Titanoboa: The king of all Snakes

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Titanoboa cerrejonensis measured 48 feet, weighed as much as a car, and had a body more than a yard thic. The monster relative of the boa constrictor lived in northern Colombia 60 million years ago

Among all the predators discovered, this may be one of the greatest discoveries since the T-Rex: a snake, around 48 feet long, weighing in at 2,500 pounds. Uncovered from a treasure of fossils in a Colombian coal mine, “Cerrejón”, this serpent reveals a lost world of giant creatures. Want to meet this monster predator? You might have to travel back to the period following the extinction of dinosaurs.!!

‘This is a find that seems so fantastic that it may appear to be an object of fantasy. A creature that has sprung from a Spielberg-imagined past and yes, it has a name that evokes a giant and mythic monster. It is called Titanoboa (meaning: Titanic Boa),’ David Royale, the Smithsonian Channel's head of programming, announced. 

At its thickest, Titanoboa had a diameter of three feet. The color of the skin is muddy which enabled it to camouflage easily in its environment.

Not far from the coast of Caribbean lies an empty forest, with scarce vegetation cover and dusty roads which lead you to huge pits stretching over a circumference of 15 miles. This area lying in the north of Columbia is known as, “Cerrejón” and is home to one of the largest coal operations of the world, area larger than Washington DC. Cerrejón is one of the richest fossil deposits in the world, providing archeologists with an opportunity to explore the emerging environmental changes. 

The skull of Titanoboa was used to reconstruct
the fearsome predator. 

The first team to discover its fossils include Jonathan Bloch, a paleontologist and curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History and Carlos Jaramillo from Smithson Tropical Research Institute, in Panama. What’s fascinating about their exploration is that not only the fossils found belong to the largest snake of the earth but also for the first time ever the skull of the snake was discovered intact. Snake skulls are almost never found as they are extremely fragile and they usually disintegrate. Researchers believe that the skull would enable them to have a better understanding of its evolution, size and diet.

So far 28 individual Titanoboa fossils have been excavated from Cerrejón in the year 2009.

Titanoboa existed at a time 5 million years after the dinosaurs became extinct. At this point in time, Cerrejón was a swampy tropical jungle with hotter climate and temperatures reaching up to 90 Fahrenheit, forests teeming with 12 feet long giant turtles, known as Carbonemys, seven feet long lungfish and giant crocodiles. Titanoboa was the largest predator on land after the extinction of the dinosaurs for at least 10 million years, maybe longer. 

Titanoboa looked like a boa constrictor of modern days, but it behaved more like an anaconda and was believed to hunt like a crocodile. It used to feast on prehistoric crocodiles and Carbonemys. 

Researchers believe that the hotter climate in that era enabled the cold-blooded snakes to grow bigger in size than the modern snakes. It was two times larger than the world’s largest extant snake, Python reticulatus i.e., 29 feet long. 

Florida Museum researcher Jonathan Bloch compares vertebrae from Titanoboa cerrejonensis, left, with one from a 17-foot anaconda. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage.

 (Photo Credits: Florida Museum of Natural History )

Dr Jason Head, of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, in Washington DC, said: 'Now we have a window into the time just after the dinosaurs went extinct and can actually see what the animals replacing them looked like.' He added: 'This colossal, boa constrictor-like creature stretched longer than a city bus and weighed more than a car. It's the biggest snake the world has ever known.

The Smithsonian Channel has created a film that chronicles the discovery of the 48 foot long and 2,500 pound snake that existed more than 60 million years ago - and recreates what the predator might have looked like. The film has been promoted with a life-size statue which was on show in New York's Grand Central.

Titanoboa Replica On Display At Grand Central Terminal.

Credits: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4

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Top 10 myths about food and Truth behind them!

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We always hear different people expressing different views about the food and the way we manage our hygiene but nobody really knows whether there is any truth to them! Some Common Myths that we hear:

Myth #1: Drinking water in between your meals will mess up your digestion

This one has been passed down from generations. While drinking water will fill you up, it certainly will not damage your digestive process. It might even do your system a world of good. 

Myth #2: Having fruits immediately after a meal is not good for you 

Surprise surprise! There is actually some truth to it. Experts say having fruits immediately after a meal may cause digestive problems like gas and acidity. Fruits also hamper with the digestion of certain nutrients which is why it’s advisable to wait an hour before reaching for that fruit bowl after a heavy meal.

Myth #3: Papaya should be avoided during pregnancies

This one is extremely common in India. While raw papaya or even a semi ripe one has been known to trigger uterine contractions, a completely ripe papaya is rich in vitamins and minerals which are actually beneficial for pregnant women. However, if you are pregnant, check with your doctor before including papaya in your diet.

