Stunning photos of the Olympic mural that might break records in Rio.
It's a vibrant representation of unity.
Turns out, you don't have to be an athlete to break records in Rio during the Olympics.
Eduardo Kobra. Photo by Christophe Simone/Getty Images.
World-renowned street artist Eduardo Kobra may soon break one of his own with the 30,000-square-foot mural he painted on the Olympic Boulevard in Rio.
All you have to do is see a part of it to know why it's such a feat:
Part of Kobra's mural in Rio. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images.
It's so big, the whole thing won't even fit in one photo.
The mural is about 50 feet tall and 620 feet long, and it took Kobra three months to complete.
GIF via Emerson Oliveira/YouTube.
It's called "Etnias," which is Portuguese for "ethnicities" — a fitting title considering the multicultural event it's honoring.
Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images.
“We’re living through a very confusing time with a lot of conflict. I wanted to show that everyone is united,” Kobra told Rio2016 News.
Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images.
He achieved this unifying effect by beautifully painting the faces of indigenous people from five continents around the world on the building's facade.
Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images.
Now it looks like Kobra will snag a much-sought accolade for his hard work: a world record for the largest mural painted by one artist.
Kobra painting "Etnias." Photo by Christophe Simone/Getty Images.
Kobra had assistance from four guest artists to complete the mural, but if his work makes the grade, the mural will surpass the current record holder — Mexican artist Ernesto Rocha's mural — by over 5,505 square feet. That's almost double the size, people. This guy is in it to win it.
Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images.
You might recognize Kobra's signature style if you've visited one of 20 countries where his murals appear, including the U.S., Russia, the U.K., Brazil, Japan, Switzerland, France, Greece, and Italy.
Kobra got his start painting murals for the police ... after they arrested him.
Kobra grew up in Sao Paulo but loved graffiti far more than going to class. After getting expelled, he was arrested for vandalizing property, but the judge was so impressed with his work that he sentenced him to continue it on the wall of the police station.
You know what they say: From humble beginnings come great things. Kobra is no exception.
A photo posted by Eduardo Kobra 🇧🇷 (@kobrastreetart) on
Photo by AFP/Getty Images.
Mural em Andamento em Tokyo / Work in Progress Tokyo #kobra #eduardokobra #Tokyo #riodejaneiro #rio
A photo posted by Eduardo Kobra 🇧🇷 (@kobrastreetart) on
Kobra's murals bring vibrant life wherever they appear. As such, his mural in Rio is the perfect complement to the Olympic walkway, where visitors from all over the world come together to cheer on their athletes.
Whether it breaks the record or not, Kobra's unifying artwork has already earned bragging rights.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."