Coolest Nature

Desert Marigold OR Baileya multiradiata

2010-04-08T00:27:00.000-07:00

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Baileya multiradiata

Common Name: Desert Marigold

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual, Biennial, Perennial

Growth Habit: Herb/Forb

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Desert, Upland

Flower Color: Yellow disks and rays

Flowering Season: Spring, Summer, Fall

Height: To 18 inches (46 cm) tall

Description: The flower heads are up to 2 inches (5 cm) across and have multiple, stacked layers of toothed rays. The leaves are alternate, narrowly oval in shape, and pinnately-lobed. Both the leaves and the stems are woolly and grayish in color. The very similarB. pleniradiata has smaller flower heads with fewer rays, mostly cauline (stem) leaves and only shallowly-lobed floral rays, while B. multiradiata has mostly basal leaves and distinctly lobed floral rays.

Desert Marigold wildflower seeds are available, and if given some supplemental water during dry periods, this attractive plant has an amazingly long blooming season.

Special Characteristics

Butterfly Plant – The flowers attract butterflies.

Poisonous – This plant is believed to contain Hymenoxon (a sesquiterpene lactone) and is reported to be toxic to livestock.

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants

Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants

Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants

Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants

Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons

Subclass: Asteridae

Order: Asterales

Family: Asteraceae – Aster family

Genus: Baileya Harv. & A. Gray ex A. Gray – desert marigold

Species: Baileya multiradiata Harv. & A. Gray ex A. Gray – desert marigold

A Brief Study On Firefly

2010-04-08T00:02:00.000-07:00

Fireflies or Lightning Bugs are soft-bodied beetles in the Lampyridae Family best known for their glowing and flashing bioluminescence (emission of cold light by a living organism as a result of a chemical reaction). Here in the Americas, the adult males are the ones seen flying about and flashing as they watch for the answering flash or glow of a sedentary female waiting on the ground below. Along with the bioluminescent larvae of a few other beetle and fly species, the glowing, bioluminescent larvae of fireflies are known as Glow Worms. The females of some firefly species look very similar to the larvae and are known as larviform females.

Firefly larvae are predatory and will capture and eat other invertebrates, including snails and slugs. Some adult female fireflies are predators of adult male fireflies of other species. These predatory females will mimic the flashes of other firefly species in order to lure in the unsuspecting males.

There are thousands of species of firefly, and they are found throughout much of the World in both tropical and temperate areas. I captured this particular male firefly (or luciérnaga as it is called in Spanish) above early one foggy evening in Alajuela, Costa Rica. The glowing male firefly flew right in front of me, and I reached out and captured him unharmed in my hand. I carefully took the captured firefly back to my hotel room and put him in a plastic container so that I could photograph him.

Like other beetles, fireflies have two pairs of wings. The hindwings are used for flight, while the forewings or elytra are hardened and function as protective wing covers. This male firefly was extremely anxious to escape captivity and resume his search for a female, and he kept flying around in the plastic container looking for a way out.

Fireflies are elongated in shape and their wing covers are often striped in varying shades of black and brown. Although they have large eyes for good nocturnal vision, their eyes are usually only visible from the side or from below because their head is concealed beneath their red, pink, or orange-marked pronotum.

Occasionally, a firefly will stretch out its head and peek out from under its pronotum, probably to glimpse what lies above it.

The last two or three abdominal segments on a male firefly are a pale yellowish to whitish color, and it is here where the luciferase-catalyzed reaction occurs between luciferin and oxygen to produce light. Although the most typical color for firefly light is a luminous yellow-green, the various species of fireflies can also produce green, yellow, orange, and red light. This particular male firefly's aerial light display was a double flash of brilliant orange light. Unfortunately, he refused to flash for the camera while he was trapped in the container, so I don't have any pictures of his orange bioluminescence.

After I had taken a number of photos of him, I ventured back out into the foggy night and let him go in a grassy garden area away from artificial lighting. Happy to regain his freedom, he quickly climbed up a blade of grass and took flight when he reached the tip.

He began flashing as he flew past my head and soon disappeared into the foggy darkness on his renewed quest to find a female firefly.

Desert Cottontail

2010-04-07T23:57:00.000-07:00

Every morning when I scatter birdseed on the ground for the quail and other birds, several Desert Cottontails (Sylvilagus audubonii) are lurking nearby, watching and waiting. These Desert Cottontails have become quite tame, and they eagerly hop out from under the large agave where they like to hide and come right up to me to be the first to get some of the birdseed.

Besides birdseed, Desert Cottontails also love grass and can often be seen grazing on lawns or golf courses early in the morning. These desert rabbits are commonly called Cottontails because their short tails look like fluffy, white cotton balls.

Desert Cottontails are an important prey species here in the Sonoran Desert, and their predators include large hawks, Great Horned Owls, Bobcats, and Coyotes. When chased by a predator like a dog or Coyote, Desert Cottontails will zigzag back and forth through the bushes as they run away and then dive for cover and hide there motionless. In dense desert vegetation, this confuses canines which tend to only be able to follow fleeing prey running in a straight line. Because Desert Cottontails don't have a strong odor and canine eyes are sensitive only to motion and not fine detail, a motionless Desert Cottontail can often escape detection. Of course, all it takes is one mistake by a Desert Cottontail and it's someone's meal.

The Natural Dying Process

2010-02-15T20:15:00.000-08:00

When a person enters the final stages of death and two different dynamics at work that are closely related and consistent. Therefore, as you seek to prepare yourself, because this approach, and members of care team, your shelter, I want you to know what to expect and how to respond in a way that could help a loved one accomplish this transition with support and understanding and easy. This is a great gift of love that you offer your beloved because this approach for a while.

Dynamics of two

On the material and the body begins the process of closure, which will end when all the physical systems cease and function. Typically, this is a series of gradual and orderly stimuli and non-physical are not medical emergencies requiring invasive interventions. These physical changes are normal, natural way in which the body is preparing to stop and the types most appropriate responses are comfort enhancing measures.

Other dynamics for the dying process is at work on the spiritual and emotional mentally is another type of procedure. "Spirit" of the dying person begins the final process of release of the body, and its immediate environs, and all accessories. This release also tends to follow its own priorities, which include the solution of whatever is unfinished of a practical nature - from close relations of reconciliation and acceptance in a statement to "leave" from members of the family.These events are "normal, natural way in the Spirit, who is preparing to move from this materialistic - the world's presence in the next dimension of life. The most appropriate types of emotional responses to psychological spiritual evolution are those who support and encourage this release and transition.

When the body of a person is ready and wants to stop, but a person who has not yet been resolved, or not settled on some important issues or a meaningful relationship with some, and he or she will tend to linger on despite the weakness or very uncomfortable for the completion of everything that needs finishing. On the other hand, when a person is emotionally - spiritually - mentally resolved and ready for this release, but his body has not completed the process of the final material, people continue to live near a complete physical.

Experience we call death occurs when the body's natural process is accomplished for the closure and when the "spirit" of a natural process is completed to reflect the finishes. These processes must occur in a manner appropriate to the values and beliefs and lifestyle of the person will die, even death can occur following the publication of the Pacific.

And physical and spiritual signs of emotional, mental and symptoms of impending death which follow and offer to help you help you understand the kind of natural things that can happen and how it can react accordingly. Not all these signs and symptoms that occur with each person, and it does not occur in that particular order. Each person is unique and has been more characteristic of a loved one lived in the method will affect how close the final version arrives.

This is not the time to try to change any member of his family, but it is time to give full acceptance, support and comfort.

