15 Ancient Buildings You Can Enter Today

It boggles my mind to think that buildings left to humanity by the likes of the Romans and the Byzantines are still in use today. It is a testament to their engineering prowess, and we are truly lucky to have them as part of our common heritage. Here are the 15 oldest buildings in the world that are still in use today: 

1. Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, West Bank, Israel - 565AD

This historically-significant church still holds multiple church services each day and is said to mark the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth.

2. St. Catherine's Monastery, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt - 565AD

This monastery has been a place of worship and retreat continuously since the 6th Century. It houses the site where Moses is said to have seen the Burning Bush, according to Christian tradition.

3. Hagia Sophia (Santa Sophia), Istanbul, Turkey 537AD

The Hagia Sophia is considered to be one of the greatest examples of Byzantine architecture in the world. It has been a cathedral, mosque, and a museum during the time since its construction.

 4. Basilica of Santa Sabina, Rome, Italy - 432AD

This basilica has remained unchanged ever since it was constructed some 16 centuries ago. It is the oldest extant Roman basilica in the city of Rome. 

5. Basilica of Constantine, Trier, Germany - Circa 300AD

This is the largest extant hall from antiquity in the world today. It is used as a Christian church.

6. Tower of Hercules, A Coruña, Spain - Circa 150AD

This magnificent lighthouse is still in use nearly 1,900 years after it was completed, guiding ships along Spain's Atlantic coast, which is notorious for shipwrecks. It is the oldest existing lighthouse in the world.

7. Castel Sant' Angelo, Rome, Italy - 139AD 

This building has been a mausoleum, a castle, fortress, prison and museum during its lifetime. It was once the tallest building in Rome. 

8. The Pantheon, Rome, Italy - 118-128AD 

Originally built as a temple to Roman gods, the Pantheon was converted into a church in the 6th Century. It has been used for this purpose ever since.

9. The Colosseum, Rome, Italy - 70-80AD 

The interior of the world-famous Colosseum, constructed to host gladiatorial spectacles, is still occasionally used for small cultural events. 

10. Arena of Nîmes, Nîmes, France - 70AD

This arena is used to host pop concerts and has also been the venue for an annual music festival since 1997. 

11. Pula Arena, Pula, Croatia - 68AD

Pula Arena has hosted many international musicians in recent times, such as Pavarotti, Bocelli, Alanis Morrissette, Elton John, Sting and Tom Jones. Two ice hockey games were even held in the arena as recently as three years ago. 

12. Verona Arena, Verona, Italy - 30AD

This arena, which seats 15,000 people in its modern configuration, will be 2,000 years old in 2030 and hosts over 500,000 opera-goers each year. Its is the chosen venue for many pop and rock concerts.

13. Theater of Marcellus, Rome, Italy - 13BC 

This theater was initially built to host dramatic and musical performances, however it was later used as a fortress. A palazzo was built atop its ruins during the 16th Century. Now divided into apartments, it is still inhabited to this day. 

14. Great Stupa, Sanchi, India - 200BC

The Great Stupa is the oldest stone structure in India. It is a place of Buddhist worship and pilgrimage.

15. Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya, India - 260BC

In Buddhist tradition, this temple is said to mark the spot where Buddha attained enlightenment. While the current structure dates back to the 6th Century, temples have stood on the site since 260BC. 

You Have 9 Different Types of Intelligence

Everyone likes to think of themselves as intelligent, and joys to hear themselves called 'clever' by other people. I am the same, and I bet you are too. We have all heard of IQ tests, and most of us have heard of the three main intelligence groups: visual, auditory andkinesthetic. The first idea is a little out of fashion, and the second never really caught on. According to a famous Harvard Professor of Education, both ideas fail because there are actually 9 intelligences! And, wonderfully, we all possess these intelligences to uniquely differing degrees.

 

Multiple Intelligences: An Educational Theory

Howard Gardner, Ph.D. has spent the latter part of his career finessing the theory that all humans share nine distinct 'intelligences' to varying degrees. Rather than intelligence being something that can be described as if on a spectrum, i.e. 'this man is more intelligent than that man', every individual has a unique set of intelligence skills. And this is not wishy-washy make-believe, but a renowned psychological theory from a Harvard expert.

His theory has been associated with the recent trend in schools to focus on so called ‘child centered’ learning, because traditional teaching assumes one single type of intelligence, which is unfair on those of us who don't fit that straight jacket. Gardner would prefer that learners take an active role in their own assessment, internalizing the kind of adjustments they need to make based on their experience of feedback from trained professionals (teachers). He compares this with how people learn and master sports, music and arts. But these examples can be expanded to include all of us in our daily lives, not just kids at school. As you know, everyday is a school day in the real world.

What are The 9 Different Intelligences?

Have a think about how well cultivated these 9 parts of your mind are. Do you possess some of these intelligences naturally? Have you improved upon others? Which have you been neglecting. Learning Gardner's theory will really help you think about yourself as a whole person. 

1. Musical-rhythmic and harmonic

Have you always had a tremendous understanding of the relationship between feeling and sound? Perhaps you enjoy a particular awareness and appreciation of sound, with superb recognition of patterns of tone and rhythm. People with high skills in this area often become successful as: composers, DJs, entertainers, music producers, musicians, voice coaches. How much of this intelligence do you think you have?