Myth #4: The skin of an apple contains no nutrients 

This, by far has to be the most ludicrous one! The apple peel in fact, is known to have a higher concentration of antioxidants than the flesh! Unfortunately, nowadays the apples available in the market are polished with wax to make them look shiny and glossy. So rinse your apple properly before biting into that crunchy and fresh apple. 

Myth #5: Eating after 7 pm will make you fat

Experts say that its not when you eat that can make you fat. What you eat and the amount of calories you consume makes you fat. The only thing late night eating does is promote unhealthy snacking and hamper with your sleeping pattern. Click here to read more about healthy midnight snacks.

Myth #6: Avoid having milk immediately after eating fish 

Some believe that the combination makes you sick while some believe it makes spots appear on your skin. Rest assured, there is no scientific reason why you cannot have milk and fish together. In fact, there are many wonderful and healthy recipes around which combine the goodness of fish and milk.

Myth #7: You should not swim/shower immediately after a meal

The myth says that blood flows to your stomach during digestion, reducing blood flow to other muscles which may lead to cramps and drowning. Experts maintain that it’s not just swimming which makes you feel uncomfortable, any intense work out immediately after eating may induce vomiting and cramps. So if you’re out for a leisurely dip after a meChocolate causes acne?Chocolate causes acne?al, go right ahead!

Myth #8: Having chocolate causes acne

Again, a myth which is so common that most teenagers and their parents believe it! There has been no conclusive scientific to prove this claim. Experts maintain that different foods may cause your skin to breakout into pimples and for some people that food just may be chocolate.

Myth #9: Having kesar (saffron) during pregnancy makes your baby fair

Even though milk and saffron is good for you, it’s not going to help your baby become fairer. The skin colour of the baby depends solely on the parents genes.

Myth #10: If you swallow a chewing gum, it stays in your stomach for seven years before it gets digested 

While it is true that your body cannot digest a chewing gum, it certainly does not take seven years to pass through your body! It goes through your system, intact and is excreted quite normally. A word of caution though, if you’re going to swallow large amounts of chewing gum, it may result in intestinal blockage.

Source: 1 . Photo Credits: ThinkStock. 

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Abandoned Toilet becomes Cozy Little Home for the Chinese Family

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Many people who aren’t satisfied with their living conditions have probably never heard about this remarkable man from China. For the past six years, the 32-year-old, Zeng Lingjun and his family live in the closet of one of the hotels in the city of Shenyang, Liaoning Province. 

Zeng Lingjun was born in a small village, in the Jilin Province of Northeastern China. As a boy, he dreamed of one day attending college, but because his family was too poor was unable to pay 5000 yuan ($ 794) for school, he had to abandon his dream and settle for becoming a cobbler and repair shoes for a living.

But he had bigger plans for himself, so one day, with just 50 yuan ($8) in his pocket, he left for Shenyang, the biggest city in northeast China. Six years ago, a friend arranged him an abandoned hotel toilet was available for rent at a very low price. He immediately borrowed the money he needed and rented the deserted toilet as his new home. He took down the old door and all the wooden cubicles, and laid down some planks to cover up the toilet bowls and make room for a bed. The dismantled cubicles were converted to storage space.

In 2008 Zeng Lingjun met his current wife, also a migrant worker. They married in 2010 and had a baby shortly after. Now the three of them live in the abandoned toilet. At one point, they saved enough money to move into a normal 80 square meter apartment, but they found themselves coming back to their old home just days after they had moved out, unable to afford all the expenses.

So they moved to the toilet. Their new home area of ​​20 square meters. Already fully adapted to their needs.

Two years back, they had a son, whom they named Zeng Dei (translated as “lucky”), with the hope that he proves lucky for their parents.

Their wedding pictures.

According to ancient tradition, many Chinese newlyweds wear red wedding dresses because it is believed that the color red brings wealth and prosperity.

Although the smell never lets them forget they live in a toilet, Zeng and his family just flush the toilets whenever the stench becomes unbearable, and just enjoy their life together.

He repairs shoes, cleans and makes key chains for the passers-by. His workplace is right outside of the hotel where his family lives. Zeng`s conscientious attitude to his work attracted many regular customers, who often pay him a little more for his services. In a month he earns 2,000 yuan ($ 317), which equals the average wage of Chinese workers in the factory.

Picture Credits: izismile.com

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Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park, China.