Signs and regular physical Symptoms with appropriate response

Coolness - and the hands of the person and then the arms, feet and legs May colder to the touch at a time, skin color has changed. This is a pointer and it is natural that the blood flow is reduced to the body and parts and is reserved for the most vital organs kept the person warm with a blanket, but do not use hedging heating.

Sleep - The person may spend an amount more time to sleep, seems to be silent and unresponsive. This change is the natural result of a large portion of changes in metabolism in the body. Sit with a loved one, and holding his hand does not shake or speak loudly, but speak calmly and naturally. Do not speak of a person in his presence. Tell him or her directly as you normally would, although there may be no answer.

Disorientation - and the person apparently a waste of time and place, and the identity of the people around him or her. This is also partly due to changes in metabolism. Identify yourself by name before speaking, rather than asking someone to guess who you are. Speak calmly, clearly and honestly, when you need to communicate something important for patient comfort, such as: "It is time to take the drugs," explaining why the connection, such as, "to do not start to hurt. " Do not use this method in an attempt to answer the patient to meet your needs.

Incontinence - Any person may lose control of urine and / or questions intestine and muscles in this region of the sense of security. Discussion with the Hospice nurse what can be done to protect the bed and keep your loved one clean and comfortable.

Insomnia - The person to calm down and repeated requests. This happens often, partly due to a decrease in oxygen circulation to the brain and metabolic changes. These changes also may temporarily change the characters. Does not interfere with or attempt to curb such requests. To have a calming effect, speak in a normal quiet, light massage the forehead, and read to that person, or do some soothing music.

Fluid and reduced food - Anyone who wants to start with food and little or no liquid. This means that the organization is to maintain the other functions in the field of energy that would be spent to address these issues. Do not try to force food or drink to the person, or attempt to use guilt to be used when eating or drinking a little. To reduce a person does a lot more uncomfortable.Small chips of ice or frozen juice Gatorade May refreshing in the mouth. Glycerin swabs may help keep the mouth and lips moist and comfortable. A damp towel and cool on the forehead may also increase physical comfort.

Reduced urine - and the person is generally lower urine production due to the reduction of fluid in the body, and a decrease in circulation through the kidneys. Consult your Hospice nurse to determine if it may be necessary to insert a catheter or irrigation.

Change the mode of breathing - and the average person breathe distinctive patter has changed with the beginning and another rhythm of breathing that alternate with periods of no breathing.That's what Cheney called the "Stokes" and symptoms are very common. It refers to a decrease in blood flow in the internal organs of the body. Raise the head in May to help bring comfort. Holding hands. Speak softly.

Natural spiritual emotional, mental - banners

Symptoms and appropriate responses

Withdrawal - and the person appears insensitive May, withdrawn or in a state similar to coma.This indicates preparation for release, and separated from its surroundings and relationships, and the beginning of "letting go". As each end of the session remain, and speak of a loved one in your normal tone of voice, identify yourself by your name when you speak, hold his hand and say what you mean to help the person, "let it slip away. "

List similar test - Any person may speak or claim to speak for people who are already dead.They may say they see or have seen places not accessible at present or visible to you. This does not refer to depression or drug response. This person is taking part with this life, and is currently preparing for the transition process, so it will not be afraid .. Do not contradict, explain, discuss or belittle what the person who claims to have seen or heard. Just because you can not see or hear that does not mean they are real for a loved one. Provide him or her expertise. It is natural and common. If a loved one has been frightened, and tells him or her to be normal

Insomnia - The person may perform repetitive tasks, and chest tightness. In part, this may show that the unsolved cases or something unfinished that concern, or her, and prevent them from letting go. Hospice of your team members will help you determine what may happen, and help you find ways to help the person find release from tension or fear. Among other things, that may be useful for calming the person are to recall a favorite place for your family enjoyed the experience preferred, read something comforting, play music and provide assurance that it is okay to let go of our hands.

Liquids and reduce food - and when you do not want or little food, and this May indicates that the person is ready to close final. You may help your loved one by giving permission to leave when he or she is ready for it. At the same time, we assure you of a relative of the current value for you and as you advance in your life that I received from him or her.

Decreased socialization - and permissible for a person just wants to be with very little or even a single person. It is a sign to prepare for the release of stress support is most needed to make the transition from the approach. If you were not part of the "inner circle" at the end, this does not mean you do not like or no importance. This means that you have fulfilled your task with him or her, and it is time to say "goodbye". If you're part of the final "inner circle", and loved one needs to affirm, support and permission.

Unusual Communications - Any person who provides what seems "out of character" is not required or statement or gesture of request. This indicates that it is ready to say "goodbye" and is "testing" to see if you're willing to let him go. Accept the time as a gift when it is displayed.Kiss, hug, and held, cry, and say what you need most to say.

Giving permission - permission to give a loved one go without making him or feel guilty about leaving or trying to keep him or her with you to meet your needs can be difficult. A person usually die in the attempt to take, even if it brings comfort to long periods of time to ensure that those who are left behind will go well. Therefore, your ability to liberate people die because of this concern and give him to ensure that everything is just starting when he or she is ready is one of the greatest gifts you must give your property loved at that time.

Say Goodbye - when a person is ready to die and I was able to leave, then it is time to say "goodbye". Saying "Goodbye" is your last gift of love for a loved one, because it achieves closure and makes the final release. May be useful to stay in bed with someone and it does not move, or take a hand and say everything you need to say this, then you never say to yourself: "Why not say this or that. "him or her.

May be as simple as saying: "I love you." It may include the story of your favorite memories, places and activities common to you. It could be said: "I'm sorry for what has contributed to any tension or difficulties in our relations." It may also be included, saying: "Thank you for ...." Tears are part of a normal and natural to say goodbye. Tears should not be hidden for a loved one or apologized. Tears express your love and help you let go of our hands.

How will you know when death has happened?

Signs of death are things like not breathing, heartbeat, release of bowel and bladder, no response, eyelids slightly open, eyes fixed on a certain spot, that is, extremism and jaw relaxed and mouth slightly open. Please contact the Office of the shelter at the time of death. There are calls that should be at the time by the staff of the Hospice.

The Hospice nurse will help you if necessary or desired. If you do not support is available by phone.

The body must be moved until you are ready. If the family is ready to assist in the preparation of the body by bathing or dressing, which may be made.

Thank you

Thank you for the palliative care in honor of your help to care for your loved one. We salute you for what you did to contain the care of a close understanding, provide a loved one with comfort and calm, and the emancipation of a loved one to leave this world a particular sense of peace and love.

You gave your beloved and one of the most wonderful gifts, beautiful and sensitive that we are able to man, and in the gift giving has provided a gift for yourself.

Natural Recourse Sharing For the Sake of Peace and Prosperity

2010-02-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

The anticipated Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI/”Peace Pipeline”) pipeline may end up running only through Iran/Pakistan as India backed out from the project last week says Muhammad Abbasi, Pakistani Ambassador to Iran. Delhi’s withdrawal comes simultaneously as the US pressures Islamabad to disengage from the multibillion dollar project set for completion in 2013. This adds to the list of obstacles IPI faced since it was conceptualized in the 1990’s. From international pressures, prolonged funding negotiations, to domestic insecurities and reservations, the pipeline has yet to begin construction. However, Pakistan stresses urgency in moving forward with construction in the face of alarming energy shortages :

Only 60% of households have electricity and 18% access to pipeline gas for heating. Energy demand is expected to increase 250% over the next 20 years. To meet expected demand, electrical generating capacity must grow by 50% from 20.4 gigawatts to 30.6 gigawatts by 2010

As a result, Islamabad works diligently to address the issue. President Zardari is dealing closely with the Chinese on hydel projects in underdeveloped areas of the north and this May, the 7.5 billion dollar deal allowing Iranian oil supplies to Pakistan was officially signed. It initially permits 30 million cubic meters of gas per day and later to 60 million whichgreatly begins to alleviate the energy crisis:

Pakistan’s domestic gas production is falling and import dependence growing tremendously. By connecting itself with the world’s 2nd largest gas reserve, Pakistan guarantees a reliable supply for decades. If the pipeline were to be extended to India it could also be an instrument for stability in often tense Pakistan-India relations. Under any scenario of pipeline expansion which makes Pakistan a transit state, Islamabad stands to gain from transit fees hundreds of millions of dollars every year.

