Kepler 186f

Kepler-186f is an exoplanet orbiting the red dwarf Kepler-186, about 490 light-years (151 pc) from the Earth. It is the first planet with a radius similar to Earth's to be discovered in the habitable zone of another star. NASA's Kepler spacecraft detected it using the transit method, along with four additional planets orbiting much closer to the star (all modestly larger than Earth). Analysis of three years of data was required to find its signal. The results were presented initially at a conference on 19 March 2014 and some details were reported in the media at the time. The public announcement was on 17 April 2014, followed by publication in Science.

The only physical property directly derivable from the observations (besides the orbital period) is the ratio of the radius of the planet to that of the central star, which follows from the amount of occultation of stellar light during a transit. This ratio was measured to be 0.021. This yields a planetary radius of 1.11±0.14 times that of Earth, taking into account uncertainty in the star's diameter and the degree of occultation. Thus, the planet is about 11% larger in radius than Earth (between 4.5% smaller and 26.5% larger), giving a volume about 1.37 times that of Earth (between 0.87 and 2.03 times as large).

There is a very wide range of possible masses that can be calculated by combining the radius with densities derived from the possible types of matter that planets can be made from; it could be a rocky terrestrial planet or a lower density ocean planet with a thick atmosphere. However, a massive hydrogen/helium (H/He) atmosphere is thought to be unlikely in a planet with a radius below 1.5 R. Planets with radii of more than 1.5 times that of Earth tend to accumulate the thick atmospheres that would make them less likely to be habitable. Red dwarfs emit a much stronger extreme ultraviolet (XUV) flux when young than later in life; the planet's primordial atmosphere would have been subjected to elevated photoevaporation during that period, which would probably have largely removed any H/He-rich envelope through hydrodynamic mass loss. Mass estimates range from 0.32 M for a pure water/ice composition to 3.77 M if made up entirely of iron (both implausible extremes). For a body with radius 1.11 R, a composition similar to Earth’s (1/3 iron, 2/3 silicate rock) yields a mass of 1.44 M, taking into account the higher density due to the higher average pressure compared to Earth. Kepler-186f has an Earth Similarity Index (ESI) of 0.64.

Macau

Macau, also spelled Macao, officially known as the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is a special administrative region on the southern coast of the People's Republic of China. Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta across from Hong Kong, which is about 64 kilometers to the east, and it is also bordered by Guangdong of Mainland China to the north and the South China Sea to the east and south. With an estimated population of around 636,200 living in an area of 30.3 km2 (11.6 sq mi), it is the most densely populated region in the world.

As Portuguese Macau, it was administered by the Portuguese Empire and its inheritor states from the mid-16th century until late 1999, when it was the last remaining European colony in Asia under Portugal. Portuguese traders first settled in Macau in the 1550s. In 1557, Macau was rented to Portugal from Ming China as a trading port. The Portuguese Empire administered the city under Chinese authority and sovereignty until 1887, when Macau became a colony. Sovereignty over Macau was transferred to China on 20 December 1999. The Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau and Macau Basic Law stipulate that Macau operate with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2049, fifty years after the transfer.

Under the policy of "one country, two systems", the State Council of the People's Republic of China is responsible for military defense and foreign affairs while Macau maintains its own legal system, the public security force, monetary system, customs policy, and immigration policy. Macau participates in many international organizations and events that do not require members to possess national sovereignty.

Macau is one of the world's richest cities, and as of 2013 its GDP per capita by purchasing power parity is higher than that of any country in the world, according to the World Bank. It became the world's largest gambling centre in 2006, with the economy heavily dependent on gambling and tourism, as well as manufacturing. Cantonese people from Hong Kong and Guangdong, in addition to the recent mainland tourism from Mandarin-speaking regions, have boosted the economy of Macau significantly. According to The World Factbook, Macau has the fourth highest life expectancy in the world. Moreover, it is one of only a few regions in Asia with a "very high Human Development Index", ranking 14th as of 2013.

