Russ McBee

Inspectors investigating the I-35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis have a new theory: pigeon poop may be one of the culprits. Seriously: It is thought the build-up of guano over many years could have speeded up the rusting of the steel beams in the eight-lane bridge, which collapsed into the Mississippi on August 1. Structural engineers had ...

A friend and I visited Greece in November 2004, a couple of weeks after the Presidential election. Since the election dominated the news in Europe just like it did here, we heard the same question over and over from the locals: ''What do you think about the election?'' My answer was always the same: ''I'm not happy about it.'' Their ...

Today must be the day that all the twirly, twisty skyscraper projects get announced. In addition to this cool one in Dubai, Santiago Calatrava's Chicago Spire is one step closer to approval. The 150-story residential tower twirls up from the ground like a giant drill bit. Some have said it resembles a large, skinny soft-serve ice cream cone. ...

Whoa. Each floor in this skyscraper (planned for Dubai) is capable of rotating independently. Click here for a gallery of photos. The rendering on page 3 of the gallery looks like something out of the Jetsons. I know Dubai is trying to move away from a strictly petroleum-based economy, and I applaud them for doing so; in the process, they've ...