NATURE

Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers

2011-06-14T04:11:00.000-07:00

Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers

While most Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers are relatively harmless to humans a few do contain strong toxic substances producing quite severe effects. One of these Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers is the stinging anemone (Actinodendron plumosum), a blue-grey to light brown animal which can look somewhat like a fir tree.Found under boulders and coral, red bristle worms have numerous fine needle-like bristles which break off when they have become embedded in the skin, causing severe irritation.Although Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers are one of the safest animals on the reef to touch, the numerous white Cuvierian tubules, which some eject when irritated, contain a toxin which can cause blindness if it comes into contact with the eyes. This toxin may also be present on the skin so you should wash your hands after handling these creatures.

Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers

Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers Although known widely as stinging or fire corals, these organisms are, in fact, colonial animals (Millepora sp) more closely related to hydroids.Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers having a hard coral-like skeleton, they vary in form from large upright sheets and blades to branching, finger-like 'antlers' with a yellow-green to brown colour.Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers Effects and treatment are similar to hydroid stings

.Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers are sharp spines of this creature are covered with a thin venomous skin which, if introduced into any wound can cause nausea, vomiting and swelling. Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers Spines may also break off and remain embedded.Looking like feathery plants, and sometimes referred to as fireweed, hydroids are actually colonies of animals equipped with strong stinging cells (nematocysts) used to capture prey and for defence. Some species can give quite severe stings causing inflammation, swelling and pain lasting up to a week. Effects may sometimes be more severe.Divers are particularly prone to brushing against hydroids. Two species to avoid are this white, fine feathery one and the denser yellow/brown type. They can be found in fairly shallow reef areas and on structures such as wharfs.

Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers

Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers recognized as one of the greatest marine hazards, box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri)Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers kill more people than sharks, crocodiles and stonefish combined.Each year, in late summer, the adult box jellyfish spawn at river mouths before dying. The fertilised Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers eggs become tiny polyps which attach themselves to rocks in estuaries. In spring these polyps develop into little swimming Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers jellyfish which migrate down rivers, especially with rains, to feed on shrimp. Unfortunately, they frequent beaches which humans also find attractive. Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers the animal does not actively hunt, relying on food to bump into its tentacles. Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers a struggling shrimp might tear a delicate jellyfish, so it needs to be killed instantly, on contact,Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers with a very strong poison.Tentacles, up to 60 in number and reaching 5m in length, are arranged in four groups at the corners of a box-shaped bell which can be as large as a basketball. The tentacles are armed with up to 5 000 million stinging cells known as nematocysts. These are triggered into action when stimulated by certain chemicals found on the surface of fish, shellfish and humans. Contact with just 3m of tentacles can kill an adult.
Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers recent studies have shown that the box jellyfish is able to see through four eyes, one at the centre of each side of the bell. How it processes this information without a brain is still a mystery but the animal is able to avoid even quite small objects. They probably try to avoid humans in the water, if given the chance; stings usually occur when people blunder into them.Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers (They are almost invisible in the water.) It is certainly in the interest of the jellyfish to avoid turtles which eat them, apparently unaffected by the stings.
Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers another box jellyfish, Chiropsalmus quadrigatus, is generally less common than Chironex fleckeri, although it may outnumber them on Cairns to Port Douglas beaches. It is smaller, with slimmer tentacles, but the two are difficult to tell apart.Sea Anemones and Sea Cucumbers there are about 20 species, worldwide, in the Cubozoa, or box jellyfish, family, Chironex fleckeri is the most lethal member.

courtesy by http://web.utah.edu/umed/students/clubs/international/presentations/dangers.html#SEA_ANENOME

The Psychology of Traveling

2011-05-23T02:31:00.000-07:00

The 21^st century is ready to be called the CENTURY OF TRAVEL. The form of travel in the past centuries was different but always present in one form or another. First it was to discover other lands to settle, than it was wars to capture other lands that seemed greener and fertile. The new discoveries speeded up the act of traveling and the desire of learning about new cultures, customs, and cuisine become so strong that traveling became a second nature for the citizens of the world. Regardless of the effects of the climate change, lack of security in certain destinations, the desire to travel grew. The world and its citizens wanted to come closer and know each other better.

