21 Magnificent Moon Photos: Phases, Eclipses & More
September 5, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in History & Trivia & Nature & Ecosystems. ]
For a big rock that happens to be trapped in our planet’s orbit, the moon certainly has a lot of pull – literally – on life here on Earth, from the tides to centuries of art, religious beliefs and folklore. We can’t help but be fascinated by its beautiful glow, its changes throughout the month, its movement across the sky and the vast rocky landscape on its surface.
The Full Moon
(image via: wikimedia commons)
This stunning image shows the moon as it was captured by the Galileo spacecraft in 1992. The moon is ‘full’, appearing perfectly round, when it is on the opposite side of the earth from the sun. This is the only time when the back half of the moon is truly dark. (See this image large!)
Lunar Eclipse
(images via: davedehetre, wikimedia commons)
The moon can take on an eerie red glow in the midst of an eclipse. Lunar eclipses occur when the moon is perfectly aligned behind the earth, with the earth blocking the sun. The phenomenon can be viewed by anyone on the side of the earth facing the moon when it occurs, and can last several hours. In contrast, a solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks the sun as viewed from the earth; solar eclipses last just a few minutes.
Waxing and Waning
(images via: maxwell hamilton, wikimedia commons, nasa goddard)
As the moon passes through its various stages, its shape appears to change. However, this is only an optical illusion based on the relative location of the moon to the earth and the sun. When the illuminated side of the moon is on the right, the moon is ‘waxing’ or building toward a full moon. When it’s on the left, the moon is ‘waning’ toward the ‘new moon’, when the moon is in total darkness.
Movement of the Moon
(image via: wikimedia commons)
This animation illustrates the moon as it passes through its cycles. It appears to wobble a little bit, a phenomenon called libration, because of the slight shifts in the lunar orbit.
Crescent Moons
(images via: jurvetson, makelessnoise)
Crescent moons occur both at the waxing and waning phases, when the moon is between 1-49% visible. Waxing crescent moons are visible between about 3pm and post-dusk, while waning crescent moons can be seen between pre-dawn and 9am. At 50% visible, it’s a ‘quarter moon’, and when the moon is between 51-99% visible in either waxing or waning phases , it’s referred to as ‘gibbous’.
Earthshine
(image via: wikimedia commons)
What causes that strange glow on the dark side of the moon? Often called ‘earthshine’, this glow comes from sunlight reflected by the earth. It occurs when the light from the sun is reflected from the surface of the earth to the moon and then back again to our eyes. It can be seen most clearly during the crescent phases.
The Moon Beside the Earth
(images via: wikimedia commons)
Unlike most other planets (aside from Pluto, which technically isn’t even a planet anymore), Earth’s moon is relatively large compared to the size of its planet. It’s a quarter of the diameter of the earth, and 1/81 its mass. It takes the moon about 29.5 days to orbit the earth; this time period was the basis of what we now use to divide the days of the year into months.
Lunar Craters
(images via: wikimedia commons 1, 2, 3)
These images capture some of the moon’s craters including Goclenius, Daedalus and Tycho. The word ‘crater’ was coined by Galileo from the Latin word for cup. They were formed by the impact of meteors and asteroids. The lack of water, atmosphere and tectonic plates on the moon mean there is little erosion, preserving the crates for millennia.
The ‘Seas’ of the Moon
(images via: nasa, wikimedia commons 1, 2)
Centuries ago, astronomers believed that the dark, featureless areas on the moon that can be seen with the naked eye were seas, hence the term ‘mare’ (plural maria) used to identify these areas. We now know that these plains are solidified pools of ancient basaltic lava which flowed into the depressions associated with impact basins between 4.2 and 1.2 billion years ago.
The Moons of Jupiter
(images via: wikimedia commons 1, 2)
Of course the earth’s moon is not alone in its beauty; many other planets have moons that are just as incredible. Jupiter has the most moons of any planet, with 64 confirmed. The largest of them are the four ‘Galilean moons’, discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei; this observation marked the first time objects were found to orbit a body that was neither the sun nor the earth. From left to right, the four Galilean moons as depicted above are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
The Moons of Saturn
(images via: nasa, wikimedia commons)
Saturn is home to the second largest moon in our solar system, know as ‘Titan’. Titan is larger than the planet Mercury and has an Earth-like atmosphere with hydrocarbon lakes and networks of dry rivers. In addition to Titan, Saturn has 61 moons of vastly variable sizes; 38 of them are ‘irregular satellites’, likely captured minor planets or collections of space debris.
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The Many Faces of our Amazing Moon
Let’s take a brief journey through some of the more interesting aspects of our moon.
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How to Be Positive - Quick and Easy
August 30, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
Realize it’s possible, instead of telling yourself why you can’t.
Become aware of your self-talk.
Squash negative thoughts like a bug.
Replace them with positive thoughts.
Love what you have already.
Be grateful for your life, your gifts, and other people.
Every day.
Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t.
Don’t compare yourself to others.
But be inspired by them.
Accept criticism with grace.
But ignore the naysayers.
See bad things as a blessing in disguise.
See failure as a stepping stone to success.
Surround yourself by those who are positive.
Complain less, smile more.
Image that you’re already positive.
Then become that person in your next act.
