Google Earth has brought attention to some of the weirdest things we’ve ever seen on the internet – and that’s really saying something. But at times, it really helps to shine a light on truly awe inspiring places that most people would otherwise never even hear about. That’s certainly the case with Vostok island, which people on the internet have been focusing on recently. The uninhabited island is found in the Pacific Ocean and it’s become the subject of much speculation over recent times. But why are people suddenly obsessed with this random island in the middle of nowhere? Well, it’s because the way it’s presented on Google Earth, it looks like the island is “hollow”. Taking an initial look on there, it does look like the island could contain a deep lake or another unusual landform. However, it’s pretty common for areas to be blocked out on Google Earth for a number of reasons. Sometimes, the site just doesn’t have access to different places, or people have requested places to be removed. In the years since it first appeared on Google Earth, there have been all kinds of conspiracies surrounding the Island. Over more recent times, though, it’s become more and more clear that there’s nothing that mysterious about Vostok – and no, it’s not hollow. In fact, it’s part of the Republic of Kiribati, and it’s a remote haven for nature lovers. It’s still a relatively obscure island, given its location, but one National Geographic video does show a diver discussing the idyllic conditions among the island’s coral reefs. Strange things do, though, continue to fascinate people on Google Earth. From mysterious "pyramids” in Antarctica to a "UFO" near the home of Harry and Meghan, there's plenty for conspiracy theorists to get excited about. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

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It might sound more like the kind of idle daydream billionaires like Elon Musk would have, but could flooding the Sahara actually be the best way of tackling climate change in the future? The idea of creating a new “sea” in Africa is being discussed, and it’s not the first time that the notion of a great oasis in the Sahara has been discussed among the scientific community. As the ongoing climate crisis continues to worsen, the notion of flooding vast areas of the desert is being returned to once again [via IFL Science]. A new “sea” was first proposed following the study of the Messinian salinity crisis – which saw a dried-out area of the Mediterranean rejuvenated by the Zanclean flood, reconnecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean around 5.33 million years ago. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Given how the Mediterranean was transformed by the flood, the idea of flooding the Sahara to achieve similar results has been thrown around in the scientific community as far back as 1877, the Scottish engineer Donald McKenzie suggested flooding the El Djouf basin in Western Africa. The idea is now returning to popularity as the world looks for solutions to the climate crisis. One proposal centres on the Middle East’s Dead Sea and flooding the area using water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea Depression. A vast sea in Africa could represent a hugely innovative step towards tackling climate change and fostering a new hub of life – but even the people suggesting work such a project acknowledge just how expensive and dangerous it is. Even Y Combinator is a US startup accelerator who has described “desert flooding” as “risky, unproven, even unlikely to work”. Only time will tell whether the notion of a new sea in the Sahara coud ever work, or whether it’ll remain the stuff of dreams. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 24, 2023--

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