This desire to travel exceeded its boundaries in itself and tourism became a force that can and could shape the future economic growth of the nations. The economic value of tourism grew with the increase of travel and started molding the social, economic, diplomatic relations and behavior of the nations. Distances came closer with fast trains, good roads, luxury cruises, and comfortable, wide-bodied aircraft. Travel/Tourism industry became the fastest-growing economic sector in the world. The new excitement and craze was Traveling to unexplored regions, living unexpected experiences. Tourism became the new ism of this century, with dedicated followers of this travel cult.

When traveling your dimensions change, you jump into a totally different time zone. The hurries and worries can be left behind. There is hope in traveling of reaching to a destination that might change your life and bring unexpected happiness and pleasures making the life endurable. It is as if escaping from ones own prison. Freedom, mystery, challenge, fright, fulfillment are some of the defining words of travel that has given life to tourism.

21^st century is definitely the century of travel bringing prosperity to nations through the power of tourism that is and will shape further the future of nations that have the capacity to serve the demands of the traveling humans in all levels and situations.

courtesy by http://ftnnews.com/news-home/mice-corner/12628-the-psychology-of-traveling.html

Space for Nature

2011-05-19T06:07:00.000-07:00

In September 2009 Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Rt. Hon Hilary Benn MP announced a review of England’s wildlife sites and ecological network. The ‘Space for Nature’ review panel, chaired by Professor Sir John Lawton, is exploring whether England’s collection of wildlife areas represents a coherent and robust ecological network that will be capable of responding to the challenges of climate change and other pressures. The review panel is currently gathering evidence and is due to report by June 2010.

In February ENPAA was formally invited to contribute written evidence to the review. You can read our response here. We believe that National Parks provide an ideal opportunity to develop a more comprehensive approach to biodiversity conservation that will sustain and enhance the important habitats found within them. The approach that we advocate would provide better links through habitat networks both within National Parks, and beyond their boundaries. Our response also contains a number of case studies outlining projects that National Park Authorities are already involved in to link and extend habitat networks.

courtesy by http://www.nationalparks.gov.uk/enpaa/whatsnew/space_for_nature-2.htm

DEEP SEA NATURE

2011-05-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

Deep Sea Fishing - A 10 Point Article On The Exciting Pastime

There's nothing like deep sea nature fishing! First, there's the solitude and peace you find when you're out in the ocean with your best buds. Then there's the mental game, the strategy of finding, baiting, and winning the prize. It's a challenge where success can truly change the life of the fisherman. And failure is no failure at all - you've still had hours of peaceful, glorious communion with the mother of deep sea nature, the mysterious ocean.

If you're thinking of doing some deep sea nature fishing, there are a few things you should know before you go:

1. Grow sea legs!

The quickest way to spoil a deep sea fishing adventure is sea sickness. It's a form of motion sickness, dominated by nausea, vomiting, and vertigo. To avoid sea sickness, stay away from the boat fumes. Keep your eyes on the horizon as much as possible, and stay on deck. Below deck, the constant motion can overcome you. If it gets really bad, move to the center of the boat where rolling is at a minimum. Or lie down on your back and close your eyes until you have your bearings. Most of all, breathe lots of fresh air - a substance in abundance on the deck of the boat.

2. Read the sea signs

Birds like seagulls feast on small fishes, as do larger game fishes. So birds are a good indicator that your prey lies below. Watch for floating wood and debris. Small fish find shelter there, so the big guys won't be far away.

