[ By Steve in Geography & Travel, History & Trivia, Science & Research. ]
On March 19, 2011 when the Moon loomed to its closest approach to Earth in almost 20 years, the usual gang of doomsayers spewed forth apocalyptic predictions while seeking to link the Extreme Supermoon event with recent natural disasters in New Zealand and Japan. While science has shown the Chicken Little’s laid a colossal egg, at least we were given a plethora of marvelous moon photos to swoon over.
Moon River, Wider than a Mile
(image via: Global Times)
With apologies to Johnny Mercer and Andy Williams, the March 19, 2011 extreme supermoon looked more than a mile wider than the average moon and actually WAS miles closer. Though the moon’s distance from the Earth (measured center to center) varies between 357,000 kilometers (222,000 mi) at perigee and 406,000 km (252,000 mi) at apogee due to the elliptic nature of the lunar orbit, the March 19 event saw our solitary satellite snuggle up to within a mere 356,577 km (221,572 mi). Since the average lunar perigee is 364,397 km (226,432 mi), on March 19 the moon was about 7,820 km (4,860 mi) closer to the earth. Above is the March 19 supermoon rising behind Berlin’s Funkturm radio and television tower.
(images via: Say To All and Ajorbahman’s Collection)
It gets even better. Supermoons are most notable when they occur at what astronomers call “perigee-syzygy”: a full or new moon that coincides with lunar perigee. While this in itself isn’t all that special (run of the mill supermoons occur 4 to 6 times a year), so-called “extreme supermoons” like this year’s one looming over Sofia, Bulgaria (above, top) are a different story.
(images via: Say To All, Global Times and Jano)
There have been 14 extreme supermoons since 1900 with the most recent occurring in 2005, 1993, 1992, 1990, 1975, 1974, 1972 and 1954. We can look forward to enjoying (weather permitting) future extreme supermoons in 2016, 2018, 2023, 2034 and 2036… so save the date, we’re brewin’ up some moonshine!
Here’s a short video primer on supermoons and supermoon-mania by some folks who know a thing or two about the moon… NASA:
ScienceCasts: Super Moon, via ScienceAtNASA
(image via: Wikipedia)
Numbers are all well and good but are these differences in distance actually noticeable from our Earthly vantage point? Indeed they are. The average full moon at perigee appears around 12 percent larger than an average non-perigee full moon. Supermoons, even more so. The difference is even greater for extreme supermoons such as the March 19, 2011 event as shown in the comparison split-screen image above. It’s estimated that the moon appeared 14 percent larger and was 30 percent brighter!
The Tides That Bind
(images via: Daily News Global, Frugal Cafe and Ajorbahman’s Collection))
For those of us on Earth (basically ALL of us, ISS-crew excepted), the moon’s gravitational force is most evident in the way it influences the tides. One might expect an extreme supermoon to induce some extreme tides, and indeed that’s the case though “extreme” is a relative term; up to 15 cm (6 in) depending on local conditions.
(images via: Celestia Screenshots Gallery, BBC and Will Barnes Online)
Tidal forces also affect land masses though not enough to be noticeable. That’s not the case on some of the solar system’s other heavenly bodies, specifically the moons which orbit large gas giant planets. These moons heat up from the constant stress and stretching; Jupiter’s moon Io is a leading example. Other moons affected by tidal forces are Enceladus (Saturn) and Triton (Neptune).
(images via: Gaia Souls, Free PSP Movies Portal and National Geographic)
Where we run into problems of speculation and extrapolation is when we try to apply marine tidal dynamics to land masses. The forces involved with plate tectonics and earthquakes are not affected by lunar tides, not to mention that old favorite of astrologers: the alignment of the planets.
(image via: Fast Company and Ajorbahman’s Collection))
Some attempts have been made to show causal relationships between the January 10, 2005 extreme supermoon and the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia as well as the March 19, 2011 extreme supermoon and the March 11, 2011 Great Tohoku Kanto Earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Not so fast: it’s been proven unequivocally that “the 2011 Tohoku earthquake is the only destructive earthquake of 8.0 magnitude or greater to have occurred within 2 weeks of the 14 extreme supermoons from 1900 to the present date.”
“I’m Ready For My Closeup”
(images via: Ajorbahman’s Collection)
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore! Or to be more precise, that’s an extreme supermoon! Hmm, maybe it’d sound better if Dino sang it. In any case, you may have noticed the vast majority of the photos that accompany articles on the supermoon feature the moon’s face hovering just above the horizon. There’s a good reason for that: supermoon or not, the moon just looks bigger when it’s rising or setting.
(images via: Spirit Voyage and Ajorbahman’s Collection)
It isn’t really bigger, of course. Our brain’s visual centers aren’t equipped to accurately judge the distance of objects, especially those as distant as the moon. Instead, we compare the relative sizes of objects sharing the same field of vision. A full moon riding high in the sky looks smaller than one rising up from behind a city skyline because there aren’t any visual cues for comparison – clouds and stars don’t count. The same theory can be applied to rising and setting suns.
(images via: EarthSky, Pat Dollard and Cosmos TV)
Everything said up to this point applies to supermoons seen by human beings – including our primitive ancestors. Go much farther back in time and a lot of what those aforementioned doomsayers have been saying takes on more than a glimmer of truth. That’s because the moon didn’t always orbit the Earth at its current, slightly variable distance. It used to be closer… a LOT closer.
(images via: German Aerospace Center, Ecogirl & Cosmoboy, Science Photo Library and Bob Willits)
Astronomers believe the moon was formed by a spectacular collision between the Earth and a Mars-sized rogue planetoid approximately 4.5 billion years ago, very early in the history of the solar system. The impactor slammed into the mostly molten proto-Earth, splashing a goodly glop of magma into space where it first became a Saturn-like ring before coalescing into the moon.
(image via: Science Photo Library)
The newborn moon orbited exceptionally close to the earth – approximately 25,500 km (15,845 mi) away. Imagine the tides a moon that close would raise on an Earth awash with oceans of magma! The moon continues to slowly spiral away from the Earth at a rate of about 3.8 cm (1.52 in) per year, thus making each future supermoon slightly less super than the one before.
Look Skywatchers!
(image via: ScriptingNews)
So you missed the 2011 extreme supermoon due to cloudy skies in your area; not to worry. There’ll be another one soon enough… well, 2016 isn’t that far away. Maybe you, like the future President of the United States, will be able to see it from your house. Hey, that’s no moon!
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Amazing Earth Photos: Solar Eclipses from Space
(Images via: Field of Science)
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Urban Ruins: Abandoned Building Houses Architecture Academy
[ By Delana in Art & Design, Nature & Ecosystems, Science & Research. ]
An abandoned five-story apartment building in Taipei, Taiwan is the unlikely setting for an unusual learning experience. It is the home of Ruin Academy, an interdisciplinary research center that studies the “Third Generation City,” or the ruins of the industrial city. By incorporating a number of disciplines and a mixture of research topics, the Academy explores and celebrates our modern man-made ruins.
While the research topics covered by the Academy are fascinating on their own, the building in which the research takes place is just as unique. All of the windows and interior walls have been removed to allow bamboo, trees, fruits and vegetables to grow freely. Six-inch cylinders of the exterior walls and ceilings have been cut from the buildings to let the rain inside.
Dormitories were constructed from mahogany for professors and students to sleep in. They call it a voluntary refugee camp, which the building does resemble until you reach the fifth floor. There sits a public sauna which Academy dwellers call the “best in the Pacific.”
The Ruin Academy students take their cues from the urban jungle, focusing on re-organizing the industrial city and rearranging the way that humans interact with their environment. Workshops offered by the Academy include Urban Acupuncture, Anarchist Gardener, Ultra-Ruin, River Urbanism and Compost. According to the group, the Third Generation City is a mixture of nature and man-made construction.
In essence, it seems that the group is actively looking for that process which is normally very slow and unchecked by human interaction: the ruination of a human dwelling place. They do not participate in the downfall of the city; rather, they look for places where urban ruins have already gained a slight foothold and they seek to help it along. Far from being agents of destruction, they are scholars and architects who are looking forward to the next stage of the urban existence.
(all images via: Nikita Wu)
Taipei, according to the “constructor-gardeners” of Ruin Academy, is the perfect place for this project. The city is increasingly dominated by official industrialism, so constructing an artificially natural indoor garden in the heart of the city is the perfect way to begin pushing this urban environment toward the organic.
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Furry Forecasters: 7 Amazing Weather-Predicting Animals
[ By Steve in 7 Wonders Series, Animals & Habitats, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Animals have evolved to cope with changing weather conditions and in some cases, have learned to sense when these changes are imminent. These 7 amazing weather-predicting animals offer us more insight into weather’s whimsy than Phil Connors on a good day. Now for today’s fur-cast…
Groundhogs
(images via: Best Week Ever, Uncoverage and Daniel David Allen)
“Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don’t forget your booties ’cause it’s cooooold out there today.” How do we know? Because every February 2nd, Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most famous groundhog weatherman, crawls out into the chill Pennsylvania air. If it’s sunny out and Phil sees his shadow, we’re in for 6 more weeks of winter.
(image via: Vondrook!)
Some people have a problem with this, most notably the character played by Bill Murray in the 1993 movie Groundhog Day. Says Phil (the weatherman, not the groundhog): “There is no way that this winter is *ever* going to end as long as this groundhog keeps seeing his shadow. I don’t see any other way out. He’s got to be stopped. And I have to stop him.”
(images via: Milk In The Clock, USA Today and Finding Dulcinea)
“Winter, slumbering in the open air, wears on its smiling face a dream of spring.” Indeed, spring always follows winter regardless of the prognostications of any number of representative rodents, but the tradition has ancient origins in European (especially Germanic) folklore. It should be noted that the National Climatic Data Center has measured the overall prediction accuracy rate of the featured groundhogs to be only 39%. Don’t blame the groundhogs, though, we just might be reading their predictions backwards.
Ladybugs
(images via: Animal World, Worlds Of Disney, eHow and MNN)
Ladybugs (or Ladybird beetles) are commonly found throughout out Eurasia and North America where they are susceptible to seasonal weather. Being cold-blooded creatures, ladybugs tend to swarm when temperatures reach approximately 12-13°C (55°F). A number of old proverbs concern the ladybug’s usefulness as a weather forecaster, one being “When ladybugs swarm, expect a day that’s warm.”
(image via: Sabrina School)
The advent of heated housing has allowed ladybugs to show another side of their weather forecasting ability. As autumn edges towards winter, ladybugs search for a warm and sheltered place to hibernate – such as your home. As the days lengthen and warm spring weather arrives, the ladybugs become active and begin to fly about, looking for an exit to the outdoors.
Cows
(images via: Wonder How To, Prafulla.net and Amazon)
Farmers are extremely cognizant about the need to be weather-wise – in the old days, the weather was literally a matter of life and death. Combine this need with close observation of domestic animals over thousands of years and you end up with the unlikely premise of weather-forecasting cows.
(images via: David Wall Photo, Corbis and Martin LaBar)
Cattle in pasture or on the range are social creatures but the extant of their gregariousness seems to be related to atmospheric conditions. Most obviously, a herd of cows sensing an oncoming storm tend to cluster together for warmth and security.
(image via: WN.com)
Cows exhibit other weather-related habits such as restlessness; a state of anxiety perhaps brought on by sudden changes in air pressure and/or a buildup of static electricity in the air. Cows have also been known to lie on the grass when rain is imminent: possibly they’re shading a dry spot that would be more comfortable during a rainy spell. Then again, these things may just reflect the prevailing bovine moood.
Frogs
(images via: Naturfoto-CZ, Dr. Oliver-David Louis Finch, Memegenerator and Rotholl)
Years ago in Germany, kids would catch a certain type of temperate zone tree frog called a Laubfrosch which had a habit of climbing up branches when the weather became warmer. Placing the frog in a glass jar with a tiny wooden ladder inside, the children would watch the frog climb or descend in conjunction with the changing weather. A ribbeting barometer, to be sure!
(image via: Mach Publishing)
Old & busted: Punxsutawney Phil. New hotness: Snohomish Slew! Yes indeed, Snohomish, WA’s resident “GroundFrog” has got the jump on the meteorological marmot in more ways than one, making his annual animal weather prediction every year for the past 6 years on the last Friday of January.
Ants
(images via: WN.com, Di Greenhaw and Able 2 Know)
Anyone who’s seen the 1998 movie A Bug’s Life knows that what for us is a gentle rain shower is, for ants, a catastrophe of biblical proportions. The fact that ants construct their nests underground with the entrance/exit opening at ground level would seem to be a recipe for disaster, yet ants are among the most abundant creatures on the planet.
