When sperm whales need a nap, they take a deep breath, dive down about 45 feet and arrange themselves into perfectly-level, vertical patterns. They sleep sound and still for up to two hours at a time between breaths, in pods of 5 or 6 whales, presumably for protection. No one knew whales slept vertically until a 2008 study documented the behavior. And no one captured really good photography of it in the wild until 2017. French photographer Stephane Granzotto was documenting sperm whales in the Mediterranean for his book on the creatures when he came across these sleeping whales. Sperm whales and their mysterious vertical sleep. Until a 2008 study…
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This 15-year-old girl lived in the Inca empire and was sacrificed 500 years ago as an offering to the gods.
Grim evidence of how the Incas “fattened up” children before sacrificing them to their gods has emerged from a new analysis of hair from two 500-year-old mummies preserved near the summit of a volcano… The remains of the 15-year-old girl known as the “Llullaillaco Maiden” and the seven-year-old “Llullaillaco Boy” revealed that their diets changed markedly in the 12 months up to their deaths, shedding new light on the rituals of the ancient Andean civilization. The research, by a British-led team, suggests that the children were fed a ceremonial diet before being marched to a shrine 82ft (25 metres) from the top of the 22,110ft (6,739 metres) volcano Llullaillaco, where…
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Roadrunner escapes peril by carpooling with Arizona park ranger
Fans of the beloved Looney Tunes franchise know this to be the common motto of the popular Road Runner character eternally in conflict with the desperate Wile E. Coyote. But Beep beep! shares a different meaning in regard to a zany situation that occurred at the Lost Dutchman State Park in Pinal County. A photo shared Wednesday from the Arizona State Parks Twitter account shows a roadrunner taking shelter inside a park ranger’s truck, supposedly to escape the clutches of a ravenous coyote. The tweet read, “POV: you were running away from the coyote and got confused…” The roadrunner took a brief break next to the driver’s seat, seemingly scouting…
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IT IS WINTER
THIS IS RIGHT ON THE NOSE. …….READ IT SLOWLY… I DON’T KNOW WHO WROTE IT, BUT I AM GUESSING IT WAS A SENIOR!!! I FIRST STARTED READING THIS AND WAS READING FAST UNTIL I REACHED THE THIRD SENTENCE. I STOPPED AND STARTED OVER READING SLOWER AND THINKING ABOUT EVERY WORD. THIS IS VERY THOUGHT-PROVOKING. MAKES YOU STOP AND THINK.AND THEN IT IS WINTER You know. . . time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago,…
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An 89-year-old woman who baked dozens of pies
An 89-year-old woman who baked dozens of pies for the elderly and vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic has been baking hundreds more to help feed hungry children this UK school half-term. Flo Osbourne, 89, makes hundreds of pies to help feed hungry childrenA rather special baker has rallied to footballer Marcus Rashford‘s calls and baked hundreds of pies to help feed hungry children this half term. Great-great-grandmother Flo Osborne, 89, has been making pies for Harwich residents since April – and sometimes bakes as many as 20 a day. Flo wakes up at the crack of dawn to start baking in her tiny kitchen in Dovercourt, near harwich, Essex, where…
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Hachiko- the Most Loyal Dog in the World
The dog in the picture is named Hachiko.In 1923, the Japanese citizen (Isabura) found the dog (Hachiko) in a small box inside one of the train cars that he used to take daily to work… and the dog was still a small puppy.. He took it and raised it in his house.. The days pass and Hachiko grows. Isabura used to go to work every day by train, and Hachiko used to drive him to the station and wait at the station until his return about 10 hours later. A statue of him was designed at the entrance to Shibui Station in Japan, and it is still present.Loyalty is a…
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The bridge-tunnel in Virginia
The bridge-tunnel in Virginia, USA is an amazing engineering feat that spans 17 miles, connecting the Atlantic Ocean to multiple ports along rivers and bays. It seamlessly transforms from a bridge to an undersea tunnel, accommodating both vehicles and large ships. This incredible structure is essential for maritime trade and provides a captivating experience for travelers. As you drive across the bridge, you’ll enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. But the real adventure begins when you enter the undersea tunnel. Descending below the water’s surface, you’ll be immersed in a mesmerizing subaquatic world. The tunnel’s design and lighting add to the enchantment as you journey through its vast length.…
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This Dog Takes The Bus Every Day
Every morning, a very independent pooch named Eclipse leaves her house alone. She’s on a mission: get to the dog park located in the heart of Downtown Seattle. Over the years, Eclipse has become a favorite among Seattle commuters and is now seen as an inspiration, being called an “independent woman.” Each day, like a very good girl, she waits patiently at the bus stop by her home. When her bus arrives, she boards it and is greeted by adoring fans. The Mastador (half Mastiff and half Labrador) pooch has amassed a strong social media following because of this remarkable behavior. According to a Seattle-based observer who left a comment…
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For those hitting the ocean and waves this summer.
One of the fun things about the beach is watching and playing in the waves, which were likely made by wind hundreds of miles away. These waves travel long distances in deep water before they get to the beach. As the water gets shallower, the waves slow down and steepen, until they eventually topple over and “break.” Breaking waves trap lots of air bubbles in the water, making the water look white and foamy, called whitewater. Most of this wave breaking occurs in an area called the surfzone—because this is where you can actually catch the waves and surf! As the whitewater moves toward the beach, it does not just…
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A woodpecker’s tongue is so long that it wraps around its skull to
A woodpecker’s tongue is so long that it wraps around its skull to protect its brain while hitting a tree or other hard surfaces. This, combined with other factors like: super-strong neck muscles, spongy bone plates in the skull that act like a football helmet, and a very small amount of cerebrospinal fluid surrounding its brain, all help prevent a woodpecker from rack your brain while pecking with a force of more than 1000g. Two fledglings waiting for their mother to return to the nest were killed after a Gila woodpecker stopped by for a quick snack. The woodpecker proceeded to ram its beak into the back of the doves’…