3. Snoop for Snook

The Snook is a big fish with a protruding lower jaw and large black stripes running from behind the gills to the tail. They're a strong fish that can grow up to 50 pounds. Ranging in the Western Atlantic from South Carolina to Brazil, snook are a thrill to catch. Live shrimp are the best bait to use when you're deep sea fishing for snook. Look around ledges, posts, and rocks to find this catch.

4. Moon the Crabs

Soft imitation crabs are a great bait during full moons. In nature, that's when they shed their shells, when they're a favorite treat for striped bass.

5. Find the dolphin, find the tuna

Yellowfin tuna often school with dolphins, porpoises, whales, and whale sharks. So if you spot a group of any of these, there are likely to be some tuna nearby. Found in tropical and sub-tropical waters, yellowfin are a prize catch due to their speed and strength. They're a challenging catch that's delicious too.

6. Burn the braid

Deep sea fishers use spiderwire because it's like a spider's web - it's easier to feel when a fish takes the bait. But sometimes, it's hard to cut. If you're having trouble cutting a spiderwire braid, try burning it with the flame of a lighter or match.

7. Seek the reef

The best place to find the best deep sea fish is near a reef. Many coastal cultures get up to 25% of their food from reefs. Reefs are natural nurseries for many ocean species, and wherever the tiny ones live, the big ones search. Another plus is the great diversity of species you'll find near a reef.

8. The Circle Hook

Circle hooks are widely used by deep sea fishers. They're a type of fishing hook that is circular, sharply curved. The circle hook has a greater success rate at hooking fish, and it does less damage to gills and fins. So, if you want to catch and throw back, you're more likely to help your catch survive the adventure.

9. Don't be dragged down by your anchor

Eventually, most deep sea nature fishing will involve an anchor stuck at the ocean floor or on debris. There are several tricks you can try to retrieve that anchor. Try attaching a float to it, then wait until the tide flow changes direction. It may well float up with the tide. If you're worried about time, an anchor line that is straight up and down is more likely to loose the anchor than one at an angle. If it's really stuck, have everyone aboard move to one end of the boat. Changing the weight distribution may well pull that anchor loose or make it easier to pull up. Finally, it's a good idea to carry an extra anchor. If you have to cut one off to free yourself, you'll have a replacement at hand.

10. Catching bait is catching game

If you're intent on catching your own live bait, remember that you're likely to find game fish in the same area. After all, the big ones will be after the same bait you are.

Abhishek is an avid Fishing enthusiast and he has got some great Fishing Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 116 Page Ebook, "Fishing Mastery!" from his website http://www.Fishing-Masters.com/772/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.
courtesy by : http://EzineArticles.com/1662992

Space for Nature

2011-05-17T06:55:00.000-07:00

In February ENPAA was formally invited to contribute written evidence to the review. You can read our response here. We believe that National Parks provide an ideal opportunity to develop a more comprehensive approach to biodiversity conservation that will sustain and enhance the important habitats found within them. The approach that we advocate would provide better links through habitat networks both within National Parks, and beyond their boundaries. Our response also contains a number of case studies outlining projects that National Park Authorities are already involved in to link and extend habitat networks.
courtesy by http://www.nationalparks.gov.uk/enpaa/whatsnew/space_for_nature-2.htm

Wildlife Nature

2011-05-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

nature under the water

2011-05-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

2011-05-02T23:25:00.001-07:00

The Nature of Space and Time: An Evening of Speculation

2011-05-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

The Nature of Space and Time: An Evening of Speculation

2011-05-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

What is space? What is time? And how do we fit into it all? These are questions not only for physicists and mathematicians, but also for philosophers and theologians. The John Templeton Foundation has gathered together just such an eclectic mix of people for a public discussion entitled The Nature of Space and Time: An Evening of speculation to be held at Emmanuel College in Cambridge on the 7th of September 2006. The discussion panel for the evening comprises some very eminent names indeed: mathematician and Fields medallist Professor Alain Connes, Rev. Dr. Michael Heller from the Vatican Observatory, mathematicians Professor Shahn Majid and Sir Roger Penrose and theologian and physicist Rev. Dr. John Polkinghorne.

