In an age where everyone has a phone in pocket, telephone booth-like ancient history.

Although the 90-ies booths have become completely redundant, it is interesting to recall how different, unique and creative can be.

 Also, in some parts of the world they are still current and people should never completely forget about them.From our perspective it’s probably hard to imagine life without mobilephones, but in some areas, mobile is still a luxury, while others simply do not want  such a source of stress because prices slow pace of  life.

Mystical or not, these telephone booths are awesome!

Hope you enjoyed!

 

 

San Diego Red Tide

It glows, it flashes, it lights up the waves like something out of a science fiction film or a high-tech horror movie. It’s a natural coastal occurrence — yet it can be harmful as well as entertaining. The 2011 red tide in San Diego lit up the waves with an unusual blast of glow-in-the-dark color in advance of Halloween. All along San Diego’s coastline, the light show attracted an audience to the beaches. The electric blue waves that sparkled on the beach at night came from a red tide.

A red tide causes a rich visual effect: crashing waves glow neon blue. The glow-in-the-dark effect comes from an algae bloom. Vigorous motion such as the waves banging the algae cause bioluminescence. The flashing blue light comes from chemical reactions in their cells. Bioluminescence refers to things in nature that produce light, such as fireflies. The phytoplankton at the root of the light show is Lingulodinium polyedrum, the “LA Times” reports. The algae results in mild toxicity that can build up in some sea creatures.

Although the red tide, which shows up as rust colored swaths in the ocean during the day, doesn’t generally cause any substantial harm, sinus and ear infections are more common when people swim in red tide waters.

There’s no predicting how long a red tide will last. The algae bloom may affect areas of the southern California coast for a few weeks, or their stay may extend for months. The current algae bloom dates from mid-August, providing a spectacle for locals, visitors and everyone with a camera.Surfers enjoy the novelty of riding glow-in-the-dark waves, and people collect bottles of ocean water to shake in the dark at home.

All of these incidences have relatively similar aspects in that they don’t show up later as wreckage, and that in the cases of the aircraft, there was never any oil slicks found on the ocean, which are common indicators of where a crash took place for sea crashes.  There are also a number of wrecks that have taken place that have been accounted for, and were the cause of natural calamities or human error.  It depends largely on what you’re willing to believe.

Here are the top ten theories that attempt to explain the mystery behind the Bermuda Triangle.

1. Attack by Pirates

Although this theory cannot be totally ruled out, it fails to explain the reason for the disappearance of the aircrafts. According to this theory, the reason why so many ships disappeared is because of pirates who are especially active in this part of the Atlantic. Piracy has been the reason behind the destruction and disappearance of many a large vessel in the past, in different parts of the world. Some theorists are of the opinion that in addition to piracy, attack by enemy vessels might also be a reason. This theory might prove to be true for at least some of the disappearances in the past.

2. Strong Magnetic Field

This theory says that the root cause behind the notorious reputation of the Bermuda Triangle is the Earth’s magnetic field in that particular region. It has been frequently observed that compasses begin to spin rapidly near the Bermuda Triangle and navigation equipments stop functioning properly. This is because it is one of the two places on earth where the geographic north and magnetic north coincide. Due to this, electromagnetic storms originating below the earth’s surface rise up to the atmosphere and leave a fog behind. The strong magnetic effects in the region is believed to be responsible for so many people vanishing into thin air.

3. Effect of a Comet

The first theory that we’ll discuss here is the theory that a comet from outer space crashed into the earth some thousands of years ago, near the area, which is now the Bermuda Triangle. People who believe in this theory also seem to believe that somewhere in the depths of the ocean, there must lie the remains of this comet and it is the electromagnetic attractions of the comet that causes all the havoc, including disruptions of aircraft signals. No traces of a comet or anything similar to it has been found yet and in the absence of a proof, this theory remains nothing but an assumption.

4. Methane Gas

What this theory has to say is that it is methane gas that is largely responsible for the notorious reputation of the Bermuda Triangle. According to this theory, bubbles of methane gas rising up to the surface of water decreases its density thereby lowering the buoyant force exerted by the water. Due to this reason, large vessels might no longer be able to stay afloat and might sink without a trace. But what about the remains of the ships? They ought to be found somewhere down below, isn’t it? Well, there seems to be a viable explanation for that as well! The strong currents of the Gulf Stream drifts them far away from the region. Well, even though this theory is plausible, the fact remains that there isn’t any underwater source of methane gas anywhere close to the region.

