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Topics - SonnenKinder
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381
« on: February 01, 2010, 06:03:40 PM »
382
« on: February 01, 2010, 05:35:29 PM »
Damn Interesting Facts Some really surprising an interesting facts that I came across recently. Some of them might be slightly exaggerated but hey, they are still damn interesting.
1.A rat can last longer without water than a camel.2.Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks or it will digest itself.3.The dot over the letter “i” is called a tittle.4.A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.5.A female ferret will die if it goes into heat and cannot find a mate.
6.A duck’s quack doesn’t echo. No one knows why.7.During the chariot scene in “Ben Hur,” a small red car can be seen in the distance (and Heston’s wearing a watch).8.On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily! (That explains a few mysteries… .)9.Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn’t wear pants.10.Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.11.The number of possible ways of playing the first four moves per side in a game of chess is 318,979,564, 000.12.The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin in World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.13.If one places a tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion, it will instantly go mad and sting itself to death. (Who was the sadist who discovered this??)14.Bruce Lee was so fast that they actually had to s-l-o-w film down so you could see his moves. That’s the opposite of the norm.15.The first CD pressed in the US was Bruce Springsteen’ s “Born in the USA.”16.The original name for butterfly was flutterby.17.The phrase “rule of thumb” is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn’t beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.18.The first product Motorola started to develop was a record player for automobiles. At that time, the most known player on the market was Victrola, so the called themselves Motorola.19. By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you cannot sink into quicksand.20. Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest21.Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.22. Sherlock Holmes NEVER said, “Elementary, my dear Watson.”23. The glue on Israeli postage is certified kosher.24. The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from public libraries.25. Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space because passing wind in a spacesuit damages them.
383
« on: February 01, 2010, 04:59:45 PM »
Bar Inside a Tree A bar inside the trunk of a Baobab tree has tourists flocking from far and wide just to drink a cold brew in the amazing tavern. It was fashioned inside a massive 72 foot (22 meters) high tree in a garden in Limpopo, South Africa, for thirsty locals.The amazing Big Baobab Pub, complete with a phone and dartboard, hollowed into a tree. Grown in the grounds of Sunland Farm, the tree trunk is so wide it takes 40 adults with outstretched arms to encircle its 155 foot (48 meters) circumference. The trunk is hollow, but its walls are still up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) thick.
The tree has its own cellar, with natural ventilation to keep the beer cold.
Carbon-dating has determined the ancient tree to be about 6,000 years old. “This tree is likely to be older than the Giza Pyramids of Egypt.” said Heather van Heerden, owner of Sunland Farm.
“It is phenomenal to have such a magnificent tree in your back garden. It is possibly the biggest living thing on earth.” she adds.
“One year we had a party and squashed 54 people inside, but I wouldn’t recommend that.” said Mrs. van Heerden.
She and her husband Doug came up with the brainchild to set a bar up inside when they found a natural hollow in the Baobabb shortly after they bought the farm in the late 1980’s.
“When Baobabs are more than 1,000 years old, they hollow naturally.” said Mrs. van Heerden.The pub has surprisingly plenty of space for customers to sit. While clearing out the hollow centre of the tree trunk, the van Heerdens found historical evidence of Bushmen — indigenous people of the Kalahari desert — who may have once lived in the tree, and artifacts belonging to the Voortrekkers, the Dutch pioneers who travelled through South Africa in the mid-1800’s.
“We found the remains of a Bushmen bed made from rocks, possibly in the 1700’s.” says van Heerden. “We could also gather that a Voortrekker once lived here who repaired ox wagons for the Great Trek because we found tools and wagon pieces.”
The Bushmen of the Kalahari have long had a unique relationship with the peculiar looking tree, which stands leafless for the better part of the year, with its branches resembling a mass of roots pointing upwards to the sky.
384
« on: January 31, 2010, 08:03:46 PM »
LONDON—A supermarket chain in the U.K. has taken the unusual step of asking customers not to shop in their pajamas or barefoot.
