How did the turtle get its shell?
The answer, it seems, is that turtle shells formed from the underside—plastron first—and grew bony extensions of ribs and backbones that eventually joined to form the classic shell that exists today.
This theory is supported by a 220-million-year-old fossil recently found in China. Read more here or here.
Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps slashed world records in this year’s Olympics, but eventually athletes will reach the limits of the human body, making it much harder, or even impossible to break previous records.
According to new research, the fastest possible time for the 100 metres will be 9.48 seconds. That’s 0.21 seconds off Usain Bolt’s current world record of 9.69 seconds. Read more here.
That is pretty interesting. Another interesting point is that only 3 months ago, a different group of scientists predicted that the fastest possible time to run 100 metres would be 9.45 seconds. That’s 0.03 seconds quicker. I wonder who will be right?
Thanksgiving is tomorrow in the United States. Being an Australian I don’t know very much about the day, apart from the fact that lots of people eat a lot of turkey.
The traditional Thanksgiving dinner reflects the enormous amount of change that foods and the food systems that produce them have undergone, particularly over the last 50 years. Nearly all varieties of crops have experienced large genetic changes as big agriculture companies hacked their DNA to provide greater hardiness and greater yields. The average pig, turkey, cow and chicken have gotten larger at an astounding rate, and they grow with unprecedented speed. A modern turkey can mature to a given weight at twice the pace of its predecessors. Read more here.
NASA test-fired the latest ejector seat for the Space Shuttle replacement this week. Check it out:
To get the crew away from the launch rocket in case of an emergency, the Launch Abort System motor delivers half a million pounds of thrust. The new abort system will provide astronauts with a way to escape a catastrophic disaster during ascent. American manned spacecraft have exploded twice over the last couple decades, and there was no realistic escape route in the old Shuttle. Read more here.
Firewalking is the act of walking barefoot over a bed of hot embers or stones. It has a long history in many cultures as a test or proof of faith.
You don’t get burnt, because at regular walking pace, the time which the feet are in contact with the coals is shorter than the time that it takes for your feet to conduct enough heat to sustain serious injuries.
A new study has concluded that unhappy people watch more TV, while people who describe themselves as very happy spend more time reading and socializing.
TV doesn’t really seem to satisfy people over the long haul the way that social involvement or reading a newspaper does. It seems that the TV habit provides short-term pleasure at the expense of long-term happiness. Read more here.
So there you have it read more things like this and stop buying flat-screen TVs.
A facial scar, preferably one that looks like it was inflicted in anger rather than the aftermath of chickenpox or acne, increases men’s attractiveness to a woman for a short-term relationship.
It seems that women view men with scars as being adventurous, macho and brave. I’m not convinced but you can read more here or here.
On another note, researchers have found that, contrary to popular belief, skinny models are actually a turn off to consumers when used in advertising. It seems that for the majority of adult women, images of super-thin models in ads actually discouraged sales. Read more here.
The 21st century space race to build the world’s first “space elevator” is on!
Scientists are researching ways to build a space elevator – a link to space that could transport cargo and even tourists. Just like travelling abroad, anyone will be able to ride the elevator into space … AWESOME!
Plans for a space elevator rely on a cable being stretched between a satellite and a platform on Earth along which vehicles could travel. Read more here.
A termite snaps its jaws at a speed that tops any other muscle-powered movement on Earth – 70.4 metres per second.
But piranhas are known for their sharp teeth and an aggressive appetite for meat. They also have a fairly strong bite, see:
So if you had to be bitten by one of them which would you chose? I’d go the termite.
To more amazing animal videos, go here.
Urine is a liquid waste product of the body secreted by the kidneys by a process of filtration from blood. But what has that got to do with astronauts?
As NASA prepares to double the number of astronauts living aboard the International Space Station, nothing may do more for crew bonding than a new machine about to be installed.
The machine is a water-recycling device that will process the crew’s urine for communal consumption. That’s right, the astronauts living on board the International Space Station will be drinking their own and their crew mates urine! YIKES!
Although urine is mostly water it still just doesn’t seem right. Read more here, here or here.
Reminds me of this movie:
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