Super Mouse

Genetic engineers created faster, slimmer, stronger, longer living and interestingly more aggressive mouse. I am curious to know if somebody works out already how to apply this to humans.

Most poisonous plant

Seems that the Oleander (Nerium oleander) is probably the most poisonous plant. In Wikipedia we will see that around 0.5 mg per kilogram of body weight is lethal to many animals or more poisonous than once common rat poison Strychnine

Sources: HowStuffWorks, Wikipedia

How Stuff Works

How stuff works is very useful site. One can learn a lot of curious and useful things.

DNA Extraction Home Experiment

DNA Extraction in the kitchen. Something like introduction in Biohacking.

HRP-4C Gynoid

HRP-4C is a humanoid robot. In my opinion this robot is interesting with the overall design recreating human appearance. Probably something like that, but with a little improvement in the hardware and the artificial intelligence can be used like companion or sex toy. On second thought, probably there is no need of too much improvements, apparently people are satisfied to use just rubber dolls.

Boston Dynamics BigDog Robot

This is BigDog - a dynamically stable quadruped robot. It is powered by simple gasoline engine. Impressive to look how it regain balance just like an animal.

SDS - Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis

This is something related to mu current hobby. I found really good explanation how the SDS-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) works.

Belgian UFO wave

The Belgian UFO wave refers to a series of sightings of triangular UFOs in Belgium, which lasted from November 29, 1989 to April 1990.
The Belgian UFO wave peaked with the events of the night of 30/31 March 1990. On that night unknown objects were tracked on radar, photographed, and were sighted by an estimated 13,500 people on the ground - 2,600 of whom filed written statements describing in detail what they had seen. Following the incident the Belgian air force released a report detailing the events of that night.

After some researches my conclusion is that there are too much serious witnesses in this case and it is probably true.

Source: WIkipedia

Python vs tiger

This is real (so I believe) fight between young bengal tiger and probably reticulated python (Python reticulatus). The python is at least 6-7 m (this mean about 20 feet, but in the article is said to be 25 or 30 feet, that mean near 10 m, but on other hand I've seen pictures of 8 m python and it seem somewhat bigger). The result is apparently draw. Here is an explanation what exactly happen and how this movie is filmed by Frank Buck (November, 1932).

Source: Modernmechanix

The world's largest rat

The Gambian Pouch Rat is the largest rat in the world according many sources. The true is that it is rather the biggest rat-like creature, because the nutria is double in size and that rat is not true rat. He can grow up to 3 or 4 kg. The creature on the picture is may be him smaller cousin - the Emin's rat, I am don't sure. Here we have also funny video where we can see how smart they can be.


Source: Altpet

Largest aircraft

The world's largest aircraft is Antonov An-225 Mriya. Maximum gross weight 640 tonnes. Lenght 84 m and wingspan 88.4 m.

Little Mammoth's Mother

Mainly for Russian speakers. Old good Russian animated cartoon. There really were good artists years ago.

Bear Power

The Grizzly bear is really very strong. The bear was only playing with the man, but if they fight the man would not have a chance. I am look forward for real fight man vs bear.

Tiger VS Crocodile

Tiger VS Crocodile
It is small part but is likely winner to be the tiger.

'How to' sites

I found this list of 'How to' web sites. For me is very curious and I believe that it will give some entertainment for everyone.

Source: Makeofuse

Fastest animal

Apparently the fastest animal is the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus). In the movie we can see a scientist proving it. The falcon is diving steeply at speed of 389 km/h (242 m/h).

Source: Wikipedia, National Geographic

Unusual Horned Beetle

Photo Douglas J. Emlen

Photo E. Greene

The name of this male unusual stag-horned beetle could be Proagoderus rangifer (or Onthophagus rangifer), which is species in Tribe Onthophagini, Subfamily Scarabaeinae, Family Scarabaeidae. It is about 11 mm length. Closely relative beetles can be found in Europe as well, but dark coloured.

Source: Douglas J. Emlen - Division of Biological Sciences UM, Whyfiles

What is an Ekranoplan

An ekranoplan (Russian: экранопла́н, literally "screen plane") is a vehicle resembling an aircraft but which operates solely on the principle of ground effect. Ground effect vehicles (GEV) fly above any flat surface, with the height above ground dependent upon the size of the vehicle. Ekranoplan design was conceived by Soviet engineer Rostislav Alexeev.

During the Cold War, ekranoplans were sighted for years on the Caspian Sea as huge, fast-moving objects. The name Caspian Sea Monster was given by US intelligence operatives who had spotted the huge vehicle, which looked like an airplane with the outer halves of the wings removed. After the end of the Cold War, the "monster" was revealed to be one of several Soviet military designs meant to fly only a few meters above water, saving energy and staying below enemy radar.

The ekranoplan has a lifting power of 1,000 tonnes, among the largest ever achieved. The KM, as the Caspian Sea Monster was known in the top secret Soviet military development program, was over 100 m long (330 ft), weighed 540 tonnes fully loaded, and could travel over 400 km/h (250 mi/h), mere meters above the surface of the water.

(The video is documentary in Russian)

Source: Wikipedia

Thylacine - video records

The Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. Native to Australia and New Guinea, it is thought to have become extinct in the 20th century. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian Tiger (due to its striped back), and also known as the Tasmanian Wolf. The seven film clips above comprise near all of the motion picture footage known to exist of living Thylacines. The last known specimen died in Hobart Zoo 1936. I want to believe that there are still surviving Thylacines in some remote place.

Source:Wikipedia

The Largest Beetle - part III

The Goliath beetles (Goliathus) are among the largest beetles. In my opinion only 2 or 3 specieses are heavier or larger. There are a lot of claims that Goliathus goliatus, Goliathus orientalis or Goliathus regius are the heaviest beetles or even insects with weight up to 100 gr (3.5 oz), but it is very unlikely, according to University of Florida a large living Goliathus goliatus of approximately 10 cm total length was recently reported to weigh 42 grams (C. Campbell, pers. comm.). The same extrapolation of data would produce a figure of about 45 grams for a living 11 cm Goliathus, that mean 3 or 4 grams fewer than the largest reported Megasoma actaeon – 13.5 cm. On the photo Goliathus regius on men arm.

Source: Wikipedia, Extreme Science, University of Florida, Natural Worlds
See more: The Largest Beetle - part I, The Largest Beetle - part II