Tutankhamun's mask

Tutankhamun's mask, also known as the funerary mask of Tutankhamun, is the death mask of the Ancient Egyptian pharaoh, Tutankhamun (reigned 1332–1323 BC). It was discovered by Howard Carter in 1925 in tomb KV62, and is now housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The mask is one of the most well known works of art in the world. According to the Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves, it is "not only the quintessential image from Tutankhamun's tomb, it is perhaps the best-known object from ancient Egypt itself". Since 2001, research has suggested that the mask may originally have been intended for Queen Neferneferuaten; her royal name (Ankhkheperure) was found in a partly erased cartouche on Tutankhamun's funerary mask.

The mask is 54 cm (21 in) tall, 39.3 cm (15.5 in) wide and 49 cm (19 in) deep. It is fashioned from two layers of high-karat gold, varying from 1.5–3 mm (0.059–0.118 in) in thickness, and weighing 10.23 kg (22.6 lb). X-ray crystallography has revealed that the mask contains two alloys of gold: a lighter 18.4 karat shade for the face and neck, and 22.5 karat gold for the rest of the mask.

The face represents the pharaoh's standard image, and the same image was found by excavators elsewhere in the tomb, in particular in the guardian statues. He wears a nemes headcloth, topped by the royal insignia of a cobra (Wadjet) and vulture (Nekhbet), symbolising Tutankhamun's rule of both Upper and Lower Egypt. The ears are pierced to hold earrings, a feature that appears to have been reserved for queens and children in almost all surviving ancient Egyptian works of art.

It contains inlays of coloured glass and gemstones, including lapis lazuli (the eye surrounds and eyebrows), quartz (the eyes), obsidian (the pupils), carnelian, feldspar, turquoise, amazonite, faience and other stones (as inlays of the broad collar).

Muay Thai

Muay Thai is a combat sport of Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This physical and mental discipline which includes combat on shins is known as "the art of eight limbs" because it is characterized by the combined use of fists, elbows, knees, shins, being associated with a good physical preparation that makes a full-contactfighter very efficient. Muay Thai became widespread internationally in the twentieth century, when practitioners defeated notable practitioners of other martial arts. A professional league is governed by the World Muay Thai Council.

Muay Thai is referred to as “The Art of Eight Limbs”; and using eight points of contact the body mimics weapons of war. The hands become the sword and dagger; the shins and forearms were hardened in training to act as armor against blows, and the elbow to fell opponents like a heavy mace or hammer; the legs and knees became the axe and staff.^[10] The body operated as one unit. The knees and elbows constantly searching and testing for an opening while grappling and trying to spin an enemy to the ground for the kill.

The history of Muay Thai can also be traced to the middle of the 16th century. During the battles between the Burmese of the Konbaung Dynasty and Siam, the famous fighter, Nai Khanomtom, was captured in the year 1767. The Burmese knew of his expertise in hand-to-hand combat and gave him an opportunity to fight for his freedom. Soon after winning the match, he was freed by his captors and allowed to return to Siam. He was acknowledged as a hero, and his fighting style became known as Siamese-Style boxing, later to be known as Muay Thai. This fighting style was soon to be recognized as a national sport.

Muay boran, and therefore Muay Thai, was originally called by more generic names such as Toi muay or simply muay. As well as being a practical fighting technique for use in actual warfare, muay became a sport in which the opponents fought in front of spectators who went to watch for entertainment. These muay contests gradually became an integral part of local festivals and celebrations, especially those held at temples. Eventually, the previously bare-fisted fighters started wearing lengths of hemp rope around their hands and forearms. This type of match was called muay khat chueak (มวยคาดเชือก). Kickboxing was also a component of military training and gained prominence during the reign of King Naresuan in 1560 CE.

[Muay Thai] is referred to as the "Art of Eight Limbs" or the "Science of Eight Limbs", because it makes use of punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes, thus using eight "points of contact", as opposed to "two points" (fists) in boxing and "four points" (hands and feet) used in other more regulated combat sports, such as kickboxing and savate. A practitioner of muay Thai is known as a nak muay. Western practitioners are sometimes called Nak Muay Farang, meaning "foreign boxer."

