Posts Tagged: ‘Nature’

February 2, 2012

Scientists Near 20-Million-Year-Old Lake

They’ve been drilling for 20 years:

After drilling for two decades through more than two miles of antarctic ice, Russian scientists are on the verge of entering a vast, dark lake that hasn’t been touched by light for more than 20 million years.

Scientists are enormously excited about what life-forms might be found there but are equally worried about contaminating the lake with drilling fluids and bacteria, and the potentially explosive “de-gassing” of a body of water that has especially high concentrations of oxygen and nitrogen.

Yowza. Anyone mind if we stand back?

They’ve got a great graphic. Here’s a peek.

Lake Vostok Graphic

 There’s more to the graphic over at the WaPo.

Posted by Thom

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December 30, 2011

Animal World

Today’s post is a roundup of great animal stories we’ve seen this week.

First we visit with a lion who loves to be pampered. Watch the video of him rolling on his back waiting for his pedicure.

Next we have a beautiful image of an elephant’s pedicure session. Getting him ready for the day’s elephant beauty pageant.

Last but not least, here is a chimpanzee that loves to bbq. He’s so good at gathering wood and making marshmallows that I’m thinking of inviting him to our next camping trip.

What’s the best animal story you have seen lately? Post a link in the comments and we’ll do a roundup next week of the top 5. We’ll even give you credit for finding it.

Posted by BRI

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December 3, 2011

Tallest Pine Tree In the World Found

Hey, some cool news from our own neck of the woods:

Tallest pine tree in the world.

Portland arborist Will Koomjian prepares to descend from near the top of Phalanx, a ponderosa pine he measured at 268.3 feet, the tallest known pine in the world. The pine grows in southern Oregon's Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, outside Big Pine Campground.

Oregon: Where we shout “We’re Number One! We’re Number One!” because of a tree. Oh yeah.

And 268.3 feet – wow! That’s really tall. That’s from one end zone line of a football field to just a bit short of the opposite ten-yard-line – again, wow!

And it’s a pretty cool story, of how they found the tree, and about the guy who does the climbing – which would turn our knees, ankles, legs, stomachs, arms, brains, and entire beings to water. Check out this shot: Once he was way up one tree, the climber noticed one that was taller – so he shot a line over to it and made his way over on a rope. Gah!

Tallest pine tree

We’re Number One! We’re Number One! …

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Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader’s HOLIDAY SALE30% of all books - goes through December.

And oh yeah – how dang relevant: In our brand new “Big John” – Uncle John’s 24-KARAT GOLD Bathroom Reader – we have an article telling you how you can measure how tall a tree is – using only sunlight and a tape measure. That’s a pretty good coincidence, huh?

Posted by Thom

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November 9, 2011

Great Moments in Weird Background Music

This is a fun YouTube video – it shows the South American “Sensitive Plant,” being, well, sensitive.

And it has a very weird choice of background music:

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Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader’s HOLIDAY SALE30% of all books – goes through December.

Posted by Thom

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October 25, 2011

Penitentes: Snowfall Shaped Like Knives

Just a quick note and one cool photograph, letting you know that the crack staff here at the BRI have gone au naturel in pursuit of only the most sumptuous nuggets of knowledge from the natural world for Uncle John’s NATURE CALLS Bathroom Reader…due out next year.

And we just came across this:

Penitentes, or nieves penitentes (“penitente-shaped snows”, in Spanish), are a snow formation found at high altitudes. They take the form of tall thin blades of hardened snow or ice closely spaced with the blades oriented towards the general direction of the sun. Penitentes can be as tall as a person.

Kind of like flowers leaning and reaching for the sun – except it’s snow.

Check it out. (Click pic to make huge.):

Penitentes: odd snow formation

Pretty cool, huh?

[pic]

 

Posted by Thom

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August 24, 2011

National Parks From Space

This is one of those things where you go, “Dang! Why didn’t I think of that? And why don’t I have a space ship?” It’s a collection of photos of American National Parks, as taken from satellites. It is a really stunning collection.

Just one example, via NASA, of Everglades National Park in Florida (click to enlarge):

Top that, Jackson Pollock! (I mean I know you’re dead and everything, but still, top that!)

There are many more over there. Way to go, Wired.

Posted by Thom

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April 5, 2011

The Sarcastic Fringehead

No, that is not what Uncle John called the kids when they were teenagers (although Mrs. Uncle John did…), it’s a type of fish! A crazy type of fish:

My favorite part is at the end, when the victorious sarcastic fringehead has chased the loser away, and goes over to check out the loser’s shell. The narrator says the victor is just checking to make sure his shell is better, but you watch him: That fish is taking a dump in that shell, or my name’s Floyd Mayweather!

Posted by Thom

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April 3, 2011

Shark-Eating Monkeys

Put this under “Things You Wouldn’t Expect.”

Posted by Thom

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March 27, 2011

Cobra Escapes Bronx Zoo [Caught!]

Update: The missing cobra has finally been found after six days. It was in the reptile house the whole time.

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Just a note to our New York  City-based fans: If  you’re planning on going for walk around the Bronx Park area tonight, be sure to bring your flute. And maybe one of those lidded baskets…

Peek-a-boo

The reptiles exhibit at a Bronx zoo was shut down after staff discovered a venomous Egyptian cobra escaped from its enclosure.

Upon learning the half-metre long adolescent serpent was missing from an off-exhibit enclosure Friday, officials immediately secured the area and began a search, said Mary Dixon, zoo spokeswoman, in a release.

If you happen to find this snake, please let us know!

[photo]

Posted by Thom

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March 12, 2011

The Appalachian Trail in Five Minutes

For your viewing please this fine Saturday, BRI fans, we give you the Appalachian Trail, condensed into one five-minute-long stop-motion video.

On a related note: Former BRI employee Rain the Wonder Mind will be leaving shortly to begin walking that trail – all the way from Georgia to Maine! Everyone at the BRI wishes you the most peaceful and enriching six months, Rain! Go get em! (And special wishes from your uncle!)

Posted by Thom

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England is two-thirds the size of New England

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