Managers at a Tesco store in St. Mellons, Cardiff, have taken the initiative against a trend which they say could cause offense.
A notice outside the supermarket reads: "Footwear must be worn at all times and no nightwear is permitted."
A spokesman for Tesco said that there were no plans to further regulate the attire of their customers.
"We're not a nightclub with a strict dress code, and jeans and trainers are of course more than welcome," the spokesman said in a statement.
"We do, however, request that customers do not shop in their PJs or nightgowns.
"This is to avoid causing offense or embarrassment to others."
Elaine Carmody, 24, a full-time mother of two young boys, told the Telegraph newspaper that she had regularly gone into the supermarket in her pajamas until a week ago, when she was turned away.
She said that she had only been "popping in for a pack of fags" [cigarettes] and if she was going to do a full shop, she would have been fully dressed.
"He said it offends people," she said. "But I've never seen anyone offended," she said.
"I just don't understand it. I go in other shops in my pajamas and they don't say anything.
"You used to always be allowed in Tesco. But not now—it is ridiculous and stupid.
"I've got lovely pairs of pajamas, with bears and penguins on them. I've worn my best ones today, just so I look tidy."
385
« on: January 31, 2010, 07:59:33 PM »
The U.S. military says it has stopped flying Haitian earthquake victims to the United States for medical care following concerns by some state governments over who will pay for their treatment.
Military officials say the evacuations were suspended Wednesday, after Florida Governor Charlie Crist asked the federal government to help pay for the care.A Haitian man watches as Haitians with earthquake-related injuries are evacuated to a hospital by U.S. military helicopter. The New York Times newspaper, which first reported the suspension, says Florida hospitals have treated more than 500 victims from the January 12 quake. Governor Crist's request did not say how much the care was costing Florida, but the Times says the total could be in the millions of dollars.
The paper said other U.S. states have also taken in Haitians and flights to those states have been halted as well.
In Haiti, the situation remains grim. Despite a large international aid effort, earthquake survivors in and around Port-au-Prince are still struggling to find proper food, water and shelter, two-and-a-half weeks after the quake reduced the capital to rubble.
386
« on: January 31, 2010, 07:50:51 PM »
Logic Behind the Designs of Digits Do you ever wonder how the shape of digits were designed? What is logic behind numbers?
The numbers we all use (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) are known as "arabic" numbers to distinguish them from the "Roman Numerals" (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, etc). Actually the Arabs popularized these numbers but they were originally used by the early phonecian traders to count and keep track of their trading accounts.
Have you ever thought why ........ 1 means "one", and 2 means "two"? The roman numerals are easy to understand but what was the logic behind the phonecian numbers?
It's all about angles !
It's the number of angles. If one writes the numbers down (see below) on a piece of paper in their older forms, one quickly sees why. Angle are marked with "o"s.
No 1 has one angle.
No 2 has two angles.
No 3 has three angles.
etc.
and "O" has no anglesAmazing isn't it?
387
« on: January 31, 2010, 07:44:05 PM »
Before you know the story look at the picture below. See the explanation for what you see.
Isn't the output queer? A month with whole of eleven days missing. This was the time England shifted from Roman Julian Calendar to the Gregorian calendar, and the king of England ordered those 11 days to be wiped off the face of the month of September of 1752. (What couldn't a King do in those days?!) And yes, the workers worked for 11 days less, but got paid for the entire 30 days. And that's how "Paid Leave"was born. And that is 100% fact.
Long live the King :)))
388
« on: January 31, 2010, 07:31:57 PM »
The 99 Club
Once upon a time, there lived a King who, despite his luxurious lifestyle, was neither happy nor content.
One day, the King came upon a Servant who was singing happily while he worked. This fascinated the King; why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Land, unhappy and gloomy, while a lowly Servant had so much joy. The King asked the Servant, "Why are you so happy?"
The Servant replied, "Your Majesty, I am nothing but a Servant, but my family and I don't need too much - just a Roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies."
The King was not satisfied with that reply.
Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted Advisor. After hearing the King's woes and the Servant's story, the Advisor said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the Servant has not been made part of The 99 Club."
"The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?" the King inquired.
The Advisor replied, "Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is place 99 Gold Coins in a bag and leave it at this Servant's doorstep."
When the Servant saw the bag, he took it into his house. When he opened the bag, he let out a great shout of joy... so many Gold Coins!
He began to count them. After several counts, he was at last convinced that there were 99 Coins.
He wondered, "What could've happened to that last Gold Coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 Coins!"
He looked everywhere he could, but that final Coin was elusive. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to earn that Gold Coin and complete his collection.
From that day, the Servant's life was changed. He was overworked, horribly grumpy, and castigated his family for not helping him make that 100th Gold Coin. He stopped singing while he worked.
Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled. When he sought his Advisor's help, the Advisor said, "Your Majesty, the Servant has now officially joined The 99 Club."
He continued,"The 99 Club is a name given to those people who have enough to be happy but are never contented, because they're always yearning and striving for that extra "1" telling to themselves: "Let me get that one final thing and then I will be happy for life."
We can be happy, even with very little in our lives, but the minute we're given something bigger and better, we want even more!
We lose our sleep, our happiness, we hurt the people around us; all these as a Price for our growing needs and desires.
389
« on: January 31, 2010, 07:24:14 PM »
PSYCHO TEST Read this question, come up with an answer and then scroll down to the bottom for the result. This is not a trick question. It is as it reads. No one I know has gotten it right, including me .
A woman , while at the funeral of her own mother, meets a guy whom she did not know. She thought this guy was simply ' amazing' , very much of her dream guy, she believed him to be just that! She fell in love with him right there, but never asked for his number and could not find him.
.........A few days later she killed her FIRST sister.
Question: What is her motive in killing her sister?
(Give this some thought before you answer).
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Answer: She was hoping that the guy would appear at the funeral again.
If you answered this correctly , you think like a psychopath . This
was a test by a famous American Psychologist used to test if one has
the same mentality as a killer. Many arrested serial killers took part
in the test and answered the question correctly. If you didn't answer
the question correctly, good for you.
390
« on: January 31, 2010, 07:17:07 PM »
BUS STOPS AROUND THE WORLD
391
« on: January 31, 2010, 06:45:29 PM »
A girl and guy were speeding over 100 mph on the road on a motorcycle...
Girl: Slow down. I am scared.
Guy: No this is fun.
Girl: No its not. Please, its too scary!
Guy: Then tell me you love me.
Girl: Fine, I love you. Slow down!
Guy: Now give me a BIG hug.
-:- Girl hugs him -:-
Guy: Can you take my helmet off & put it on yourself? Its bugging me.
(In the paper the next day): A motorcycle had crashed into a building because of brake failure. Two people were on it, but only one survived.
The truth was that halfway down the road, the guy realized that his brakes broke, but he didn't want to let the girl know. Instead, he had her say she loved him & felt her hug one last time, then had her wear his helmet so that she would live even though it meant that he would die.
"Love is not selfish so
Love is not being happy
it is to make happy to whom you love
even if you are unhappy with it."
No one really knows what tomorrow holds in store for you, you might not live to see the next day and sometimes you have to tell someone something but run out of time to do so. So take five minutes out of your time to tell someone you love them because you really never know if this is the last day of your life.
392
« on: January 31, 2010, 06:32:45 PM »
The year is 1906.
One hundred and four years ago.
What a difference a century makes!
Here are some of the U.S. statistics for the Year 1906:
The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone
A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.
There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California. With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.
The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.
The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year .
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at HOME.
Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION! Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as “substandard.”
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Five leading causes of death in the U.S. were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars.
Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn’t been admitted to the Union yet..
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn’t been invented yet.There was no Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn’t read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school..
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, “Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health.” ( Shocking? DUH! )
Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE ! U.S.A. !
Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.
393
« on: January 31, 2010, 04:04:36 AM »
394
« on: January 31, 2010, 01:06:10 AM »
10. V.I. WarshawskiThe adjective usually applied to Sara Paretsky’s short stories and novels is ‘gritty’. V.I. Warshawski (or Victoria, aka Vic) was one of the first tough female detectives and she inspired others to follow. The first Warshawski novel, Indemnity Only, appeared in 1982 and the latest one, Hardball, came out in 2009. With the exception of one short story, the stories are told in the first person. The private eye from Chicago isn’t a one-dimensional character. She likes opera and classical music, and uses karate. The novels contain several recurring characters. There is only one movie adaptation and that was released in 1991. Deadlock was filmed with the simple title, V.I. Warshawski and it starred Kathleen Turner.9. Nick and Nora CharlesAs one of the great double acts, Nick and Nora are remembered with affection for their playful, witty banter. They bring comedy to the detective genre. There is only one novel to feature them. Dashiell Hammett wrote The Thin Man and its publication in 1933 led to the first film adaptation, with the same title, a year later. William Powell starred as Nick, a retired private detective, and Myrna Loy played Nora, the socialite wife. They co-starred with their pet dog, Asta, a wire-haired fox terrier. Powell and Loy had excellent chemistry and the film was a big hit. Five sequels followed plus a radio show, (1941 – 1950), and a television show, (1957 – 1959), starring Peter Lawford and Phyllis Kirk.8. Sam SpadeThe Sam Spade character, created by Dashiell Hammett, only appeared in a few publications but its influence on the hardboiled detective genre was immense. The novel that features him, The Maltese Falcon (1930), was first published in serial form in a pulp magazine. He also appeared in three short stories. The Maltese Falcon was filmed three times, most successfully when Humphrey Bogart played Spade in 1941. The other two versions were released in 1931 and in 1936 (as Satan Met a Lady). The 1941 movie, directed by John Huston, was an inspiration to other film noir. Bogart also played Spade on radio, as did Edward G. Robinson. Sam Spade was also featured in comic book strips.7. Mike HammerMike Hammer is not a pretty character. He is misanthropic and uses violence to get his way, ignoring the law when it suits him. Mickey Spillane introduced the character in I, The Jury, a novel published in 1947. The book was adapted into a movie in 1953 and again in 1982. The series of books, written in the first person, has spawned several movies, TV series, and radio versions, and the final novel, The Goliath Bone, appeared in 2008. Even Mickey Spillane himself played Hammer in a 1963 film, but most fans agree that the most successful portrayal is by Stacy Keach, who played him in Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer TV series from 1984 – 1987 and again in 1997 for one season.6. Miss MarpleAt first glance, Miss Marple appears to be just a sweet, old lady, but the English sleuth has a sharp mind that has outwitted many murderers. Crime writing supremo, Agatha Christie, wrote 12 Miss Marple novels and she was introduced in a short story in 1927. The first novel to feature her was Murder at the Vicarage in 1930. Other well known Marple tales include A Pocket Full of Rye (1953) and The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side (1962). The final Miss Marple novel was published in 1976. Agatha Christie wrote about a world that appears very old fashioned to contemporary readers today but the continuing popularity of Miss Marple has been boosted by stage plays, TV films, and movies. Actresses to have played her include Margaret Rutherford, Angela Lansbury, and Helen Hayes.5. Hercule PoirotUsing his little gray cells, the Belgian detective has solved many whodunits amongst the upper classes. Agatha Christie’s character has appeared in 51 short stories and 33 novels, beginning in 1920 and ending in 1975. Numerous TV and film adaptations have made Poirot a familiar figure and he has been portrayed by Albert Finney, Peter Ustinov, Alfred Molina, Ian Holm, and others. His most famous adventure is probably Murder on the Orient Express. Poirot is the only fictional character