Tibetan Mastiff

The Tibetan Mastiff is an ancient breed and type of large Tibetan dog breed (Canis lupus familiaris). Originating with the nomadic cultures of China, India, Mongolia, Nepal andTibet, its use by local tribes of Himachal Pradesh was to protect sheep from wolves, leopards, bears, large mustelids and tigers.

Some breeders differentiate between two "types" of Tibetan Mastiff, the Do-khyi and the Tsang-khyi. The Tsang-khyi (which, to a Tibetan, means only "dog from Tsang") is also referred to as the "monastery" type, described as generally taller, heavier, and more heavily boned, with more facial wrinkling and haw than the Do-khyi or "nomad" type. Both types are often produced in the same litter with the larger, heavier pups being placed in more stationary jobs versus more active jobs for the Tibetan Mastiffs that are better structured and well muscled.

Males can reach heights up to 83 cm (33"). Dogs bred in the West weigh between 45–72 kg (100-160 pounds). The enormous dogs being produced in some Western and some Chinese kennels would have "cost" too much to keep fed to have been useful to nomads; and their questionable structure would have made them less useful as livestock or property guardians.

The Tibetan Mastiff is considered a primitive breed. It typically retains the hardiness which would be required for it to survive in Tibet and the high-altitude Himalayan range, including the northern part of Nepal, India and Bhutan.

Instinctive behaviors including canine pack behavior contributed to the survival of the breed in harsh environments. It is one of the few primitive dog breeds that retains a single estrus per year instead of two, even at much lower altitudes and in much more temperate climates than its native climate. This characteristic is also found in wild canids such as the wolf. Since its estrus usually takes place during late fall, most Tibetan Mastiff puppies are born between December and January.

Its double coat is long, subject to climate, and found in a wide variety of colors, including solid black, black and tan, various shades of "red" (from pale gold to deep red) and bluish-gray (dilute black), often with white markings. Some breeders are now (2014) marketing "white" Tibetan Mastiffs. These dogs are actually very pale "gold", not truly white. Photoshop is often used to make dogs of normal color(s) appear "white" in advertisements.

The coat of a Tibetan Mastiff lacks the unpleasant "big-dog" smell that affects many large breeds. The coat, whatever its length or color(s), should shed dirt and odors. Although the dogs shed somewhat throughout the year, there is generally one great "molt" in late winter or early spring and sometimes another, lesser molt in the late summer or early fall. (Sterilization of the dog may dramatically affect the coat as to texture, density, and shedding pattern.)

Hawaii

Hawaii is the 50th and most recent state of the United States of America, receiving statehood on August 21, 1959. Hawaii is the only U.S. state located in Oceania and the only one composed entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean. Hawaii is the only U.S. state not located in the Americas. The state does not observe daylight saving time.

The state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiian archipelago, which comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles (2,400 km). At the southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight main islands are—in order from northwest to southeast: Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui and the Island of Hawaiʻi. The last is the largest island in the group; it is often called the "Big Island" or "Hawaiʻi Island" to avoid confusion with the state or archipelago. The archipelago is physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of Oceania.

Hawaii's diverse natural scenery, warm tropical climate, abundance of public beaches, oceanic surroundings, and active volcanoes make it a popular destination for tourists, surfers, biologists, and volcanologists. Because of its central location in the Pacific and 19th-century labor migration, Hawaii's culture is strongly influenced by North American and Asian cultures, in addition to its indigenous Hawaiian culture. Hawaii has over a million permanent residents, along with many visitors and U.S. military personnel. Its capital is Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu.

Hawaii is the 8th-smallest and the 11th-least populous, but the 13th-most densely populated of the fifty U.S. states. It is the only state with an Asian plurality. The state's coastline is about 750 miles (1,210 km) long, thefourth longest in the U.S. after the coastlines of Alaska, Florida and California.

The Hawaiian islands were formed by volcanic activity initiated at an undersea magma source called the Hawaii hotspot. The process is continuing to build islands; the tectonic plate beneath much of the Pacific Ocean continually moves northwest and the hot spot remains stationary, slowly creating new volcanoes. Because of the hotspot's location, all currently active land volcanoes are located on the southern half of Hawaii Island. The newest volcano, Lōʻihi Seamount, is located south of the coast of Hawaii Island.

