It’s an Odd & Small World After All
In its 40th year, Nikon Small World is one of the leading forums for recognizing excellent microscopic photography. Subjects above cover biological specimens.
1) Jumping Spider Eyes Reflected Light - 20X
Noah Fram-Schwartz; Greenwich, Connecticut, USA
2) Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius) - 50X
Mr. Stefano Barone; Cremona, Italy
3) Developing Mouse Embryo Eye - 20X
Ms. Zsófia László; Budapest, Hungary
4) Ant Eye Reflected Light - 20X
Noah Fram-Schwartz; Greenwich, Connecticut, USA
5) Underside of the Brown Dog and Lonestar Tick Mouthparts - 100X
Dr. Igor Robert Siwanowicz; Ashburn, Virginia, USA
(Source: Yahoo!)
Crabzilla or Hoax?
Is this a freakishly huge crab or just someone bored playing with photoshop? You might have seen this image within the last few days. The above photographs of Whistable harbour led people to believe that a monster-size crab (nick-named “crabzilla”) is living off the Kent coast in the United Kingdom.
Residents of Whitstable were stunned when the picture appeared to show a huge crab at the base of the coastal town’s harbour.
However a marine biologist, Dr. Verity Nye, who is an ocean and earth science researcher at the University of Southampton states: “The idea of a giant "crabzilla” would very exciting. Unfortunately, I think this is a hoax.“
She further stated that the United Kingdom does have large crabs but not anywhere near this size. The largest crabs tend to stay in deeper water and that this particular image is a different shape than previously identified huge crustaceans.
But this is just one scientist’s opinion…anything is in the realm of possibility when it comes to ocean life. Hundreds, if not thousands, of new species of marine life are discovered every year. Perhaps he’ll make another appearance…
(Source: allthatisodd.com)
Horrific Torture Devices Throughout History
- The Rack - Probably the most infamous and widely used instrument of torture was the rack which dates back to the ancient Greeks. There are few records of its use before the Middle Ages but, during the Spanish Inquisition, there was a large increase in its use.
- The Brazen Bull - This device was designed in Greece by Perillos of Athens. He was a brass founder and cast the shape of a hollow bull with a door on the side. The condemned person was put inside the bull and a fire was lit underneath the device causing the person to roast to death. It was configured with tubes and pipes so the person screaming inside would sound like the bull was raging.
- Amputation - Even minor crimes in Medieval Europe could send the offenders to the executioner. Varies body parts were amputated or mutilated in lieu of death, although most victims would die from complications from the “procedure”. No body part was off limits.
- Wooden Torture Chair with Steel Blades - Mainly used in China, this chair was a severe form of punishment. Despite its horrific use, these chairs were often ornately decorated with foliage, scrolls and the heads of mythical sea monsters called Macara.
- The Breaking Wheel - This wheel of torture was used to kill criminals in an extremely slow and painful way. This device was a large wagon wheel. People were chained to the wheel at their wrists and ankles. They were then beaten with hammers and stuck with hot pokers. After the torture was complete, prisoners were left attached to the wheel while birds would peck at their flesh until death occurred.
- Punishment of the Wooden Collar - It is composed of two pieces of wood, hollowed out in the middle, which, when put together, leave room for the neck. The weight of the collar ranged from 40 to 200 pounds depending on the severity of the crime. Immobility and public
- Scold’s Bridle (also known as branks) - A 16th century instrument of punishment used primarily on women. The device was an iron muzzle that enclosed the head with a bridle-bit projected into the mouth and pressed on top of the tongue. The curb-plate was often studded with spikes so if the offender moved her tongue, the pain would be unbearable making speech impossible. Women seen as shrews, nags and even witches were often forced to wear the bridle.
(Source: allthatisodd.com)
Five Fascinating Beaches Around the World
Glass Beach - Fort Bragg, California
Fort Bragg residents used to throw their garbage (including glass bottles) over a cliff onto the beach before it was outlawed in 1967. Over the decades the waves and sand have broken down the glass into smooth, rounded pieces.
(Photo: mlhradio/Flickr)
Jokulsarlon Lake - Iceland
The glacial lake is located in the Vatnajokull National Park, and the shore is filled with huge pieces of ice resting on black volcanic sand. But what really makes this beach unique is that during the winter, it is the perfect place to see the breathtaking northern lights.
(Photo: Ingo Meironke/Flickr)
Bowling Ball Beach - Schooner Gulch, California
The rocks at the Schooner Gulch State Beach are almost perfectly round due to a natural process called concretion.
(Photo: John K/Flickr)
Shell Beach - Shark Bay, Australia
This beach is home to billions of coquina bivalve shells instead of fine grains of sand. The water has a high salt concentration that attracts the shelled creatures.
(Photo: Stefan L/Flickr)
Maldives Beach - Republic of the Maldives
This beach in the Maldives lights up at night, thanks to microscopic organisms called bioluminescent phytoplankton. The organisms respond to changes in the water. Any movement will leave an impressive trail of bluish lights.
(Photo: Exilism/Flickr)
(Source: Yahoo!)
The Origins of Halloween: Appeasing and Honoring the Dead
The fascinating origins of Halloween date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived in an area that is now the United Kingdom over 2,000 years ago, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day represented the end of the summer harvest and the beginning of winter This was a time that was commonly associated with death.
Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the worlds of the living and the dead crossed. On the night of October 31 they celebrated the festival of Samhain. When the ghosts of the dead returned to earth causing mischief and destroying crops, the Celts believed that their presence made it possible for the Druids (Celtic priests) to make predictions about the future. These prophets provided direction and security for surviving the deadly winter that lay ahead.
Huge sacred bonfires were built where people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to their gods. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes typically consisting of animal heads and skins. This is where the fortune telling occurred. When the festival ended, they re-lit their hearth fires from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during their season of death - the cold and darkness of winter.
By 43 A.D., the Roman Empire had taken over the majority of Celtic land. Over the course of 400 years, two Roman festivals were combined with the Celtic celebration of Samhain. The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans honored their dead. The second festival honored Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is an apple and most likely explains the tradition of “bobbing” for apples that is practiced on Halloween to this day.
In 609 AD, Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to honor Christian martyrs and the Catholic feast of All Martyrs Day was established in the Western church. Pope Gregory III (731–741 AD) expanded the festival to include all saints as well as martyrs, and moved the day from May 13 to November 1. By the 9th century, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands where it gradually blended with the older Celtic rituals. In 1000 AD, the church would make November 2 All Souls’ Day - a day to honor the dead.
It is believed that the church was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned, holiday. All Souls Day was celebrated similar to Samhain. Bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels and devils became custom. The All Saints Day celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints’ Day) and the night before, the traditional night of Samhain in the Celtic religion, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween.
(Source: history.com)
The Strange History and Mystery of the Ouija Board
Does the Ouija Board really communicate with spirits or is it just a harmless game?
Many believe that evil spirits, disguising themselves as deceased friends or family members, can trick the users of the board and unwittingly invite “them” into their homes. To be rid of such hauntings, Ouija “experts” advise either to burn the board or dispose of it in a lake since spirits supposedly cannot cross water.
(Source: smithsonianmag.com)