Monthly Archives: October 2017

Sagittata

Micrathena sagittata

National Geographic Explorer Jonathan Kolby was in the jungle in Honduras researching amphibians when he spotted a spider with a spectacular rear end. The spider (Micrathena sagittata) is red, except for an abdomen that resembles the head of the Pokémon character Pikachu. It’s not a rare species, just tiny and hard to spot even if you’re looking for them. But why the coloring that acts like a safety vest? A 2002 experiment on similarly colored spider in Australia hints that standing out actually attracts prey.  

Using a black marker, the researchers “erased” the spiders’ bright yellow color. The spiders whose colors had been thus muted were on average less successful at catching prey. Like arrow-shaped micrathenas, the Australian spiders are “sit-and-wait” predators that ensnare prey in large webs.

Maybe when insects see this, they don’t think “Pikachu” as much as they think “flower.” Read more about the PIkachu spider at National Geographic News. 

Mystery Oreo

This Canadian Lake Hides an Underwater Ghost Town

Lake Minnewanka in Alberta was once home to a bustling resort, but today its eerie landscape can only be seen by scuba divers

Read more here.

14 Of The Most Expensive Cats In The World

 
 
  • 1

    Norwegian Forest Cat, up to $3,000

     
     

    This fluffball’s ancestors were bred by Vikings over 2,000 years ago, with lush fur to  keep them cozy in cold forests and awesome hunting skills.

  • 2

    Himalayan cat, up to $1,300.

     
     

    Although it looks a little like a Persian cat, the blue eyes and colorpoint coloring is characteristic of a Himalayan. Bred in the US in the 1950s, these cats are friendly, calm and obedient.


  • 3

    Scottish Fold, up to $1,500.

     
     

    Scottish Folds have the cutest ears of all cats which, as the name suggests, look like they’ve folded over, the result of a genetic mutation. These clever cats are very sociable and playful, and they’re known for standing on their hind legs to watch the world go by.


  • 4

    Peterbald, up to $1,200

     
     

    Also known as the Petersburg Sphynix, this cat was first bred in Russia in 1994. They can be bald of fuzzy, and they’re sociable and calm in nature and very easy to train.


  • 5

    Egyptian Mau, up to $1,500.

     
     

    They’ve been around since Ancient Egypt, but they haven’t changed much in 3,000 years. As well as their fur, these cats actually have spotted skin.


  • 6

    Maine Coon, up to $1,500

     
     

    This super-size cat is more like a small lion than a house pet, reaching up to 1.23m in length. But they’re affectionate and playful, despite their giant size.


  • 7

    La Perm, up to $2,000

     
     

    Bred in the 1980s in the US, these cats have distinctive curly fur (like a perm, geddit?) and they’re hypoallergenic, so even people allergic to kitties can cuddle up with these fluffy pets.


  • 8

    Russian Blue, up to $2,000

     
     

    These kitties originated in Russia in 1893, and are a very popular shorthair breed, possibly because they’re said to bring luck the the house they live in.


  • 9

    Elf cat, up to $2,000

     
     

    This young breed was only developed in the US in 2006. Elfs are said to be friendly, smart, mischievous, curious and devoted — even if they look a bit weird.


  • 10

    American Curl, up to $3,000

     
     

    This California-bred cat remains small — it’s hard to tell a kitten from a full-grown adult — and when they’re around 10 days old their ears begin to turn back, like tiny little horns.


  • 11

    Khao Manee, up to $11,000

     
     

    First mentioned in the “Cat Book Poems” of ancient Siam in 1350, these were the favored cats of royalty and considered a symbol of luck, longevity, and wealth (which you’d need anyway to afford one).


  • 12

    Caracal, up to $10,000

     
     

    Technically a wild cat, this breed is in danger of extinction and kitty-lovers are encouraged to buy them to preserve their species, making them a favorite for wealthy people looking for exotic pets.

  • 13

    Savannah cat, up to $22,000

     
     

    Bred from an African Serval and a domestic cat, this leopard for your home can grow up to 33lbs and reach 1.9ft in height. They’re super clever and super active, needing lots of space to play and long walks


  • 14

    Ashera, up to $100,000

     
     

    The most exotic domestic cat in the world (and the rarest), the Ashera is a cross between a domestic cat and an Asian leopard. Stunningly beautiful — if you’ve got a spare $100,000 lying around.

Large case of NOPE right here!

YouTuber Cargospotter brings us a look at an Airbus A380 touching down in Germany’s Düsseldorf airport. The crosswind was blowing hard that day, so hard it nearly blew the plane off course.

Wara Art Festival 2017 Time-Lapse

The Wara Art Festival in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture is a showcase for art, but it’s also a harvest festival. Giant sculptures are constructed of rice straw leftover for this year’s rice harvest.