The last volcanic eruption outside Hawaii Island occurred at Haleakalā on Maui before the late 18th century, though it could have been hundreds of years earlier. In 1790, Kīlauea exploded; it was the deadliest eruption known to have occurred in the modern era in what is now the United States. Up to 5,405 warriors and their families marching on Kīlauea were killed by the eruption. Volcanic activity and subsequent erosion have created impressive geological features. Hawaii Island has the third-highest point among the world's islands.

On the flanks of the volcanoes, slope instability has generated damaging earthquakes and related tsunamis, particularly in 1868 and 1975. Steep cliffs have been created by catastrophic debris avalanches on the submerged flanks of ocean island volcanoes.

World most eaten foods

Here you can see most eaten food in the world...

Chips Masala

This is one type of food that has its origins in India and most of the populations that prefer this type of food are Muslims. It is simply made from potatoes but to make it different from the French fries, there are some additional steps. The potato is usually chopped in a circular shape then dipped into a mixture of dough with other spices. This food can make a good breakfast as well as lunch though it takes a longer time to prepare when compared to the French fries.

Chicken

This is a meal that is common for all countries but the difference is usually on the mode of cooking and the ingredients added. It can be wet fried or deep fried as well as boiled. This makes it a meal that is easy to prepare and does not take much time. Chicken can be served with plain rice, green bananas, chapatti and even French fries. It is one of the most common meals in traditional cultures.

Pancakes

If professionally done, pancakes can be the best breakfast that one can have without digging deeper into his or her pockets. The steps are simple and one can easily learn. Prepare the dough into a smooth paste adding in all the necessary ingredients not forgetting eggs. It is then whisked till it is fine and poured to a hot pan. The trick is usually not to make them thick as they may not be well cooked in the inside.

Pies

Pies are among the most eaten foods in the world and there are many different types of pies depending on the ingredients used to prepare them. Chicken pie is one among the many options for non vegetarians, though vegetarian pies are also sold in many food stalls.

Chocolate

Some may consider chocolates to be for ladies and children only, but this is not true. Though most consumers of chocolate are ladies, there are men who love and adore chocolate in equal measure. Chocolate is what brings out the true meaning of valentine, as it is seen to depict affection. Since it has a high sugar content, one should always make it a habit of brushing teeth after taking a bar of chocolate.

Macaroni

This is a meal that one does not need to attend any cookery classes in order to learn how to prepare it. Following the simple steps outlined on any macaroni package, one can successful come up with a delicious macaroni meal. All you need to do is boil some water, add in salt and a little oil if desired, once the water has reached boiling point pour in the macaroni and leave it to simmer until it is dry. Macaroni just like any pasta has a high energy value and is suitable for breakfast to get your day started.

French fries

This is one quite delicious food and is one of the most popular foods among teenagers. It is made from potatoes that have been chopped to small stick shapes, which are then deep fried .Some love it when it is crispy while others enjoy it soft, it all depends with the taste preferences of a person. To complete the taste, it has to have either chili sauce or tomato sauce and is best served with chicken.

Oldest movie in history

Roundhay Garden Scene is an 1888 short silent film recorded by French inventor Louis Le Prince. It is believed to be the oldest surviving film in existence, as noted by the Guinness Book of Records.

Overview

According to Le Prince's son, Adolphe, the film was made at Oakwood Grange, the home of Joseph and Sarah Whitley, in Roundhay, Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, on October 14, 1888.

It features Adolphe Le Prince, Sarah Whitley, Joseph Whitley and Annie Hartley in the garden, walking around. Note that Sarah is walking backwards as she turns around, and that Joseph's coat tails are flying as he also is turning. Joseph and Sarah Whitley were Adolph Le Prince's parents-in-law, being the parents of his wife, Elizabeth, and Annie Hartley, also known as Harriet Hartley, was a friend of Le Prince and his wife. Sarah Whitley died ten days after the scene was taken.

