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1982 World's Fair World's Fair Travel / → All Tags

The 1982 World's Fair: An Idea Whose Time Has Come Again

Sometimes, it takes a good look back to see the present for what it is. Here, Victor Ozols plumbs the depths of his memory - as well as a handful of very retro websites - to suss out the meaning behind the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee.

I can still recall the commercial jingle: "You've got to be there! The 1982 World's Fair! You've got to be there!" And I was there, a skinny eleven-year-old kid, traveling with his family to take in the cutting-edge concepts of a fair designed to explore the ways in which "Energy Turns the World." A brief look back underscores the fact that history always repeats itself, often in sad, pathetic ways. Just like today, people in 1982 were concerned that the world had become too reliant on fossil fuels, and there was a push to develop alternative energy sources. To that end, national pavilions across the fairgrounds displayed fancy new technology designed to harness the power of the sun, wind, water currents, biomass, and, yes, nuclear technology to provide the energy we'd surely need in the 21st century - even though it was a long way away. But as a Pac-Man-obsessed youngster I was mostly awed by the colorful displays and flashing lights of exhibits from the Philippines to France, and everywhere I turned it seemed like something very important was happening and that big changes were on the horizon.

Related Stories:
· World's Fair Park [Official Site]
· Flashback 1982: You've Got To Be There [gate21.net]
· World's Fair Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Victor Ozols]

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Animals / Tourism / Zoos / → All Tags

Nudity Sells Tix at Knoxville Zoo

If you're running the Knoxville Zoo, it's never easy to compete with the big boys. They've got pandas in Memphis and Washington D.C., sure, but how do you get the hometown crowd interested in what you've got to offer? With ugly rodents, of course.

The Knoxville Zoo is so proud to announce their acquisition of a colony of Naked Mole Rats. Sure, D.C. has them too, but people are less keen to travel just for rodents. The AP describes their bodies as looked like "wrinkled hot dogs", which is unappealing on a lot of different levels. Still, the colony is a big hit with kids, who have a soft spot for the hairless rats.

We'll stick with our Butterstick cam, thank you kindly. We have enough rats at home; we don't need to pay to see them.

Related Stories:
·   Knoxville Zoo opens exhibit [AP]
·   Where's My Elephant? [Jaunted]