The Wara Art Festival all started in 2006 when the local district reached out to Musashino Art University to seek guidance on transforming their abundant amount of rice straw into art. And in 2008, the very first Wara Art Festival was held. Since then, every year the school sends art students up to Niigata to assist in creating sculptures made out of rice straw. The festivities have ended but the sculptures are on display through October 31, 2017.

In this video, watch students from Musashino Art University build one of the sculptures for 2017.   

 

70th Anniversary of Yeager Breaking the Sound Barrier

yeager_glamorous_glennis

U.S. Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager becomes the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound.

Yeager, born in Myra, West Virginia, in 1923, was a combat fighter during World War II and flew 64 missions over Europe. He shot down 13 German planes and was himself shot down over France, but he escaped capture with the assistance of the French Underground. After the war, he was among several volunteers chosen to test-fly the experimental X-1 rocket plane, built by the Bell Aircraft Company to explore the possibility of supersonic flight.

For years, many aviators believed that man was not meant to fly faster than the speed of sound, theorizing that transonic drag rise would tear any aircraft apart. All that changed on October 14, 1947, when Yeager flew the X-1 over Rogers Dry Lake in Southern California. The X-1 was lifted to an altitude of 25,000 feet by a B-29 aircraft and then released through the bomb bay, rocketing to 40,000 feet and exceeding 662 miles per hour (the sound barrier at that altitude). The rocket plane, nicknamed “Glamorous Glennis,” was designed with thin, unswept wings and a streamlined fuselage modeled after a .50-caliber bullet.

Because of the secrecy of the project, Bell and Yeager’s achievement was not announced until June 1948. Yeager continued to serve as a test pilot, and in 1953 he flew 1,650 miles per hour in an X-1A rocket plane. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1975 with the rank of brigadier general.

White Christmas

White Christmas

The film was released in theaters October 14, 1954.

White Christmas is a 1954 movie starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye that featured the songs of Irving Berlin, including the titular White Christmas.

Wikipedia Link

HEL

Flight 666 On Friday The 13th Going To HEL Is The Metalest Way To Fly

 

Buffalo Latte

In celebration of their new line of drinks, Tim Hortons has announced a sweet and spicy Buffalo Wing flavored espresso drink called the Buffalo Latte. This unlikely pairing of flavors pays tribute to the iconic sauce named after its founding city and will be served at two locations in and around Buffalo, New York.

Buffalo sauce, the unique flavor with origins in Buffalo, New York, is on to a new frontier – lattes. To honor Buffalo’s bold signature flavor and celebrate the launch of the new espresso line-up, select Tim Hortons® Restaurants in Buffalo, NY are introducing a Buffalo Latte. Made from freshly brewed espresso, steamed milk, mocha, and bold Buffalo sauce flavor, the latte is topped with whipped topping and a dusting of zesty Buffalo seasoning. …Come try one from now until 10/20 while supplies last at the Tim Hortons at 3470 Main St in Buffalo, NY 14043 and at 4849 Transit Rd in Depew, NY 14214.

Family of Lynx

When you hear animals creeping along your porch, you think stray dogs or cats are probably responsible — or maybe a bold raccoon. You don’t think it’s going to be a mother lynx and her family of seven kittens. But such was the case for Tim Newton when he awoke to the sound of paws on his deck Wednesday morning. The Anchorage man thought it was cats, but he didn’t think it would be, well, big cats.

41.96 seconds, pshawwwww

Just last month, a Bugatti Chiron went from zero to 249 mph and back to zero in an incredible 41.96 seconds. On Sunday, a Koenigsegg Agera RS broke that record, performing the same feat in 36.44 seconds.

Hippos and Elephants get Pumpkins!

Piebald Ball Python

This snake is an albino piebald ball python known as a pumpkin pied python and is specifically bred for these characteristics. Breeder Brian Stewart also shared photos and video of his beloved pumpkin pied.

19 new gecko species

19 new species of geckos discovered in tiny little area…



See the rest, and the article, here.

The New Ford Raptor Has Both 4WD & AWD!

The 2017 Ford Raptor has been out for months now, and just about everyone who’s driven it has been impressed. It’s easy to appreciate immense power, but a lot of this truck’s most magical wizardry happens with gearing and electronic controls.

30 Day Timelapse at Sea

Praying Mantis watching TV

Homemade Tank!

The 18-year-old high school student behind the YouTube channel MacroMachines spent 14 months building an incredible drivable 40% scale World War II era M26 Pershing tank that he took out for a spin around the yard. His entire build process is available to view on YouTube.

October 06, 1866: First U.S. train robbery

On this day in 1866, the Reno gang carries out the first robbery of a moving train in the U.S., making off with over $10,000 from an Ohio & Mississippi train in Jackson County, Indiana. Prior to this innovation in crime, holdups had taken place only on trains sitting at stations or freight yards.