(image via: Telegraph UK)
Ants have worked out a number of defenses against rainwater ingress but they all depend on one thing: foreknowledge of when rain is going to fall. Y’see, it takes time to build the anthill extra high and, in some cases, put a trapdoor or blocking pebble in place. Sort of like walking down the street when the sky opens up: by the time you buy yourself an umbrella, you’re soaked to the skin.
Sheep
(images via: Images82ask, Hill Shepherd and Mandi859)
Sheep are one of the earliest domesticated animals and shepherding one of the world’s oldest professions – and a family-friendly one at that. Over thousands of years of watching over their sheep, shepherds have noticed a thing or two about how the woolly wonders react to environmental stimuli like oncoming storms. This was (and is) important – one never wants to be accused of crying wolf, especially one wearing cheap clothing.
(image via: Corbis)
Like cows, sheep can sense minute differences in their environment and sudden changes in temperature, humidity and air pressure seem to invoke anxiety. Clustering together before a storm strikes helps keep sheep warm and prevents stragglers from drifting away. Hey, they don’t call it the Herd Instinct for nothing!
Woolly Bear Caterpillars
(images via: Tony the Misfit, Getty Images, That Guy With The Glasses and Jonclark2000)
Woolly Bear caterpillars are the larval stage of the Isabella Tiger Moth, found in the northeastern United States and parts of eastern Canada. These shaggy caterpillars are black on either end with a reddish-brown band in the middle. According to folklore, a wider brown band indicates a warm winter is on the way, while Woolly Bears that are predominantly black are harbingers of a colder, harsher winter.
(images via: The Chronicle Telegram, FOX8 Cleveland and Pixelate Photography and Design)
Not to be outdone by groundhogs and green frogs, the annual Woollybear Festival in downtown Vermilion, Ohio, has been held every autumn since 1973. By all accounts, the Woollybear Festival is a huge success and has grown is size and scope since local TV personality and WJW-TV weatherman Dick Goddard first floated the concept. Over 20 marching bands, 2,000 marchers, hundreds of animals and over 100,000 spectators participated in the 2006 parade, which has outgrown its original location in Birmingham and is now the largest one-day festival in the state.
(image via: A Simple Life)
Are much-maligned TV weathermen about to be replaced by, say, weather-sheep or weather-frogs? Not likely, though groundhogs would probably work for peanuts. That doesn’t mean we should shrug off behavioral manifestations that creatures have evolved over thousands, even millions of years. Besides, if you want a prediction about the weather on any day BUT February 2nd, you’re asking the wrong Phil. Now it’s time to go, gotta beat the weather. Chance of departure today: 100 percent!
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Fission for Explanations: Gabon’s Natural Nuclear Reactors
[ By Delana in Energy & Fuel, History & Trivia, Science & Research. ]
Nuclear power is a controversial topic among people who care for the environment, but nature was creating nuclear power long before humans have even been inhabiting the planet. Natural nuclear reactors have been found in Oklo, Gabon: these African natural fossil reactors have been radioactively dated to be roughly two billion years old. While they no longer function, they are providing very important information that is helping to increase our understanding of our planet.
First discovered in the 1970s, the natural fossil reactors rest in the grassy highlands of the African country of Gabon. Following the discovery of extensive highly enriched Uranium deposits in the 1960s, a minesite and processing plant were built to extract the valuable material from the ground. But mining was temporarily halted when the ancient nuclear reactors were discovered in order to allow geological research of the sites. Some of the reactors remain intact today, some have been completely mined out, but all ceased to function hundreds of millions of years ago. Since then, the radioactive material has been degrading naturally and today harmless. As far as anyone knows, this handful of sites in Gabon represent the only naturally occurring nuclear reactors on the planet.
(all images via: Curtin University)
The natural reactors occurred because two billion years ago, the Earth contained a high concentration of Uranium-235. U-235 is a naturally occurring fissile uranium isotope that is found throughout the entire Solar System. The density and abundance of U-235 along with the scarcity of neutron absorbers, a high concentration of a moderator (like water) and a size appropriate to sustain the fission reactions all contributed to the formation of these incredible natural reactors. Today, these conditions are not met anywhere on Earth and so no natural nuclear reactors are operational. All of this information would be interesting, but not very useful if not for the fact that we aren’t quite sure what to do with our own man-made radioactive waste. Observing the degraded remains of these naturally-occurring fossil reactors is helping scientists gain a firmer handle on the issue of radioactive waste containment.
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The Third Rock: Our Blue Planet
(source: deestea)
Known interchangeably as the third rock from the sun, the world, the living planet, and simply, Earth, our planet is uniquely interesting in many ways that we often take f…
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A Striking Beauty: 7 Shocking Scenes Of Volcano Lightning
[ By Steve in 7 Wonders Series, Nature & Ecosystems, Science & Research. ]
Red-hot lava, suffocating ash clouds and ear-splitting explosions: volcanoes assault the senses in a BIG way. Now you can add lightning to nature’s igneous arsenal, as advances in modern high-speed photography have enabled scientists to document the beauty and wonder of volcanic lightning in all its ex-static glory.
Chaitén Volcano, Chile
(images via: Daily Mail UK and Snopes)
When Chile’s Chaitén volcano awoke from a 9,500 year long slumber on May 2, 2008, it did so in a big way. Within days, the volcano that stands 1,122 meters (3,681 ft) above sea level had expelled a 30,000 meters (98,000 ft) tall ash cloud into the formerly clear Andean air. Easily visible from space, the cloud was blown south-east by upper level winds across the entire width of neighboring Argentina, to finally dissipate over the South Atlantic ocean.
(image via: Quality Junkyard)
Chaitén isn’t especially tall as volcanoes go, but it made up for its stature with one of the most electrifying displays of volcanic lightning ever seen. Volcanologists aren’t exactly sure what causes volcanic lightning due to the difficulty of installing sensors in such a hostile environment, but it’s thought that static charges in the swirling clouds of ash build up to immense levels until they’re released as visible lightning.
Eyjafjallajökull Volcano, Iceland
(images via: National Geographic and Left Coast Rebel)
On March 20, 2010, Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano roared into action for the first time since 1823, it did more than disrupt air travel across a good portion of Europe: it provided photographers with an excellent opportunity to record some spectacular scenes of volcanic lightning.