A black hole at the centre of a galaxy. To understand what happens at the centre of black holes one needs a theory of quantum gravity. Image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, courtesy NASA, The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy and The Space Telescope Science Institute.

While we all have an intuitive understanding of space and time that is sufficient to get us through everyday life, when it comes to deeper questions about them one might expect to turn to physics. The two current fundamental theories of physics are general relativity and quantum mechanics. Whilst general relativity is extremely accurate for describing the universe on the macroscopic level and quantum mechanics similarly on the sub-atomic level, the two theories have never been united. Complications arise when one considers situations simultaneously involving both large mass scales and very small distance scales, currently described by general relativity and quantum mechanics respectively. In order to solve these problems, physicists have been searching for a theory combining the two — called quantum gravity — for several decades. Such a theory would not only give additional insight into how the universe began in the Big Bang, but also predict its ultimate fate.

There have been many efforts to formulate a theory of quantum gravity. Some of these take slightly modified but largely intact versions of general relativity and quantum mechanics and attempt to bring them together, whilst others, like string theory and the more modern M-theory, take different starting points, such as replacing fundamental particles by short bits of string. Although some progress seems to have been made, a complete unifying theory has so far proved elusive.

But whether they are complete or not, what do the existing theories tell us about the nature of space and time? Not much, according to some scientists. A particular failing of many current theories is that they make too many assumptions about the nature of space-time in their formulation: rather thanexplaining our intuitions of what space and time are, they take these intuitions as a starting point. Classical physics, for example, assumes both space and time to be continuous. In string theory space-time is assumed as an initial ingredient to be the multidimensional analogue of a smooth and continuous surface. In both cases, these properties of space and times are assumptions that go into the formulation of the theory, rather than a result of it. "The fundamental issue is that if space-time is to emerge from quantum gravity then it makes no sense to use our macroscopic intuitions about continuous space-time as a starting point," says panel member Shahn Majid, who is also organising a related research programme on noncommutative geometry at the Isaac Newton Institute in Cambridge.

The continuity of space-time is not the only intuitive concept that has been called into question. Even the seemingly simple notion of a point in space-time is far from straight-forward. In our everyday understanding of space-time, a point particle in it should be given by a number of coordinates; some of them describing its position in space and one describing its position in time. But one of the most fundamental assertions of quantum mechanics, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, says that, at a tiny scale, it is impossible to measure both the spatial position of a particle and its momentum with arbitrary accuracy. If time is to be part of the quantum theory then one can expect the same problem as for momentum: the more accurate your measurement of spatial information, the less accurate your measurement of information concerning time and vice versa. Thus, the idea of a point in space-time — an entity specified by coordinates — is, in a sense, meaningless.

So it can be argued that a unified theory of quantum gravity needs to rid itself of many of the classical notions of space-time from the outset. To do this, it needs a far more general mathematical theory of space-time and even of space — in other words of geometry &mdash than the one we learn about at school. A prime candidate for such a theory, according to Shahn Majid, is what is called noncommutative geometry.

The universe at a large scale. Image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, courtesy B. Mobasher ( The Space Telescope Science Institute and The European Space Agency) and NASA.

Noncommutative geometry takes an algebraic approach to understanding space. Algebra is something that also enters classical geometry: given a space, we can describe lines, planes and other surfaces in it by algebraic equations, and we can define functions which take points in the space as their input. The algebraic properties of these equations and functions can encode the properties of the space they are based on.

Noncommutative geometry, like classical algebraic geometry before it, works only with the algebraic features of the underlying space, whatever that space may be. Some particular algebraic properties of classical geometry that have to do with the laws of commutation are missing in the algebra of noncommutative geometry, giving it its name and making it far more general than its classical counterpart. Crucially, it does away with the notion of a point and the assumption of continuity in the conventional sense. "It could be the right setting for its own, and perhaps correct, approach to quantum gravity," says Shahn Majid, "it does not assume either a continuum or a discrete space as its input, but can include both as special cases."

Even as a purely mathematical theory, noncommutative geometry is not yet fully explored. And results from this mathematical research may tell us things about the properties of a quantum gravity theory that may otherwise not be obvious — an interesting interplay between pure maths and physics. "The possibilities within noncommutative geometry at a mathematical level provide constraints on what the unknown theory of full quantum gravity can be. The geometry's own internal consistencies can be a guide to the deeper unknown theory. It's what I call the algebraic approach to quantum gravity," says Majid.

At this point you may be wondering what the general public could possibly contribute to such a technical and mathematical debate. Quite a lot, according to Majid, since the physics and maths still fall short of answers to the deeper questions: "Without quantum gravity we do not have honest answers to these questions. If one does not know what time is, then what does it mean to exist (which usually means at some moment in time)? What is existence? And what about free will? At this point we can hope to have a very broad debate involving theologians, philosophers and the general public. Personally I think that theoretical physics can only go so far with its current ideology and methods, we actually need some completely fresh angles to make progress."

So if you think that you have something to contribute, or simply want to listen in on the debate, you can register online now. Admission is also free on the door but capacity is limited. And since no-one has yet developed a working time machine I would recommend registering in case they run out of space.

courtesy by http://plus.maths.org/content/nature-space-and-time-evening-speculation

NATURE ART

2011-04-08T16:57:00.000-07:00

NATURE HAVE MANY FACE'S OF DIFFERENT ART

NATURE TRAVEL

2011-03-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

SEE THE BEAUTIFUL NATURE

NATURE TARVEL

2011-03-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

NATURE FOUND A WAY TO TRAVEL

NATURE TRAVELING

2011-03-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

NATURE TRAVELING

2011-03-21T07:23:00.001-07:00

NATURE TRAVELING

2011-03-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

BEAUTIFUL WALLPAPER

2011-03-19T01:55:00.001-07:00

Galaxies Nature

2011-03-19T01:40:00.000-07:00

“A large galaxy usually has a central, compact massive object, termed a relativistic black hole for want of a better idea of what it is, that can produce great bursts of energy. When the black hole is surrounded by a cloud of old stars — the ‘bulge’ of the host galaxy — its mass is a few per cent of the mass of the bulge. This relationship, observed for black-hole masses ranging from about 1 million to 1,000 million solar masses, suggests that black holes and bulges evolved together. Other large, spiral-shaped galaxies have black holes of respectable mass (1 million to 100 million solar masses) and no perceptible bulge. How these bulgeless, or pure-disk, spirals and their black holes formed?” P. James E. Peebles (Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, US), “Astrophysics: How galaxies got their black holes,” Nature 469: 305–306, 20 January 2011,News & Views on John Kormendy, R. Bender & M. E. Cornell, “Supermassive black holes do not correlate with galaxy disks or pseudobulges,” Nature 469: 374–376, 20 January 2011, and John Kormendy & Ralf Bender, “Supermassive black holes do not correlate with dark matter haloes of galaxies,” Nature 469: 377–380, 20 January 2011.

“Most of the mass in galaxies does not exist in the form of stars but in a halo of dark matter (matter different from the hydrogen and heavier elements of which we and the stars are made). There is a substantial literature on the elegant idea that dark matter controls the size of the central black hole, but Kormendy and Bender show that this cannot be so. The nearby bulgeless spiral galaxy M101 (figure above) illustrates the situation: if M101 has a central black hole, its mass must be tiny relative to that of the black holes of other spirals with similar dark-matter haloes. There are roughly equal numbers of nearby large galaxies with and without bulges. For example, the galaxy next to ours, M31, has a prominent bulge and a black-hole mass close to 100 million solar masses, whereas our Galaxy, which has a similar dark-matter halo, is bulgeless, and the black-hole mass is only a few per cent of that in M31.