Given such potential, it’s not surprising Pakistan is intent on moving forward with IPI regardless of pressure from D.C. Despite Special Envoy Holbrooke’s diplomatic suggestions that the United States might “link funds committed by the Democratic Friends of Pakistan” to their cooperation with Iran on IPI, foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi maintained Pakistan’s urgency:

“The gas pipeline construction agreement with Iran and Pakistan will by no means go under the U.S. pressures,”

But some experts insist that without American support to release funding and loan guarantees, financing of IPI will make the 2013 deadline unfeasible. This poses problems for Pakistan, and on the American front, there are differing concerns. HOping to maintain US authority and secure interests in the region, President Obama shifts starkly from the previous administration using more engagement and soft power with Iran. So American moves to work with the international community in economically choking Iran and ultimately eliciting behavior from Tehran are diminished as Iranian influence increases through international projects such as IPI. Hardline Bush Administration and more diplomatic Obama led policies are interesting yielding similar ends as Iran continues to expand trade and relations with the international community. This flouts hard, soft, all stances the United States takes in attempting to contain Tehran.

For instance, a vastly constructed pipeline running over 2,775 kilometers (1,725 miles)from the Persian Gulf in Iran, through Baluchistan to a port in Karachi and then north to New Delhi creates “an unbreakable long term political and economic dependence” of billions of people from Pakistan, to India and potentially extending to China.

The prospect of the entire subcontinent being “dependent” on Iran actually sounds alarming, but if we look at certain realities it’s perhaps far fetched. Firstly, any semblance of an actual dependence is most likely only applied to Pakistan given their current energy crisis, the cost effectiveness and efficiency of natural gas as opposed to developing LNG sources: India on the other handhas “two LNG terminals and will complete a third terminal by this year. Two additional terminals have also been proposed, and several companies are examining viability of constructing additional LNG import sites”. So Delih is far less likely to be entirely reliant on Tehran for natural gas because developments in LNG and civilian nuclear projects. Plus, India’s long, strong alliance with Russia allows for a convenient energy supplier to the north if need be. In fact, for Moscow IPI is an opportunity to quell thoughts that Tehran will compete in supplying natural gas to EU markets. Russia’s deputy energy minister explains:

“It is therefore in Russia’s interest to derail the Nabucco project by diverting Iran’s gas away from Europe and locking it to the Asian market. We are ready to join the project as soon as we receive an offer”

Thus a point of contention for Moscow and Washington. DC’s fears are further exacerbated by a potential of IPI eventually ensuring energy supplies to long standing Pakistani ally, China with shipments along the Karakoram Highway through future pipelines . The argument is that hopes of modifying Iranian behavior with economic pressures plus our mutual hedging with China suffers if IPI is constructed. Again, this relies on the assumption that billions of Indians and Chinese become “dependent” on Iranian gas supplies, which I find unlikely. Pakistan if anyone, is likely to become heavily reliant on those supplies in the next couple decades should IPI be executed as planned. Thus suggested solutions point to alternative pipelines that bypass Iran:

“A rival gas-pipeline project — the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) carrying gas from Daulatabad in Turkmenistan via Herat and Kandahar in Afghanistan to Multan in central Pakistan is one such alternative”

But this concept is contingent to a stable Afghanistan, which most experts indicate is not in the near future. Without stabilizing Afghanistan and given chilly relations with India, TAPI is not likely to move forward without overcoming numerous diplomatic and security obstacles. And Pakistan’s energy crisis doesn’t afford Islamabad time to wait for the international community to stabilize Afghanistan or warming relations with India.

Natural Disasters captured from Space

2010-01-31T09:50:00.000-08:00

Hurricane Ike -- September 13, 2008

As a category 2 Hurricane, it made landfall on Galveston, Texas on September 13, 2008. It is categorized as the third worst hurricane in US history.

Total fatalities : 195
Cost of Damage : USD 32 Billion

Natural Disasters captured from Space 1

2010-01-29T09:30:00.000-08:00

Satellites have been responsible for providing weather news for the past 50 years, and they heralded an era of global communication. From commercial communication satellites to spy satellites to weather satellites, they are awe inspiring in all forms. Natural disasters strike in many forms, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, avalanches and floods. Today, we present a portfolio of natural disasters as photographed from the Space.

Indian Ocean Tsunami of December 26, 2004

Horrific pictures of people running away from towering waves flashed across newspapers across the globe on Christmas 2004. An earthquake of magnitude 9.1 triggered the Tsunami which travelled from Indonesia to Somalia and Seychelles. The scale of destruction was massive and the videos of the tsunami were horrific.

Total fatalities : 230,000
Cost of Damage : exceeds USD 25 Billion

Hurricane Katrina -- August, 2005

It was not the strongest hurricane ever recorded, yet it was the costliest. The failure of the levee system in New Orleans led to widespread damage and loss of life. The rest as most of us know, is history.

Total fatalities : 2000+
Cost of Damage : USD 90.9 Billion

Katrina at Peak Intensity

Eyewall of Hurricane Katrina captured on August 28, 2005, from a NOAA WP-3D "Orion" Hurricane Hunter

Chandeleur Islands before and after Hurricane Katrina

Most Dangerous Volcanoes in the World

2010-01-28T08:46:00.000-08:00

Volcanoes are usually less dangerous than other natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes. But there is no good answer if you don’t limit it into a specific context, which volcano, Dangerous to what: people, property, etc.

Volcanoes have a serious of hazards like lava flows, ash fall, pyroclastic flows, and climate changes on a global scale that relate into different dangers or risks. The risks when visiting an active volcano depend on which risk zones of the volcano are visited and for how long.

Here are some of the most dangerous volcanos of the world.

Ojos del Salado Volcano

Ojos del Salado 6,893 meters is on Argentina-Chile border. It is the second highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere and the highest in Chile.

Llullaillaco Volcano

Llullaillaco 6,739 meters is also located on Argentina-Chile border. It lies in Atacama Desert, one of the driest places in the world. Llullaillaco is the second highest active volcano in the world,

Guallatiri Volcano

Guallatiri lies just west of the border with Bolivia and Chile. It is a symmetrical 6071 m high ice-clad stratovolcano.

Licancabur Volcano

Licancabur 5,920 meters is located on Bolivia-Chile Range Andes .The 70 by 90 meter crater lake at the summit is believed to be the highest lake in the world, and despite air temperatures of -30 °C it contains numerous living creatures.

Cotopaxi Volcano

Cotopaxi 5,897 meters is located in Ecuador. There have been more than 50 eruptions of Cotopaxi since 1738. Experts believe another eruption may come soon from this famous volcano.

San José Volcano

San José 5850 meters is located in Chile in the mountain Range Andes. Eruptions of San Jose Volcano occurred in years 1960, 1959, 1895-97, 1889-90, 1881, and 1838.

El Misti Volcano

El Misti is located in Peru. With its snow-capped, perfect cone, El Misti stands at 5,822 m and lies between the mountain Chachani and the volcano Pichu-Pichu. This impressive mountain is visible almost year-round, but especially during winter.

