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StoryFactory, London (2025)

23/04/2025

The 2025 edition of Rally Jameel kicked off on April 22 beneath the rose-red cliffs of Petra, Jordan. More than just a race, this all-women’s cross-country rally has carved its name into motorsport history as the Middle East’s first and only off-road navigation challenge exclusively for women.

Now in its fourth year, Rally Jameel has evolved from a regional experiment into a full-fledged international affair. This year, 70 teams representing 39 countries and 25 motorsport federations converged for the start line, ready to tackle a six-day, 1,500-kilometer route winding through some of the region’s most breathtaking landscapes—from the ancient Nabatean ruins of Petra to Saudi Arabia’s rugged northern deserts, and ultimately to the fertile heart of Qassim.

But don’t expect breakneck speeds and roaring engines—Rally Jameel is a thinking driver’s event. The competition emphasizes precision, navigation, and endurance over pure speed. Teams of two rely on digital roadbooks and advanced GPS to navigate an unmarked route peppered with hidden waypoints, testing both mind and machine across dunes, gravel, and historical terrain.

Among the standout participants this year are Spanish co-driver Pochola Hernández and rally icon Annie Seel of Sweden, joining forces under the Lexus Team banner—bringing serious rally clout and international flair to the desert challenge.

More than a motorsport event, Rally Jameel is also a symbol of shifting tides in the region. Backed by Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the rally champions not only adventure tourism but a future where women are boldly steering their own destinies—on and off the road.

17/04/2025

In the tulip fields of Noordwijkerhout, the Netherlands, a small, boxy machine moves between neat rows of vibrant spring blooms. It doesn’t tire. It doesn’t pause to wipe sweat from its nonexistent brow.

Named Theo — after a former farmhand at the WAM Pennings flower farm — this robot works weekdays, weekends, and nights, scouring the fields for sick tulips with clinical precision. It’s part farmworker, part vigilante, and entirely unbothered by the backbreaking nature of the job that once wore down human workers.

Theo is one of a growing number of agricultural robots transforming how we grow and harvest food. This isn’t the far-off future of food production — it’s already blooming in places like China’s Zhejiang Province, where a quiet revolution is taking root in both vineyards and seedling farms.

In the Liangsong Family Farm vineyard, software engineers from the Hangzhou Institute of Automation Technology are fine-tuning a smart grape-picking robot, bringing delicate automation to the notoriously tricky task of harvesting grapes without bruising or breaking them.

Not far away, in Jiaxing, another robot hums with quiet determination at the Tongxiang Digital Seedling Future Farm. Its task? Grafting tomato seedlings — a meticulous process that used to rely on skilled human hands. Now, under the fluorescent glow of the grow lamps, mechanical arms perform the job with surgical efficiency to help ensure stable supply to China’s produce markets.
What’s happening here isn’t a novelty. It’s the new rhythm of global farming. Farms can’t always find the hands they need — so they’re building new ones.

Yet the human story hasn’t vanished. Theo’s name alone is proof — a callback to a flesh-and-blood worker who once spent his days scanning those same rows of tulips. Even as the landscape gets smarter and more automated, farming stays rooted in people, culture, and place.

We may not be living in a sci-fi farming utopia just yet, but make no mistake: the robot age is not on the horizon — it’s already in the field.

16/04/2025

Digital art continues to take center stage at Art Dubai 2025, underscoring the fair’s commitment to futurism, innovation and the evolving landscape of creative expression. With its dedicated Art Dubai Digital section, the fair highlights cutting-edge work at the intersection of art, technology, and Web3—featuring immersive experiences, generative AI, NFTs, and experimental new media from a global roster of artists and platforms.

Art Dubai continues to cement its reputation as a global hub for contemporary and modern art, welcoming 120 galleries from 65 cities across five continents. It features a robust lineup of specially commissioned artworks and immersive installations, engaging talks and panel discussions led by influential voices in the art world.

Held annually, Art Dubai plays a crucial role in connecting the art communities of the Global South while positioning Dubai as a key player in the international cultural landscape.

And this year, the festival is actively engaging with futurism through its extensive talks and conference programme. A standout feature is the Global Art Forum, themed “The New New Normal”, which delves into how technological advancements, digital culture, and shifting global dynamics are redefining the future of art and society.

# AIArt #

15/04/2025

NATO called it “the Chicken”, but on April 14 1953, the Soviet Union successfully launched the world’s first mass-produced coaxial helicopter - the Kamov Ka-15.

It was a pioneering shipborne helicopter, representing a major leap forward in coaxial rotorcraft development. Designed by Nikolai Ilyich Kamov and his team at OKB-2 (later OKB-4), it laid the groundwork for Kamov's long-standing legacy in naval aviation.

The Ka-15 made its first flight on April 14, 1953, piloted by Dmitry Konstantinoich Efremov. Despite an initially promising flight, the project suffered a major setback when funding was briefly cut in mid-1953.

Kamov had to lobby for continuation, leading to a long and challenging refinement process. One of the most persistent issues was vibration—a common problem in coaxial helicopters due to the interaction of counter-rotating rotors. Engineers faced everything from blade flutter to ground resonance and longitudinal forced oscillations.