Beth
Food of the Golds: 10 Amazing Ways to Enjoy Eating Gold
April 26, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steve in Art & Design & Food & Health & History & Trivia. ]
Taking a shine to your meals lately? Perhaps it’s the other way around: the extravagant gourmand whose gastronomic delights display an aura of Aurum may know something more plebeian diners don’t… putting carats on one’s carrots is as good as gold.
Golden Gourmets
(images via: Foodmall and Emerald Bay Photo)
From ancient times, the world’s rich and powerful have sought to extend and expand their wealth and power by eating foods far too rare, too beautiful or too mystical for the common man (and woman) to afford. Gold fits the bill… but to eat or drink it, one must have the means to PAY the bill.
(images via: Picture Message, Parents and iOffer)
Why gold, you might ask, when gourmet delicacies like truffles, sweetbreads and, er, lark’s tongues in aspic are just as rare and probably a whole lot more flavorful. It’s all for show, of course – gold is useful for jewelry and not much else, so why not “gild the lily” when making friends and influencing people? This was exactly what the ancient Egyptians had in mind when they introduced the world to the art of edible gold. These days, the cult of celebrity has supplanted the worship of more heavenly bodies and edible gold is all the rage among the privileged classes. Here are 10 ways one can imbibe edible gold, some so affordable even a modern-day plebeian can enjoy them!
Shake Yer Beauty
(images via: Gold Leaf Company and Fancy Flours)
First off, my apologies for that truly awful title – now let’s move on to some real beauty you can shake onto just about anything. We’re talkin’ gold… silver and gold, actually, individually packaged in powdered form at a surprisingly reasonable price. The gold goes for around $100 per gram which may seem like a lot but look on the bright side: a little gold (or silver) powder will go a long way.
Food Bling
(images via: Food Network UK and Daily Mail UK)
Powder too fine for your chowder? Fancy a sprinkle on your, er, can’t think of a rhyme for “sprinkle.” Regardless, when only gold can fit the mold, do your thing with some Food Bling. British food celeb Laura Santtini has hooked up with Selfridges department store to market a range of gold and silver sprinkles under the trendy moniker. Sez Santtini, it’s “an inexpensive and easy way of making a meal more glamorous.”
Graffiti You Can Eat-y
(images via: ArtNectar)
Polishing an apple to give to a favorite teacher? Make an indelible impression with Esslack edible gold food spray from German food cooperative The Deli Garage. As seen in the image above, you can spray-paint your tomatoes a glittering golden hue. It matters not that tomatoes look perfectly appetizing “as is”; Esslack is all about making an impression.
I Can’t Be-Leaf It’s Gold!
(images via: Yahoo Lifestyle, Margot Austin and Pretty Tasty Cakes)
One of gold’s most fascinating properties is its extreme malleability. A tiny nugget of gold can be hammered out into a surprisingly wide sheet that may be only a few dozen atoms thick: Gold Leaf. Food grade labeled gold leaf allows chefs and cooks to add the appearance of great value to their culinary creations while in actuality using very tiny amounts of gold.
Golden Gulps
(images via: Gggirlanachronism, Gdansk Life and Supercook)
Those who have enjoyed Goldschläger cinnamon schnapps may feel richer than they really are: a 750ml bottle only contains about a tenth of a gram (0.1 g) of gold flakes worth around us$5 on the metals market. Even so, it’s not the quantity of gold that counts here, it’s the quality of the company, the occasion and the atmosphere. Goldschläger is one of several liqueurs infused with tiny amounts of gold leaf with the original being Danziger Goldwasser, first brewed and sold back in 1598.
Buy The Bar
(images via: Zimbio and Luxuo)
The power of social media has brought back Cadbury’s much-loved Wispa Gold chocolate bar, though at a cost. Like, £961.48 (about $1,630). Fret not, British chocoholics, the heavy sticker price is for one very special Wispa Gold bar, covered in gold leaf and packaged in a custom gold leaf wrapper. Over 22,000 Wispa Gold fans joined the Facebook group “Bring back Cadbury’s Wispa Gold”, leading to the presentation of the one & only gold Wispa Gold bar. The choice confection was presented by Tony Hadley of the 1980′s New Romantic band Spandau Ballet, whose 2nd best-charting single was… “Gold”.
California Gold Rush Rolls
(image via: Foodiggity)
When it comes to gourmet sushi, Filipino chef Angelito Araneta Jr. has got the Midas touch. He’ll need it – it’s tough to top some types of sushi when it comes to both price and presentation. Araneta judiciously applies 23K gold leaf to his custom creations and at times even THAT isn’t enough: the gold-wrapped rolls above are garnished with 12 local Palawan pearls and 4 (.20ct) African diamonds of VVS clarity. We’re gonna need more Alka Seltzer, stat!
Frrrozen Haute Chocolate Sundae
(images via: Reuters and Wicked Stage)
When the Guinness World Record people recognize you for preparing the world’s most expensive dessert, you can be pretty sure there’s gold involved. When the dish costs $25,000 it’s pretty much a given. The delectable “Frrozen Haute Chocolate” is a dreamy dessert devised by Stephen Bruce, owner of the New York restaurant Serendipity 3. Bruce blended 28 exotic cocoas with 5 grams (0.2 ounces) of edible 23-karat gold and as a bonus, slipped an 18-karat gold bracelet with 1 carat of white diamonds into the bottom of the sundae. Don’t eat the bracelet, just lick it clean and slip it on.