Antisana Volcano

Antisana 5,753 Meters is located in Ecuador. The village near it is unique in that the inhabitants cook over pits of magma, and are one of the only cultures to live without ovens.

Ubinas Volcano

Ubinas 5,672 meters located in Moquegua Region of Peru.It is the Peru’s most active volcano. Debris-avalanche deposits from the collapse of the SE flank of Ubinas extend 10 km from the volcano.

Lascar Volcano

Lascar 5,592 meters is located in Northern Chile and is the most active volcano of the Chile. Frequent small-to-moderate explosive eruptions have been recorded but the largest historical eruption of Lascar took place in 1993, producing pyroclastic flows to 8.5 km NW of the summit and ash fall in Buenos Aires.

A Fluke of Nature

2010-01-27T09:42:00.000-08:00

As the sun rises over a grassy pasture, and the morning light glints from the countless clinging drops of dew, a single snail resolutely inches toward a mound of steaming nourishment. But unbeknownst to the armored gastropod, this seemingly ordinary heap of cow dung conceals a legion of tiny Dicrocoelium dendriticum eggs, each of which contains the embryo of a sinister mind-controlling parasite. As the snail gorges itself on the fibrous feast, it unwittingly sets the collection of unborn lancet flukes on a miniature adventure which will lead them through slime, zombies, and bile to ultimately find their own unique kind of utopia.

As the ingested eggs slide into the snail’s belly, the moisture and digestive juices coax the occupants from their shells. Propelled by the minuscule hairs that line the flukes’ bodies, the infant parasites grope their way through the darkness to the hapless host’s digestive gland. There they establish a makeshift home as they mature into tadpole-like adolescence.

Once they’re ready to venture out on their own, the young flukes leave the warm comfort of the snail-gut. They make their way to their host’s respiratory chamber, where they gather in groups along the inner wall and wait. Their presence irritates the inner lining of the breathing cavity, which tries to rid itself of the foreign invaders by coating them with a thick mucus. When these slime-pearls reach a sufficient size, the snail coughs them out, ejecting the sticky groups of flukes out into the world. Lying there, sealed in their moist protective cocoon, the young parasites bide their time alongside hundreds of mucus-mates. The snail meanders off on its own, having suffered no harm aside from a particularly phlegmy cough.

A nearby ant which is foraging for food stumbles upon one such slime ball in a bed of vegetation. The sweet snail-mucus pheromones present an irresistible treat for the ant, and it totes the treasure back to the colony. As the slime is savored by the insects, the clandestine flukes infiltrate the ants’ anatomies. Most of the parasites make their way to the abdomen, but a few take a detour which leads them to the insect’s nerve center, where they use mysterious methods to establish overpowering influence.

The next evening, as the armies of ants file back to their colony after a long day’s work in the hot sun, those who partook of the sweet slime uncharacteristically break ranks to wander away in a daze. Acting out the demands of the unwelcome guests lodged in its head, an infected ant penetrates the jungle of foliage and selects a random blade of grass. It clambers up the long, thin leaf and crawls out to the tip, where it obeys a powerful urge to secure itself in position with its clamp-like mandibles.

Each dangling, stupefied ant-zombie remains paralyzed on its perch throughout the night. When the light and warmth of dawn reappear, the compromised insect comes to its senses and climbs back down to return home. During the day it rejoins its working comrades as though nothing happened; but as evening approaches, and temperatures cool, the parasitic flukes will once again urge their host to venture alone into the wilderness. A new blade of grass is selected and scaled, and the ant once again positions itself upon the tip.
This bizarre modified existence continues until one day the dangling insect is sucked into the jaws of a beast. As a grazing cow plucks the occupied grass from the ground, it is oblivious to the zombie ant and its evil masters.

Once the fluke warriors have succeeded in entering this, their final quarry, they burst from their trojan ant and use their mighty tails to swim through the maze of organs. Eventually they arrive at the quiet suburbia of cow guts– the bile duct– where the well-traveled adults settle down and abandon their host-hopping ways. The lancet flukes live in quiet parasitic happiness within the wet tubing, and before long the little bundles of joy begin to arrive. The mothers’ eggs are released into the bile duct, and they are whisked along through the cow’s plumbing. Eventually they are deposited into the intestines, where the eggs hitch a ride out on the slow-moving train of digested grass fibers.

There, as the sun rises over the grassy pasture and the light glints from the countless clinging drops of dew, a single snail resolutely inches toward a mound of steaming nourishment.

Details from the University of Alberta

The Nature of Matter and Mass

2010-01-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

The nature of matter and mass: One of the Greatest Mysteries of Modern Science

40 years ago, an unknown physicist in Edinburgh, Scotland, came up with a theory of how the universe holds together - sparking a multibillion dollar race to find the key particle. Is the most sought after prize in modern physics about to be won at last?

Amid 800 acres of landscaped grounds a mile from Princeton, New Jersey, stands the Institute for Advanced Study, one of the world’s most prestigious centers of scientific thought. Within this intellectual microcosm, many of the most accomplished physicists in history, from Oppenheimer to Einstein, have wrestled with the deepest puzzles of the universe. To be invited to talk at Einstein’s former lab remains among the highest honors a scientist can receive. And it was with this terrifying thought in mind that in March 1966 Peter Higgs, a 36-year-old physicist from Edinburgh University, loaded up his car and headed up the freeway.

Tucked into Higgs’s luggage was the reason he had been invited. The notes for his highly contentious lecture overturned some of the most deeply-held beliefs of the resident experts. They proposed something remarkable, that an invisible field, which stretches throughout the entire universe, holds the key to one of the greatest mysteries of modern science - the nature of matter and mass.

Higgs was pondering the talk and how it would go down among the biggest brains in physics, when it all suddenly became too much for him. Out of the window, he glimpsed a roadsign to Princeton. It was enough to trigger a fit of panic. Shaking, Higgs pulled into a rest area and sat there panting, waiting to regain his composure.

More than 40 years later, Higgs is still largely unknown beyond his field, but that is about to change. The multibillion dollar race to discover if his theory is right is finally nearing its climax. Either way, the answer will propel 21st-century physics into a new and uncertain era. Higgs, who turned 78 in May, is clearly a Nobel prizewinner in waiting. “I have to ask my GP (general pracitioner) to keep me alive,” he says, when we met in his Edinburgh apartment.

Higgs rarely gives interviews; it’s not so much that he refuses as lets the requests gather dust until it’s too late. The phone goes unanswered, pleas through friends come to nothing, emails evaporate in the ether. Good old letters are his preferred means of communication. Luckily, Higgs has found a few hours to spare before rushing off to join his wife for another round of Monteverdi madrigals at the festival that first attracted him to the city in 1949. He tells the story of his unwitting discovery of something in the emptiness that surrounds us. “It has consequences,” says Higgs, pausing to fold his arms so that each hand can rub the opposite’s elbow. “If it wasn’t there, we wouldn’t be here.”

Higgs was born in Newcastle in 1929, but the family moved around with his father’s job, as a sound engineer with the BBC. He missed a lot of early schooling. Bouts of serious asthma drifted into pneumonia (”not funny when there aren’t any drugs”) and he was kept home and taught by his parents. As a young boy, Higgs was raised by his mother in Bristol while his father relocated to Bedford. “She was very motivated to push me,” he says. “My father, I think he was just rather scared of children.”

At Cotham Grammar School in Bristol, Higgs would stand at the back of morning assembly, reading the names of the school’s most honored alumni. Appearing more times than any other was the Nobel prize-winning physicist and founding father of quantum mechanics, Paul Dirac, who, like Stephen Hawking, took the seat at Cambridge that was once occupied by Sir Isaac Newton. It was Dirac’s work that enthralled Higgs and put him on the path to study theoretical physics. “It’s about understanding! Understanding the world!” Higgs says, his voice full of excitement.

When illness wasn’t disrupting Higgs’ education, the war was. Bristol had already been thumped by German bombers, the old center almost completely flattened, but the outskirts where he lived and went to school took hits, too, from bombs shed by planes almost as an afterthought as they turned home from raids on the oil storage depots and ports at Avonmouth. “One of the first things I did on arriving at school was to break my left arm falling into a bomb crater,” Higgs says. Later, the family was forced to leave home when a cluster of unexploded bombs was discovered across the road.

The family was not reunited until the end of the war, when Peter, aged 17, joined City of London School, specializing in mathematics. Among the gifted, he was the odd one out. He alone had no desire to go to Oxford or Cambridge, the thought enough to make him shudder. “They all wondered why I wasn’t going to do the same,” he says. “I think some of the family attitude to Oxford and Cambridge had rubbed off on me, which was that those places were all very well for the children of the idle rich to go and waste their time and that of their tutors, but if you were serious about university, you went somewhere else.”

In Higgs’ case, somewhere else was King’s College, London, and it was there that it became clear he was hopeless at experiments. “There were accidents,” he says, refusing to elaborate.

In his early 30s, Higgs moved to Edinburgh University, where he became interested in what must be one of the most curious puzzles in physics: why the objects around us weigh anything.

Until recently, few even questioned where mass comes from. Newton coined the term in 1687 in his famous tome, Principia Mathematica, and for 200 years scientists were happy to think of mass as something that simply existed. Some objects had more mass than others - a brick versus a book, say - and that was that. But scientists now know the world is not so simple. While a brick weighs as much as the atoms inside it, according to the best theory physicists have - one that has passed decades of tests with flying colors - the basic building blocks inside atoms weigh nothing at all. As matter is broken down to ever smaller constituents, from molecules to atoms to quarks, mass appears to evaporate before our eyes. Physicists have never fully understood why.

While working on the conundrum, Higgs came up with an elegant mechanism to solve the problem. It showed that at the very beginning of the universe, the smallest building blocks of nature were truly weightless, but became heavy a fraction of a second later, when the fireball of the big bang cooled. His theory was a breakthrough in itself, but something more profound dropped out of his calculations.

Higgs’s theory showed that mass was produced by a new type of field that clings to particles wherever they are, dragging on them and making the heavy. Some particles find the field more sticky than others. Particles of light are oblivious to it. Others have to wade through it like an elephant in tar. So, in theory, particles can weigh nothing, but as soon as they are in the field, they get heavy.

Scientists now know that Higgs’s extraordinary field, or something very similar to it, played a key role in the formation of the universe. Without it, the cosmos would not have exploded into the rich, infinite galaxies we see today. The spinning disc of cosmic dust that collapsed 4.5 billion years ago to form our solar system would never have been. No planets would have formed, nor a sun to warm them. Life would not have stood a chance.

In late summer 1964, two years before he would give his Princeton lecture, Higgs rushed out a succinct letter, packed with mathematical formulae that backed his discovery and sent it to a leading physics journal run from Cern, the European nuclear research organization in Geneva. The paper was published almost immediately, but went largely unnoticed. Higgs planned a second paper, to emphasize his discovery, but for now that would have to wait.

Through CND meetings in Edinburgh - Higgs had been an activist while studying in London - he had met Jo, an American linguist and his future wife. The two had planned a weekend’s camping in the west Highlands, on the recommendation of a friend who’d read the place had the lowest rainfall in Scotland. As it happened, the trip was a disaster. “It turned out she’d misread it. It was the highest rainfall in all of Scotland,” Higgs says.

The scientist took the chance to retreat to Edinburgh and write his second paper, this time elaborating on the true implications of his work. In autumn 1964, he sent it to the same journal for publishing, but astonishingly the Cern editors rejected it. Evidently, it was considered “of no obvious relevance to physics”. He quickly sent it to America’s leading physics journal, where it appeared later that year.

Despite Cern’s misgivings, Higgs’s ideas now exploded into the world of theoretical physics and thousands wanted to be first to prove Higgs right. Detecting the field itself is thought to be impossible with modern technology, but Higgs also predicted a particle that is created in the field, and finding this would be the proof they sought. Officially, the particle is called the Higgs boson, but its elusive nature and fundamental role in the creation of the universe led a prominent scientist to rename it the God particle.

The name has stuck, but makes Higgs wince and raises the hackles of other theorists. “I wish he hadn’t done it,” he says. “I have to explain to people it was a joke. I’m an atheist, but I have an uneasy feeling that playing around with names like that could be unnecessarily offensive to people who are religious.”

Strictly, the particle should bear the names of three scientists. Unknown to Higgs at the time, two Belgian physicists at the Free University in Brussels were working on the same problem. Using completely different maths, they reached the same staggering conclusion - that a never-seen field must pervade the universe and confer mass on almost everything in it. Robert Brout and Fran?§ois Englert didn’t doubt their discovery, but checked and checked for mistakes before publishing. Their paper was published in August 1964, a few weeks before Higgs’ first paper, which was in press at the time.

It makes for an awkward situation, not least for Higgs, who agrees all three should share credit for the discovery. He recounts a tale when a colleague referred to the “Higgs mechanism” in a lecture in Germany more than two decades ago. In the front row, a look of displeasure flushed over one of the men in the audience. Realizing his mistake, the speaker said, “Of course, I know this was also discovered by others, but I refer to it by the person with the shortest name.” “My name has five letters, too,” piped Brout.

A few months ago, Brout and Englert, who are close as brothers and finish each other’s sentences, talked to me about the events long ago. After publishing their work, the two were having a beer on the balcony of a 17th-century cafe overlooking a Brussels park. “In the spring of 1964 we were both extremely excited,” said Brout. “For the first time in my life, I felt what it might be to be a great physicist.” Neither, he says, blames Higgs for their work being sidelined.

Whatever name it takes, many scientists believe that finding the particle will not only reveal the origin of mass, but will nudge open the door to a new realm of unknowns. We can see only 4% of the matter that makes up the universe. The Higgs particle may shed light on the rest - the dark matter in which galaxies form, and the dark energy that drives the expansion of the universe, for example. The particle may also shed light on string theory, an ambitious but powerful way of viewing the universe that sees every particle not as a point, but as a vibrating string of energy, where different frequencies create different particles.

A Giant Breach in Earth's Magnetic Field

2010-01-25T10:01:00.000-08:00

Dec. 16, 2008: NASA's five THEMIS spacecraft have discovered a breach in Earth's magnetic field ten times larger than anything previously thought to exist. Solar wind can flow in through the opening to "load up" the magnetosphere for powerful geomagnetic storms. But the breach itself is not the biggest surprise. Researchers are even more amazed at the strange and unexpected way it forms, overturning long-held ideas of space physics.

"At first I didn't believe it," says THEMIS project scientist David Sibeck of the Goddard Space Flight Center. "This finding fundamentally alters our understanding of the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction."

The magnetosphere is a bubble of magnetism that surrounds Earth and protects us from solar wind. Exploring the bubble is a key goal of the THEMIS mission, launched in February 2007. The big discovery came on June 3, 2007, when the five probes serendipitously flew through the breach just as it was opening. Onboard sensors recorded a torrent of solar wind particles streaming into the magnetosphere, signaling an event of unexpected size and importance.

