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This hotel is one of several temporary structures that Travelodge is building out of stackable, prefab sleep pods. The company rolled out the pods as a stunt last year, suggesting people could use them for outdoor festivals like Burning Man. Each pod is ready for Martian landfall, containing a bed, bathroom, a TV/DVD player, air conditioning, and a coffee pot. Perfect for the terraforming crew! What do they look like when unstacked and left in the open air? More »
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Get ready for windows that never break with translucent concrete. A German design firm has created load-bearing concrete containing optical fibers, allowing light and color to pass through to the other side (the shadowy hand is what you can see through the concrete in direct light). The result is that you can live inside a sunlit dome and still be protected when the space invaders come and drop those dangerous light thingies on your head. Click through for more transluscent concrete, and some transparent aluminum too. More »
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