Tag Archives: Facts

Boiling River of Mayatuyacu

By | |
Leave a comment
Boiling River of Mayatuyacu

Don’t try your luck taking a dip in the Boiling River of Mayantuyacu.

  • The Boiling River of Mayantuyacu is a river that winds through the Amazon rainforest in central Peru, in South America.
  • The Boiling River of Mayantuyacu is also known as ‘Shanay-timpishka’, named by the local natives, translated to mean something like “boiled with the heat of the sun”.
  • The length of the heated part of the Boiling River of Mayantuyacu is about 6.4 kilometres (4 miles), with a depth of up to 5 metres (16 feet) and a width of up to 24 metres (80 feet).
  • The temperature of the Boiling River of Mayantuyacu ranges from 50°C to 100°C (122°F – 212°F), and it can quickly cause a third degree burn – burning all skin layers.
  • The Boiling River of Mayantuyacu is a peculiar phenomenon, as no active volcano is located near the river – the closest is approximately 700 kilometres (430 miles) away, as the source of other boiling rivers is typically volcano activity, though it is likely fed by a number of hot springs.
Mayantuyacu Boiling River, Hot, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Healer, steam, Amazon
Part of the Boiling River of Mayatuyacu
Image courtesy of Sofia Ruzo/The Boiling River Project
  • The Boiling River of Mayantuyacu is considered sacred, and is believed to be a place with spiritual and healing powers by the natives, who have long known of its existence.
  • The Boiling River of Mayantuyacu is the final resting place of animals unfortunate enough to wander into the water, as the temperatures cook the animals alive.
  • Robert Moran, an American geologist discovered the Boiling River of Mayantuyacu’s in the 193os, though it wasn’t until 2011 that scientific documentation began, by American geoscientist Andrés Ruzo, who rediscovered the river, led there by his aunt, after hearing tales of it twenty years earlier.
  • The local legend explains that the hot waters of the Boiling River of Mayantuyacu were released by a giant mythical serpent named ‘Yacumama’.
  • Due to its isolated location, the trek to the Boiling River of Mayantuyacu is potentially dangerous, and it is about an hour from the nearest health centre and three hours from the nearest hospital.
Bibliography:
The Boiling River of Mayantuyacu, Peru, 2016, Amusing Planet, http://www.amusingplanet.com/2016/02/the-boiling-river-of-mayantuyacu-peru.html
Breyer M, Mysterious 4-Mile Long River in Peru is so Hot is Actually Boils, 2016, Treehugger, http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/mysterious-4-mile-long-river-peru-so-hot-it-actually-boils.html
History of Site, 2016, The Boiling River, http://www.boilingriver.org/history-of-site/
Kim S, Peru‘s Mysterious ‘Boiling River’ that Burns Animals to Death, 2016, The Telegraph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/south-america/peru/articles/peru-mysterious-boiling-river-that-can-burn-you-to-death/

Amazon:  

Cruiser Butterfly

By | |
Leave a comment
Cruiser Butterfly

Cruiser butterflies sport a variety of different colours.

  • Cruiser butterflies are a species of butterfly native to the tropics of New Guinea and surrounding islands, and parts of Queensland in Australia.
  • The scientific name of a cruiser butterfly is Vindula arsinoe and it is from the family Nymphalidae, the family of brush-footed butterflies.
  • The wings of a male cruiser butterfly are mostly an orange colour, decorated with black patterns including a couple of eye spots.
  • Cruiser butterflies have a wingspan that generally ranges from 7.5 to 8.2 centimetres (3 to 3.2 inches) in length.
  • A female cruiser butterfly has a combination of yellow/orange, brown, black and white coloured wings, and despite its difference in appearance to the male, it has similar black markings.
Cruiser Butterfly, Insect, Animal, Orange, Male, Bright, Wingspan, Rest, Malaysia
Cruiser Butterfly
Image courtesy of Bernand Dupont/Flickr
  • Cruiser butterfly caterpillars are black and yellow to white in colour, and they have black branch like spikes down the back and sides of their body.
  • The chrysalis of a cruiser butterfly reaches a length of 3 centimetres (1.2 inches), and is coloured brown to green, while the caterpillar itself is a centimetre (0.4 inches) longer.
  • Cruiser butterfly larvae feed primarily from the species of the passion flower family, while the butterflies feed on nectar from various flowers.
  • Cruiser butterflies have a habit of congregating around collections of moist to wet soil, where they obtain nutrients from the liquid they consume there, and this phenomenon is known as ‘mud-puddling’.
  • The eggs of a female cruiser butterfly varies from a white to brown colour, with many small bumps on the exterior, and they are about 1.5 millimetres (0.06 inches) in height.
Bibliography:
Cramer’s Cruiser, n.d, Learn About Butterflies, http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/New%20Guinea%20-%20Vindula%20arsinoe.htm
Cruiser (Vindula arsinoe), n.d, Oz Animals, http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Cruiser/Vindula/arsinoe.html
The Cruiser, 2015, Coff’s Harbour Butterfly House, http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/nymp/arsinoe.html

Amazon:  

Horned Melon

By | |
Leave a comment
Horned Melon

Horned melons are a beast of a fruit.

