Reed Flute Cave is the largest and the most impressive natural landmark and tourist attraction in Guilin, Guangxi, China. The reed flute cave is over 180 million years old. It was discovered in the 1940s by a group of refugees. The reed flute cave has received many VIPs.
This cave, marked on the most travel itineraries, got its name from the reeds growing in this region, with which people make pipes and flutes. The cave is divided into different parts. It served as a war refuge for many people during World War II. Inside the Reed Flute Cave is a spectacular world of different stalactites and rock formations shimmering with amazing colors of artificial lighting. It all creates an impressive effect!
Most three-year-old girls are just getting to grips with felt pens, but Ruby Dickinson is taking her artistic tendencies a step further.
The toddler is set to become the world's youngest tattoo artist after learning the trade from her father, Blane, who runs a tattoo parlour in Wales.
Mr Dickinson, 36, is importing an ink gun from the U.S. that has been specially designed to be used by small hands.
Ruby will be getting the miniature tattoo kit for her fourth birthday in October.
Mr Dickinson told North Wales Pioneer: 'Ruby is well aware she is getting the kit, she cannot wait. She wants to be a tattoo artist when she grows up. 'The aim is to get her to tattoo my leg with a birthday message for my 40th birthday.'
The toddler currently takes tattoo lessons after nursery as well as practising with a toy kit at her father's shop.
Mr Dickinson hopes to beat Canadian Emilie Darrigade's record of tattooing part of a butterfly on to her father's arm when she was five.
According to her father, Ruby is nearly able to draw a complete version of her favourite design - a spider.
'I'm under no illusions that she'll do a Van Gogh, after all she's only three-and-a-half,' Mr Dickinson told The Sun.
'But I've got 70 per cent of my body covered in tattoos already and it'll only be the size of a 2p piece, so I'm not too worried she'll make a mess of it.'
Mr Dickinson, who runs Inkaholics Anonymous at his home in Penmaenmawr, Conwy, added: 'It'll be a proud and very special moment for me and for her.
'She really loves it and I'm pleased I can teach her the skills.'
However, despite hoping Ruby will take up tattooing as a career, the toddler's father is keen to let her make her own choices.
Astonished police officers have told how a husband and wife walked from the mangled wreckage of a car with barely a scratch after a head on collision with a lorry.
All that's left of the family saloon are the seats and the airbags after the car drove straight into the truck trying to overtake another vehicle in Collion, Switzerland.
The roof was ripped right off as the car slid under the truck for more than 50 yards before stopping, sending the doors and the boot lid flying too.
And the impact pushed the car's engine sideways as it turned around on its mountings missing the French couple by inches.
"They must have had a guardian angel. A head-on crash with a lorry is not something many people walk away from.
"In fact the lorry driver came off worse. He's still in hospital with shock," said a Swiss police spokesman.
A sudden geomagnetic storm, the strongest in the past 18 months, was caused by the Sun.
The geomagnetic storm that began on April 5 still continues, although it is subsiding. The maximum strength is most likely over. The storm has reached geomagnetic K-index 7 out of 10, the strongest in the past 540 days, since October 2008.
According to a warning issued by Russian scientists on the website of the space observatory Tesis, the storm of such strength may “affect global power systems requiring voltage correction and cause false security systems alarms.” Spacecrafts may be damaged, as well as communication systems and satellite navigation systems. Northern Lights will be observed even in midlatitudes. Acute cardiovascular diseases are not ruled out.
It is hard to say how exactly the planet was damaged. Exceptionally bright Northern Lights were observed from the orbit by astronauts working at the ISS. Japanese member of the team Soiti Noguti even took a picture of this bright sight. In the picture, the station looks like it is floating in outbursts of fire.
The scientists were surprised that there were no precursors for this strong geomagnetic storm. It was caused by certain processes on rather quiet Sun. For instance, on April 3 there was an outburst on the Sun, but it was so weak that it was not even paid much attention to. Yet, the outburst did not subside quickly as it usually happens but lasted for over seven hours. It was catastrophically long and it was not considered in the forecasts.
Scientists stated that “a huge energy that was to be released during the outburst was underestimated. In general, the incident shows that the connection between outbursts on the Sun and emissions of solar matter that causes geomagnetic storms cannot be considered a solved issue of solar physics.”