to receive an obituary in the New York Times.4. The Hardy BoysFrank (18) and Joe (17) are the crime solving Hardy brothers. Generations of kids have grown up reading about their adventures after lights out, with a flashlight. The original series of books was published between 1927 and 1979 and the characters and early plots were the work of Edward Stratameyer. Several ghostwriters wrote the books and they were published under the pseudonym of Franklin W. Dixon. In some stories, the brothers and Nancy Drew team up on a case. Frank and Joe help their father, who is a private detective, and the police. The books are still read today and the franchise has produced TV shows and merchandise.3. Nancy DrewMany young girls have taken Nancy Drew as their role model. The 18 year old sleuth, (16 years old in earlier books), enjoys solving mysteries, sometimes helping her attorney father, Carson Drew with his cases. The character was the creation of Edward Stratameyer, (see the Hardy Boys), but the stories were ghostwritten by different authors, under the collective pen name of Carolyn Keene. The first novel appeared in 1930 and they are still popular today across the world. A series of books were published in the 1980s, called the Nancy Drew Files, which portrayed an older Nancy. There have been 5 films, 2 television shows, computer games, and other merchandise in the franchise.2. Philip Marlowe
The world weary, heavy drinking gumshoe, always ready with a wise crack, was personified by Marlowe, the creation of Raymond Chandler. Chandler, who began writing for pulp magazines, wrote a series of novels with Marlowe as the protagonist, including The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye. The Big Sleep was his debut, full-length novel, published in 1939. The final Marlowe story appeared in 1958. Raymond Chandler’s world of murder, intrigue, and femmes fatales captured the imagination and radio, TV, and film versions followed. The most memorable movie portrayals include Murder My Sweet (Dick Powell in 1944), The Big Sleep (Humphrey Bogart in 1946), and Farewell My Lovely (Robert Mitchum in 1975).1. Sherlock HolmesThe master of detection is synonymous with ‘deductive reasoning’ and even has a museum in his honor. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created Holmes, introducing him to the world in 1887. The tales are mostly narrated by Holmes’ companion and chronicler, Dr Watson, in 4 novels and 56 short stories, the last story appearing in 1914. The plays, TV episodes, and movies have made us all aware of the detective’s methods, pastimes, and domestic arrangements. He lives at lodgings in Baker Street, London, which is a major tourist attraction today, and he likes to play the violin and take cocaine. The Guinness Book of World Records states that Holmes has appeared in more than 200 movies, which is more than any other character. The actor most associated with him is Basil Rathbone, who appeared in such Conan Doyle classics as Hound of the Baskervilles.Sorry, Ian Fleming's character James Bond didnt fit into my Top 10
395
« on: January 31, 2010, 12:23:54 AM »
Life passes by quickly. Soon another year will have passed. With the fast pace of life it can be hard to keep stock of what’s going on in your life and where you’re heading. This is where keeping a personal diary or journal can be really helpful.Keeping a diary can give you perspective.Probably the best thing about keeping a diary is how it can show you the big picture. Sometimes things are easier to see from a distance. You can’t see a forest when you’re in the thick of it, you can only see the trees. But if you look at if from an airplane you can see the whole thing clearly.
It’s the same with some of the issues you face in life. Sometimes when you’re bogged down in the middle of things you can’t get a true perspective on the big picture. As you flick through your diary at the end of the year you might notice that certain things keep cropping up. You can identify themes that you might not notice on a day to day level. Perhaps you keep making some of the same mistakes again and again. By looking at these mistakes in the context of the bigger picture you may find it easier to work out what the problem was and how you can deal with it.
