Kellingley Colliery in North Yorkshire is closing today, bringing about the end of the UK's deep-pit mining industry. And seeing as no one's bothered about the local black stuff any more, the mining equipment -- all £150m worth of it -- is being sealed into the pits. Read More >>
Of all the ways humans have altered the Earth, mining must be one of the most awe-inspiring — just for the sheer ratio of Earth excavated to metals and gems recovered. Still, it's hard to visualise just how much a single mine has netted in numbers, which is why For What It's Worth is so interesting. Read More >>
When most of us think of what humans will leave behind when we go, we imagine skeleton buildings or toxic landfills. But according to some geologists, the longest-lasting impact we'll have on Earth is actually beneath our feet—in the form millions of tunnels, deep boreholes, and mines. Read More >>
A few weeks ago, we looked at a photo essay on Mir Mine, a nearly mile-wide mine in Eastern Siberia that's one of the largest man-made holes on Earth's surface. It made us wonder: where the largest hole ever made by humans? Perhaps unsurprisingly it can be found in the Land of the Big Things: the U S of A. Read More >>
Today I found out about the use of exploding anti-tank dogs during World War II. These dogs, usually alsatians, were also called "Hundminen" or "dog mines." They were trained to carry explosives on their bodies to enemy tanks, where they would then be detonated. No, it did not end very well for the dogs in question. Read More >>
As the pace of robotic integration into the modern workforce continues to increase, automatons are finding their way into an ever wider variety of industries. Already making an impact in the agricultural sector, automatons are now poised to perform the task of driving massive, house sized mining trucks—a job once held only by highly skilled and highly paid human drivers. Read More >>
If opulent isn’t an adjective you’d immediately associate with the mining profession, then you’ve clearly never had a peek inside Poland’s Wieliczka Salt Mine. The subterranean marvel (and UNESCO World Heritage Site) has been operational since the first shafts were dug way back in the 13th century, but the decor has come a long, long way in the subsequent years. And now, thanks to Google, we can explore it from afar. Read More >>
Post-industrial cities have long struggled to find new uses for the (often gargantuan) factory infrastructure that once made their towns boom. Usually, that means a park or a museum. But a few cities—like Genk, Belgium—have tried a more experimental approach, turning these decrepit sites into unusual creative spaces. Read More >>
The US Military invests billions of pounds in technology. But to keep the Strait of Hormuz, close to Iran, open, it's using an unusual, but no less innovative, technique: mine-detecting dolphins. Read More >>
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