The beginning of the storm was rather weak. Later the state of magnetosphere radically changed.
Geomagnetic K-index reflecting geomagnetic fluctuations has increased from 4 to 7 in 3 hours. According to the American classification, it was G3 storm, a strong one, of the last, red, level of danger.
It is hardly likely that the cataclysm will repeat, but it cannot be ruled out completely. Unpredictability of the Sun is scary. The shocking scenario described by specialists of the American Academy of Sciences does not look that unrealistic. In the report “ Severe Space Weather Events--Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts: A Workshop Report ” they predict maximum solar activity by 2012 and, respectively, strongest outbursts and geomagnetic storms. They envisage that fluctuations will damage high-voltage power lines and transformer substations, which will leave the planet without electricity.
Unfortunately, this is not that unrealistic. Similar damages, if not even worse ones (remember "2012" movie), can be caused by long stronger outbursts of 7 hours.
A new "underwater plane" will plunge wealthy riders down into the ocean depths for a hefty fee.
U.K. company Virgin Limited Edition recently announced the Necker Nymph, a three-person "aero-submarine" that can dive to depths of 36,000 feet – which is deeper than Mount Everest is tall.
The Necker Nymph vehicle is designed and built by San Francisco-based Hawkes Ocean Technologies and is based on the company's DeepFlight series of submersibles.
Virgin bills the Necker Nymph as a "a new class of high-performance, positively buoyant vehicles which safely extend the overall capabilities of scuba, while offering the unique experience of underwater flight." Unlike conventional subs, which use ballast to sink in the water, the Necker Nymph uses "uses downward 'lift' on the wings to fly down to depth," Virgin explained in a statement.
Each dive can last up to two hours, during which time the "hydrobatic" Necker Nymph can perform dolphin-like flips underwater. An open cockpit provides a near 360-degree viewing experience.
Virgin says the Necker Nymph has "near-zero" environmental impact: "Its positive buoyancy prevents the sub from landing on a reef, and its low light and noise emissions ensure the fragile ocean ecosystems remain undisturbed."
But unless you're incredibly wealthy, don't expect to experience a ride aboard the Necker Nymph anytime soon. The craft is only available if you rent Necker Belle, Virgin's 105-foot (32-meter) luxury catarmaran. The boat's weekly charter rate is U.S. $88,000. Rent the Necker Nymph will cost an additional U.S. $25,000 per week.
Virgin and its founder Sir Richard Branson have a reputation for building extreme vehicles. Virgin Galactic recently unveiled a space plane, called SpaceShipTwo, that will ferry tourists to suborbital space.
Between teaching morning and evening UAA classes, I spent over three hours at the noon Anchorage, and tea time Wasilla Tea Party events Thursday. I took about 40 pictures and interviewed 63 people. I polled them on actions, views and hopes.
It was a brisk and sunny early afternoon in Anchorage, with most people donning gloves for warmth. In the mid-afternoon semi-sun in Wasilla, it was warmer, and people seemed more comfortable with the air.
Though the chill was gone from the air, at first, I felt the people in Wasilla were more icy. Part of the reason for this, was that the Wasilla event was fairly tightly organized, and speakers from a trailer podium egged them on, one stating the local police were there to keep liberals from disrupting the event.
I counted two of us. In Anchorage there had been almost 20. There were no disruptions whatsoever at either event. The Wasilla cheerleader was using red herring pom-poms.
I counted 225 in Anchorage at 1:30. When I left the Wasilla event at 5:20, I had counted about 500. More people were arriving than leaving when I left Wasilla.
My overall impression was one of frustration, more than of anger from participants. Only a few people refused to talk to me, all middle-aged males. Many conversations ended upbeat and warm.
I had hoped to poll about 90 people between the two events, but only got 42 in Anchorage and 21 in Wasilla. Discussions during and after polling slowed the process.
In Wasilla, I bumped into several friends who I hadn't seen in a long time. From coaching, scouting, shooting and directing the Valley's community band for 13 years, I've made a lot of friends from all across the political spectrum. We had catching up to do whenever I encountered old friends. Kids I've coached honked from the Parks Highway, rolled down their windows and yelled messages from their siblings to me, as they waited for lights to change from red to green.
