Jellyfish can be as beautiful as they are dangerous and artist James Pan shows off that fact through his colorful and captivating artistic endeavors. Simply stunning!
(more art after jump…)
Jellyfish can be as beautiful as they are dangerous and artist James Pan shows off that fact through his colorful and captivating artistic endeavors. Simply stunning!
(more art after jump…)

Is This a Horrible or Fantastic Idea?
Luxury ocean liners in Russia are offering pirate hunting cruises aboard armed private yachts off the Somali coast.
Wealthy punters pay £3,500 per day to patrol the most dangerous waters in the world hoping to be attacked by raiders.
A new credit-card sized device could provide a way to test people for heart disease using a pinprick of blood. Developed by a team of researchers from Harvard and Northeastern universities in Boston the device can measure and collect a type of cells, called endothelial progenitor cells, using just 200 microliters of blood.
The depletion or ageing of these bone-marrow derived endothelial progenitor cells is a risk factor for vascular disease, as they can enter the bloodstream and go to areas of blood vessel injury to help repair damage…
Scientists of the German Mouse Clinic at Helmholtz Zentrum München have made a major contribution to understanding human language development. Using a comprehensive screening method, they studied a mouse model carrying a “humanized version” of a key gene associated with human language.
New research from Vanderbilt University indicates the way our brain handles how we move through space—including being able to imagine literally stepping into someone else’s shoes—may be related to how and why we experience empathy toward others.
Using a “chemical nose” array of nanoparticles and polymers, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a fundamentally new, more effective way to differentiate not only between healthy and cancerous cells but also between metastatic and non-metastatic cancer cells. It’s a tool that could revolutionize cancer detection and treatment, according to chemist Vincent Rotello and cancer specialist Joseph Jerry.
University of Michigan aquatic ecologist Donald Scavia and his colleagues say this year’s Gulf of Mexico “dead zone” could be one of the largest on record, continuing a decades-long trend that threatens the health of a half-billion-dollar fishery.
Are you a “morning person” or a “night owl?”
We humans prefer to be addressed in our right ear and are more likely to perform a task when we receive the request in our right ear rather than our left. In a series of three studies, looking at ear preference in communication between humans, Dr. Luca Tommasi and Daniele Marzoli from the University “Gabriele d’Annunzio” in Chieti, Italy, show that a natural side bias, depending on hemispheric asymmetry in the brain, manifests itself in everyday human behavior.
Some of the most interesting and inspiring viral videos take some skill and a whole lot of patience. Just take a look at this stop-motion video of a bunch Post-It Notes on a wall. (Video)

Homing pigeons have built in ’satnav’ that uses Earth’s magnetic field to pinpoint position and help them find their way home, according to a study. Scientists have suspected for years that birds possess the ability to use the Earth’s magnetic field for their navigation, although it has never been proved beyond doubt.

A simple, inexpensive device that delivers electrical current to the brain noninvasively could help stroke patients recover lost motor ability. According to a new study, the treatment–transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)–in combination with occupational therapy boosted recovery better than either treatment on its own.
For more than 50 years, many have taken the so-called Fermi Paradox to indicate that the existence of intelligent alien civilizations is an impossibility. However, a recent re-examination of the paradox points out that, rather than discounting the spread of an intelligent civilization, the Fermi Paradox merely points out that advanced civilizations with exponential growth are unlikely to exist.

There is a direct link between smoking and brain damage, according to new research conducted by Debapriya Ghosh and Dr Anirban Basu from the Indian National Brain Research Centre (NBRC).
Bottle Tops Revisited
Most of us normally discard the bottle caps as its of no use to us. But if you ask Yoav Kotik, then the use can be quite interesting and useful. Artist Yoav Kotik is the designer of the “Precious Metal” jewelry line. Using beverages’ caps, he creates these wonderful designs; his interesting and unique jewelry includes earrings, bracelets, pendants, necklaces and more.
He is a graduate of the ‘Bezalel Academy Of Art And Design’, and he leads Master classes in the field of sculpture and design in recycled material in academic institutes such as the ‘Shenkar Academy Of Design, the ‘Bezalel Academy’, and the ‘Wizo Academy’.
(more art after jump…)

“At just two-feet-tall, Khagendra Thapa Magar is just four months away from being named the world’s smallest man. Excitedly awaiting his 18th birthday in October of this year, Khagendra and his family are in contact with Guinness to take the official crown from 2ft 5in He Ping Ping of China. Weighing only 10lbs, Khagendra has become something of a celebrity in his native Nepal, where politicians have joined the clamor to see him recognized as the smallest man in the world and villagers have dubbed him Little Buddha.”
(More photos after jump…)
Just hop on over here…
Ever wished you were a 7-foot tall semi-centaur with the body of a human and a horse’s legs? Er, me neither. But there’s plenty of people out there who do, and Seattle-based fantasy artist Kim Graham has come up with a killer Halloween costume that makes you 14 inches taller and gives you uncanny-looking equine legs and spring-loaded cloven hooves. The effect is quite amazing, and even a bit sexy – or, maybe that’s just the admirably proportioned Ms. Graham.
(check out the video after the jump…)

A fortuitous orbit of the International Space Station allowed the astronauts this striking view of Sarychev Volcano (Kuril Islands, northeast of Japan) in an early stage of eruption on June 12, 2009. Sarychev Peak is one of the most active volcanoes in the Kuril Island chain, and it is located on the northwestern end of Matua Island. Prior to June 12, the last explosive eruption occurred in 1989, with eruptions in 1986, 1976, 1954, and 1946 also producing lava flows. Ash from the multi-day eruption has been detected 2,407 kilometers east-southeast and 926 kilometers west-northwest of the volcano, and commercial airline flights are being diverted away from the region to minimize the danger of engine failures from ash intake.
The largest animals ever to have walked the face of the earth may not have been as big as previously thought, reveals a paper published June 21 in the Zoological Society of London’s Journal of Zoology.
Researchers at the University of Florida and the University of Winnipeg have developed the first detailed images of a primitive primate brain, unexpectedly revealing that cousins of our earliest ancestors relied on smell more than sight.

Kobian, a “humanoid” robot, which can express seven human emotions, has been unveiled by researchers at Waseda University in Japan. (Video and pics after the jump)
Researchers at the University of Illinois report that a toxic molecule known to damage cells and cause disease may also play a pivotal role in bird migration. The molecule, superoxide, is proposed as a key player in the mysterious process that allows birds to “see” Earth’s magnetic field.
For the past 2 million years, the size of the human brain has tripled, growing much faster than other mammals. Examining the reasons for human brain expansion, University of Missouri researchers studied three common hypotheses for brain growth: climate change, ecological demands and social competition. The team found that social competition is the major cause of increased cranial capacity.
Thanks to the skills of artists who work on cold case investigations, people have a chance to see what the University of Chicago’s mummy Meresamun may have looked like in real life.

A prototype cow which burps less is being bred in a breakthrough that could reduce a big source of the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming.