#15 Terrafugia’s Next Hybrid Car
Some of you might be thinking of the Jetsons but this is for real! It's the Terrafugia’s TF-X concept flying car that is also a Hybrid and a street legal plug-in. Can you imagine lifting-up from a highway during rush hour traffic and flying away?!
The next TF-X will have four-seats, collapsible wings, retractable propellers and an emergency parachute system. The best part is, it will be capable of driving and flying on its own!
Terrafugia’s CEO Car Dietrich said, “This is the right time for us to begin thinking about the future". We think he's right and wonder what type of license we will need to drive/fly one of these. We especially can't wait to try that "Vertical Takeoff and Landing"!
#14 Mechanitis Butterfly Chrysalis
These metallic mirrored beauties are the chrysalis of the Mechanitis polymnia, or Orange-spotted Tiger Clearwing butterflies. This grouping of chrysalis was found in Costa Rica. While as butterflies they're indigenous to the neotropical regions of Mexico, Central and South America.
It's no wonder the chrysalis' are as spectacular as their adult butterfly counterparts, of which there are two types. One has tortoise shell patterns on its wings and the other is the "glasswings", with transparent or translucent wings.
The butterfly is unpalatable to birds, and therefore mimicked in appearance by many other butterfly species and even insects. Birds "memorize butterfly patterns" and steer clear of the Mechanitis and their mimickers. Human observers too find the original Mechanitis tricky to identify!
#13 The Beautiful Death
The Ring Nebula is a old relative of our Sun, but it's dying as it runs out of hydrogen fuel at its core. The size of its gas cloud spans 10-trillion kilometers across as it explodes. At one time it was estimated to be twice the size of our Sun, although it gives scientists clues to what someday will happen to our Sun.
The Ring Nebula has many names: NASA also dubbed the star, 'Cat's Eye Nebula' when the Hubble Space Telescope captured it in 1994, and it's official label is NGC 6543.
The Ring Nebula's estimated age is 1,000 years old, and it's 3,000 light-years away in the northern constellation Draco. It's shape now is like a hollow barrow with hot gases creating a rainbow lit interior. We use the term 'Nebula', which refers to the glow of spectacular colors!
#12 Nemo: a Hermaphrodite?
Yes, studies reveal that Clown Fish is just "that". Actually their scientific condition is termed.. ready for this? "Protandrous Sequential Hermaphrodites"!
Sequential Hermaphrodite's sex organs can change from male to female at some point in their life. This benefits their species' reproduction and survival. Studies show the Clown fish live within a group of all males and one lone female.
If the female dies, the alpha male turns into a female and takes over her role. So this possibly means when Nemo's mom died, his father could've changed into a female. Surely we'll never watch 'Finding Nemo' the same way again.
#11 Belly-button Organisms
You may have gone your whole life without needing to know this, but "bacteria, fungi and yeasts are among the different types organisms found in the belly-button". If you have an 'innie', that moist space holds 100 different organisms, and microbial mixes differ between individuals too. The good news is we don't have mushrooms growing out our belly buttons, and the microbial benefit us by helping to fight off pathogens!
The Department of Biology at North Carolina State University noted that, "Although we find about 60 or 70 species on the average person, we have found more than 1400 species overall". Scientists don't understand why there's great differences of bacterial species among individuals and a relatively few shared among us.
#10 Rare Asiatic Cats Bred in Test Tubes
A pair of Asiatic golden cats have been bred using artificial insemination. This is due to the fact that they are on the endangered species list. This is the first time in history for test-tube breeding these gorgeous felines.
The Asiatic Cat count is now at 51 individuals in captivity in Europe and Asia. As adults, they grow to 3 times the size of house cats. They're shy and solitary, only coming together for mating.
This breeding program is essential for their survival. Sadly the cats are often poached for their golden fur. Also some cultures in the Far East, believe burning the Asiatics cat's fur or even eating their flesh brings good luck.
#9 Australia’s Lake Hillier
Is this otherworldly lake man-made? No, and it's not where Pepto-Bismol comes from! Scientists believe its bright pink bubble-gum color is due to mother-nature.
One theory is its color comes from a combination of low nutrient concentrations and the bacteria, "Dunaliella salina and Halobacterium". Another suspect is the "red halophilic bacteria" that thrive in the lake's salt deposits.
Although Lake Hillier looks "toxic", an Australian Environmentalist group noted it does not have "adverse effects upon humans". Also mentioned is that the lake when seen from the shore appears translucent pink, not opaque as when viewed from above. Unfortunately, it's prohibited to walk on Middle Island in Western Australia where the lake is located, therefore it can only be seen from the sky.
