Viral World: What caught fire on the internet this week
From Downton Abbey 'performing' One Direction to Google Glass and London in motion
OUR weekly round-up of the crème de le crème of the web – from memes to videos to blogs. Readers with suggestions for next week's round-up should contact Dina Rickman at The Week.
ONE ABBEYThis video cuts footage from ITV's Downton Abbey to make the cast 'perform' One Direction's What Makes You Beautiful. It has to be seen to be believed:
BLOG ALL ABOUT ITEver thought you had a great idea for a blog? So have these people, whose online musings about what would make a good 'Tumblr'' blog (sample:“I'm gonna start a Tumblr called 'Pictures of people taking pictures of hipsters taking pictures of food'") have been collected on their very own page:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'I AM GAY AND JESUS LOVES ME'Footage taken secretly by a commuter of an anonymous man shouting down an anti-gay preacher on the New York City subway received over 600,000 views on YouTube. "I'm a man," the preacher is told in the video. "And I'm a good man. And I'm a gay man and Jesus loves me! Jesus loves me!".
LONDON IN MOTIONEvery day 16 million transactions are made by 3.1 million Londoners using Oyster cards. This captivating animation, by transport planner Jay Gordon, tracks them all:
GOOGLE GLASSGoogle has given the world a sneak preview of how its much-anticipated smart glasses will work. A video uploaded to YouTube shows Google Glass in action, with wearers flying aeroplanes, sculpting ice, playing with children and even performing on the trapeze:
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'This needs to be a bigger deal'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Investigation into 'oldest ever dog' award
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
MrBeast: benevolent YouTuber facing monster backlash
Why Everyone’s Talking About YouTuber has courted controversy after paying to restore the sight of 1,000 people
By Sorcha Bradley Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Massage apps, social media copyright and a tropical disease
podcast Are home massage services putting users at risk? Is YouTube’s copyright system fit for purpose? And how has a tropical disease been almost completely eradicated?
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Seeing stars, prescribing comedy and decriminalising drugs
podcast What will the James Webb Telescope accomplish? Why is the NHS sending people to comedy courses? And are drugs laws about to change in the British capital?
By The Week Staff Published
-
‘The fight against far-right extremism doesn’t start with classics written in a past society’
Instant Opinion Your digest of analysis and commentary from the British and international press
By The best columns Published
-
Movie mogul’s £6m London mansion collapses during ‘iceberg’ basement work
Speed Read Chelsea property belonged to the family of late executive Arthur Abeles
By Chas Newkey-Burden Last updated
-
Cathedral livestreams memorial service for stray cat
Speed Read And other stories from the stranger side of life
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Stressed zoo elephants to be given cannabis in new trial
Speed Read And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Last updated