Cupcake Wars
(images via: A Spoonful of Sugar, Baa Baa Cupcake and Caroline’s Creations)
Cupcakes offer chefs a small but rich palette upon which to work their wonders, and gold dragees seem to be one of the more popular weapons in their arsenal. “Weapons” indeed… anyone chomping down on a dragee unawares might think their snack was full of buckshot. These gold-glazed sugar spheres may commonly appear as decorations for desserts but be advised that the FDA lists them as being inedible. Visit the UK and Europe, on the other hand, and you’re free to crunch these tiny golden jawbreakers to your heart’s content.
Shiny Luxury Novelty
(image via: DeLafée International)
Looking for the special gift for the princess who has everything? DeLafée International suggests this gold lollipop gift, described as “a decadent indulgence and a suggestive accessory.” The 45 gram (1.6 oz) strawberry flavored and heart-shaped lollypop might be considered childish if not for the flecks of edible gold clinging to its sweet surface. A little too sexist for you? No worries, DeLafée also sells hand-rolled Dominican luxury cigars wrapped in gold leaf. Smokin hot!
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Freeze Frame: 10 Very Cool Frozen Waterfalls
February 8, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steve in Geography & Travel, Nature & Ecosystems, Uncategorized. ]
Waterfalls are one of nature’s most dynamically beautiful phenomena, even when the water isn’t falling… wait, what? These 10 fantastic frozen waterfalls show what happens when Mother Nature decides to take a snapshot of her most moving creations.
Gullfoss, Iceland
(images via: Orvaratli, Dassi1 and Iceland Private Tours)
Gullfoss (or “Golden Falls”, in English) is one of Iceland’s most popular tourist attractions in all seasons but when the mighty Hvítá river freezes up, Gullfoss becomes an icy, otherworldly landscape. The falls – actually a series of step-like waterfalls – was once considered as a hydroelectric power source but luckily those plans were shelved and today Gullfoss is a nationally protected area.
(image via: Let’sBuyIt.com)
New Wave music fans may recognize the frozen falls at Gullfoss from the cover of Echo and the Bunnymen’s iconic 1983 album Porcupine. Band members posed for the cover shot and filmed three music videos in close proximity to Gullfoss, a potentially dangerous endeavor. According to lead singer Ian McCulloch, “If we had slipped there wasn’t anything for hundreds of feet below us.”
Dow Spout, Galloway Hills, Scotland
(images via: Needle Sports)
Dow Spout is a terraced, step-like waterfall located on the slopes of Craignaw in southern Scotland. In warmer weather, water drains off the mossy, treeless summit of one of Scotland’s most eerily beautiful landscapes, cascading over well-worn rocks for several hundred feet. After a hard winter freeze, however, Dow Spout becomes a slick, crystalline “icefall”.
(image via: FindTarget)
Dow Spout in winter is one of the UK’s most challenging climbs, though it takes several heavy night frosts following rainy days – not unusual in this part of Scotland – for the falls to reach its optimum level of climbing difficulty and photographic beauty.
Kitsiputous Falls, Finland
(images via: Outdoors.fi, Tleerberg and Timo_W2S)
Kitsiputous Falls is located in the far northwest corner of Finland, close to the point where the borders of Finland, Sweden and Norway meet. Hikers can get to Kitsiputous Falls by following the trail that leads through the Malla Strict Nature Reserve. If Lappland’s a bit too far off the beaten track, however, not to worry – Finland in winter is a frozen waterfall paradise.
(image via: Cartina)
Naturally, winter travelers can expect much more difficulty but those who have made the trip say that the frozen vista of one of “Kitsi”, Finland’s highest waterfalls, suspended in nature’s icy embrace, is well worth the time and trouble.
Taroshi Falls, Japan
(images via: Pink Tentacle, Hanamaki City and Happy Haiku)
“So magnificent — this icicle before us — bulging with promise.” This serene haiku was composed in tribute to the annual freezing of Taroshi Falls, located in Japan’s Iwate prefecture. Folk legend has it that the greater the circumference of the frozen waterfall, the more bountiful the upcoming season’s rice crop will be. Though the practice or measuring the frozen waterfall goes back 700-odd years, it’s only since 1975 that a local conservation group has begun recording the measurements. To date, 8 meters (26.25 feet) is the record girth while about 4 meters (13.12 feet) is required for a good rice harvest.
Minnehaha Falls, MN, USA
(images via: Two Cities Two Wheels and Shawn Brankart)
Minnehaha Creek flows through the city of Minneappolis before emptying into the upper reaches of the Mississippi River. Just before it does, however, its waters pour over 16 meter (53 foot) tall Minnehaha Falls. The falls are beautiful in warmer weather but when frozen, they take on a uniquely exquisite appearance.
(images via: Dan Anderson)
There are ice caves behind frozen Minnehaha Falls though it’s illegal to climb behind them – a fact either unknown or ignored by the intrepid ice climbing photographer who provided the technicolor evidence above.
Old Man’s Cave, OH, USA
(images via: Wunderground)
These spectacular images show a waterfall captured in the process of freezing as it spills over the overhang at Old Man’s Cave at Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio, USA. As there is no freeze sudden enough to stop rushing water in its tracks, the process occurs incrementally from the outside in. This causes the creation of an “ice tube”, the inner diameter of which slowly constricts until no more water can flow through.