(images via: National Geographic and Krunker)
Eyjafjallajökull’s eruption was primarily ash with relatively low amounts of flowing lava. Tick, massive ash clouds brought darkness to areas of southern Iceland only relieved by copious flickers and flashes of volcanic lightning.
(image via: NASA/APOD)
Though the most active phase of Eyjafjallajökull’s 2010 eruption only lasted about 2 months, volcanologists are waiting for the other show to fall. Historic records three major eruptions of the nearby Katla volcano which followed Eyjafjallajökull’s eruptions in 920, 1612, and 1821-23. Should Katla blow, it’ll make Eyjafjallajökull look small.
Mt. Vesuvius, Italy
(images via: Semjazza, John William Godward and Daniele Pollice)
Mount Vesuvius, located about 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) east of Naples, Italy, is one of the world’s most famous – and most dangerous – volcanoes. The mountain has erupted dozens of times since the catastrophic destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum, most recently in the spring of 1944 when dozens of American bombers were damaged or destroyed by falling ash and red-hot rocks.
(image via: Muse On News)
Vesuvius has erupted with some regularity over the course of recorded history with 8 eruptions occurring in the 19th century and 3 more in the 20th. Ominously, longer periods of quiet have led to stronger, more explosive eruptions – and today several million people live within close proximity to the volcano’s crater and slopes.
Mt. Sakurajima, Japan
(images via: Photovolcanica, Daily Mail UK and The Volcanism Blog)
Sakurajima is a composite volcano with three peaks located in Kagoshima Bay, just south of the Japanese city of Kagoshima. Formerly an island, Sakurajima’s 1914 eruption produced lava flows over a period of months, eventually joining the island to the mainland. In 1955, Sakurajima entered a period of heightened activity and in 2010 it erupted spectacularly to the delight of volcano geeks the world over.
Check out the following video, taken on February 8, 2010, which shows Sakurajima shooting an incandescent spire of molten rock thousands of feet into the sky accompanied by brilliant flashes of lightning:
February 2010 eruption of Mount Sakurajima, via Xximomixx
(image via: The Matrix Data Bank)
Sakurajima draws from the same reservoir of magma that supplied a massive volcano that erupted explosively 22,000 years ago, forming the 17 by 23 km (10.5 by 14.3 mile) wide Aira caldera. An eruption on a similar scale today would cause the loss of lives and livelihoods at an unmeasurable scale.
Tavurvur, Papua New Guinea
(images via: Sneak Me, Epoch Times and Wikipedia)
Tavurvur is one of several active volcanoes occupying the Rabaul caldera on New Britain, a sickle-shaped island just east of Papua New Guinea. In 1994 Tavurvur and Vulcan erupted simultaneously – of the five people killed during the eruptions, one was struck by volcanic lightning.
(image via: Pictopia)
Tarvurvur may not be well known due to its relative isolation but its eruptions can be epic in scope. In 1937, a double eruption of Tarvurvur and Vulcan killed over 500 people while a 2006 eruption led off with an explosion that shattered windows up to 12 kilometers (7.45 miles) away. Tarvurvur’s most recent eruption was in January of 2009 but if history is any indication, another one won’t be long in coming.
Mt. Redoubt, Alaska, USA
(images via: Ground Truth Trekking, Ephemerata Weather Radar and Geology.com)
Mount Redoubt, located approximately 180 km (110 miles) southwest of Anchorage, Alaska, is a 9,000 ft (2,700 m) high stratovolcano prone to violent eruptions. Mount Redoubt has been active for thousands of years and has erupted no less than four times in the 20th century. It’s most recent eruption was in early 2009.
(image via: LiveScience)
An expedition dedicated to unlocking the mystery of volcanic lightning hit paydirt in March of 2009 when Mount Redoubt, obviously ready for its close-up, put on a spectacular sound and light show. “The lightning activity was as strong or stronger than we have seen in large Midwestern thunderstorms,” said physicist Paul Krehbiel of New Mexico Tech. “The radio frequency noise was so strong and continuous that people living in the area would not have been able to watch broadcast VHF television stations.”
Mt. Shinmoedake, Japan
(images via: MSNBC and NY Daily News)
Mount Shinmoedake, part of the Kirishima cluster of volcanoes in southwestern Japan, began erupting explosively in late January of 2011. The new eruption is the largest since 1959 and is the third major eruption this century. The volcano is currently expelling massive clouds of thick, roiling ash – at night these clouds are lit up by bright, blue-white lightning bolts.
Here’s a short video showcasing some of Mount Shinmoedake’s latest pyrotechnics:
Mount Shinmoedake, January 27, 2011, via Ebi3828
(image via: Reuters)
Mount Shinmoedake has another claim to fame: it was the location of SPECTRE’s headquarters in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice. One thing’s for certain: this is one volcano that’ll leave you shaken AND stirred!
(image via: Volcano Discovery)
We’ll close this post with an electrifying image of Anak Krakatau, the steadily growing successor to Krakatoa (which exploded catastrophically, “East of Java”, in 1883). The “Child of Krakatoa” first appeared in 1927 and its eruptions have grown more powerful as time goes by. The above image, taken in November of 2010, may foreshadow the future… will the son follow in the footsteps of his father? The answer might be… en-lightning.
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Incredibly Leaf-Like: 12 Bio-Inspired Plant-Based Designs
[ By Steph in Art & Design, Nature & Ecosystems, Science & Research. ]
Sometimes, nature can influence design in the most unexpected ways. Would you ever think of looking to a calla lily for an ultra-efficient impeller design, or a mangrove tree ecosystem for a futuristic set of skyscrapers? These 12 biomimetic designs and concepts apply biological aspects of flowers, lily pads, leaves and trees to solar panels, tents, towers and entire cities to make them energy-smart and sustainable.
Calla Lily-Based Impeller
(image via: ecoinnovate)
Jay Harmon, founder of PAX Scientific, looks around him and sees in the natural world the perfect models for modern technology. And some connections are more obvious than others. PAX based a fan on the shape of a hurricane, but also created an incredibly efficient impeller in the same spiraling design as a calla lily.
Lilypad Floating City
(images via: inhabitat)
When the seas rise to flood coastal cities, where will all those citizens go? To man-made lilypad cities that float on the surface of the water, or so imagines architect Vincent Callebaut. The Lilypad is entirely self-sufficient, designed to hold 50,000 people within three ridges of housing around a central man-made lagoon which helps stabilize the city. Callebaut says that the design is directly based upon the “highly ribbed” leaf of the Victoria Regia lilypad, increased to 250 times its natural size (the leaf can reach spans of six feet!).
