Ask the average American what he or she would be doing in the event of a nearby volcanic eruption, and I suppose the answers would include “Panic!”, “Run like hell!”, or “Pray”. In Iceland, apparently, it’s “None of the above”. Its residents appear to regard a new-born volcano as an excuse for a road… Continue reading OK, I guess Icelanders are . . . different!
Tag: Nature
Why you shouldn’t stand beneath trees when lightning’s around
Courtesy of reader A. W., I was given the link to this tweet, which led me to the associated video (by now copied to YouTube, so I can embed it here). Among the commenters on Twitter was one who traced the location of the incident to Gurgaon in India, via this news report. A man… Continue reading Why you shouldn’t stand beneath trees when lightning’s around
Well, well, well – the answer really was 42 all along! Take a bow, Douglas Adams!
It seems a huge fossilized tree in New Zealand has got the scientific world all abuzz. A perfectly preserved ancient tree fossil has offered scientists a unique peek into a moment 42,000 years ago when the Earth’s magnetic field went haywire. The impressive study paints a picture of temporary environmental chaos, potentially influencing everything… Continue reading Well, well, well – the answer really was 42 all along! Take a bow, Douglas Adams!
Sea lions having fun
I greatly enjoyed these two short videos of sea lions having fun in the surf off Santa Barbara Island in California last month. They were filmed by a documentary crew from Pacific Offshore Expeditions. The first video has a music soundtrack (which fits it very well), while the second (with more close-ups and slow-motion… Continue reading Sea lions having fun
“Efforts to castrate hippos are not as easy as you would think”
That’s the sub-headline to an article in the Washington Post that had me laughing out loud. I’m an old Africa hand, after all. I know just how deadly dangerous hippopotami can be – I’ve written about it before. However, it seems Colombia has not (yet) learned that lesson. In the 1980s, drug kingpin Pablo… Continue reading “Efforts to castrate hippos are not as easy as you would think”
Becoming a tree when you die – but which tree???
Via an e-mail from an anonymous reader, I became aware of an outfit called Capsula Mundi. They explain their mission as follows. Capsula Mundi is a cultural and broad-based project, which envisions a different approach to the way we think about death. It’s an egg-shaped pod, an ancient and perfect form, made of biodegradable… Continue reading Becoming a tree when you die – but which tree???
*Sigh* 24 years without hitting an animal, and then…
I’ve done my best to be a good driver in the USA, despite coming from a country where we drove on the correct other side of the road. It took a bit of adapting, particularly considering that my first driving experience in this country was in Los Angeles, where six-lane freeways and high-velocity, high-profanity… Continue reading *Sigh* 24 years without hitting an animal, and then…
Oh noes! Say it ain’t so!
From Britain’s Independent newspaper, via its Twitter account: Yes, there really is a bird called the great tit. The tweet is referring to this article. A rapidly warming climate will spell disaster for swathes of life on earth, including many bird species. A new study reveals some birds which are dependent on specific abundant… Continue reading Oh noes! Say it ain’t so!
Blue and purple memories…
This photograph on Gab brought back many memories. It shows blue jacaranda trees in Pretoria, South Africa. They flower in October and November, which is spring in that part of the world. The jacarandas were imported to South Africa from South America at around the turn of the twentieth century. Today they’re regarded as… Continue reading Blue and purple memories…
Mosquitoes killing animals by draining their blood
I noted this report following Hurricane Laura a couple of weeks ago. Huge swarms of mosquitoes are draining blood from and killing livestock in Louisiana after Hurricane Laura swept through the state. The mosquitoes, which were pushed from Louisiana swamps as a result of the storm, are draining blood from deer and cattle, as well… Continue reading Mosquitoes killing animals by draining their blood