gunmetal finish.

West Elm: 472 Oxford Street (Cnr Oxford St Mall & Grosvenor St), Bondi Junction, NSW 2022 and Chatswood Chase Shopping Centre, Level 1, 345 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood  NSW 2067

Soft Furnishings

What To Do

Inject warmth and texture into a contemporary home with soft furnishings. Think cushions, throw rugs, curtains, upholstered pieces of furniture and bedding. Natural and organic materials such as wool, cotton and linen are popular contemporary choices, as is leather. Simple patterns are preferable over more convoluted ones, as they won’t detract from the sleek lines of a contemporary home’s furnishings.

Where To Get It

Fanuli in Cremorne stocks a number of contemporary soft furnishing along with this gorgeous leather beauty, the ABCD armchair made in Italy.

Fanuli: 269 Military Road, Cremorne, NSW, 2090

Add A Curve Or Two

What To Do

Contemporary design may be rooted in geometric lines and embrace straight, sleek finishes, but that doesn’t mean your home needs to be dominated by sharp right angles and harsh lines around every corner. Achieve a more harmonious and liveable result by including cylindrical shapes, orb lighting, or a curved coffee table.

Where To Get It

The post Simple Ways To Inject Contemporary Design Into Your Home appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Aston Martin aren’t holding anything back with the arrival of the DB11, the announcement of the Red Bull hyper car and now the latest toy in their arsenal, the AM37 luxury powerboat.

The 37-foot luxury water craft made its debut at the recent Monaco Yacht Show and was developed in collaboration with Mulder Design and Quintessence Yachts to conquer the seas in style. Keen wave punters will have the option of three variants, one with a 370hp Mercury diesel engine, another with a 450hp petrol and the AM37S, which pushes power out to a wild 520hp.

Besides the power figures, the AM37 takes no shortcuts in ensuring it follows the strict design code of the famed British marque. The same flowing lines adorn the hull whilst the top deck is layered with exquisite wood which perfectly encapsulates a double-curved, single-piece glass windshield.

But wait there’s more, Mr. Bond.

The AM37 is more than equipped to combat the glaring sun with a powered carbon fibre bimini top. That means none of the lavish interior will have to withstand the sun’s harsh rays, leaving the carbon dash, premium leather and polished controls in tip-top condition.

The powerboat is good for up to eight of your most prized friends and includes full air-conditioning, mood lighting, an on-board microwave, fridge, coffee machine, a foldout bed and a bathroom.

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