"The opening was huge—four times wider than Earth itself," says Wenhui Li, a space physicist at the University of New Hampshire who has been analyzing the data. Li's colleague Jimmy Raeder, also of New Hampshire, says "1027 particles per second were flowing into the magnetosphere—that's a 1 followed by 27 zeros. This kind of influx is an order of magnitude greater than what we thought was possible."

The event began with little warning when a gentle gust of solar wind delivered a bundle of magnetic fields from the Sun to Earth. Like an octopus wrapping its tentacles around a big clam, solar magnetic fields draped themselves around the magnetosphere and cracked it open. The cracking was accomplished by means of a process called "magnetic reconnection." High above Earth's poles, solar and terrestrial magnetic fields linked up (reconnected) to form conduits for solar wind. Conduits over the Arctic and Antarctic quickly expanded; within minutes they overlapped over Earth's equator to create the biggest magnetic breach ever recorded by Earth-orbiting spacecraft. Above: A computer model of solar wind flowing around Earth's magnetic field on June 3, 2007. Background colors represent solar wind density; red is high density, blue is low. Solid black lines trace the outer boundaries of Earth's magnetic field. Note the layer of relatively dense material beneath the tips of the white arrows; that is solar wind entering Earth's magnetic field through the breach. Credit: Jimmy Raeder/UNH. [larger image]

The size of the breach took researchers by surprise. "We've seen things like this before," says Raeder, "but never on such a large scale. The entire day-side of the magnetosphere was open to the solar wind."

The circumstances were even more surprising. Space physicists have long believed that holes in Earth's magnetosphere open only in response to solar magnetic fields that point south. The great breach of June 2007, however, opened in response to a solar magnetic field that pointed north.

"To the lay person, this may sound like a quibble, but to a space physicist, it is almost seismic," says Sibeck. "When I tell my colleagues, most react with skepticism, as if I'm trying to convince them that the sun rises in the west."
Here is why they can't believe their ears: The solar wind presses against Earth's magnetosphere almost directly above the equator where our planet's magnetic field points north. Suppose a bundle of solar magnetism comes along, and it points north, too. The two fields should reinforce one another, strengthening Earth's magnetic defenses and slamming the door shut on the solar wind. In the language of space physics, a north-pointing solar magnetic field is called a "northern IMF" and it is synonymous with shields up!

"So, you can imagine our surprise when a northern IMF came along and shields went down instead," says Sibeck. "This completely overturns our understanding of things."

Northern IMF events don't actually trigger geomagnetic storms, notes Raeder, but they do set the stage for storms by loading the magnetosphere with plasma. A loaded magnetosphere is primed for auroras, power outages, and other disturbances that can result when, say, a CME (coronal mass ejection) hits.

The years ahead could be especially lively. Raeder explains: "We're entering Solar Cycle 24. For reasons not fully understood, CMEs in even-numbered solar cycles (like 24) tend to hit Earth with a leading edge that is magnetized north. Such a CME should open a breach and load the magnetosphere with plasma just before the storm gets underway. It's the perfect sequence for a really big event."

Sibeck agrees. "This could result in stronger geomagnetic storms than we have seen in many years."

A video version of this story may be found HERE . For more information about the THEMIS mission, visit http://nasa.gov/themis

A Strange Phenomenon in Jordan; The Land That Burns All

2010-01-25T09:56:00.000-08:00

Jordan :

A team of researchers from the Geologists Association as well as scientists from the University of Jordan will be assigned to examine a strange phenomenon that was noted in a piece of land in the area of Um Jaozeh in Jordan.

The phenomenon was observed when a shepherd let his sheep enter the land in concern, looking for grass to feed on, and watched his sheep burn and completely disappear due to the extraordinary heat of that land.

“The ground in the area was still unusually hot until late Tuesday, and once any material was thrown into the area, it burned quickly and smoke and flames came out.” –The Jordan Times.
The director of Natural Resources Authority (NRA), Maher Hijazin reported that organic materials might have collected below that area and caused that overheating, knowing that sewage pipelines underlie that land. Hijazin seemed pretty certain about the cause of the overheating when he said that the answer to the phenomenon is “simple”.

So, we surely could use something as interesting and exciting to talk about in Jordan (we’re bored of swine flu stories, and stories of funny politics in neighboring countries). We however would rather stick to “talking” about fire, rather than actually experience the act of “burning” with fire. So yes, the answer could be simple, as simple as Mr. Hijazin had explained, but further investigations are definitely required to find out the exact reason behind it, in order to make sure that whatever reason it is, it doesn’t extend to surrounding areas!!!

Magical Views

2010-01-24T09:25:00.000-08:00

Some Awful Sceneries

2010-01-23T09:01:00.000-08:00

Patagonia - To The End Of The World

2010-01-22T07:59:00.000-08:00

Patagonia is the southernmost portion of South America. Mostly located in Argentina and partly in Chile, it comprises the Andes mountains to the west and south, and plateaux and low plains to the east. The name Patagonia comes from the word patagon used by Magellan to describe the native people who his expedition thought to be giants. It is now believed the Patagons were actually Tehuelches and Aonikenk with an average height of 1.80 m compared to the 1.55 average for Spaniards of the time.
To the east of the Andes, it lies south of the Neuquén River and Colorado rivers, and, to the west of the Andes, south of (39°S), excluding the Chiloé Archipelago. East of the Andes the Argentine portion of Patagonia includes the provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz, and Tierra del Fuego, as well as the southern tips of the provinces of Buenos Aires, Mendoza and La Pampa. The Chilean portion embraces the southern part of the region of Los Lagos, and the regions of Aysen and Magallanes. It excludes those portions of Antarctica claimed by both countries.

Omis, city of pirates

2010-01-22T07:45:00.000-08:00

Omis, the town of contrasts, both - natural and historical. It was founded and grown on the steep slopes of Omis Dinara mountain, surrounded by the Cetina River in the north-west, and the sea in the south and south-east. Omis is also known as old pirate town. As excellent seamen, Omis citizens, during 13th - beginning of 15th century, “supervised” navigation on the Adriatic Sea, endangering, generally, Venetian ships and their property in Dalmatia, as well as ships of Naples Kingdom. They were “taking charges” for free navigation. Omis pirates were extremely dangerous, especially under rule of powerful Omis rulers - dukes Kacic. In that time, Omis was known as dangerous nest of the pirates, as they were Saracens on Mediterranean Sea or Tatars on Black Sea.

The most distinctive feature of Omis are the enormous sheets of rock that loom over the town and river.

In 1530, as the Turks were encamped in Gata, the people of Poljica, though less in number, defeated their army with the heroic and noble efforts of Mila Gojsalic. Mila sacrificed her life by lighting gunpowder in the Turkish camp, which allowed the people of Poljica to defeat the confused and surprised army. With this act, Mila became a legend of courage, love and sacrifice, not only for the people of Poljica, but also for Croatia. She is remembered much like the Old Testament's Judith and France's Joanne d'Arc. She was perpetuated by many Croatian artists, among them is famous Ivan Meštrovic, whose sculpture decorates the position in Poljica with unforgettable view over town of Omis.

DENMARK: A CRUEL NATION, CRUEL PEOPLE, SHAME

2010-01-21T10:27:00.000-08:00

THIS HAS TO BE SEEN. THERE IS NO WORST BEAST THAN HUMAN KIND ITSELF!!!!BRUTAL, Dantesque, bloody slaughter in the Faroe Islands, which belong to Denmark . A country supposedly 'civilized' & a European Union country. For many people this attack to life is unknown , to sensitivity. THIS bloody slaughter is an insane 'show' of entering adulthood! Is absolutely incredible that no one does anything to prevent this barbarism that are committed against Calderon, an intelligent dolphin who has the particularity of approaching people out of sheer curiosity. Some traditions just MUST STOP!PLEASE inform people.