(image via: Wunderground)
Note the massive ice stalagmite growing up from the ground to meet the ice tube… will the water freeze before the twain shall meet? Also check out the onlookers in the left portion of the image above to get an idea of this unnamed waterfall’s daunting size and scale.
Longchuang Reservoir Dam, China
(image via: China A2Z)
Not all frozen waterfalls are natural, though wind, weather and temperature play a large [part in their formation. The Longchuang Reservoir Dam located in China’s Shandong province is one such example of Man’s works co-opted by natural forces. The images above, taken on December 24 of 2008, show water frozen in a the act of cascading over the top of the dam. Local authorities attributed the phenomenon to “continuous strong wind and a sharp fall in temperature.”
The Fang, Vail, CO, USA
(images via: Fundivision, Pravda, Superstock and Tourism On The Edge)
The Fang, near the resort town of Vail, Colorado, only forms during exceptionally cold winters – does Global Warming make it an endangered species? Al Gore aside, The Fang is a gargantuan ice pillar that measures up to 50 meters (164 feet) tall and 8 meters (26.25 feet) wide at the base.
(image via: Fundivision)
The Fang is a popular objective for ice climbers, though one thinks you don’t want to dig your spiked soles into the frozen pillar after countless other climbers have done so previously. One careless kick and it’s thanks but no Fangs.
Niagara Falls, NY, USA
(images via: Dennis Hurd, Niagara Frontier, Sighted Moon and Solomon Hoasjoe)
Mighty Niagara Falls, pouring over the Niagara Escarpment to the sound of rolling thunder… most of the time, yes, but not always. Bitterly cold winter weather has been known to freeze the Falls in its tracks, so to speak, though this hasn’t happened to its fullest extent since the nineteenth century.
(image via: Collections Canada)
The photo above dates from 1875 and shows Niagara Falls mostly frozen over. Move over, Maid of the Mist, today’s tour is being conducted by none other than Yukon Cornelius!
Blue Heaven
(images via: JMKirk, Punchstock and Superstock)
Even frozen waterfalls get the blues, but from a vantage point behind a frozen waterfall in an ice cave, it’s all good and then some. Though it may be hard to keep one’s spirits up as February’s snowstorms just keep on coming, we hope that these cool frozen waterfalls – when viewed from the warm comfort of your home or workplace – act as a cozy hearth for your winter-weary heart.
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14 Smart Silo Conversions from High-Rises to Hidden Homes
January 24, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design, Home & Garden. ]
Once, they held grain, missiles or even sewage. But these 14 silos were transformed into incredibly creative adaptive reuse projects, transcending their utilitarian identities to present us with modern high-rise apartment buildings, eco-friendly homes, unusual restaurants and irresistible bed-and-breakfasts.
MVRDV Gemini Residence, Copenhagen
(images via: arcspace)
Leave it to architecture firm MVRDV to turn two eyesores on Copenhagen’s waterfront into stunning residential towers that are even cooler looking once you step inside. The two silos were left intact as ‘twin cores’, with the actual apartments basically acting as a facade. Inside each ‘core’ is staircases, elevators and common space for residents including terraces.
Silo Eco-Home, Greensburg, Kansas
(image via: natural home magazine)
Greensburg, Kansas is so named because it aims to become one of the first green towns in the United States. If it keeps building homes like this one, which has a reclaimed silo as its main component, the town will certainly be off to a great start. The roof of the Silo Eco-Home will be planted with vegetables and herbs, serving as “a model for small-scale sustainable food production.”
Gruene Homestead Inn, Texas
(images via: gruenhomesteadinn.com)
As the Gruene Homestead Inn demonstrates, all you need to do to make an old silo look like a cute place to vacation is add a front porch. Oh, sure, there’s more to it than that – things like drywall and plumbing – but in this application, the silo retains its charm and character. The interior has been artfully arranged to fit plenty of function inside including a kitchen, curving stairway, loft bedroom and a full-sized bathroom.
Monte Silo House, Woodland, Utah
(images via: archicentral)
On the more modern end of the spectrum is the Monte-Silo House in Woodland, Utah, a conversion project proving that silos can be stylish. The house is in fact made up of two corrugated steel silos, connected by a hallway, and the layout of the home takes full advantage of the round shape, even building capsule-like guest beds for kids into the walls. The smaller silo houses the bathroom.
Silo Student Dorms, Norway
(image via: marcus ramberg)
Once a grain silo in the middle of an industrial area, the Grünerløkka student housing complex is now an eye-catching structure with 226 residential units on 16 floors, sitting on national park land. The architects wanted to keep the original structure intact in both form and material as much as possible, contrasting the concrete of the silos with brightly colored glass.
Cold War Missile Silo Home, New York
(images via: silohome.com)
Nestled into the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York is ‘Silohome’, which the owners call “the finest retrofit of a missile site accomplished to date.” Perhaps they’re a bit biased, but the home is definitely a sight to behold with an ordinary-looking house topping two finished and furnished underground levels. Amazingly, while the home itself takes up 2,300 square feet, there’s still 20,000 square feet untouched, and it goes down… and down.. and down.
Wheat Silo Apartments, Bunbury, Australia
(image via: wikimedia commons)
Built in 1937 and used for decades to store wheat, the silos that were long an icon of Bunbury, Australia got a new life in 1994 as a luxury high-rise apartment complex packed with a swimming pool, heated spa and lounge area.
