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Friday, October 21, 2011

Amazing Photographs of Insect-Eating Plants

Top 10 Inventions of the 20th Century

There can be no doubt that the twentieth century is one of the most remarkable in human history for its previously unparalleled rate of technological advances and scientific discoveries, a rate that continues to this day. In fact, there were so many new gadgets invented and discoveries made in the last century that it’s difficult to pare the list down to just the ten (which is why there will be a number of glaring omissions from my list). However, I think I have managed to whittle it down to those ten innovations or technologies that have had the greatest influence on humanity—both positively and the negatively. And so, without further ado and in no particular order, here are my nominees for the ten greatest inventions/discoveries of the twentieth century:

10. Nuclear Power

Nuclear power was to the twentieth century what steam power had been to the nineteenth: a game changer. Suddenly humanity had a power source that didn’t pollute, was efficient and practically unlimited, and so had the potential to change the planet overnight. Unfortunately, it was a two-edged sword in that this same energy source could be used to create the most destructive weapons in history, threatening human survival with its very presence. Additionally, while nuclear power plants didn’t spew pollutants into the air, in the hands of the truly incompetent they had the capacity to render whole regions radioactive and, as such, uninhabitable for generations (as was demonstrated at Chernobyl in 1986).

However, it is hard to deny the overall positive impact nuclear power has had. The fear of mutually assured destruction probably prevented the world from experiencing a third world war and, when operated safely, nuclear power plants truly are a superb and cost-efficient energy source that has the capacity to power entire cities. The only question is whether we’re mature enough to handle that power into the next century.

9. The Personal Computer

It’s difficult to imagine our world today without computers. Of course, they have been around since World War Two, but they were clunky, massively expensive things that had all the calculating power of a brick. When Steve Wozniak and Stephen Jobs introduced the Apple in 1976, however, it changed everything and the rest is, as they say, history. Today, of course, they are everywhere and we have become so dependent upon them that many people almost feel naked without one. For some, they even provide the very means of maintaining a livelihood: we use them to keep track of our finances, write books, design logos and sell real estate. Plus, they are rapidly replacing the stereo and television in their ability to entertain us with music, movies, and games. Makes it hard to understand how our ancestors did so well without them, doesn’t it?

A man in Saudi Arabia snacks on 22 live scorpions. Mmm, now that's got some bite

10 Animals You Wouldn’t Believe People Eat

10.Elephant

The most endangered type of elephant – the forest elephant is not just hunted for its ivory – it is also hunted for its meat. One animal can provide over 1,000 pounds of flesh, resulting in the poacher making a fortune from one kill. This, combined with the popularity of eating its flesh, makes it a difficult animal to protect.

Gorilla

Gorillas are endangered, but the native populations of the various African nations in which they are eaten, don’t care. The eating of gorillas (and chimpanzees) is a very old tradition in Africa – a tradition that continues to this day.

The Top Ten Things To Do Before The World Ends

10. Tell Someone Off

Definitely tell somebody off if you’ve never done it before. You don’t have to if you’ve done it before, but it would still be fun. Maybe a friend or an acquaintance — maybe even a family member — has been getting on your nerves lately. Instead of trying to be the better person, be the worse person. Be the person who calls someone up on the phone out of the blue and curses them out. Tell your boss(es) what you really think of them. If you’ve already done this you know all about the euphoric rush, the wave that washes over you when you finally say what you’ve been wanting to say for days/months/weeks/years. It’s right behind drugs and sex on the list of things in life that make you feel the best.

09. Enjoy Your Final Meal

No doubt it’s going to be hard to score a good reservation right now because everybody else in the world is realizing we might all die tomorrow. But if you can squeeze yourself in — even at an off-hour — you should treat yourself to a memorable final meal. Ursawa is probably off the table, but maybe you can get a table at Yamashiro tonight. Minetta Tavern’s black label burger could be an impossible score, but you can always hit up the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. Me? I’m going to go grab an egg and cheese sandwich on a sesame bagel. To be washed down with an ice-cold Coca Cola. See you on the other side, suckers!

08. Quit Your Job

This will provide you with the satisfaction of knowing you died a free man (or woman). You were beholden to nobody. You could provide for yourself (theoretically, if the world didn’t end). And…worst case scenario…you can always walk back into your boss’ office on Monday morning with your tail between your legs. Or pretend it was all a joke. Like George Costanza on that episode of Seinfeld.

Top 10 Colorful Animals

Life is the stories of all its heroes. The tiny ones, the unexpected ones, the scary ones and the big and ugly ones. And the most colorful one.
Life is made of many stories. There’s the one that makes you giggle and the one that makes you well up.
There’s also the red one, the blue one, the wow one, the people one and the animal one.

10. Monarch Butterfly

Everyone loves butterflies, especially these pretty ones. But their beautiful colors actually serve as a warning to predators not to eat them because they’re poisonous.

9. Sailfish

The Sailfish’s blue stripes certainly make a statement but it has nothing to do with fashion. They light up when the Sailfish hunts, confusing their prey and letting their fellow hunters know what they’re doing. Now that’s a useful use of color!

8. Lesser Flamingo

Did you know the famous pink Flamingo’s lovely color comes from pigment in the algae it eats? They do say you are what you eat…

Well, the saying goes, two heads are better than one and these 10 two-headed animals put that saying to the test, literally. Be warned before watching, some of the videos may be disturbing.

Bicephalic or tricephalic animals are the only type of multi-headed creatures seen in the real world and are formed by the same process as conjoined twins: they result from the secondary union of two originally separate monozygotic embryonic disks. While the most common animals with two heads are two-headed snakes and tortoises many other species have had two heads as well. Take a double look at these two-headed animals.