Remastered Footage

In 1930 the National Science Museum (NSM), London, produced photographic copies of surviving parts from the 1888 filmstrip. This sequence was recorded on an 1885 Eastman Kodak paper base photographic film through Le Prince's single-lens combi camera-projector. Le Prince's son, Adolphe, stated that the Roundhay Garden movie was shot at 12 frames/s (and a second movie, Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge, at 20 frames/s), however the later digital remastered version of Roundhay Garden produced by the National Media Museum, Bradford, which contains 52 frames, runs at 24.64 frames/s, a modern cinematographic frame rate, so it plays in only 2.11 seconds. The National Science Museum copy has 20 frames; at 12 frames/s, this produces a run time of 1.66 seconds.

World luckiest man

Frane Selak (born 1929) is a Croatian music teacher who has escaped death seven times, and afterward won the lottery in 2003, prompting journalists to dub him "the world's luckiest man", and "world's luckiest unluckiest man".

Brushes with death

Selak's supposed brushes with death started in January 1962 when he was riding a train through a cold, rainy canyon and the train flipped off the tracks and crashed in a river. Someone pulled Selak to safety, while 17 other passengers drowned. Selak suffered a broken arm and hypothermia. The next year, during his first and only plane ride, he was blown out of a malfunctioning plane door and landed in a haystack; the plane crashed, killing 19 people. However, there is no report of any plane crash in Croatia in 1963. Three years after that, in 1966, a bus that he was riding skidded off the road and into a river, drowning four passengers. Selak swam to shore with a few cuts and bruises.^[1]

In 1968 Selak was teaching his youngest son how to hold a gun when the safety trigger was accidentally off and Selak managed to shoot himself in one of his testicles. He was taken to hospital where the casing from the bullet was found, and his testicle had to be removed.

In 1970 his car caught fire as he was driving and he managed to escape before the fuel tank blew up. Three years later, in another driving incident, the engine of his car was doused with hot oil from a malfunctioning fuel pump, causing flames to shoot through the air vents. Selak's hair was completely singed in this incident, but he was otherwise unharmed. In 1995, he was struck by a bus in Zagreb, but sustained only minor injuries. In 1996 he eluded a head-on collision with a United Nations truck on a mountain curve by swerving into a guardrail, which gave way under the force of his car; he was ejected from the car when the door flew open (he wasn't wearing a seatbelt) and watched his car plummet down 90 metres (300 ft) into a gorge.

As of 2015, none of Selak's claims have been independently verified.

Lottery winner

In 2003, two days after his 73rd birthday, Selak won €800,000 (US$1,110,000) in the lottery. At the time of his win, he also married for the fifth time. While he purchased two houses and a boat with his winnings, in 2010 he decided to give most of the remaining money away to relatives and friends after deciding to live a frugal lifestyle.

Landing on moon, fake or not ?

1. The American Flag Flutters Gently in the Non Existent Breeze

It’s an iconic image for the citizens of the United States of America: their flag, planted on the moon and waving gently in the breeze. Only, there is no breeze on the moon, meaning there is no air in the moon’s atmosphere, and hence, there is no wind whatsoever. This is one of the most obvious stuff ups in the staged moon landing hoax. Of course, NASA tries to get around this by saying it wasn’t blowing in the wind, it was just a bit crumpled from being rolled up on the journey…Well, judge for yourself.

2. Is There More Than One Sun? Because Those Shadows Don’t Match Up!

NASA produced an abundant supply of photos and video footage to support their moon landing. But, it soon became evident that there was something a bit fishy about these photos on the moon; ever noticed that the angle of the shadows do not match up? Shadows are caused by light sources. On the moon, there should only be one light source: the Sun. So, logically, all shadows should be parallel to each other. Only shadows in the photos of moon landing are not. In fact, the shadows in many of the photos run in different directions. It’s almost as if the shadows are caused by… yes, multiple lights on a film set!

3. You’re in Space… Then Where Are the Stars?

On a cloudless evening, you can see an abundance of twinkling stars in the night sky. Surely from the moon, with its lack of clouds and complete absence of artificial light, you should be able to see even more stars with the naked eye? Only, you can’t. In fact, in all of the photos taken during moon landing, you cannot see a single star. Not one. Sure, the photos taken in the 60’s weren’t amazing quality, but these days you can capture the stars in a photo taken from your phone, so shouldn’t the high tech NASA cameras have been able to pick up something?