Coal Silo Restaurant, New York
(image via: moreofme24)
Silo Restaurant in Lewiston, New York is a converted coal silo perched on the edge of the Niagara River. The massive concrete silo gained this prime location – with a beautiful view that was once wasted – because the coal that it held was used to power the Great Gorge Railway. In the early 20th century, the Lewiston waterfront was bustling with tourists, but by the ’30s a superhighway diverted traffic and pollution in the river damaged tourism. The silo was rescued in 1997 and transformed into a restaurant where patrons can sit on the circular deck and gaze out at the water.
From a Silo to a High Rise in Denmark
(images via: inhabitat)
Most converted silo projects are obvious, considering the tell-tale cylindrical shape that is usually retained by the finished buildings. But for this rural ‘high-rise’ in Denmark, the origin of the structure is disguised within a blocky facade. The silo acts as a ‘service core’ for the apartments – it includes an elevator in the center, and supports a roof terrace.
Subterra Castle in Kansas
(images via: subterracastle.com)
Subterra Castle in Kansas was made from a silo of a different sort – a missile silo, to be exact. A small cabin marks the entrance to the underground home, and castle turrets sticking up out of the grass are actually escape hatches. Owner Ed Peden equates his home to the medieval castles of Europe, where much of the most-used spaces are beneath the surface.
Rustic DIY Eco Retreat, Missouri
(image via: dancing rabbit)
Interested in building your own DIY silo house? This ‘grain bin house’ at the Dancing Rabbit eco commune in Missouri was constructed with a lot of hard work but very little cash. The owners lined the inside of the bins with plastered straw bales for insulation and created a second floor, turning the silo into two one-room apartments.
Abbey Road Farm Bed and Breakfast, Oregon
(images via: abbeyroadfarm.com)
Three silos make up the bulk of one of the most unique sustainable structures in Oregon. The Abbey Road Farm Bed and Breakfast, located on an 82-acre working farm and winery, lets guests sleep in these ‘Silo Suites’, which look out onto the fields. “The most intriguing people end up here,” says owner John Stuart. “You’ve got to be a little courageous to want to sleep in a grain silo.”
Silo Converted to a Castle, Canada
(image via: panaramio)
Castles aren’t exactly a common sight in Canada, but even less common are castles made from old silos. Not much is known about this structure, found in the countryside of Ontario, but the image is intriguing, giving the impression of a centuries-old homestead.
NL Architects Silo Sports Complex Concept, Amsterdam
(images via: archicentral)
We’ve seen grain silos, missile silos and coal silos – but what about sewage treatment silos? Yes, those, too are being converted for new uses. Two such towers in the Zeeburg district of Amsterdam were the subject of a contest in 2009 to give the structures a new, more positive identity. NL Architects came up with this concept, turning the silos into a recreational complex for sports and culture.
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Maggot Fangs & Water Bear Claws: Microscopic Insect Images
January 10, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Animals & Habitats, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Have you ever looked a wasp right in its faceted eyeball, or seen an image of a flea that you’d call ‘beautiful’? Ever glimpsed the fangs of a bottle fly maggot, or an alien manatee-looking creature that lives in moss? These 15 macro and microscopic photographs of creepy-crawly insects, worms and other tiny creatures give us an incredible look at a world unseen by the naked eye.
A Face Only a Fly Could Love
(image via: the sun)
Maggots are already some of the grossest creatures that exist on earth, feasting on corpses and other rotting matter. But get a good look at one up close, and it will never leave your mind. It’s probably plotting to show up in your nightmares as we speak. This image, showing a maggot’s creepy little ‘fangs’, was taken with a powerful electron microscope by retired scientific photographer Steve Gschmeissner.
Nematode Worm Explosion
(images via: byu)
You may have heard of ‘beneficial nematodes’, microscopic living creatures that you can order online and sprinkle onto your lawn to kill fleas and other pests. But have you ever seen what they actually look like? This image, by Brigham Young University students, shows the aftermath of successful organic pest control using this method as nematodes spill out of their victim, a moth larva.
Unseen Companions: Dust Mites & Mosquito
(images via: inceptive notions)
There’s nothing that dust mites love more than flakes of human skin. That’s a group of them, in the top image, foraging for their favorite treat on a bed sheet. Makes you want to do laundry, doesn’t it? Photographers David & Madeline Spears also captured the mosquito, below, and dozens of other insects for their book ‘Unseen Companions: Big Views of Tiny Creatures’.
Lousy Ants
(image via: brian valentine)
The next time you feel a little slap-happy when you find an ant crawling on your skin, think about this: ants have the same problem. This ultra-close-up image of two red ants shows not just incredible textures on the ants’ exoskeletons and eyeballs, but also an infestation of mites.
A Mite with a Mite Problem
(image via: macromite)
And the chain never ends. This image, captured with an electron microscope, depicts 4 ‘hypopi’, juvenile mites, hitching a ride on a larger mite called an Athiasiella.
Up Close & Personal with a Wasp
(image via: bug faces)
A paper wasp and a yellow jacket give the camera a look of warning in these macro shots captured by Coder. It’s sometimes possible to tell the difference between the many different species of wasps by counting the number of divisions in their antennae. For example, male yellow jackets have 13 divisions per antenna, while females of the same species have 12.