5. City of Atlantis

This theory is supported by some people who believe that the lost city of Atlantis was located somewhere close to the Bahamas. What they also believe is that the mysterious city of Atlantis still lay buried somewhere below the ocean and legend has it that this city was powered by energy obtained from powerful crystals. According to this theory, the effect of the remains of these crystals is what is responsible for the aircraft radio signals going haywire. There are even supposed proofs for the same, the most important one being the Bimini Road, which is a peculiar rock structure that appears to be an ancient dockyard.

6. Time Warp

This theory is one of the most popular theories in spite of the fact that there is nothing to prove it. The ‘time warp’ theory claims that the reason for so many disappearances is time travel. In other words, this theory says that whenever something ends up at the Bermuda Triangle, it either travels back in time or to some time in the future. There are also people who have reported seeing a huge tunnel shaped cloud around the region, which they believe is a tunnel for time travel.

7. Human Error

Believed to be the number one reason for the disappearances over the Bermuda Triangle, this theory states that it all happened as a result of human errors. The area surrounding the Bermuda Triangle consists of a string of islands, each very similar to the other. Because of this, it is very difficult to find your way there. Moreover, the rough weather and storms add to the risk factor. In such a scenario, once you are lost, it becomes very difficult to return back. Also, the area over the Bermuda Triangle experiences a lot of air traffic which increases the probability of disasters.

8. Extraterrestrial Activity

There is a slight variation in the two versions of this theory but the basic idea is the same: alien activity is the cause behind the disappearance of so many vessels and aircrafts. One version states that it all occurs due to aliens or living beings from other planets, abducting people, while the other version has a slightly different take on it. It says that the aircrafts and ships traveling over the region sometimes end up there at the time when aliens are supposedly traveling between our planet and theirs. These vessels are then automatically taken along to another dimension or may be, who knows, even to another planet altogether! And the poor things are unable to return back, it seems or at least that’s what the theory makes you believe. In spite of the fact that there isn’t any proof, this theory is, by far, the most popular one and has captured the imagination of one and all. More so after the release of the Steven Spielberg movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

9. U.S. Military Base

Ever heard about Area 51? It is a base of the U.S. Air Force where testing of military equipments is carried out and which is notorious for many reported UFO sightings. Well, there is a similar testing base of the U.S. Navy on the Andros Islands in the Bahamas. Some people believe that there is something more to it than a mere weapon testing base and that it is the location where the government has built equipments to communicate with the extraterrestrial. And it is this supposedly advanced technology that has got something to do with the vanishing of ships and planes!

10. Rough Weather

This is one of the more practical theories explaining the mystery behind the Bermuda Triangle. The Atlantic Ocean is famous for its storms, hurricanes and rough weather. Violent storms and hurricanes cause the waves to rise as high as 80 feet or more. Add to that the strong current of the Gulf Stream and you have a situation from which it is almost impossible to escape! Even more danger lurks beneath the ocean as this is the deepest region in the Atlantic, the location of the Puerto Rico trench. So, if a ship or an aircraft gets trapped in the storm and sinks deep into the water, it can very well appear to have disappeared without a trace!

Hope you enjoyed!

“If it is true what is said about how it is preserved, this will be another sensation of global significance,” expedition leader Natalia Fyodorova said in a statement on the Arctic Yamalo-Nenetsk region’s website, NBC New York reports.

The global significance, of course, relates to cloning the species and bringing it back to life similar to what they did in Jurassic Park. If mammoths and saber-tooth tigers and dodos end up coming back to the planet to make survival more challenging, then we’re all for it.

Giant woolly mammoths have been extinct for at least 12,000 years. In the case of Lyuba, arctic ice kept the mammoth so well preserved that skin and organs were intact. She was named for the wife of the hunter who discovered her.

Woolly mammoths grew to as much as 10 feet tall and eight tons. Some scientists believe it could be possible to bring the beast back from extinction if enough well-preserved genetic material can be taken from a preserved carcass. It is believed to be most directly related to the Asian elephant.

Yeah, an extremely cool and rare Asian elephant. Scientists haven’t said how much well-preserved genetic material would be required and as much as the notion of bringing to life extinct species sounds, there’s a reason they are extinct. It strikes us as fool-hardy that one would tempt to actually pull a Jurassic Park.

Hope you enjoyed!

And so i go, i was almost the first, but not the first time, there were moms  with children, but until they undressed, folded the the things I quickly overtook them, to photograph the interior of the aquarium without visitors.

Hope you enjoyed!