Perhaps you are procrastinating on your goals. Or perhaps you are achieving a great deal. Either way looking back on the year can be a really helpful experience. You can take note of your lows and think of ways to avoid them in the future. You can also remind yourself of your successes and think about how you can create more of them.So what do you write about?Well you can write about whatever you want. When I first kept a diary I was young and I basically wrote a record of the daily events of my life. There wasn’t much reflection. As I’ve gotten older I’ve changed to writing about my achievements and hopes for the future. It’s also become more introspective. I take note of the mistakes I’ve made and ways I can improve things. But you can write about whatever you like really. Some people like to write a gratitude journal. Some people write a blog and share their lives with the world.How often do you write?When I first started I used to write a little every day. Now I write when I feel the need to do so. You can write as little or as often as you like, but it may be good to write regularly when you begin so that you remember to do it and can establish it as a habit.Things you diary doesn’t have to be:# Neat and tidy
# Logical
# Grammatically correct
# Politically correct
# ‘G’ Rated
# Interesting to other people
# RegularThings your diary might include: * A record of events
* Concert tickets
* Photos
* Letters
* Drawings
* Poems
* Thoughts
* Feelings
* Ideas
* Dreams
* Hopes
* Disappointments
* Plans
* Prayers
Things your diary probably should be: * Legible
* Dated
A few last things to think about: * You can write anywhere
* You can write anytime
* It can be handwritten or on your computer or online
* If you’re going to be really open and honest then you might like to make sure you keep it tucked away from prying eyes
Basically your diary can be whatever you want it to be – just start doing it and see what happens. I’m sure you’ll find it a useful experience.
396
« on: January 30, 2010, 11:41:40 PM »
FROM TELEGRAPH
Orphans in Haiti are being offered for sale to foreigners for as little as £30 amid warnings that up to one million children in the country have been left vulnerable to abuse and trafficking in the wake of the earthquake.
In a remote area north of Port-au-Prince, a man was reported to have offered to sell a young boy to a Canadian man for just $50.
The first confirmed case of a child being offered for sale since Haiti was devastated by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake on Jan 12 took place near Gonaives, 150km north of Port-au-Prince.
It was reported by Noel Ismonin, a Canadian pastor who rescues orphans in the area. A man offered to sell him the boy but the pastor refused.
Meanwhile, in camps around the capital there were several reports of men being lynched after being accused by earthquake victims of trying to steal infants from tents.
The incident near Gonaives raised fears that child trafficking gangs could move into desperately poor rural areas that have yet to be properly reached by aid agencies. The gangs are also be less likely to be picked up by authorities there.
Abduction of children by child traffickers was already a chronic problem in pre-earthquake Haiti, where thousands were handed by their families into lives of domestic servitude.
“There are an estimated one million unaccompanied or orphaned children, or children who lost one parent,” said Kate Conradt, a spokesman for Save the Children. “They are extremely vulnerable.”
397
« on: January 30, 2010, 11:36:03 PM »
From the Daily Mail: 
The most commonly held theory is that when the solar system was first formed, an object collided with Earth, knocking off a chunk of rock that fell into orbit around it.
But now two scientists have come up with a new explanation. They believe the Moon did not break away from the Earth because of an impact or an explosion in space, but because of a nuclear explosion on Earth itself.
Similarities: Lunar samples from moon landings have shown that the material of the moon is nearly identical to Earth’sTheir idea is based on the fission theory which was first outlined in the 19th century.
The fission theory suggested that the Earth and Moon were both created out of the same blob of spinning molten rock – with a part becoming separated which later became the moon.
However, aside from an impact, scientists couldn’t explain how the blob which became the moon spun off.
Rob de Meijer at University of the Western Cape and Wim van Westrenen at VU University in Amsterdam believe the Moon was blasted out of the Earth by a nuclear explosion on our planet.
398
« on: January 30, 2010, 10:56:18 PM »
Antique and Medieval Technology Blended With ArtMany believe early man saw the universe as a living thing: each flash of lightning, every star in the sky, the rain that fell, the ground beneath their feet – everything around them was part of some huge, living, breathing creature.