  • Horned melons are a variety of melon that are native to much of Africa, though not in the northern regions.
  • The scientific name of horned melons is Cucumis metuliferus and it is from the family Cucurbitaceae, the family of gourds.
  • ‘Horned melons’ are also known as ‘kiwanos’, ‘melanos’, ‘hedged gourds’, ‘jelly melons’, ‘African horned cucumbers’, and ‘African horned melons’.
  • Horned melons are a cylindrical/ovoid shape and range from 6 to 15 centimetres (2.4 to 6 inches) in length and 3 to 6 cm (1.2 to 2.4 inches ) in diameter.
  • The yellow to dark orange coloured skin of a horned melon, is covered in sharp spikes of a horn-like appearance, hence its common name.
Horned Melon, Fruit, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Orange, Skin, Spike, Cut, Green Jelly, Exotic
Horned Melon
Image courtesy of ccharmon/Flickr
  • Horned melons have flesh of a translucent green colour with a jelly-like consistency, similar to the innards of a cucumber.
  • Horned melons have a sweet to sour taste, and are compared to zucchinis and cucumbers in regards to flavour, perhaps with a hint of banana and lime or lemon.
  • The water content of a horned melon can be up to 90 percent, and the fruit is generally available in the summer months.
  • With its flesh and numerous seeds being edible, horned melons are an exotic fruit that can be eaten both raw, often in fruit salad, and cooked; and the flesh is sometimes used as an accompaniment to meat.
  • Horned melons have a high content of iron and magnesium, and they have significant quantities of vitamins B and C, as well as phosphorous and zinc, and they contain other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Cucumis metuliferus, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumis_metuliferus
Welman M, Cucumis metuliferus, 2009, SA National Biodiversity Institute, http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/cucumismet.htm
Health Benefits of Horned Melon (Kiwano), n.d, Health Benefits, http://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/health-benefits-of-horned-melon/

Amazon:       

Sensitive Plant

By | |
Leave a comment
Sensitive Plant

Sometimes you just want to shrink away. Sensitive plants know how you feel.

  • Sensitive plants are a species of plant, originating in tropical areas of South and Central America.
  • ‘Sensitive plants’ are also known as ‘shy plants’, ‘sleepy plants’, ‘humble plants’, ‘common sensitive plants’, ‘touch-me-not plants’, and ‘shameful plants’.
  • The scientific name of a sensitive plant is Mimosa pudica and it is from the family Fabaceae, the family of legumes.
  • Sensitive plants have thorny stems, and fern-like leaves that are peculiar in nature, as their leaflets fold inward when touched or shaken, and they reopen minutes later.
  • The small pink to purple flowers of sensitive plants are made up of lots of stamens that create a spherical shape, and after flowering the plant produces seed pods that are bordered with prickles.

Sensitive Plant, Flower, Vegetation, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Purple, Grassy

  • When the leaflets of sensitive plants fold, water is being purged from the leaf cells using potassium ions and others, which causes the leaf cell to collapse.
  • Sensitive plants have been introduced into Asia, particularly the east, as well as parts of Africa, and it is considered an invasive weed in areas of Australia.
  • Sensitive plants are often grown for their unusual nature of leaf-folding, and they can be grown inside in pots, although they will need sufficient light to thrive.
  • The height of a sensitive plant usually reaches 15 to 45 centimetres (6 to 18 inches), and it is considered to be a ground cover, so it tends to have a spreading habit.
  • Sensitive plants can be grown as a perennial or an annual, depending on the climate and growing conditions, and the plant has medicinal properties that have been traditionally used for treating wounds, among other things.
Bibliography:
Common Sensitive Plant, 2015, Queensland Government, https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industry/agriculture/species/non-declared-pests/weeds/common-sensitive-plant
Mimosa Pudica, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimosa_pudica
Mimosa Pudica (Common Sensitive Plant), 2011, BioNET-EAFRINET, http://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/eafrinet/weeds/key/weeds/Media/Html/Mimosa_pudica_(Common_Sensitive_Plant).htm
Mimosa Pudica (Sensitive Plant), n.d, KEW Royal Botanic Garden, http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/mimosa-pudica-sensitive-plant

Amazon:     

Zoetrope

By | |
Leave a comment
Zoetrope

As hard as you try, your eyes cannot break free from the zoetrope illusion.