Water-Based ‘Artificial Leaf’ Produces Electricity
(image via: science daily)
Solar cells that mimic nature could be less expensive and more environmentally friendly than current solar technology. In 2010, researchers at North Carolina State University developed water-gel-based solar devices that are essentially ‘artificial leaves’ that couple plant chlorophyll with carbon materials, mimicking the way nature harvests solar energy. They’re flexible, which is a huge improvement over today’s problematically brittle cells.
Solar Cell Self-Repairs Like a Plant
(image via: drcornelius, oregondot)
When leaves are damaged by intense ultraviolet light, they’re able to repair themselves, constantly producing new cells to replace the damaged ones. If only solar cells could do the same thing, they’d last a lifetime. Luckily, scientists have found a way to replicate that natural process using proteins, bacteria and water. These solar cells can’t compete with silicon cells just yet – it will take decades of research to improve them – but it’s an impressive start that could improve ‘artificial leaf’-type solar cells even further.
Tent Design Mimics a Leaf
(image via: design boom)
The vein structure of a leaf inspired the shape of this tent by designer Ondrej Vaclavik, theoretically strengthening the design through the strategic placement of the tent poles. It certainly makes for an interesting tent, which is almost more reminiscent of a ‘leaf bug’ than a leaf itself.
Habitat 2020′s Breathing Leaf-Like Skin
(images via: inhabitat)
Just like the surface of a leaf, the ‘skin’ of the Habitat 2020 building reacts to external stimuli, opening, closing and breathing throughout the day through a system of ‘cellular’ openings that allow light, air and water into the apartments contained within. Designed for China, Habitat 2020 improves indoor air quality and provides natural air conditioning – the skin can even absorb moisture from the air and collect rainwater before purifying and filtering it so it can be used by the building’s inhabitants.
Swaying Shelters Act Like Pine Trees
(image via: archdaily)
A beachside park in La Pineda, Spain has a stunning new shade structure that mimics the way real nearby pine trees sway in the wind off the sea. Made from salt-resistant fiberglass, the structure was even built at an angle so that it leans the same way that surrounding trees have bent in the direction of the prevailing wind.
William McDonough’s Tower of Tomorrow
(images via: fortune magazine)
“Imagine a building that makes oxygen, distills water, produces energy, changes with the seasons―and is beautiful. In effect, that building is like a tree, standing in a city that is like a forest.” That is how famed sustainable architect William McDonough describes his ‘Tower of Tomorrow’, a building of the future that takes its inspiration from trees. The self-contained tower has a curved shape that reduces the amount of materials required for construction and increases structural stability. It features a green roof, a series of three-story atrium gardens, water recycling systems and the ability to create its own power with solar energy.
Spiraling Skyscrapers Inspired by Mangrove Trees
(images via: inhabitat)
Can you imagine this spiraling, super-futuristic tower rising among the skyscrapers of New York? The Mangal City concept by design team Chimera is modeled after the complex ecosystem created by the mangrove tree. “The mangrove plant and its collective the mangal, provide examples of social associative principles as well as structural capacities and hybrid responses to environmental and contextual conditions,” say the designers.
Durian Fruit-Like Skin for the Esplanade Theater
(images via: wenzday01, yimhafiz)
It resembles an enormous metallic durian fruit, but the Esplanade Theater’s spiky exterior is not just made for protection or menacing looks. The scales actually make up an elaborate louvered shading system that adjusts throughout the day to let in natural light but protect the interior from overheating.
Two-Mile High Tower Works Like a Tree
(images via: tdrinc.com)
It may not look much like a tree, but the Ultima Tower by architect Eugene Tsui takes cues from trees and other natural systems to be as energy-efficient and sustainable as possible. The design, which resembles a termite’s nest and is surrounded on all sides by a lake, is envisioned as its own little living and breathing ecosystem, and incorporates technology that draws water from the ‘roots’ to the pinnacle in the same manner as a tree.
Qatar Cactus Office Building
(images via: inhabitat)
Entirely fitting for the hot desert climate of Qatar, the new office for the Minister of Municipal Affairs & Agriculture resembles a giant cactus sprouting from the sand. But the inspiration goes far beyond mere looks. Design team Aesthetics Architects has covered the building in sun shades that can open to let in air and light and close to keep out the heat, mimicking the natural water-retaining biological system of cacti.
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Easy DIY Home Energy: 4 Ways to Plant a Solar Tree
(Image via: Zedomax)
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Fall of the Century: Stunning Pics of Dry Niagara Falls
[ By Delana in History & Trivia, Nature & Ecosystems, Science & Research. ]
With almost 30 million visitors each year, Niagara Falls is a wildly popular tourist destination. People make their way to the Falls – both the American and the Canadian sides – to marvel at the spectacular natural beauty of the waterfalls. But there was a brief time – less than a lifetime ago – when the Falls were completely dry.
In 1965, it was discovered that the American side of Niagara Falls would eventually dry up unless a large amount of fallen rocks were cleared from the base. The job of fixing the massive landmark fell to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; in 1969, they built a 600-foot dam across the Niagara River and diverted the huge amount of water away from Niagara Falls and to the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
Niagara Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, with 4-6 million cubic feet of water falling over the crest every minute. The Falls had been flowing continuously for around 12,000 years, but on June 12, 1969 the flow came to a complete halt. The falls were entirely dry until November 25th of that year, when the dam was destroyed and the water was turned back on.
During the time that the water was stopped, the Corps of Engineers performed some geological maintenance on the American side of the Falls to delay the erosion of the landmark. In the six months that the water was being diverted, visitors flocked to the site to witness the once-in-a-lifetime view of the “dewatered” falls.
(all images via: R.B. Glasson)
These pictures of the dry American Falls were recently found in a garage in Connecticut. Russ Glasson discovered them in 2009, 40 years after his parents-in-law snapped them at Niagara Falls. Perhaps thanks to other events going on at the time of the de-watering (the Moon landing springs to mind), the even has largely faded from the public memory. Thanks to the photos unearthed by Mr. Glasson, we can all re-live the day the water ran dry.