Rebecca Romijn – X-Men and X-2:

Johnny Depp – Alice in Wonderland:

Brad Pitt – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button:

Jim Carrey – How the Grinch Stole Christmas:

Ron Perlman – Hellboy:

Benicio Del Toro – The Wolfman:

 
Robin Williams – Mrs. Doubtfire:

Marlon and Shawn Wayans – White Chicks:

Ralph Fiennes – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:

Mike Myers – Austin Powers:

Hope you ejoyed !

Light is fascinating, sacred, mysterious; its nature still debated by scientists, its properties compel artists to play with effects of light refraction and reflection in endless creative ways (see for example, Painting with Light effect in photography). It is an endless subject to cover, so here are some highlights (pun intended):

We’ll start with one of the shiniest and light-infused objects: a good old CD. It owns its existence to the laser light, but its fortunes as a media carrier are fading, so -

What to do with a pile of used CDs?

Play your old CDs on the “Gakken Emile Berliner Gramophone” (below left), made by AudioCubes, more info:

As the glass CD, DVDs and BluRays are replaced by new media, old CDs are transformed into art sculptures, making use of refraction of light and various lighting schemes. Here is a CD Sculpture displayed at the Burning Man Festival:

George Radebaugh also makes recycled CD art sculptures:

Broken CD pieces can be brought together as a sinister Ghost in the Machine mask  (sculpture by Ver Curtiss):

This frightening “techno idol” pulses light bursts in sync with music.

OK, so what other uses you can find for your old CDs? You can keep the cats away – by hanging up a bunch of them around your office: cats don’t like the flashing as they turn. Or you can make an exercise equipment for hamsters (left)… or you can make cool-looking lamps out of CD stacks (right):

Long Live the “CD Everlasting”!

So you think the CD Age is over? Well, back in 2007 one Japanese recording engineer has developed the world’s first Glass CD, which has a superior sound quality and will practically last forever . Recent updates suggests that it indeed sounds better, but comes with $2000 price tag):

So why do we need a new CD medium, considering there are DVDs, BluRays and many digital options available? Because glass CDs are completely transparent, information on them can be read perfectly, improving sound quality. They are not affected by heat or humidity and remain in perfect condition forever (very good for archiving purposes).

We all know that the sound quality on CDs is not up to exacting standards set by audiophiles. What to do, then, if you have a library of CDs? Consider treating them with a CD Sound Improver! made by Audio Desk Systeme ‘Glass’ CD trimmer (more info):

A Cloak of Partial Invisibility

Scientists have created a cloaking device that can reroute certain wavelengths of light, forcing them around objects like water flowing around boulders in a stream. (see picture below). To creatures or machines that see only in microwave light, the cloaked object would appear nearly invisible.

“A microwave cloaking device created using artificial materials, called metamaterials, that manipulate light in bizarre and startling ways.” (more info).
They have a negative refractive index, for example. So far, it only works in two dimensions and only for microwaves moving in a plane. A three-dimensional invisibility cloak would hide an object completely.

Photonics and Optical Technologies are the future of communication: there are advances in nano antennas, quantum communication systems, etc. After all, light is the ultimate data carrier. But there is also an interaction between biological items and photons. The Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) in Catalonia, Spain, focuses on this new area of science called Biophotonics, which is all the rage in personalized medical research in Europe today.

Back in the good old days — which everyone pretty much agrees were pretty damned rotten — what you wore was a matter of life and death: simple rotting cloth was common, leather was rare, but for the gentleman of standing, it was armor or nothing.

Armet of Henry VIII known as the Horned helmet. Innsbruck, Austria, 1511–14

The first appearance of armor is a matter of much debate. Some say forged metal is key, in which case the toga-wearing crowd would be the first. Others insist that even wood worn as protection could count, in which case you’d have to go as far back as the sticks and stones brigade. But most everyone agrees that back in those rotten times, when men were knights and women were damsels in distress, armor was at its height.

Another weird helmet mask armor, from Augsburg, Germany, 1515

The variety of shapes and styles of medieval helmets is worth an article in its own right:

Armor or Nothing

The first armors were life-and-death simple: crudely formed metal plates designed to keep spears and swords out and the knight inside them safe. But as weapons got more sophisticated during this Middle Ages arms race, smiths had to keep up, making their suits stronger, lighter, and more flexible until they’d reached the pinnacle of defense as well as offense.

One of their brilliant innovations was perfecting mail … and, no, I’m not talking about the ‘rain nor sleet’ variety. Rumored to have been first created by the Celts many centuries before, it was a process that worked its way up through the ages until it reached armorers who took the basic idea to new heights. The idea is astoundingly counter-intuitive: instead of making your armor out of slabs of sturdy and very protective metal, why not make it out of thousands and thousands and thousands of carefully connected rings? It worked remarkably well: light as well as strong, it gave the wearer flexibility — often the key factor between leaving a battle on horseback or on a stretcher. When plate armor was added to mail the result was the classic — and devastating — armor of the Middle Ages.