2. Visual-Spatial

All those years ago at school did you enjoy making art? Then you probably have a very high visual spatial intelligence. Even if you didn’t do very well at art you still have this intelligence to some degree. We all have a certain understanding of the relationship between different images, and between space and effects. People who do well in these areas often spend their professional life in these fields: architecture, art, engineering, graphic designing, inventing, photography, landscaping, sculpting. Have you ever fancied doing jobs like these? Perhaps you have already done so.

3. Verbal-lingusitic

If you feel very comfortable expressing yourself using the written and spoken word, interpreting and explaining ideas with language, then you must have a very high verbal-linguistic intelligence. The kind of jobs you would be suited for would include: journalist, lawyer, poet, teacher, TV/radio presenter, writer. Does this sound like you?

4. Logical-mathematical

If you are good at analyzing problems, noticing patterns and have always had skill at making mathematical calculations then you surely possess logical-mathematical intelligence in great abundance. People with such intelligence are suited to these jobs: banker, computer programmer, engineer, scientist, trader. Are you such a person?

5. Bodily-kinesthetic

Not often thought of as an intelligence, people who rank highly in this area of the mind exhibit good body to eye coordination, great manual dexterity and enjoy poise, balance and agility. People who excel at bodily-kinesthetic intelligence often succeed in careers as: athletes, dancers, nurses, biologists, physical therapists, sign-language interpreters. How well could you have seen yourself doing in jobs like these?

6. Interpersonal

This intelligence describes our ability (or lack of ability) to relate to other people. People’s behavior often requires interpretation, and that’s where this part of our intelligence kicks in. People who really excel at reading their neighbors can do very well in these types of employment: advertising, care giving, coaching/mentoring, counseling, education, HR, mediation, politics, psychology, sales, teaching, training, therapy. Do you believe you can read people well?

7. Intrapersonal

This intelligence should not be confused with interpersonal, which describes our relations with our neighbors. Intrapersonal intelligence is our sense of self-awareness. Do you understand yourself? Can you react to your own needs and changing circumstances? How aware are you of your place in relation to others? This kind of intelligence is necessarily subjective, therefore only a trained intelligence expert can be expected to tell you how much of this intelligence you have. Perhaps it is something that we can control ourselves through meditation.

8. Naturalistic

This intelligence was a late addition to Gardner’s theory. It describes the kind of intelligence required to understand our relationship with our natural surroundings. For example, in earlier parts of our evolutionary story we would have had to understand the differences between flora and fauna, and develop our skills in hunting, farming and domestication. It has been suggested that not only farmers, hunters and modern day gatherers (or foragers) possess abundance of this intelligence, but also chefs and botanists. So if you are a bit of an amateur biologist and a keen cook, you probably are a true Naturalist.

9. Existential

This is one of my favorite intelligences, because it is clearly something we all have inborn. As a child did you ask a lot of existential questions, such as ‘why is there something, and not nothing?’, ‘why is grass green?’ Or have you heard your grandkids asking the same questions – and been unable to answer? If so, you probably have something in common with some of the world’s greatest philosophers and spiritual leaders. 

Other possible intelligences

In the future it's possible that Gardner may add at least one more intelligence to his list. As a world famous educator it's perhaps unsurprising that he is beginning to recognize something called the 'teaching-pedagogical intelligence.' This may be enabling us to pass on information to other people. What else? Well, many people have argued that humor and sex require their own separate intelligences; Gardner however does not believe that these are intelligences by themselves.Multiple Intelligence Test

So now you have had a good think about yourself and how intelligent you are, why not take this quick 5 minute test to see what kinds of percentages you possibly posses. However, there are no right answers, just your unique self. No matter what, you possess all of these different intelligences in varying degrees and they all go towards making you the special person you are. 

Bonus: Interview with the Multiple Intelligence Theory author, Professor Howard Gardner

WARNING: ATM Thieves Are Using These Sophisticated Devices

I don't know about you but I go everywhere with my bank and credit cards, using them both to get cash and for virtually every transaction. I am aware of ATMs being targeted by thieves but only when I saw this video and read the account of Benjamin Tedesco did it really hit home for me how at risk I am from cleverly hidden, devious technology designed to steal my hard earned money, and private credit card details.

Have a look at this short video of what Benjamin saw when he inspected an ATM while on a family holiday in Vienna, Austria:

 
What he managed to pull off, to the benefit of many future customers of that particular ATM, was a credit or debit card skimmer, which is designed to steal your cards. The device is an exact replica of the normal card slot found on an ATM, it has simply been glued over the top of the original 'hole in the wall.' Credit Card Skimmer This sophisticated device has a magnetic strip reader, battery, switch and control board. Quite satisfied with his discovery of this, Benjamin posted his video onto YouTube on 19th June 2016, and it became an instant viral hit with millions of views, and even a parody video. Credit Card Skimmer While watching the parody video, Benjamin noticed something else that he had missed. Just above the purple information card over the keypad there is a grey 'lip' that protrudes out. He realized that this was a secret camera, designed to record people's pin code inputs.