“Bulges and their black holes seem to be a natural consequence of structure formation in the hot Big Bang theory of the expanding Universe. According to this theory, galaxies grew by gravitational assembly of matter into clumps that gathered into larger clumps, and so on to galaxies. In galaxies with bulges, including ellipticals, which have bulges and no disks, the mass of the central black hole correlates not only with the mass of the bulge, but also, as Kormendy, Bender and Cornell note, with the average spread of velocities of the bulge stars (see Fig. a, above). The plausible explanation is that the growth of bulge and black hole may have controlled each other. Moreover, the mass distribution in a spiral galaxy varies smoothly from its outer, dark-matter-dominated parts to its inner parts, where the mass in stars is important. The dark matter seems to have had a strong influence on the formation of the spiral galaxy’s disk of gas, stars and dust — but not on the formation of the central black hole.”

courtesy by http://francisworldinsideout.wordpress.com/2011/01/19/peebles-in-nature-how-galaxies-got-their-black-holes/

Stars Nature

2011-03-18T00:25:00.000-07:00

Stars - An Overview

The Nature of Stars

Our Sun is an average star. Like all stars, it is a large sphere of gas held together by gravity. Stars generate heat and light through nuclear fusion. This process combines hydrogen that was already present in the Universe at early times into helium. In more massive stars, further fusion reactions convert the helium into carbon, then oxygen, then silicon. Everything we see is made from the elements created in massive stars, including our own bodies. Stars are huge factories producing the materials that make up the Universe we see around us today.

Sizes of Stars

Our Sun is approximately 1.4 million km in diameter, but its size will change throughout its lifetime as it evolves. We can only compare stellar sizes at similar evolutionary stages.

White Dwarf stars can be one thousand times smaller than our Sun, whilst Red Giant stars can be over one hundred times larger. That means that stellar sizes cover a range of (approximately) 1,400 km to 1,400,000,000 km in diameter.

The white dwarf stars are circled. They are much smaller than the other Main Sequence stars in the image.

Colours and temperatures

When glancing up at the night sky, stars all appear to be white in colour but when viewed through binoculars or a telescope their colours vary. Redder stars such as Betelgeuse (right) in the constellation of Orion are cooler than the Sun, with surface temperatures of about 2000K.Others stars appear blue, such as Sirius, the Dog Star. Sirius has a surface temperature of around 15000K. Our Sun is an average yellow star, with a surface temperature of about 6000K.

This relationship between colour and temperature can be demonstrated in the following thought experiment:

Imagine placing a poker in a fire and leaving it to heat up. When it is first removed from the fire, it may be so hot that it glows with a bright orange - yellow colour. But as it cools, the colour changes, at first to bright red, then getting dimmer until eventually becoming black. If we were able to heat the poker to a higher temperature, we would see it turn "white hot", then begin to glow green, and eventually the tip would be so hot that it would turn blue. (Of course in reality the metal would have melted by this point!). This is the same effect as seen in stars. The very dim red stars are cooler objects - some are so cool that they are visible only in infrared which lies below visible red in the spectrum. Hotter objects have colours closer to the blue, short wavelength end of the spectrum, and very hot stars can be seen at even shorter wavelengths such as ultraviolet, or even x-ray energies.

courtesy by http://www.le.ac.uk/ph/faulkes/web/stars/r_st_overview.html

Nature Travels

2011-03-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

Nature Travels

2011-03-17T06:46:00.000-07:00

Nature Travels

2011-03-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

TRAVELING SPACE NATURE

2011-03-15T06:42:00.002-07:00

TRAVELING SPACE NATURE

2011-03-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

TRAVELING SPACE NATURE

2011-03-15T06:41:00.002-07:00