  • A zoetrope is an invention that creates the appearance of a moving picture, even when the images used are still, and while they were popular in the mid to late 1800s, they were ultimately replaced by film projectors.
  • ‘Zoetrope’ comes from the Greek words ‘zoe’ and ‘trope’, which mean ‘life’ and ‘turn’ respectively, and when combined are said to have the meaning ‘wheel of life’.
  • Zoetropes are of a cylindrical shape with vertical slits placed systematically around the side of the cylinder, above a sequence of images that are found inside.
  • If one peers through the slits on the sides of a zoetrope while the cylinder spins, the images inside appear to be animated.
  • An Iranian bowl with images of a goat leaping to a tree to forage, dating back to 4000 to 3000 BC, is the oldest known predecessor of a zoetrope.

Zoetrope, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Invention, Animation, Spinning, Monkey, White, Slits

  • Zoetropes work due to an illusion, known as ‘persistence of vision’, as the brain sees images flashing before one’s eyes, that move at less than a tenth of a second, as continuous, and while ever there is enough speed, and an interruption in the light by a slot or black line or similar, the pictures will seem to be animated, and without the line or slot, the images will blur.
  • The modern zoetrope debuted in the 1830s, and was invented by William George Horner, an English mathematician; however slits were placed between images and he called the invention a ‘dædaleum’.
  • In the 1860s, zoetropes were made differently to the original dædaleums, which had slits placed slightly above the images, rather than between them, which were more practical as they allowed for the image strips to be easily replaceable while still functioning properly.
  • As of 2015, the largest zoetrope ever built, known as the ‘BRAVIA-drome’, spread 10 metres (33 feet) in diameter, and was made for Sony in 2008, in Italy, Europe.
  • A zoetrope is likely based on the phenakistoscope that was designed before it, which was effectively a flat disc with images and slits, spun on a stick and viewed in front of a mirror, so that the viewer could peer through a slit at the reflection of the ‘moving’ images in the mirror.
Bibliography:
Hayes R, Pre-cinema Animation Devices, 2011, Random Motion, http://www.randommotion.com/html/zoe.html
Zoetrope, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoetrope
Zoetrope History, n.d, Zoetrope & Praxinoscope, http://zoetrope.org/zoetrope-history

Amazon:       

Island of Dolls

By | |
4 Comments
Island of Dolls

You may have braved Hashima Island… but can you brave the Island of Dolls?

  • The Island of Dolls is a man-made island, known as a ‘chinampa’, in a canal in the Xochimilco area, approximately 28 km south of Mexico City.
  • ‘The Island of Dolls’ is also known as ‘Isla de las Muñecas’ in the native Spanish, and as of 2013, it was decorated with over 1,500 dolls.
  • It is said that in the 1950s, or perhaps in the 1920s, a girl drowned in the canal next to the Island of Dolls, and a doll was subsequently hung on a tree on the island, to appease her spirit.
  • A recluse, Julián Santana Barrera, was the lone resident of the Island of Dolls until his death, and was the person who began the tradition of suspending dolls on the island.
  • Barrera is said to have continued collecting dolls to display on the Island of Dolls, so the spirit of the drowned girl could play with the dolls, or so the girl’s spirit would not continue to haunt him.

Island of Dolls, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Mexico, Creepy, Hang, Canals

Part of the Island of Dolls
Image courtesy of Kevin/Flickr
  • The original dolls of the Island of Dolls were often found in the canal; rubbish sites; or given to Barrera in exchange for his farm produce.
  • In 2001, Barrera, who inhabited the Island of Dolls for about fifty years, drowned in the canal, supposedly in the same spot as the legendary girl had drowned years prior, and it is possible it was a deliberate act, so that he could join the girl’s spirit.
  • The Island of Dolls is a site of particular tourist interest, and takes approximately 2 hours to navigate to the island by boat, with many visitors bringing their own dolls to hang on the island.
  • The dolls of the Island of Dolls are of poor condition, weathered by wind, rain and general water submersion, and often a haven for insects; while many are without clothes, limbs and even bodies.
  • The Island of Dolls story is considered by many as fictional, and simply told by the hermit to explain his bizarre collection of dolls, while visitors to the island claim dolls have whispered to them, while some superstitiously believe that the dolls ‘awaken’ during the night.
Bibliography:
Forde M, The Island of the Dolls, 2010, Unexplained Mysteries, http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/column.php?id=188993
Isla de las Monecas -The  Island of Dolls, n.d, Isla de las Monecas, http://www.isladelasmunecas.com/
Island Of The Dolls: Mexico’s Creepiest Places, 2011, Amusing Planet, http://www.amusingplanet.com/2011/04/island-of-dolls-mexicos-creepiest.html
Thompson M, Journey to the Island of the Dolls, 2016, The Lineup, http://www.the-line-up.com/island-of-the-dolls/
Welcome to the Island of the Dolls, the Creepiest Place in Mexico, n.d, Vocativ, http://www.vocativ.com/culture/photos/welcome-island-dolls-creepiest-place-mexico/

Amazon:  

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...