The demography of the Wasilla crowd was very different from that of last year's tax day rally, as my Part Two report tomorrow may clearly show. I'll go through the polls in a post then. For now, here are some pictures.
Believe it or not, common toads can detect quakes up to five days in advance, say scientists.
For centuries, animals, from dogs to rats, snakes and chickens, are said to have behaved strangely before a quake -- but their impulses have never been scientifically established.
Now, a team at The Open University has found that the toads are able to predict imminent earthquakes, after studying a population of common toads outside L'Aquila in central Italy before last year's tremors hit.
They noticed that even though it was the creature's important breeding season, nearly 96 per cent of male toads abandoned the area five days before the earthquake struck in April, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.
The number of paired toads at the breeding site also dropped to zero three days before the earthquake. No fresh spawn was found at the site from the date that the earthquake struck to the date of the last significant aftershock.
Breeding sites are male-dominated and the toads would normally remain in situ from the point that breeding activity begins, to the completion of spawning, the scientists say.
Lead author Dr Rachel Grant said: "Our study is one of the first to document animal behaviour before, during and after an earthquake.
"Our findings suggest that toads are able to detect pre-seismic cues such as the release of gases and charged particles, and use these as a form of earthquake early warning system."
It is believed that just before an earthquake radon gas and gravity waves are released from the earth which are then reflected back by the atmosphere and detected by toads, according to the scientists.
The findings have been published in the 'Journal of Zoology'.
Some dinosaur species went through drastic changes in their skull shape during normal growth because of different juvenile and adult feeding behaviours, a new research has showed.
After examining the fossil of a young sauropod dinosaur rediscovered in the collections of Carnegie Museum of Natural History, paleontologists at the University of Michigan found that the skull of diplodocus, a 150 million-year-old sauropod, went through drastic changes.
They said that these changes in skull shape may have been tied to feeding behaviour, with adults and juveniles eating different foods to avoid competition. Young diplodocus, with their narrower snouts, may also have been choosier browsers, selecting high quality plant parts.
The team led by John Whitlock and Jeffrey Wilson, who wrote their research in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, said the fossil offers a rare chance to look at the early life history of Diplodocus which was found in western North America.
"Adult sauropod skulls are rare, but juvenile skulls are even rarer. What we do know about the skulls of sauropods like Diplodocus has been based entirely on adults so far," said Whitlock.
Wilson said, "Diplodocus had an unusual skull. Adults had long, square snouts, unlike the rounded or pointed snouts of other sauropods. Up until now, we assumed juveniles did too."
The small Diplodocus skull, however, suggests that major changes occurred in the skull throughout the animal's life.
"Although this skull is plainly that of a juvenile Diplodocus, in many ways it is quite different from those of the adults," Whitlock said.
"Like those of most young animals, the eyes are proportionally larger, and the face is smaller. What was unexpected was the shape of the snout -- it appears to have been quite pointed, rather than square like the adults ".
"This gives us a whole new perspective on what these animals may have looked like at different points in their lives."
They said, "This little Diplodocus skull was discovered in 1921, and more than 80 years passed before we recognised its significance.
Australopithecus Sediba skeletons Two partial skeletons unearthed in a South African cave belong to a previously unclassified species of pre-human dating back almost 2 million years and may shed new light on human evolution, scientists said on Thursday.
Fossils of the bones of a young male and an adult female suggest the newly documented species, called Australopithecus sediba, walked upright and shared many physical traits with the earliest known human Homo species.
The finding of the pre-human, or hominid, fossils -- which scientists say are between 1.78 and 1.95 million years old -- was published in the journal Science and may answer some key questions about where humans came from.
Lee Berger of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, who led the team that found the fossils in August 2008, told a news conference held near the cave outside Johannesburg the discovery was "unprecedented."
"I am struck by the exceptional nature of something right on our doorstep ... there are more hominid fossils than I have ever discovered in my entire career," he said.
"When we found it we never imagined that we were looking at a new species."
Berger earlier told reporters by telephone the team were hoping to reveal a possible two further skeletons from the same site.
He was reluctant to define the new species as a "missing link" in human evolutionary history, but said it would "contribute enormously to our understanding of what was going on at that moment where the early members of the genus Homo emerged."
