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POPSGreat White Sharks Have Their Own Cafe
"Over an eight year period, nearly 100 sharks were electronically tagged, and even more had tissue samples taken by scientists working from a ship. Not only do the sharks consistently migrate along the same paths, they stick to a schedule too. Between August and December, the Great Whites -- which can grow up to six metres (20 feet) and three tonnes -- stalk waters off the coast of central and northern California, feasting on seals and sea lions. Their preferred hunting grounds in this area are known as the "red triangle", notes the study, published in the British journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Starting in January, they head for the deep blue around Hawaii some 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) to the west, where they are found in largest numbers between April and July. But some -- especially males -- loiter at a halfway point known as the "White Shark Cafe", with females coming and going for what scientists presume is a bit of shark intimacy. The new findi
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POPSGreat Whites Hang Out in 'Shark Cafe' It had long been assumed shark species at the top of the ocean food chain that roam the high seas looking for food and mates did so almost randomly. But using satellite tagging, acoustic monitoring of shark "hot spots" and genetic samples, a research team led by Professor Barbara Block of Stanford University found to their surprise that the eastern Pacific's great whites are real homebodies. Over an eight year period, nearly 100 sharks were electronically tagged, and even more had tissue samples taken by scientists working from a ship. Sticking to a schedule They found that the sharks consistently migrate along the same paths and stick to a schedule. Between August and December, the great whites, which can grow up to six metres and weigh three tonnes, stalk waters off the coast of central and northern California, feasting on seals and sea lions. Their preferred hunting grounds in this area are known as the "red triangle", notes the study.
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POPSRussia Simulates Nuclear Attack on Poland On the 70th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland, Obama canceled the construction of a defense system that was to be based in Poland. Now we know that simultaneously, Russia was simulating nuclear attacks on Poland. It's painfully obvious that Obama has already taken sides in this battle.
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POPSGiant Puppets to Tell Tale of German Reunification Up to 52 helpers on the ground and in cranes control the movements of the lifelike models via a complex system of pulleys. The giant puppets, made of steel, wood and horse hair can dance, blink, roll their eyes and even breathe. The girl will also carry a post sack containing letters and postcards written during the Cold War that were intercepted and read by the former East German communist secret police. Organizers have been planning the mammoth spectacle for three years. Hundreds of workers will be on hand to help the giants on their way.
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POPSPhilippines braces for new storm Ketsana, with winds of up to 100km/h (60mph), hit the Philippines early last Saturday, crossing the main northern island of Luzon before heading out toward the South China Sea. Almost two million people were affected by the flooding in Manila, the worst to hit the city in 40 years. At one point, 80% of the city was submerged. Tens of thousands of people were left homeless. Ketsana went on to hit the mainland of South-East Asia where it is now confirmed to have killed 99 people in Vietnam, 16 in Laos and 14 in Cambodia. Most of the people have died in flooding or landslides caused by the sudden, heavy rain.
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POPSChlorophyll Eye Drops Give Night Vision
In 2004, Ilyas Washington, an ophthalmic scientist at Columbia University Medical Center, came across Douglas’s findings. Washington knew that the mechanisms involved in vision tend to be similar throughout the animal kingdom, so he wondered whether chlorophyll could also enhance the vision of other animals, including humans. His latest experiments in mice and rabbits suggest that administering chlorophyll to the eyes can double their ability to see in low light. The pigment absorbs hues of red light that are normally invisible in dim conditions. That information is then transmitted to the brain, allowing enhanced vision. Washington is now developing ways to deliver chlorophyll to human eyes safely and easily, perhaps through drops. He believes that a night-vision drug would be most useful on the battlefield, so it is no surprise that the U.S. Department of Defense is funding his work. “The military would want this biological enhancement so they don’t have to carry nighttime goggles
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POPS10 Deadliest Sea Creatures "Before we continue, a nod to venerable contenders that aren't on the list: killer whales (there are few confirmed attacks, accept by those in captivity), octopuses (yes, they've been known to attack), sea cucumbers (who'da thunk?) and piranhas (which actually live only in freshwater, and whose deadly attacks on people are pure myth)." Live Science
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POPSGrowth of Ocean ‘Garbage Patch’ Alarms Experts Nope, it’s not going away. It’s the smallest pieces that are of most concern, the “bite-sized” pieces that are interacting with the food chain: bottlecaps, bags and wrappers. Plastic sea trash doesn't biodegrade and often floats at the surface, coming from overflowing sewage systems and then drift thousands of miles. The sheer quantity of plastic that accumulates in the North Pacific Gyre, a vortex formed by ocean and wind currents and located 1,000 miles off the California coast, has the scientists worried about how it might harm the sea creatures there. Plastics have entangled birds and turned up in the bellies of fish, and one paper cited by the NOAA estimates 100,000 marine mammals die trash-related deaths each year. Only humans are to blame for ocean debris. Only humans can do something about it.
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POPSBomber Worms "We came across them and thought they were very interesting, firstly because of their bioluminescence," she said. Each of the seven species found so far is transparent apart its gut, and all of the worms produce colourful bioluminescence. The researchers are now investigating what chemicals the animals produce to give rise to their striking glow. The animals are also excellent swimmers - using fans of long bristles that form swimming paddles. There is a silent video on the page, if you'd like to see them swim. The rest of the article explains the "bombing aspects of the creatures.
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POPSWater Bears Looking at water under a microscope can be fun, but sometimes it can turn your stomach. I don't care what anyone says, I like the chlorine in my drinking water. In the '40s and 50s my grandparents would take us out camping in the woods, and we would fill our canteens from the stream. Then I got my first microscope." NEVER again" I said! Ironically, they were the ones who gave me the instrument for xmas.
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POPSSaben The Woodfitter - Gordon Bok A beautiful 'cantefable' from Gordon Bok about the love that grows between a craftsman and his boat. A tale of the sea and of returning home, whether in body or in spirit.
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