#potassa

Potash Evaporation ponds

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Potash is a high potassium compound that's a major ingredient in fertilizers.

The bright colors of these potash evaporation ponds come from an artificially added dye that aids the absorption of sunlight and evaporation. Once the potassium and salts are left behind, they are gathered and sent off for processing.

To extract potash from the ground, workers drill wells into the mine and pump hot water down to dissolve the potassium. The resulting brine is pumped out of the wells to the surface and fed to the evaporation ponds. The sun evaporates the water, leaving behind crystals of potassium and other salt. This evaporation process typically takes about 300 days.

Source: amusing planet

lungo la vecchia aurelia - © 2015 Matteo M. Santoni

Studio 54 (254 W. 54th St. NY) 

The world's most legendary nightclub, despite it's short history from 1977-1981.

And you thought the bouncers you've encountered were picky—in the late 1970s, the individuals working the door at 54 could make or break your entire social standing. If you passed through the velvet ropes, you were royalty, one of the anointed. But if you didn't... Well, those who didn't make the cut became quickly desperate. Stories of potential patrons tearing off unapproved clothing are common. Some folks even tried to sneak into Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager's iconic play place via the air ducts. 

Michael Jackson, Calvin Klein, Andy Warhol and Jack Nicholson are among the endless list of music, fashion, art, and Hollywood heavy hitters that paid visits to this be-all and end-all of nightspots, free-flowing drugs and wild orgies reigning supreme. The space was infamous for its "rubber room," where all surfaces were covered with rubber, allowing any fluids to be more easily wiped away.

Say what you want about the spot, but it's hard to fathom a nightclub that's generated more discussion (or bitterness) in history.