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(image via: Wikipedia)
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Fin Day For A Stroll: Seven Amazing Walking Fish
[ By Steve in 7 Wonders Series, Animals & Habitats, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
A fish out of water? In my environment? It’s more likely than you think, as these 7 amazing walking fish gladly step forward to show. Equipped with extra organs which enable them to draw oxygen from the air, these piscine perambulators provide a glimpse of what life must have been like for our “ground-breaking” early ancestors.
Walking Catfish
(images via: Cliffie’s Notes, Flipkart, ThinkQuest and KidsFishing)
Originating in Thailand, the Walking Catfish (Clarias batrachus) is known in Thai as Pla Duk Dam, which means “dull colored wriggling fish”. Nice. What’s NOT so nice is that this pug-ugly, barbel-faced fish is a notorious invasive species that has established itself well beyond Thailand’s borders to Australia, India, the Middle East and (since the late 1960s) Florida. On the bright side, they make good eating for both predatory birds, alligators and the odd two-legged Floridian.
(image via: Ferrebeekeeper)
Walking Catfish often use their marginal air-breathing abilities to escape seasonal or temporary ponds that are in the process of drying up. They also take advantage of very rainy conditions to expand their range – sometimes using flooded streets or highways to do so, to both their own and drivers’ disadvantage.
Snakehead
(images via: IMDB, Great Lakes Echo and Gillhams Fishing Resorts)
Snakehead fish can grow up to 40 inches (1m) long and in one case, a 60-inch (1.5m) specimen was recorded. Their size, toothiness and of course their ability to walk on land where other fish would perish has contributed to their reputation as “Frankenfish”. Movies like 2004′s Snakehead Terror just add fuel to the fire, as has this year’s Animal Planet and Discovery Channel television hit River Monsters, which devotes one show to the “Killer Snakehead”.
Here’s River Monsters star and consummate angler Jeremy Wade reeling in a Giant Snakehead:
River Monsters: Giant Snakehead, via Animal Planet
(images via: HSO Forums, Evil Pleasures and Federal Highway Administration)
Snakehead fish, the Northern Snakehead (Channa argus) in particular, have been known to awkwardly crawl overland from one body of water to another in search of food and fresher water to swim – and breed – in. They’re able to survive for several days out of water thanks to something called a suprabranchial organ that allows the fish to draw oxygen from the air.
(image via: Eduplace)
Although the ability to “walk” from one pond to another has made Snakeheads a formidably invasive species in North America, this same characteristic aids fishermen in their native East Asia in keeping the tasty fish as fresh as possible before they’re sold in fish markets.
Wooly Sculpin
(images via: Mirtai, CSU Fullerton and ReefNews)
The Wooly Sculpin (Clinocottus analis) is native to the California coast where its ability to flop about from one tidal pool to another has long been noted. The fish can survive up to 24 hours out of water if need be. It may be that 400 million years ago (give or take a few million), certain species of fish in similar intertidal zones gradually expanded their air-breathing, fin-walking talents to the point where they were more comfortable on land than in water.
(image via: University of San Diego)
The otherwise unremarkable Wooly Sculpin, on the other hand, seems to be perfectly content with its lifestyle at the border of land and water, proving that once a species settles into a viable ecological niche, it tends to stay there as long as the niche remains available to it.
Rockskipper
(images via: FishBase, Superstock and Eric)
Though superficially similar in appearance to the Mudskipper (not to mention Admiral Akbar), Rockskippers are Blennies while Mudskippers are Gobies. The Leaping Rockskipper (Alticus arnoldorum) will crawl out onto land for up to 20 minutes, searching for food and if need be, escaping from predators. Rockskippers use their pectoral fins to crawl and will sometimes flex their muscular tails to “skip” quickly away if they feel threatened.
(image via: Alessio Di Leo)
Rockskippers deviate somewhat from the standard fish body plan and to some, look a lot like tiny marine iguanas. They use their bulging eyes to peer above the water’s surface, checking to see if – literally – the coast is clear before hauling their bellies onto the beach.
Eel Catfish
(images via: BBC and Photographers Direct)
The Eel Catfish (Channallabes apus) hails from Africa, has a long and sinuous body, and grows up to 16 inches (40cm) long. Like the Snakehead, the Eel Catfish has a suprabranchial organ that takes over oxygen-absorbing duties from the gills when the fish decides to hunt for land-based prey.
(image via: Nature Photographic Society)
Having no pectoral fins, the Eel Catfish uses a unique strategy to track its prey – usually beetles or other small insects – on land. The creature’s spine is unusually flexible, especially in the neck area. Unable to suck food into its mouth as it does when underwater, the Eel Catfish bends its neck downward so that its jaws can clamp down on prey from above. These adaptations help the creatures move from pond to pond as required, and allow for snacking along the way!
Climbing Gourami
(images via: Africa Geographic)
The Climbing Gourami, also known as the Spotted Climbing Perch, is native to Africa and Southeast Asia. This is one fish that takes walking very seriously: it uses its entire repertoire when taking to land. Inside, a labyrinth organ (sort of a turbocharged suprabranchial organ) grabs oxygen molecules out of the air while on the outside the fish uses a varied array of fins to “walk” short distances from pond to pond. Of course, even the fastest fish on land is still no match for predators more fully adapted to life both in the air and on the ground.
Even so, Climbing Gouramis don’t look at all awkward when taking the overland route… well, maybe a BIT awkward. Check it out for yourself:
Fish walking on land!, via sOhAmsnakefreak
(images via: FishIndex)
The Climbing Gourami has been known to travel overland by night and in groups. Imagine traveling on foot one night when a school of Climbing Gourami crosses your path… we’re not sure if that would be lucky or not.
Mudskipper
(images via: Bird Z, Tony Wu, Ribaldry and Schmaltz and Badman’s Tropical Fish)
We’ve saved the most ambulatory fish for last: behold, the Mudskipper! Like the Rockskipper, it doesn’t look all that fish-like. Think of what Sea Monkeys would look like if Sea Monkeys were real: subdued fins, a long, lizard-like body and bulging eyes last seen on the last bullfrog you saw make the Mudskipper (subfamily Oxudercinae) eminently suited for its unique lifestyle.
(image via: ScienceRay)
Mudskippers employ highly adapted pectoral fins that look and act like arms to enable a wide range of mobility on land. They also rely on cutaneous (through their skin) breathing to maintain blood oxygen levels, much like amphibians.