This sophisticated device has a magnetic strip reader, battery, switch and control board. Quite satisfied with his discovery of this, Benjamin posted his video onto YouTube on 19th June 2016, and it became an instant viral hit with millions of views, and even a parody video.

Become a YouTube Master With These 12 Tips

YouTube is one of the busiest sites on the internet, with over 4 billion video views taking place each day - I don't know about you, but that statistic is mind-blowing to me! After reading this helpful guide, I feel like I'm a YouTube master and can watch the videos I love with ease:  1. Change Video Quality  Why you need to know about it  Increase the quality of the video you're watching, or decrease the quality if your internet connection happens to be slow.  How to use it 1. Click on the cogwheel (Settings) icon. 2. Click Quality in the popup menu. 3. Select the highest-available number (eg. 720p) to watch your chosen clip in the best possible quality (use a lesser quality if the video doesn’t load fast enough). 2. Save An Audio File Why you need to know about it  You can save your favorite music on YouTube and listen to it elsewhere/when you don't have internet connection. How to use it  1. Right-click and copy the address of the video you’d like to extract the audio from. 2. Type www.youtube-mp3.org in your browser’s address bar. 3. Highlight the entire existing link in the YouTube to MP3 search bar, then paste the address of the video that you c opied in step 1. 4. Click on the Convert Video button. 5. Click on the Download link. 6. Wait for your audio to download! 3. Save a video file Why you need to know about it  You can watch your saved YouTube videos offline, and you can also transfer them to another computer via a USB pen or similar should you want or need to.  How to use it  1. Right-click and copy the address of the video you’d like to save to your hard disk. 2. Type www.youtubeinmp4 .com in your browser’s address bar. 3. A white address bar will appear on screen. Right-click and paste the address of the video you that you copied in step 1. 4. Click on Download MP4 beneath the white address bar where you pasted your video’s address. 5. Click on the next Download MP4 that appears in order for the download to begin. 6. Wait for your video to download! 4. Turn Autoplay On or Off Why you need to know about it  When AutoPlay is turned on, YouTube will automatically start playing a video clip that it picks for you once the one you're currently viewing is over. If you're open to suggestion or are unsure what to watch next, then by all means turn it on, however if you just want to browse through the clips in the order you wish to, it's handy to know how to turn it off.  How to use it  1. Notice a small slider bar at the top-right-hand corner of the screen. 2. Simply click to toggle on or off. 5. Go back to the homepage Why you need to know about it  It's just a quicker and easier of getting back to the YouTube homepage than typing in the address in the address bar.  How to use it  Left-click on this button to go back to YouTube’s main page. 6. Access the drop-down menu Why you need to know about it  The drop-down menu allows you to access the hottest content on YouTube quickly and easily. Find out what is trending ("hot right now") in various categories.  How to use it 1. Left click on the Menu icon in the top-right-hand corner of your screen. 2. A drop-down menu will appear, which will allow you to do the following: Return to YouTube’s homepage, view trending (popular at present) videos, view the best YouTube video by category (eg. Sports and music). 7. Share a video to social media Why you need to know about it  If you have a social media account, such as a Facebook or Twitter, you can share any funny, interesting or informative content you've come across on YouTube with all your social media connections in just a couple of clicks.  How to use it  1. Click the Share button that appears below the video you’re watching. 2. Left-click on the social media network you want to share the video to. 3. A popup window will appear. Log in to your social media account that you want to share the video to. 4. Share your video! 8. Sign in with your Gmail account Why you need to know about it  If you have a Gmail account, you should sign in to YouTube using it seeing as it also doubles as your YouTube account. It will allow you to subscribe to your favorite channels, write comments, like and dislike videos, as well as access age-restricted content.  How to use it 1. Click on the blue 'Sign In button' at the top-right-hand corner of your screen. 2. Type in your Gmail address and your password. Left-click on the blue Sign in button. 3. You will be returned to the video you were watching prior to signing in. 9. Like or Dislike a video Why you need to know about it It's a very simple, direct way of letting the YouTube community know how you feel about a given video.   How to use it Let the rest of YouTube know whether you like or dislike a video by left-clicking on either the thumbs up or thumbs down icon. 10. Add a comment Why you need to know about it Commenting gives you the ability to elaborate on your sentiments about a given video and share your views with the rest of the YouTube community.  How to use it  To add a comment on the video you’re watching, simply scroll down to the text bar that says: “Add a public comment...”. Type your comment and left-click on Post when you're done. 11. Skip to the next video Why you need to know about it This function allows you to skip through videos that you don't wish to see quickly and easily.  How to use it  Left-click on the fast-forward icon to skip to the next video that YouTube has automatically selected for you. 12. Switch to Theater Mode or Full Screen Why you need to know about it These functions allow you to enlarge the picture of the video that you're watching.  How to use it  1. Enlarge the video’s picture on your screen by selecting either the Theater or the Full Screen display modes. 2. Theater mode will display a larger video picture without going to full screen, whereas full screen mode allows the video picture to be expanded to the size of your entire screen.