Godzilla's name likely blends the Japanese words for gorilla and whale, though its origin is still debated

pop & funWikipedia1954 · Japan

Godzilla's name likely blends the Japanese words for gorilla and whale, though its origin is still debated

the gist

Godzilla began as a 1954 Japanese film about a prehistoric sea monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation. The name is most often traced to Toho employee Shirō Amikura, nicknamed Gojira, a blend of the Japanese words for gorilla and whale, because of his sturdy build and fondness for whale meat. The design mixed dinosaur features with a skin texture inspired by the keloid scars of Hiroshima survivors.

so what

Godzilla is a symbol of nuclear fear, and its design ties it directly to the atomic bomb. The debate over its name shows how even famous monsters can have murky origins, and Toho later translated the name as Godzilla for overseas audiences.

fun fact

Godzilla's distinctive roar was created by composer Akira Ifukube by rubbing a pine-resin-coated glove along a contrabass string.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