(image via: TWM1340)
Mudskippers are native to tropical climes in the eastern hemisphere, so most North Americans have never seen them in the flesh. There IS, however, one Mudskipper that we in the west are familiar with: the animated Muddy Mudskipper character from John Kricfalusi’s Ren & Stimpy cartoons.
Here’s a quick video mashup of actual mudskippers frolicking on the beach to the Muddy Mudskipper Show theme:
Muddy Mudskipper Show, via FishDontBlinq
Everybody sing now, “Who’s the greatest mudskipper of them all? Who can skip thru the mud with the greatest of ease? What kind of wonderful guy? Who can crawl like a dog without scraping his knees? Who’s got seg-ment-ed eyes? It’s Muddy Mud-Skipper! It’s Muddy! Mud-Skipper! It’s the Muddy! Mu-ud Ski-pper show!!!” You gotta admit, walking fish – real or animated – are pretty darned awesome!
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Architecture of Antarctica: 12 Strange Sub-Zero Structures
[ By Steph in Art & Design, Geography & Travel, Science & Research. ]
At the ends of the earth, where man-made architecture of any kind is exceedingly rare, it can be jarring to see these often-massive polar research stations, looking like UFOs on stilts above the snow and ice. Surreal and somewhat sci-fi, these outposts of civilization in both Antarctica and the Arctic are designed to face some of the harshest environmental conditions on earth.
Halley VI Research Station
(image via: british antarctic society)
It certainly makes for an eerie sight: an alien-like pod on legs, perched on a floating ice shelf 900 miles from the South Pole. But this bright blue structure is just the latest incarnation of Britain’s Halley Research Station, which has been in continuous operation for 54 years. The new design, by Faber Maunsell and Hugh Broughton Architects, is currently being constructed in South Africa and shipped to its final location piece by piece. The legs allow it to stay above the level of snowfall, and are equipped with skis to allow mobility as needed.
Svalbard Arctic Research Stations
(images via: christian houge)
“These aren’t film frames from The Empire Strikes Back, even while they look exactly like Rebel Alliance’s Echo Base, ion cannon included,” says Gizmodo. That ‘cannon’ is actually just a weatherproof dome that protects a radar antenna at an Arctic research station in Svalbard, the northernmost area of Norway.
Princess Elisabeth Antarctic Station
(images via: architecture news plus)
It’s the world’s first zero-emission polar station, withstanding unbelievably challenging environmental conditions and looking fantastically modern in the meanwhile. It relies entirely on wind and solar power and is built in concentric layers of living, sleeping, kitchen and laundry space around a central core that holds essential components like water treatment systems and control panels.
Concordia Station
(image via: cnrs phototheque)
Like twin silos, the two round buildings that make up the Concordia Station are the only man-made structures to be seen for miles and miles. Concordia is the most isolated permanent research stations in Antarctica and is perched on top of 3,200 meters of ice in an area known as ‘Dome C’, one of the coldest places on earth.
Neumayer III Station
(image via: awi.de)
Germany’s Neumayer III Station in Antarctica, completed in 2009, is also on hydraulic stilts that allow it to adjust to rising snow levels. Placing such a heavy building – 2,300 pounds of steel – atop little stilts like this was an entirely experimental process for civil engineer Dietrich Enss, who says he searched to no avail for a mathematical formula that would allow him to determine how snow behaves under a load of 30 tons per square meter. Enss ultimately had to rely on his three decades of real-world experience building on icy foundations to create a design that would work.
SANAE IV
(images via: wikimedia commons)
Like a villain’s hidden lair, the SANAE IV research base is an improbable human outpost at the edge of the world. Part of the South African National Antarctic Expedition, SANAE IV is located on a flat-topped mountain and surrounded by a glacial ice sheet. It was one of the first Antarctic structures to use the revolutionary stilt technique to avoid snow loads, copied later by designs like the Halley IV and Neumayer III.
Amundson-Scott South Pole Station
(image via: wikimedia commons)
An icon of the South Pole for three decades, the Amundson-Scott geodesic dome was decommissioned in 2009 and replaced with a somewhat more mundane elevated facility that nevertheless cuts a striking profile (bottom photo, left) beside a power plant an old mechanic’s garage.
St. Ivan Rilkski Chapel
(image via: wikipedia)
Yes, Antarctica has its own churches (several of them, in fact) – and the St. Ivan Rilkski Chapel might just be one of the most unusual places of worship in the world. The Bulgarian church on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands was completed in 2003, and features a mostly-metal construction for strength and durability with a transparent roof that allows lots of natural daylight in. Bulgaria is the only Balkan country with a polar base.
Chilean Tent City
(images via: gizmodo)
They’re not flashy or fancy, but these curving heavy-duty tents stand up to a lot of abuse and they’re all interconnected to form a sort of mobile city for Chilean Air Force members on expeditions to Antarctica. Dining areas, meeting rooms, research labs and sleeping areas are all located off a central hallway, comfortably housing 100 people.
Arctic Mobile Units Concept
(images via: design boom)
Mod and colorful, the ‘Arctic Mobile Unit’ by 2-B-2 Architecture could be a pleasant site – and sight – for researchers spending extended periods in the monochromatic landscapes of the North Pole. The inside boasts bunk platforms, a table for two, a bathroom with toilet and shower and a little kitchenette for home-away-from-home comfort and the whole unit is powered by the sun. The compact unit features slide-outs that can be pushed back in for easy transport.
Mobile Arctic Research Station Concept
(image via: coroflot)
“Within the next few years, it is expected that the majority of the fleet of MD-80 jets will be retired,” says concept artist Carl Burdick, who designed this colorful mobile arctic research station made from the remains of one such jet. “Being on of the most popular regional jets in the world, with over 3,000 produced, this will create an enormous waste stream containing over 12 million kg of waste. This also creates an amazing opportunity to put the features and design capabilities of these structures to good use.”
Arctic Drifter Concept
(images via: les betes)
Even more futuristic – and probably less likely to be built anytime soon – is this inflatable mobile arctic research station designed by Studio Les Betes. The spherical pod is at the mercy of nature, traveling wherever the wind blows on huge air bags which can be deflated to slow or stop the station.