Fantastic Flea
(image via: the telegraph)
Fleas are undeniably gross little creatures, but this electron microscope shot by Steve Gschmeissner could almost be called beautiful. That’s mostly thanks to the ethereal colors produced in this type of photography, which captures light differently than a normal camera.
Spiny Assassin Bug
(image via: uglybug.org)
The spiny assassin bug doesn’t sound pleasant, and doesn’t look it, either. Those two long feeding tubes are quite a weapon: they first inject a lethal saliva into the bug’s prey, and then suck out its insides. Some assassin bug subspecies are bloodsuckers, and have a nasty habit of biting sleeping humans on the soft tissue of their lips and eyes.
Alien Manatee, or Water Bear?
(images via: session magazine)
It can’t be seen by the naked eye – and that’s probably a good thing, or we’d never want to go anywhere near the water. Tardigrades, also known as water bears or moss piglets, are microscopic eight-legged animals that live in lichen, moss, dune grasses and in both marine and freshwater sediments. They have bizarre-looking tubular mouths and on each little foot can be found four to eight claws. Technically, they’re not insects, but related to nematodes.
Damselfly Kiss
(image via: bug faces)
Who knew that damselflies had such cute little faces? Damselflies have two gigantic compound eyes, each of which is divided into 30,000 to 40,000 facets. Like many other insects, they have fuzzy faces, but the biggest surprise in this macro is those almost human-looking lips.
None-Too-Lovable Stinkbug
(image via: uglybug.org)
It’s not a good idea to get this close to a stinkbug. If you can see its eyes, chances are it will have a clear shot of shooting its foul defensive liquid into them in a fine mist. This liquid, for which the bug is named, can actually cause abrasions to the cornea.
Ponder the Praying Mantis
(image via: bug faces)
We’re usually so entranced by the leaf-mimicking body of the praying mantis that we’d hardly even notice its head. But those triangular little heads are pretty cool themselves – they can turn 180 degrees to spot potential prey.
Human Head Louse
(image via: morrisonworldnews)
Your scalp is going to itch just looking at this picture. The human head louse, which spends its entire life hanging out among human hair dining on blood, has two sharp mouth parts perfect for piercing skin that retract into its head when not in use. They love to hang out at the nape of the neck or behind the ears, where it’s nice and dark.
Pubic Louse
(image via: david gregory & debbie marshall)
If you thought the head louse was bad, check out this bugger. The pubic louse – which is surprisingly only distantly related to the head louse – has an appropriately ugly mug. Commonly known as ‘crabs’, public lice are sexually transmitted but can also infest the eyelashes.
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Bugging Out: 7 Amazing Extreme Insect Close-Ups
Whatever it is you’re thinking about at 3:00 am, it’s probably got nothing to do with insects. That’s not the case for Miroslaw Swietek, a Polish photographer who has made…
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The Earth as Art: 18 Stunning Satellite Images
November 29, 2010 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Animals & Habitats, Art & Design, Geography & Travel, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Here an abstract composition of acid green and vivid violet; there, a sweeping brushstroke in a thick sea of pastel paint. These images aren’t modern art exactly, nor are they ordinary artistic interpretations of landscape, though they’re definitely beautiful enough to frame and hang on your wall. Created by the USGS EROS Data Center, these works of art are RGB compositions of Landsat 7 satellite images capturing everything from flowing iridescent glaciers in Antarctica to black and orange night shots of Icelandic fjords.
Akpatok Island
Turquoise and white with hints of red, this incredible image of Akpatok Island calls to mind close-ups of gemstones. It’s hard to believe that the faceted expanse of aqua around the snowy island is actually ice on the surface of the sea. Accessible only by air, this island in Ungava Bay in northern Quebec is a popular respite for walruses and whales.
Ganges River Delta
Who knew that such a jarring combination of acid green and vivid purple could occur in satellite imagery? The Ganges River Delta, shown where it empties into the Bay of Bengal, is covered in swamp forest that is home to some of the world’s few remaining wild Royal Bengal Tigers.
Lambert Glacier
It seems as if an artist dragged the bristles of a paintbrush through a thick layer of oils in this dreamy shot. It’s actually the Lambert Glacier in Antarctica, the largest glacier in the world. This image shows a small tributary glacier flowing down from the East Antarctic Plateau. The icefall flows like water, but at a much slower rate – about 500 meters per year.
Richat Structure
What’s this – the site of a meteor impact, beautifully rendered in watercolors? Not exactly, but the Richat Structure is definitely one of the world’s most curious geological formations. Found in the Maur Adar Desert in Mauritania, the Richat Structure formed when a volcanic dome hardened and then gradually eroded. What resulted was strange concentric rings of rock.
West Fjords
Resembling a cross-section of coral, this EROS image depicts the West Fjords, a series of peninsulas in northwestern Iceland. It’s the island nation’s most remote region, and though it’s relatively small in land area, its jagged edges account for more than half of Iceland’s total coastline.
Lena Delta
Delicate and colorful, the Lena River Delta is one of the largest deltas in the world at over 23,500 square miles. It’s also Russia’s biggest protected area, and a vital swath of wilderness habitat for many species of fish and birds, including swans.
Alluvial Fan
Like flowers, alluvial fans literally blossom across the landscape. Most often found in desert areas subject to periodic flash floods, these unusual patterns are caused when fast-flowing streams slow down and spread out, usually at the exit of a canyon onto a flatter plain. This particular alluvial fan, found between the Kunlun and Altun mountain ranges in China’s XinJiang Province, contains active flowing water on the left side, hence the blue shade.