The Middle Ages Arms Race

It’s hard to imagine now, but for a long time a knight on horseback was the terror weapon of the age: galloping into battle on monstrous war horses, often also well-armored, they were as terrifying as they were indestructible. Nothing could touch them but they, with sword and lance, could pretty much take on anything and anyone — except for maybe another knight.

This is a fantasy knight (drawn by a wonderful Tolkien-illustrator John Howe), evoking heroic and victorious times:

Learn the terminology: Bevor? Cuisse? -

The Fancy Behemoths

As battle became more and more ritualized — leading up to jousting, which we all know and love from the movies — these metallic behemoths became less utilitarian tanks and more statements of rank and wealth. Only the rich or the nobility could afford armor, but only a really rich man or very wealthy Baron, Duke, Prince, or King could afford a fancy set.

And, Lordy, did they get fancy. After a point, armors began to look more like dinner services than battle gear: immaculate metal work, precious metals, often comically flamboyant crests and standards, useless — though striking — flairs and sculpted forms, and the gleaming reflections of meticulously polished metals.

 
Just take a look at the armor belonging to that spokesman for restraint and modesty, Henry the 8th: not only was it state-of-the-art for its day, but it was designed and built — as was most armor of the day — to the wearer’s dimensions. In the case of Henry, though, his personal suit looked like it was more portly battleship than streamlined destroyer. And who can forget the Royal … um, ‘staff’ shall we say? Looking at a set of his armor, the question becomes was it designed to protect or brag? But, to be honest, we can’t fault Henry for his choice: his armor was never really designed for war — mainly because the time of armor’s suit had passed.

 
England makes a point

Absolutely, the suit of armor was the terror weapon of its day. But every day ends, and in the case of the classic suit of armor, its end was just about as bad as it can get.

1415, Northern France: on that side, the French; on the other side, the English. Although the numbers are a matter of much debate, it’s commonly believed that the French outnumbered the English something like 10 to 1. For the English, under Henry (the 5th, forefather of the afore-mentioned 8th), it wasn’t looking at all well. The likelihood was that they were going to be, to use a military term, ‘slaughtered.’ But then something happened that didn’t just determine the outcome of the war but also changed Europe forever, as well as doomed the standing of the suit of armor as the ultimate weapon.

The French didn’t know what hit them. Well, actually they did, which made their defeat so much more hideous: there they were, the cream of French soldiery, marching to seemingly certain victory, their mail and plate glistening in the sun, their monstrous metal weapons and protection the best of the best of the best.

Then the arrows started to fall, shot by Henry’s secret weapon: the English (technically Welsh) longbow. In one horrifying volley after another, the French were cut down by an enemy they couldn’t even reach, their precious armor pin-cushioned, their army pinned to the muddy ground.

Clothes make the man, yes. And for a very long time armor was the end-all, be-all, go-getter power suit of the time. But times change — and all it took was some people with a few bows and arrows to point that out.

Body Armor During World War I

Brewster Body Armor, 1917-1918:

Experimental machine-gunner helmet, 1918:

If helmet’s level of protection seemed not enough, one could get inside a mobile shield, complete with four wheels (truly a mobile coffin) -

Considering how weird some of the World War I equipment looked (check out these aircraft listening apparatus, for example), we are not at all surprised:

Some British “facial defense systems” looked downright creepy, while Belgian ones resembled “Death Star” personnel helmet shapes:

Speaking of the “Star Wars” Imperial TIE pilot outfits, the original protective pilot suit (with face armor) from 1917 looks familiar:

Stunning views on awesome backyards… alot of diferent tipes and styles
Enjoy:

he pool can accommodate up to 8,000 visitors a day. There are restaurants, shopping, tanning, stage entertainment, daycare facilities, bars and overnight camping on Paradise beach. Water from the pools is reclaimed to water the plant life, which grows in a rich, custom-made soil made up of sand, organic waste, clay, and tree bark.

he dome’s transparent panels are also UV permeable, exposing the plants to natural sunlight and allowing the building to operate as a giant greenhouse.

At times the high humidity causes water condensation to collect on the inside of the dome before finally falling. This produces light, spontaneous rain showers on occasion, adding to the tropicality of the airplane hangar.

And there is also evening ambience wich looks pretty awesome!

Hope you enjoyed!