Nature Strange Nature

2010-01-20T10:38:00.000-08:00

59-day-old baby boy who was born with three arms, at a hospital in Shanghai, in east
China.
Hand with 6 fingers

A kitten born with only one eye and no nose.

Two-headed snakes typically occur in the same way that Siamese twins do. A developing embryo begins to split into identical twins but then stops part way, leaving the twins joined. Snakes operate a good deal by smell, and if one head catches the scent of prey on the other's head, it will attack and try to swallow the second head.

Korean bee farmer is covered by bees. A local bee farmer released over 260,000 bees and attracted them to his body.

Manoharan, known as Snake Manu, practices with two brown tree snakes by running it through his nasals and mouth.

A rare two-toned lobster. The odds or finding a half-and-half lobster are 1 in 50 million to 100 million.

Ibis, shot with a arrow, sits on a power line.

Qiao Yubo, is pregnant with at least five babies, walks with her husband. Qiao, who is 1.67-meters tall, has a waistline measurement of 1.75 meters, five months into her pregnancy.

The world's smallest fish. The fish is a member of the carp family.

Magical Scenes

2010-01-19T10:50:00.000-08:00

Some of the unbelievable pictures

2010-01-19T10:20:00.000-08:00

A Heavy stone unstabling the lorry.

What happen to this aeroplane?

Tornado attack the airport.

Dangerous aeroplane.

Box is being sucked!

Ship fall down..

Natural Beauty of Pakistan

2010-01-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

1 . A Beautiful Butterfly Smelling Blossoming Flowers

2. Magical Green Leepa Valley, Azad Jammu Kashmir

3. Hunza Valley Covering with Snow

4. Badshahi Mosqud from the Balcony of Lahore Forte.

6. A Magical Bridge Reflection in Ghizer, Gilgit, Pakistan.

Most Poisonous Animals in the World : Animals

2010-01-17T09:55:00.000-08:00

1. Box JellyfishThe top prize for “The World Most Venomous Animal,” would go to the Box Jellyfish. It has caused at least 5,567 recorded deaths since 1954. Their venom is among the most deadly in the world. It’s toxins attack the heart, nervous system, and skin cells. And the worst part of it is that jelly box venom is so overpoweringly painful, that human victims go in shock, drown or die of heart failure before even reaching shore. Survivors experience pain weeks after the contact with box jellies. You have virtually no chance to survive the venomous sting, unless treated immediately. After a

sting, vinegar should be applied for a minimum of 30 seconds. Vinegar has acetic acid, which disables the box jelly’s nematocysts that have not yet discharged into the bloodstream (though it will not alleviate the pain). Wearing panty hose while swimming is also a good prevention measure since it can prevent jellies from being able to harm your legs.Jelly box can be found in the waters around Asia and Australia.

2. King Cobra

The King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the world’s longest venomous snake - growing up to 5.6 m (18.5 ft) in length. Ophiophagus, literally means “snake-eater” as it eats other snakes. One single bite of this deadly snake can easily kill a human. This snake is even capable of killing a full-grown Asian Elephant within 3 hours if the larger animal is bitten in a vulnerable area such as the trunk. It’s venom is not as toxic as other venomous snakes, but King Cobra is capable of injecting 5 times more venom than black mamba and can result in mortality up to 5 times faster than that of the black mamba. It is quite widespread, ranging across South and South-east Asia , living in dense highland forests.

3. Marbled Cone Snail

This little beautiful looking Marbled Cone snail can be as deadly as any other animal on this list. One drop of its venom is so powerful that it can kill more than 20 humans. If you ever happen to be in warm salt water environment (where these snails are often found) and see it, don’t even think of picking it up. Of course, the true purpose of its venom is to catch its prey. Symptoms of a cone snail sting can start immediately or can be delayed in on set for days. It results in intense pain, swelling, numbness and tingling. Severe cases involve muscle paralysis, vision changes and breathing failure. There is no antivenom. However, only about 30 human deaths have been recorded from cone snail envenomation.

4. Blue-Ringed Octopus

The Blue-Ringed Octopus is very small, only the size of a golf ball, but its venom is so powerful that can kill a human. Actually it carries enough poison to kill 26 adult humans within minutes, and there is no antidote. They are currently recognized as one of the world’s most venomous animals. Its painless bite may seem harmless, but the deadly neurotoxins begin working immediately resulting in muscular weakness, numbness, followed by a cessation and breathing and ultimately death. They can be found in tide pools in the Pacific Ocean, from Japan to Australia .

5. Death Stalker Scorpion

Contrarily to the popular belief most of the scorpions are relatively harmless to humans as stings produce only local effects (pain, numbness or swelling). However, the Death Starker Scorpion is highly dangerous species because its venom is a powerful cocktail of neurotoxins which causes an intense and unbearable pain, then fever, followed by coma, convulsions, paralysis and death. Fortunately, while a sting from this scorpion is extremely painful, it would be unlikely to kill a healthy, adult human. Young children, the old, or infir

m (with a heart condition) are at the biggest risk. Death stalker scorpions are spread in North Africa and Middle East .

6. Stonefish

Maybe Stonefish would never win a beauty contest, but it would definitely win the top prize for being “The World Most Venomous Fish”. Its venom causes such a severe pain that the victims of its sting want the affected limb to be amputated. It is described as the worst pain known to man. It is accompanied with possible shock, paralysis, and tissue death. If not given medical attention within a couple of hours It can be fatal to humans. Stonefish stores its toxins in gruesome-looking spines that are designed to hurt would-be predators. Stonefish mostly liv

e above the tropic of Capricorn, often found in the shallow tropical marine waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans, ranging from the Red Sea to the Queensland Great Barrier Reef.

7. The Brazilian wandering spider

The Brazilian Wandering Spider (Phoneutria) or banana spider appears in the Guinness Book of World Records 2007 for the most venomous spider and is the spider responsible for most human deaths. This spider is believed to have the most potent neurotoxic venom of any living spider. Only 0.006mg (0.00000021oz) is sufficient to kill a mouse. They are also so dangerous because of their wandering nature. They often hide during daytime in highly populated areas inside houses, clothes, boots, and cars. Its venomous bite causes not only intense pain, the venom of the spider can also cause priapism - uncomfortable erections lasting for many hours that lead to impotence.

8. Inland Taipan

If you ever happen to be running through the rain forests somewhere in Central or South America , do not ever pick up beautiful and colorful frogs - it can be the Poison Dart Frog. This frog is probably the most poisonous animal on earth.The 2 inch long (5cm) golden poison dart frog has enough venom to kill 10 adult humans or 20,000 mice. Only 2 micrograms of this lethal toxin (the amount that fits on the head of a pin) is capable of kil ling a hu man or other large mammal. They are called “dart frogs” because indigenous Amerindians’ use of their toxic secretions to poison the tips of their blow-darts. Poison dart frogs keep their poison in their skins and will sicken or kill anybody who touches or eats it.

9. Poison Dart Frog

if you ever happen to be running through the rain forests somewhere in Central or South America , do not ever pick up beautiful and colorful frogs - it can be the Poison Dart Frog. This frog is probably the most poisonous animal on earth.The 2 inch long (5cm) golden poison dart frog has enough venom to kill 10 adult humans or 20,000 mice. Only 2 micrograms of this lethal toxin (the amount that fits on the head of a pin) is capable of killing a human or other large mammal. They are called “dart frogs” because indigenous Amerindians’ use of their toxic secretions to poison the tips of their blow-darts. Poison dart frogs keep their poison in their skins and will sicken or kill anybody who touches or eats it.

