Thursday, May 12

What are the seven wonders of the world?

What are the seven wonders of the world?: "What are the seven wonders of the world?
Benny
Santa Rosa, California

Dear Benny:
Darn you, Benny. Why weren't you more specific? As it turns out, there are several lists of wonderful wonders -- one ancient, one modern, and one 100% natural. We'll touch on all three.
The list of seven ancient wonders was meant as a tribute to man's ability to alter the natural landscape. Interestingly, as this site points out, not all of the wonders were around at the same time. 'Even if you lived in ancient times you would have still needed a time machine to see all seven.' Today, the pyramids in Egypt are the sole survivor. Sadly, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis, the Statue of Zeus, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Mausoleum of Halincarnassus, and the Colossus of Rhodes have all disappeared.
While it's unfortunate that six of the original seven have vanished, the modern world has plenty to offer. The American Society of Civil Engineers compiled a list of modern wonders that represent the 'greatest civil engineering accomplishments of the 20th century.' It includes: the Channel Tunnel, the CN Tower in Toronto, the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Panama Canal, the Itaipu Dam, and the North Sea Protection Works in the Netherlands.
Finally, Mother Nature deserves a shout out. The seven wonders of the natural world are: the Grand Canyon, the Northern Lights, Mt. Everest, the Great Barrier Reef, Victoria Falls, Paricutin volcano, and the harbor at Rio de Janero. We're pretty sure these babies aren't going anywhere. "