4. Oh Look! Same Rocks & Mountains…Again…And Again

NASA has marked out the exact locations of the moon landing missions, showing how they have explored sites that are miles apart. With that in mind, why do the photos from the Apollo 15 mission show identical backdrops? NASA swears that these photos were taken in different locations, yet the photographic evidence clearly shows the same patterns of gently sloping hills and valleys. It’s almost like NASA were just getting sloppy by the time they hit the Apollo 15 mission. “Why bother creating new sets, we’ll just use the same ones repeatedly…Surely no one will notice.”

5. Carved by Nature… Why Does That Rock Have a "C" Drawn on It?

In yet another example of the technicians on set just being sloppy, one of the moon landing photos shows a “moon rock” which has a perfect letter ‘C’ printed on it. The perfect symmetry of the letter shows that it is not naturally occurring. Now, it’s perfectly credible that a prop used on a film set would be marked with a reference letter. But there is no plausible argument for the “C” just being naturally weathered into the surface of the rock. As a result, NASA came up with a different, though no less implausible, explanation for the rock with the “C”. According to them, it’s a stray hair. It can’t be more ridiculous than this!

6. Fly Through a Belt of Radiation and You Should've Get Cooked

Everyone knows how dangerous radiation can be: overexposure to it can cause radiation poisoning and even death, so It is should be avoided at all costs. To get to the moon, you have to fly through a band a radiation known as the Van Allen radiation belt. Yes, the space craft had an aluminum coating, but is that really enough to protect a human being whilst they spend over one and a half hours traversing a band of radiation? NASA, of course, said “yes” and that the astronauts weren’t in the radiation for all that long. But an hour and a half still sounds like a pretty long time to be inside a cosmic microwave.

7. What’s That I Can See Reflected in Your Helmet?

When the photos were published of the Apollo 12 moon landing, many people noticed something a tad unusual reflected in the shiny helmet of an astronaut. It appeared to be something hanging from a wire or perhaps a rope. In fact, it looked suspiciously like an overhead spotlight, the kind you see used in Hollywood movie studios. Whilst admittedly, the photo quality is a bit grainy, making it impossible to positively identify the object. It still begs the question: what could possibly be suspended in midair on the moon? There should be nothing there for anything to be hanging from!

8. Not Much of an Impact

Have you ever seen the photos of the astronauts footprints embedded in moon dust? The astronauts described this dust as being similar to “talcum powder or wet sand”. That being the case, why is there no sign of impact where the lunar module landed? You’d think that a rocket-ship landing on a big pile of talcum powder would leave some kind of impression in the surface, but according to the moon landing photos, no such evidence exists. In fact, it looks more like the lunar module was just placed in position. This is just yet another blindingly obvious defect in the details of the moon landing hoax.

Suez Canal

The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez, and separates the African continent from Asia. After 10 years of construction, it was officially opened on November 17, 1869. The canal allows ships to travel between Europe and South Asia without navigating around Africa, thereby reducing the sea voyage distance by about 7,000 kilometres (4,300 mi). It extends from the northern terminus of Port Said to the southern terminus of Port Tewfik at the city of Suez. Its length is 193.30 km (120.11 mi), including its northern and southern access channels. In 2012, 17,225 vessels traversed the canal (47 per day).^[1]

The canal is a single-lane waterway with passing locations in the Ballah Bypass and the Great Bitter Lake. It contains no locks system, with seawater flowing freely through it. In general, the canal north of the Bitter Lakes flows north in winter and south in summer. South of the lakes, the current changes with the tide at Suez.

The canal is owned and maintained by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) of Egypt. Under the Convention of Constantinople, it may be used "in time of war as in time of peace, by every vessel of commerce or of war, without distinction of flag."

In August 2014, construction was launched to expand and widen the Ballah Bypass for 35 km (22 mi) to speed the canal's transit time. The expansion is expected to double the capacity of the Suez Canal from 49 to 97 ships a day. At a cost of $8.4 billion, this project was funded with interest-bearing investment certificates issued exclusively to Egyptian entities and individuals. The "New Suez Canal", as the expansion was dubbed, was opened with great fanfare in a ceremony on 6 August 2015.