10. Puffer Fish

Puffer Fish are the second most poisonous vertebrate on earth (the first one is golden dart Frog). The meat of some species is a delicacy in both Japan (as fugu) and Korea (as bok-uh) but the problem is that the skin and certain organs of many puffer fish are very poisonous to humans. This puffy fish produce rapid and violent death..Puffer’s poisoning causes deadening of the tongue and lips, dizziness, vomiting, rapid heart rate, difficulty breathing, and muscle paralysis. Victims die from suffocation as diaphragm muscles are paralyzed. Most of the victims die after four to 24 hours. There is no known antidote, Most deaths from fugu happen when untrained people catch and prepare the fish.

Statistics show that there were 20 to 44 incidents of fugu poisoning per year between 1996 and 2006 in all of Japan and up to six incidents per year led to death. Since Fugu’s poison can cause near instantaneous death, only licensed chefs are allowed to prepare it.

Uluru (Ayers Rock) - Australia

2010-01-17T09:42:00.000-08:00

Uluru, also referred to as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies 335 km (208 mi) south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; 450 km (280 mi) by road.

Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park. Uluru is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara, the Aboriginal people of the area. It has many springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings. Uluru is listed as a World Heritage Site.

Uluru is one of Australia's most recognisable natural icons. The world-renowned sandstone formation stands 348 m (1,142 ft) high (863 m/2,831 ft above sea level) with most of its bulk below the ground, and measures 9.4 km (5.8 mi) in circumference.

Both Uluru and Kata Tjuta have great cultural significance for the Aṉangu Traditional landowners, who lead walking tours to inform visitors about the local flora and fauna, bush foods and the Aboriginal dreamtime stories of the area.

Uluru is notable for appearing to change colour as the different light strikes it at different times of the day and year, with sunset a particularly remarkable sight when it briefly glows red. Although rainfall is uncommon in this semiarid area, during wet periods the rock acquires a silvery-grey colour, with streaks of black algae forming on the areas that serve as channels for water flow.

Kata Tjuta, also called Mount Olga or The Olgas owing to its peculiar formation, is another rock formation about 25 km (16 mi) from Uluru. Special viewing areas with road access and parking have been constructed to give tourists the best views of both sites at dawn and dusk.

The Rare Wonders of Nature

2010-01-09T23:16:00.000-08:00

The classical natural wonders are huge and hard to miss - vast canyons, giant mountains and the like. Many of the most fantastic natural phenomena, however, are also least easy to spot. Some are incredibly rare while others are located in hard-to-reach parts of the planet. From moving rocks to mammatus clouds and red tides to fire rainbows, here are most spectacular phenomenal wonders of the natural world.

Columnar Basalt

When a thick lava flow cools it contracts vertically but cracks perpendicular to its directional flow with remarkable geometric regularity - in most cases forming a regular grid of remarkable hexagonal extrusions that almost appear to be made by man. One of the most famous such examples is the Giant's Causeway on the coast of Ireland (shown above) though the largest and most widely recognized would be Devil's Tower in Wyoming. Basalt also forms different but equally fascinating ways when eruptions are exposed to air or water.

Red Tides

Red tides are also known as algal blooms - sudden influxes of massive amounts of colored single-cell algae that can convert entire areas of an ocean or beach into a blood red color. While some of these can be relatively harmless, others can be harbingers of deadly toxins that cause the deaths of fish, birds and marine mammals. In some cases, even humans have been harmed by red tides though no human exposure are known to have been fatal. While they can be fatal, the constituent phytoplankton in ride tides are not harmful in small numbers.

Ice Circles

While many see these apparently perfect ice circles as worthy of conspiracy theorizing, scientists generally accept that they are formed by eddies in the water that spin a sizable piece of ice in a circular motion. As a result of this rotation, other pieces of ice and flotsam wear relatively evenly at the edges of the ice until it slowly forms into an essentially ideal circle. Ice circles have been seen with diameters of over 500 feet and can also at times be found in clusters and groups at different sizes as shown above.

Mammatus Clouds
True to their ominous appearance, mammatus clouds are often harbingers of a coming storm or other extreme weather system. Typically composed primarily of ice, they can extend for hundreds of miles in each direction and individual formations can remain visibly static for ten to fifteen minutes at a time. While they may appear foreboding they are merely the messengers - appearing around, before or even after severe weather.

Amazing Holes in the Earth

2010-01-09T22:46:00.000-08:00

When we think of holes, most of us think of digging a hole to plant a flower, drilling a hole to finish a construction project, or even hitting a hole in one at the next golf outing. There are places in the world, however, that give the word "Hole" a whole new meaning. These holes are so large it would be hard to believe they were real if you weren't able to see them.

Kimberley Big Hole, South Africa

Kimberly Big Hole, located in South Africa, was a diamond mine over 1,097 meters deep. The mine was closed in 1914 but was later reopened as a tourist attraction. The site is now a major tourist attraction, featuring a bar, small hotel, shops, and eateries – all in the same area that these things would have been located while the mine was active. Workers will be dressed in period garb and visitors will have the opportunity to participate in a simulation complete with dynamite blasts and dusty explosions, all designed to give visitors a feel for what it was like living in mine town.

Glory Hole, Monticello Dam, California

The Glory Hole at Monticello Dam is a man made hole designed to help drain water fro m the reservoir. The sheer size of the hole allows it to drain over 14,440 cubic feet of water every second, yes that's every second! Water that is drained through the hole is shot out at the bottom of the dam. Rumors claim that a woman jumped down the hole thinking she would come out the other end but never lived to tell the tale. I've seen no proof, so take that story or leave it.

Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah

Bingham Canyon Mine, located in Utah, is still an active mine and is considered to be one of the world's most productive. The canyon was originally discovered in 1850 and mining began in 1863, at which point it became apparent how valuable the site actually is. The mine produces millions of ounces s of valuable metals, including copper, gold, silver, and molybdenum each year. The Rio Tinto, the owner, is currently committed to a project that will ensure the mine stays open until at least 2013.

Great Blue Hole, Belize

The Great Blue Hole in Belize is located in the center of Lighthouse Reef. The hole itself is a limestone sinkhole. It measures 300 feet across and is well over 400 feet deep. The depth of the water in the hole is why the "blue hole" appears such a dark color when seen from above. The Great Blue Hole is a very popular tourist attraction for divers who want to explore the stalactites and limestone structures that begin to form around the insides of the hole at approximately 110 feet deep. Don't forget, this 400 foot hole used to be above the surface of the ocean!

Mirny Diamond Mine, Serbia

The Mirny Diamond Mine is located in Eastern Serbia near a small town known as Mirna. The mine itself is over 525 meters deep and more than 125 kilometers in diameter. The hole is so wide and so deep it is believed to cause a suction effect, which has caused several aircraft accidents in the area. The Mirny Diamond Mine is now considered a no fly zone!

Diavik Mine, Canada

The Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada is one of the most amazing diamond mines in the world. It is believed that within the mind are over 90 million carats worth of rough diamonds. They're contained within three main kimberlite pipes, otherwise known as ore deposits. While the pipes at this mine are considered small, the quality of the diamonds contained within the pipes is above average. The mine is so large, in fact, the owners have built their own private airport at the site. Mining began at the site in 2003 and is expected to continue for at least 15-20 years, if not longer.

Sinkhole in Guatamela

In February of 2007, a sinkhole in Guatamela collapsed, killing two children as their home, and dozens of others, were swallowed into the pit. The blame for this astoundingly large hole was placed on a ruptured sewer pipe.

The earth is capable of producing plenty of wonderful and natural anomalies. Take a look around and, if you're in the area, stop by to see one of these incredible sites.