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Armed To The Teeth: Africa’s Terrifying Goliath Tigerfish
[ By Steve in Animals & Habitats, Nature & Ecosystems, Science & Research. ]
The Goliath Tigerfish may be the most fearsome fish you’ll ever see – and you’d better hope it doesn’t see you first! Ferocious in temperament, armed to the gills with 32 razor-sharp teeth and accustomed to hunting in packs, the Terror Of The Congo makes piranhas seem like pussycats and The Incredible Mr. Limpet look, well, limp.
(images via: Thfire.com, Videos Gallery and NSF)
The Goliath Tigerfish is little-known to most people owing to its relative isolation in Africa’s Congo River system, and let’s be thankful for that fact at least!
(images via: Monzi73 and Only Good Movies)
The Congo is one of the world’s largest rivers; second only to the Amazon by flow, it ranks first in depth. At up to 750 feet (230 m) deep, Goliath Tigerfish have plenty to space in which to lurk for their prey – which comprises just about anything that moves.
Avowed angler L.J. McCormick acknowledged as early as 1949 that “I have stated heretofore in print and am still ready to maintain my pronouncement, that the Tigerfish of Africa is the fiercest fish that swims.”
Here’s a video clip from the National Geographic TV special that introduced many to the Tigerfish – and introduced the Tigerfish to their nightmares:
Raging Congo Creatures, via NationalGeographic
(images via: National Geographic and Unik/Konyol/Ajaib)
A total of 5 different species of Tigerfish form the genus Hydrocynus, which can roughly be translated from Greek to mean Water (hydro) and Dog (kyon). Considering the fish’s avidly wolfish grin it’s not hard to make sense of the naming but rest assured, Tigerfish are anything but Man’s Best Friend.
(image via: Crankbaits)
The 5 species of Tigerfish are Hydrocynus goliath, Hydrocynus vittatus, Hydrocynus brevis, Hydrocynus forskahlii, and Hydrocynus tanzaniae. All are noticeably toothy and feature one or more dark, lengthwise stripes: both these characteristics plus their infamous “pugnacity” contribute to the colloquial name of Tigerfish.
(images via: FPDCotterill, FlyForums UK and Kariba Bush Club)
While the Goliath Tigerfish is by far the largest of the 5 species (more of that later), the second-largest is the “common” tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus). The southernmost type of tigerfish, Hydrocynus vittatus can be found in the commonly found in the Zambezi River and the two largest lakes connnected to it: Lake Kariba (in Zambia and Zimbabwe) and Cabora Bassa (in Mozambique). Tigerfish have also been known to inhabit the reservoir of the Jozini Dam in South Africa.
(images via: Safari-Guide, Sikchunglam and Flacojohnson)
Tigerfish have been officially classified as a game fish by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) and the species has garnered a reputation among sport fishermen as “one of the best freshwater fighters.” It’s said to be good eating as well, firm of flesh though tending to be slightly oily. Anglers interested in fishing for Tigerfish can register for The Kariba International Tiger Fish Tournament, first held in 1962. Buffet following, one presumes.
(images via: JJ Photo, Chikyumaru and CityPages Blogs)
Common Tigerfish are stocked by many aquarium supply dealers in Europe and North America and are typically sold to hobbyists when they are under 7″-8″ (about 18 cm) long. Some precautions are recommended to potential owners, mainly concerning the size of both the tank and the other denizens – the latter should be larger than the Tigerfish. As time goes by that could become problematic, however, as common Tigerfish can grow up to 30 inches (75 cm) in length and weigh up to 100 lbs (45 kg). One would hope (and pray, even) that frustrated owners take care NOT to release Tigerfish into domestic waterways.
(images via: The Real Nicaragua and Safari-Guide)
Oh, guess what? Anecdotal reports from Nicaragua in Central America indicate the Goliath Tigerfish has gained a foot, er, finhold in the Rio San Juan near El Castillo. Nicaraguan officials are said to be concerned about the possibility of Goliath Tigerfish getting into Lake Nicaragua and natives of Rio San Juan who customarily fish by wading in the river with nets may need to take new precautions – such as staying the heck out of the river!
(images via: Jerry Labella, Fishindex and Global Fly Fisher)
Speaking of size, let’s get back to the Goliath Tigerfish: these monsters (literally) have been measured (carefully) at up to 6 feet (1.8 m) long and up to 125 lbs (57 kg) in weight. As such, they rank with some of the world’s largest freshwater fish. Unlike Giant Catfish, however, Goliath Tigerfish are no slugs. Powerful muscles and a broad, tuna-like tail enable even the most massive members of the species to chase down most any type of prey. Once caught, those fearsome fangs come into play.
Goliath Tigerfish are ambush predators and their usual hunting technique evolved through countless generations living out their lives in the murky depths of the Congo River. Dissection of Tigerfish have revealed an internal air sac that reacts to vibrations much like a drum, alerting the fish to movement nearby. At this point the fish reflexively swings into attack mode, mouth first. The result is all too predictable.
(image via: Daily Mail UK)
Goliath Tigerfish, are you ready for your closeup? Ready or not, here it comes: British extreme angler Jeremy Wade documented his experience catching the Goliath Tigerfish for ITV’s River Monsters television program earlier this year – North Americans can find it on either Animal Planet or The Discovery Channel.
(images via: Daily Mail UK and Men’s Journal)
The 52-year-old Wade has seen a lot in his many years of exotic angling but the 5-ft (1.5 m) long, 100 lb (45 kg) Goliath Tigerfish he caught while filming an episode of River Monsters had to be one of the highlights. It took Wade 8 days to finally land this particular Goliath Tigerfish after first hooking it using a large catfish for bait. Said Wade, “It is, for all intents and purposes, a giant piranha. It is quite a beast.”
(image via: Metro UK)
Wade nervously posed with the still-living Goliath Tigerfish so that film crews could get their fill of the creature before Wade returned it to the river. Commented Wade afterward, “The teeth on it are incredibly sharp and are about the same length as a great white shark. It also has an extremely powerful bite and has been known to consume prey the same size as itself, attack people and take pieces out of crocodiles.” Nice. Next time you throw out the challenge “you want a piece of me??”, be sure there isn’t a Goliath Tigerfish in the vicinity.
(images via: Bloogle Incr!vel, PbNation and NYBass)
Here’s a teaser video from Animal Planet showing Jeremy Wade reeling in his exhausted (though still exceptionally dangerous) opponent. “Deadliest Catch”, you’ve got some not-yet-stiff competition:
River Monsters, via AnimalPlanetTV
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(Images via: Isiria, CBS News, Tree Hugger, CBC)
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