The Ka-15 was eventually cleared for production at the Ulan-Ude plant. However, even then, delivery delays due to vibrations and tragic test incidents (including the death of engineer S. Gorshteyn) plagued early operations.

In the early 1960s—a bigger, more capable maritime workhorse was developed, the Ka-25. Where the Ka-15 was experimental and tight on space, the Ka-25 was all muscle. Twin turbines, serious payload, and rugged naval systems made it the Soviet Navy’s go-to helicopter for decades.

Fast forward to today and Kamov's legacy lives on in the Ka-52 "Alligator", one of the most advanced attack helicopters in the world.

The Kamov Ka-15 was a milestone in rotary-wing aviation—technically daring, mechanically challenging, but ultimately foundational. While plagued with development hurdles, it proved the viability of coaxial helicopters for naval use and set a precedent for future designs.

14/04/2025

Tao of Watts: Bridging East and West

Alan Watts not only introduced the West to the mystical world of Taoism but also became a living bridge between Chinese philosophy and modern thought.

Born in England in 1915 and later moving to the United States, Watts was a philosopher, writer, and speaker who captivated audiences with his accessible insights into Zen, Taoism, and Eastern wisdom.

His teachings emphasized the natural, effortless flow of life,’The Way’ which resonates with the ancient Chinese concept of living in harmony with nature.

Through his lectures and writings, Watts demystified Eastern thought for Western listeners, showing that the path to true understanding involves embracing the balance, spontaneity, and interconnectedness that Taoism champions.

His work has left a lasting impact on modern spirituality and counterculture, encouraging us to find calm and purpose in a fast-paced, ever-changing world.

philosophy

11/04/2025

More than just a drink, Moutai is straight-up history in a bottle. Distilled for over 400 years in Guizhou’s misty mountains, this legendary baijiu started as an imperial flex, reserved for China’s elite.

The secret? A year-long fermentation process using red sorghum and pure river water, perfected over centuries.

Every sip hits different, think umami-rich soy sauce, floral vibes, and a fire finish. No wonder Moutai is the most hyped baijiu on the planet, with rare bottles selling for thousands of dollars.

US President Richard Nixon toasts Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai with baijiu in February 1972 in Beijing. (AFP Photo)

Chinese President Li Xiannian watches as US President Ronald Reagan drinks Moutai during a toast in Beijing, 1984. (AP Photo)

10/04/2025

In Pictures: China’s J20 stealth fighter

China’s J-20 “Mighty Dragon” is the country’s first fifth-generation stealth fighter and a major milestone in its military aviation development.

Built by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), the J-20 is designed to perform air superiority and precision strike missions in contested environments.

With its distinctive canard-delta configuration, stealth shaping, and diverterless supersonic intakes (DSIs), the J-20 emphasizes speed, maneuverability, and low radar visibility.

It also features a frameless canopy, internal weapons bays, and advanced avionics and sensor fusion capabilities.

10/04/2025

In Pictures: China’s J20 stealth fighter

China’s J-20 “Mighty Dragon” is the country’s first fifth-generation stealth fighter and a major milestone in its military aviation development. Built by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), the J-20 is designed to perform air superiority and precision strike missions in contested environments.

With its distinctive canard-delta configuration, stealth shaping, and diverterless supersonic intakes (DSIs), the J-20 emphasizes speed, maneuverability, and low radar visibility. It also features a frameless canopy, internal weapons bays, and advanced avionics and sensor fusion capabilities.

03/04/2025

This Photographer Spent Four Years Documenting WWII Ruins Before They Vanished

Between 2010 and 2014, photographer Marc Wilson traveled 23,000 miles across 143 locations to capture the fading remnants of various wars along the coastlines of the British Isles and Northern Europe.

His series, The Last Stand, consists of 86 haunting images that reflect the histories and memories embedded in these landscapes. Wilson’s work focuses on the military defense structures that once stood as symbols of war.

Some have since been swallowed by shifting sands and rising tides, while others have unexpectedly resurfaced, revealing the impact of time and nature.

Spanning the UK, the Channel Islands, Northern & Western France, Denmark, Belgium, and Norway, The Last Stand is a powerful visual archive of a history slowly being erased.
Courtesy of

This gallery is a preview to an upcoming interview with Marc Wilson for StoryFactory.

Images in order:

Lossiemouth II, Moray, Scotland 2011

Studland Bay, Dorset, England 2011

Portland, Dorset, England 2011

Lyness, Hoy, Orkney, Scotland 2013

18/02/2025

300 meters beneath Solotvino in south-western Ukraine is a salt mine once served as a medical retreat.

For decades, patients with asthma and respiratory conditions came here for speleotherapy—a treatment widely practised in Eastern Europe, where natural salt air was believed to heal.

While little-known in the West, underground clinics like this operated across Ukraine, Poland, and Romania. The Solotvino facility closed in 2008, leaving behind empty tunnels.

Photographer Kirill Kuletski captures the stark remains of a space once filled with breath, now left in silence.

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