Bogda Mountains
The colors in this image of the Turpan Depression at the foot of China’s Bogda Mountains are almost too striking to be real. Greens and blues of salt lakes and mustards and whites of sand dunes contrast with the violet and plum of the mountains. The Turpan Depression is one of a very small number of places on land that are below sea level.
Campeche
Blood red and sky blue combine in this beautiful image of the Terminos Lagoon in the Campeche state of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Though it’s not clear why the land appears so red here, it’s a fitting representation of a region known for its red dye.
Delta Region, Netherlands
Segments of the Netherlands’ Delta Region reach out into the sea like pink fingers. Many of the small islands seen in this image were created by the sediment-rich rivers that pour into the North Sea. These rivers also broke up into smaller waterways that further separate the land.
Himalayas
It’s hard to believe that what we’re looking at in this photograph is not a microscopic image, but a mountain range. The Himalayas present themselves in a jagged pattern of pale blue, white, and varying degrees of red.
Niger River
Against a mottled impressionistic landscape, the Niger and Bani Rivers twist and turn like snakes. The pale expanse of land to the north shows the dunes of the Sahara, an entirely different landscape altogether from that of the river deltas with their rich greens and browns.
Von Karman Vortices
These gaseous swirls and scrolls seem intentionally created, etched onto some unknown surface with a pattern in mind. They’re actually what’s known as Von Karman vortices, which form when air flows over and around objects in its path. These ones were created when prevailing winds encountered the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.
Byrd Glacier
You can almost imagine someone taking their finger and wiping it across a wet painting of a landscape, blurring it right in the center. Of course, that blurry area is there for a good reason – it’s the fast-moving Byrd Glacier, flowing from the polar plateau on the left to the Ross Ice Shelf on the right. Or at least, it’s fast-moving compared to the massive stationary ice all around it.
Icelandic Tiger
EROS calls this image ‘Icelandic Tiger‘, and it’s easy to see why. Presumably taken at night, the image depicts the mainland, blanketed in some areas with snow, against the black of the water. The tiger’s ‘mouth’ is the Eyjafjorour fjord.
Meandering Mississippi
What a contrast of seemingly pixelated developed land and the organic, free-flowing swirl of the great Mississippi River. The river appears to invade the land, loop back on itself and yet push relentlessly southward in this area right on the border between Tennessee and Arkansas, south of Memphis.
Sierra de Velasco
A muted yet powerful palette characterizes the Sierra de Velasco Mountains in northern Argentina. The greens show us the highest points of the mountains, while the blues are vineyards and fruit-growing areas.
The Dhofar Difference
Perhaps nowhere is a juxtaposition of climates so visually clear as in this image of Oman along the Arabian Sea. Leafy and lush, the coastline is green and fertile thanks to the monsoon rains that come during the summer months. In contrast, just over the stripe of dark purple mountains is a vast expanse of arid interior.
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15 Epic Water and Ice Formations and Phenomena
(Part 2 in a 4-Part Series on Elemental Art Featuring Natural Wonders of the World)
We all know that the Earth’s surface is covered mostly in water and ice, but what is truly astonish…
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The Electronic Cigarette: One Way to Go Green
July 29, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Marc in Food & Health, Technology & Gadgets. ]
At this point, most people are well aware of how cigarettes and their smoke affect health, but not nearly as many are aware of how they affect the environment. Trillions of cigarettes are created each day, and when they’re smoked, their is nothing to do but toss them away. Now that the addictive affects of cigarettes are well documented, there are a ton of smokeless alternatives coming to the market that promise to lessen the health affects, and the environmental effects, of smoking.
(Images via e-cig-environ, diytrade, 7gadgets)
A lot of people love to puff on their old pipe, but as the smell of pipe tobacco once brought to a mind a library full of books and a fireplace, it now brings up images of tar filled lungs. One solution is an electronic pipe that gives you the chemicals your body has become dependent upon, without sacrificing the pipe that has become such an indelible part of your image.
(Images via trendhunter, soccerphile, safetobacco, ecigaretteblog, electroniccigreviews)
Electronic cigarettes are touted as an environmental asset, as they are reusable, and can help offset the 4.5 trillion non biodegradable cigarette butts piled into landfills each year (source: tobacco control). Some of the earlier solutions and cigarette alternatives look more like torture devices or spy gadgets than the cigarettes we’re used to, but some of the newer ones look sleek and even light up as you inhale, or let out a smoke-like vapor when you exhale.
(Images via best4smoke, coolest-gadgets, shopgomi, amazon, alibaba)
Smokeless ashtrays are not as effective at preventing worldwide pollution from cigarettes, but at least they incentivize people to dispose of their cigarettes properly, and not just toss them to the ground. Most smokeless ashtrays are intimidating and appear straight out of a sci fi movie, but attempts have been made to add a little aesthetic improvment (and gadget aesthetic).
(Images via delhi, realecig, blogcritics, free-press-release)
E cigarettes can now be reloaded on the road. With mini docking stations that look more like a GPS, the excuses for not switching from environment harming cigarettes to electronic versions, are becoming hard to stand behind. People used to rally behind their victimization by money grubbing cigarette companies, but these alternatives allow you to ease off (or fully indulge) one’s addictions, without spreading the burden of the harmful smoke and litter onto the rest of the community.