Panama Canal

The Panamá Canal is a 48-mile (77 km) ship canal in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea) to the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. There are locks at each end to lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake created to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal, 26 metres (85 ft) above sea level. The current locks are 33.5 metres (110 ft) wide. A third, wider lane of locks is currently under construction and is due to open in April of 2016.

France began work on the canal in 1881, but had to stop because of engineering problems and high mortality due to disease. The United States took over the project in 1904, and took a decade to complete the canal, which was officially opened on August 15, 1914. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, the Panama Canal shortcut greatly reduced the time for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, enabling them to avoid the lengthy, hazardous Cape Horn route around the southernmost tip of South America via the Drake Passage or Strait of Magellan. The shorter, faster, and safer route to the U.S. West Coast and to nations in and around the Pacific Ocean allowed those places to become more integrated with the world economy.

During construction, ownership of the territory that the Panama Canal now passes through was first Colombian, then French, and then American. The US continued to control the canal and surrounding Panama Canal Zone until the 1977 Torrijos–Carter Treaties provided for handover to Panama. After a period of joint American–Panamanian control, the canal was taken over by the Panamanian government in 1999, and is now managed and operated by the Panama Canal Authority, a Panamanian government agency.

Annual traffic has risen from about 1,000 ships in 1914, when the canal opened, to 14,702 vessels in 2008, the latter measuring a total of 309.6 million Panama Canal/Universal Measurement System (PC/UMS) tons. By 2008, more than 815,000 vessels had passed through the canal; the largest ships that can transit the canal today are called Panamax. It takes 6 to 8 hours to pass through the Panama Canal. The American Society of Civil Engineers has named the Panama Canal one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

Largest cities in the world ranked by population

Have you ever wondered which cities are with largest population ?
Here you can see:

1. Tokyo - capital of Japan and biggest city in the world. population is 33.200.000

2. New York Metro - best city in United States of America, population is 17.800.000

3. Sao Paulo - biggest city in Brasil, population is 17.700.000

4. Seoul - Capital of South Korea, population is 17.500.000

5. Mexico City - Capital of Mexico, population is 17.400.000

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How chocolate affects satisfaction

Serotonin or hormone of happiness and satisfaction, as people call it, secrete of the adrenal gland and is preceded by adrenaline. How emphasizes Dr. Bokun, without it there is no joy of heart, euphoria and life. At the mention of this neurotransmitter, one of the first associations is chocolate. It supposedly increases the level of serotonin, and made us satisfied and happy. According to some research actually chocolate contains substances that are a good substitute for this hormone. In addition to chocolate, you can enlarge the level of serotonin in your body with carbohidrates. Within thirty minutes after you have eaten, such as pasta, starchy vegetables, cereal or whole grain bread, you will feel calm and relaxed.

Worlds tallest buildings

Have you ever wondered which builings are tallest in the world?
Here is the answer:










(click on image for bigger size)


Here you can see buildings:

Burj Kalifa

Shanghai Tower

 Abraj Al-Bait Towers

One World Trade Center

Taipei 101

Shanghai World Finance Center

The International Commerce Center

The Petronas Twin Towers

Zifeng Tower

You can count without counting

When you see up to four items, you don't need to count them, you will instantly know how many there are. For a small number of cases, you have an instinctive understanding.

Elephants can't jump

Did you know that elephants can't jump?

It is true that adult elephants can’t jump. But there are other animals that can’t either, like sloths, hippos and rhinos. Although, unlike elephants, hippos and rhinos can have all four feet off the ground at the same time when they run. 

King of hearts is the only king wtihout moustache

Did you know that King of hearts is the only king without moustache?
If you don't believe, you can see it here:

So as you can see the king of hearts is the only one without moustache.
Something more about king of hearts:
In the Rouennais pattern, the king of hearts is sometimes called the "suicide king" because he appears to be sticking his sword into his head. This is a result of centuries of bad copying by English card makers where the king's axe head has disappeared.