But then all that changed. The Greeks, along with their intellectual ancestors, looked at the world and while they saw life they also began to see a mechanism to it all, a precise and ordered regularity.The Antikythera DeviceAlhough we know the ancient Greeks were extremely intelligent, just how smart was hinted at in 1901 – and then confirmed many years later. At first the hunk of rusted iron pulled from the sea near the Greek island of Antikythera was just a curiosity, a bit of archeological weirdness. It was only decades and decades later that modern science was finally able to pry apart the secrets of ancient science. Very, very ancient science.The Antikythera Mechanism, as it’s called, is a meticulous and precise assembly of 72 gears – a simply staggering piece of craftsmanship. What’s even more astounding is that scientists think the device was an astronomical calculator: an elaborate, incredibly accurate computer that was built in 150 to 100 BCMechanism in action Other Antikythera Mechanism reconstruction projects and working models: All the instructions for the mechanism are written in Greek; one case when you can say "this manual is all Greek to me" and be entirely correct. Surprising details about this artefact are still being uncovered - for example, the various dials on the back of the Antikythera Mechanism include one dedicated to the four-year Olympiad Cycle of athletic games in ancient Greece!What’s even more intriguing -- as well as exciting – isn’t the device itself but the broad hint it sends at how technologically advanced the ancient engineers were. The device is certainly miraculous but it was also a common working machine; not a rarity but instead what could be something that navigators used every day. Who knows what other mechanisms and devices have yet to be found?Beautiful Astronomical Clock in Prague
One of the more incredible astronomical clocks is the legendary Prague Astronomical Clock. To say that it’s elaborate would be a ridiculous understatement. The clock is an insanely complicated instrument created not only to tell the time but also track the movements of the stars and planets – at least the ones they knew about in the 1400s when the clock was built. It's easy to think that making something as complicated as the Prague clock was a one time, supremely rare thing. Wells Cathedral Astronomical ClockAnother beautiful example of astronomical clock engineering is the famous Wells Cathedral Clock. Begun a few years before Prague’s, the clock is another accurate and heavenly (literally as well as figuratively) mechanism. Like its Prague kin, the clock is a beautiful as well as accurate view of the world as an enormous clockwork machine - a carefully assembled, meticulously crafted, creation.Unfortunately, the growing ubiquity of these clocks’ technology spelled their doom. As more and more people could afford to carry watches there was less and less of a need for a huge, central and, naturally, elaborate town clock. It simply didn’t make financial sense to keep building them, a sign that humanity's evolving view of the world was mechanical: ticks and tocks as well as dollars and sense.What’s ironic is that with the dawn of the 21st century, in a world ruled by the careful calculations of software, humans are starting to understand, and even plan to use, the uncertainty of a quantum universe: an existence where things are never quite what they seem and chaos is part of How Everything Works.Augustinian Friar's Astrological Clock, 1679 - one of the hands takes 20,000 years to revolve. At the Clock Museum in Vienna Still, the incredible Antikythera device, the Prague and Wells Cathedral clocks, are beautiful in their antique mechanisms – as well as evoking a time when the world was as precise and orderly as the back-and-forth swing of a pendulum.Astronomical Clock at Hampton Court Palace, London, UK (1540):Zimmertoren Astronomical Clock on Zimmer Tower in Lier, Belgium (left) and Strasbourg's Cathedral Astronomical Clock:Lund's Cathedral Astronomical Clock, 1424:
Lyon's Cathedral Astronomical Clock:Beauvais Cathedral has the St. Pierre Giant Astronomical Clock, made by Auguste-Lucien Verité in 1865-8. It contains 90,000 pieces, 68 statutes and 52 dials:Germany's Munster Cathedral Astronomical Clock, 1540:
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« on: January 30, 2010, 09:19:56 PM »
There are two days in every week, about which we should not worry,
two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.
One of these days is Yesterday with all its mistakes and cares,
its faults and blunders, its aches and pains.
Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.
All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday.
We cannot undo a single act we performed;
we cannot erase a single word we said.
Yesterday is gone forever.
The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow
with all its possible adversities, its burdens,
its large promise and its poor performance;
Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.
Tomorrow's sun will rise,
either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise.
Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow,
for it is yet to be born.
This leaves only one day, Today.
Any person can fight the battle of just one day.
It is when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities
Yesterday and Tomorrow that we break down.
It is not the experience of Today that drives a person mad,
it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened Yesterday
and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring.
Let us, therefore, live but one day at a time.
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« on: January 30, 2010, 07:28:36 PM »
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