After over a decade in development since the release of 2001's Jurassic Park III, the fourth movie in the blockbuster dino-scare franchise, Jurassic World, seems to be finally coming together, and judging by the teaser site the producers have put online this week, it looks like Abu Dhabi could be set to host yet another Hollywood blockbuster, after playing host to the cast and crews of both Furious 7 and Star Wars: Episode 7 earlier in the year. The website in question, www.masraniglobal.com, is the fake site of the fictional Masrani corporation, which it seems is behind building the Jurassic World theme park. It apparently has taken over the ill-fated InGen technologies, whose experiments with genetically reengineered dinosaurs went so well in the previous movies. But what's this we see? Reading through the faux corporate website, it appears Masrani's lucrative oil business, the self-explantory Masrani Oil Industries, is based right here in Abu Dhabi, complete with a stock photo of fictional director of operations Bakri Sarraf in full national dress, smiling and giving a demonstration of the company's fictional sustainability measures. "Established in the heart of Abu Dhabi, a port city in the middle of three continents, Masrani Oil has been sharing its resources to the rest of the world since 19s96," the site glows in questionable English. Apparently the fictional company already provides 21 per cent of the world's oil for transportation, and hopes to see cars and businesses in Abu Dhabi running entirely on solar energy in the not-too-distant future. When an oil company starts promoting solar energy, it becomes abundantly clear the site is fictional, but with such effort going into creating the Abu Dhabi arm of Masrani, is it too much to expect to see a T-Rex rampaging down the Corniche next year? The local industry is remaining tight-lipped about the possibilities, but you can rest assured we'll be doorstepping twofour54 and the Abu Dhabi Film Commission for more information as of now.
cnewbould@thenational.ae
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