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20 Green Gadgets For Your Green Thumb
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Revealing Your Inner Beast: Animal Tattoos
July 22, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Marc in Art & Design. ]
People show their appreciation of nature and the ecosystem in different ways; some people join a commune and begin a sustainable, vegan existence, while others simply signify their love for nature by tattooing it onto their back. Some people do all of these things. Here are some of the coolest, and in some cases, most random animal tattoos you’ve never seen:
(Images via geniusreviews, tattooan, tattoosbydesign, free-insurance-review, tribaltattoo, wolf tattoo)
Wolves are a classic image of untamed nature. Favored by loners who are proud of their ability to howl out their emotions at the moon, it’s also great for those who have more of a pack mentality, and like how this animal is fierce and independent, but works closely and loyally in a group. It also has beautiful features and frightening teeth. These examples show there are a lot of ways to go with your wolf tattoo.
(Images via tattoo, robotnine, graphic.ward)
Giraffes would not be my first guess for an animal tattoo, but apparently they hold powerful meaning for some people. I have to say my favorite is the connect the dots example (the red lines are marker… the tattoo typically just looks like dots), though I’d worry about too much interaction from strangers itching to draw on your leg to see what it reveals.
(Images via mytipsonline, tattoobringer, cwalker71)
Elephants have held much significance in a lot of cultures, but any nature lover can appreciate their intelligence, power, and loyalty to one another. If you’ve ever seen elephants mourning over a fallen comrade, it’s heart wrenching. You have to have a lot of room and a great artist to pull this off well, but the results can be well worth it.
(Images via myspace, asseeninwi)
I originally thought a cow tattoo would be incredibly strange, imagining the image in the second photo as the only possible outcome of that train of thought. The beauty and quality of the first tattoo changed my attitude, however, as it’s beautifully done. If you want to show serenity, or loyalty to a home state known for its’ cheese, just be sure you get an inspired tattoo artist to do the work.
(Images via tattoo22, tattoospit, artbackwash, 99tattoos)
Bats are frightening, unique, and if you walk three feet in a library you’ll find yourself tripping over a book that features their mythology prominently. Whether you’ve decided to get tattooed with a bat because of your love of vampires, or it’s entirely because of your love for that particular animal, you have to be careful of what conclusions people will jump to. Regardless of the meaning behind it, bat tattoos have a lot of room to be amazing.
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Animal suicide is seemingly easy to dismiss on the surface but merits more thought when considering how captivity, depression and other factors can affect animals.
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Animal Detectives: Feline Forensics and Intuitive Insects
March 26, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Chris in Animals & Habitats, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
(Images via: PCS, Babble, AC360, Nikipedia, Stripers Online, Sock Ninja, Book Mice, Snarkerati, The Pilver)
From sniffing for bombs and drugs to tracking down missing persons, dogs have been trained to use their strong sense of smell in the pursuit of justice. While bloodhounds and other canines may first come to mind when thinking of animal detectives, they are not the only creatures that can help solve crimes and put away slime. Turns out that dog’s worst friend – the cat – and an insect that most humans would like to avoid – wasps – also have some surprising value in the world of law enforcement.
If the Cat Fur Sticks, You Must Not Acquit
(Images via: Annie’s Little Footprints, Fantasy Stock, Flickr, Onancock, Eco Test, Flickr)
Cat owners can attest to how much cats love to groom themselves, shedding tons of hair on pillows, couches, floors and other areas of the home. Often viewed as an annoyance, discarded cat hair turned out to be a crucial piece of evidence in a 1994 murder case in Canada. Inside a bloody jacket next to a murdered woman were two strands of white car fur. The jacket was believed to be owned by the woman’s ex-husband, and the fur was genetically linked through DNA analysis to a cat named Snowball, owned by the suspect’s parents. Ultimately, the cat fur contributed to conviction of the suspect, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
CSI CAT-alonia?
(Cat DNA Image via: Flickr)
(Cat Genome Image via: About)
Law enforcement officials have noted how cat fur is like a silent witness that can be brought to the scene of the crime (such as in the landmark Canada case) or carried away from the scene (such as from the home of a cat owner). Given the potential of cat fur as forensic evidence in millions of homes, an international team of scientists recently developed an extensive DNA database that includes different cat furs. The database currently features 1,396 different cat DNA sequences to be used by crime scene investigators and forensic experts. The scientists expect to add dog hair sequences to the DNA database in the future.
The Sting: Starring Paul Newman and Thousands of Wasps
(Images via: Apartment Therapy, Urban Extension, Sky Bird 1831)
Like dogs, wasps are masters at olfactory detection. In recent years scientists have trained wasps to smell for different chemicals, simply by feeding them sugar water and introducing them to a specific smell (such as caffeine). The wasps have demonstrated a quick ability to pick up on these smells in as little as 10 seconds and just 2 to 3 repeated trials. Especially interesting, the wasps will swarm to the trained smell when detected. According to entomologists, wasps display great potential to detect anything, including drugs and human remains. Given that thousands of wasps can be trained to detect a specific smell in just 10 to 15 minutes, the entomologists added that there could be a day when wasps replace the bomb-sniffing dogs that we’ve all come to love.
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Animal suicide is seemingly easy to dismiss on the surface but merits more thought when considering how captivity, depression and other factors can affect animals. 1 Comment - Click Here to Read More
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