Powerful Hands South African Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe told the news conference: "As any parent knows, one of the most common questions a child asks is, 'where do I come from?' It has become clear the answer is 'Africa'.
"With the World Cup in 63 days, we will now be able to welcome people from the world with fresh news of our past."
Many experts believe the human genus Homo evolved from the Australopithecus genus about 2 million years ago. One of the best-known pre-humans is "Lucy," the skeleton of a species called Australopithecus afarensis, and this new species is about 1 million years younger than "Lucy," the scientists said.
The fossils, a juvenile male and an adult female, were found in the Malapa caves in the "Cradle of Humankind" World Heritage Site, 40 km (25 miles) outside Johannesburg.
The species had long arms, like an ape, short powerful hands, a very advanced pelvis and long legs capable of striding and possibly running like a human, the researchers said.
The scientists estimate both hominids were about 1.27 meters, although the child would have grown taller.
The brain size of the younger one was probably between 420 and 450 cubic centimeters, which is small when compared with the human brain of about 1200 to 1600 cubic centimeters, they said.
"These fossils give us an extraordinarily detailed look into a new chapter of human evolution ... when hominids made the committed change from dependency on life in the trees to life on the ground," said Berger.
Paul Dirks of James Cook University in Australia, who also worked on the study, said he and a team of researchers from around the world identified the fossils of at least 25 other species of animals in the cave, including saber-toothed cats, a wildcat, a brown hyena, a wild dog, antelopes and a horse.
Bureau Report Images: Wits University; skeletons Science/AAAS
Here is what you need to make a sketchbook: A cutting mat, a cutting liner, a cutting tool, a scoring tool, a pencil and eraser, paper, cardboard, book screws and a hole puncher. I wanted a sketchbook in the size of a square of 15cm by 15cm or 5,91" by 5,91" so I could scribble my wall art ideas in there. I cut my paper larger because I will make folds in them: 15cm by 19cm or 5,91" by 7,48" From the cardboard I made a template of 15cm by 17cm or 5,91" by 6,69" Put the template on top of the paper and make a scoring line. Fold the paper back on the scoring line and go with your scoring tool over the paper. Use the template to cut out the cover of the sketchbook. Make it a tiny bit larger then the paper. That way, it will cover the paper that is not folded or cut nicely. You won't see it on the outside. Tip: I go to home decoration stores and ask for wallpaperbooks that they are going to throw away. In those books, there usually are some very cool designs paper which are a much heavier quality then the wallpaper. You can use them perfectly for little projects like these. Fun and free! Mark on the template where you want the holes to be. I did this 2,5cm or 0,98" from the side.Then punch a hole in the template and put the template on the folded paper. Trace the hole. Now you can clearly see where to punch the holes. Take your hole puncher and take the back part off so you can see where to punch. Put a bunch of papers in between and punch the holes. Make sure to do the same with the front cover of the sketchbook and also add a scoring line. For the front cover, you also need to score over the paper to make it easy to open up your sketchbook. Now you have everything ready to assemble. Take the bookscrew and put it through the holes. Close it up on the back of the book. An now it's ready for me to draw. :) Thank goodness I made this babushka stamp so it saves me to draw that shape each time! I just stamp it in the sketchbook. :) I made numerous guestbooks and picture albums this way. Instead of using the cardboard cover, I used a thick piece of felt for it to make it prettier. This kind of bookmaking is an easy way to add more pages later on as you can buy larger book screws.
Did you know I am really terrible at drawing? I am! But sometimes, Needed a little sketchbook at a certain size and decided to quickly make myself one. And while I did that, I took some pictures so I could share this with you.
Astonished police officers have told how a husband and wife walked from the mangled wreckage of a car with barely a scratch after a head on collision with a lorry.
A sudden geomagnetic storm, the strongest in the past 18 months, was caused by the Sun.
Believe it or not, common toads can detect quakes up to five days in advance, say scientists.
Some dinosaur species went through drastic changes in their skull shape during normal growth because of different juvenile and adult feeding behaviours, a new research has showed.
Australopithecus Sediba skeletons
Berger earlier told reporters by telephone the team were hoping to reveal a possible two further skeletons from the same site.