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The Zhangye Danxia landform is also known as the eye candy of Zhangye. Many artists envy this masterpiece as it appears like a perfect painting on canvas that spans more than 400 square kilometers in the Gansu Province in northwest China. It is as though either an artist had accidentally spilled his color palette on it with all colors imaginable and let it drip or purposely created this multicolored masterpiece. There are several danxia landforms in China but this one in Zhangye is known as the largest and the most typical, and referred by geologists as the “window lattice and palace-shaped danxia topography”.

"How did mother nature come up with such a magnificent work of art?" you might ask. Geologists would tell you that this type of landform known as danxia is a result of a combination of active movements beneath the Earth’s crust in concurrence with exogenous forces which act on the surface, therefore, creating rock layers that differ in color, texture, shape, size and pattern. These differences, however, uniquely characterize this scenery; creating a terrain composed of towering peaks, jagged cliffs, gaping cave holes, rugged rock pillars and stone walls that go from rough to smooth at various points. It gives an impression of an artistic creation that was carefully thought out yet creatively disorganized at the same time.

The area is fast becoming a popular tourist attraction for the sleepy town of Zhangye. A number of boardwalks and roads have been built to encourage visitors to explore the amazing rock formations.

The unusual colours of the rocks are the result of red sandstone and mineral deposits being laid down over 24 million years. Picture: Amos Chapple / Rex Features

The resulting 'layer cake' was then buckled by the same tectonic plates responsible for parts of the Himalayan mountains. Wind and rain finished the job by carving weird and wonderful shapes including natural pillars, towers, ravines, valleys and waterfalls - that differ in colour, texture, shape, size and pattern.

Picture: Amos Chapple / Rex Features

A boy walks through, with a feel of Martian landscape.

People enjoying the sweet red of the unique hilly terrain featuring red rocks and cliffs of the danxia landform in the mountainous areas of the Zhangye Geology Park near Zhangye in northwest China's Gansu Province.

More info: http://www.chinahighlights.com/zhangye/attraction/danxia-landform-geological-park.htm

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'Immortality' to billionaires: Coming up soon?

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Transplanting a human brain into robot bodies? It doesn't just sound like science fiction; it sounds like bad science fiction. But that’s what ambitious Russian Dmitry Itskov claims to be working towards. Granted, this isn’t a technology that is currently available, but Itskov plans to have it running in the next 10 years – well before all those billionaire baby boomers punch their final ticket. He says his technology will be of interest at first to the 'disabled and close to dying'.

The Russian entrepreneur heads a hi-tech research project called 'Avatar' and has contacted billionaires to offer them immortality. Itskov claims he will personally oversee their immortality process, in exchange for an undisclosed fee. Itskov, a media entrepreneur, seems to have hired 30 scientists to reach this goal - and aims to transplant a human brain into a robot body within 10 years. 

The process would upload the person’s consciousness like a computer program into the robot’s mechanical “brain.” The project, creatively dubbed “Avatar”, envisions lifelike humanoid robots by 2015 and full consciousness transplants by 2020. DARPA is taking a similar approach to thought transference by setting aside $7 million to a project (yes, also named Avatar.) that would allow soldiers to remotely operate robots on the battlefield through mind control.

'You have the ability to finance the extension of your own life up to immortality. Our civilization has come very close to the creation of such technologies: it's not a science fiction fantasy. It is in your power to make sure that this goal will be achieved in your lifetime,' says Itskov in a letter delivered to billionaires listed in Forbes magazine.

Itskov, the 31-year-old media entrepreneur.

'This project is leading down the road to immortality,' says Itskov. 'A person with a perfect Avatar will be able to remain part of society. People don’t want to die.' He hopes to then 'upload' minds without surgery, leaving human bodies as empty husks as their owners 'live on' inside robots.

Measuring brain waves with EEG machine: Recent breakthroughs have allowed scientists to 'see' what is inside people's heads for the first time

'The next effort of science will be to create a new body for the human being,' says Itskov, speaking at the Global Future 2045 conference. 'It will have a perfect brain-machine interface to allow control and a human brain life support system so the brain can survive outside the body.'

'The third phase will be to create an artificial human brain,' he says - a computer environment into which human minds can be uploaded. His final goal, he says, is to upload human minds into holographic bodies. Holograms give plenty of advantages. You can walk through walls, move at the speed of light, he says. 

Itskov says he wants to work with DARPA - the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency in the U.S military. DARPA is already  researching ways for its troops to use their minds to remotely control androids who will take human soldiers' place on the battlefield. The Pentagon's hi-tech research arm, has earmarked $7million for research into the project, also nicknamed Avatar.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

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Meet Darius, world's biggest bunny

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Darius, being held by proud owner Annette Edwards.  (C) Caters News Agency

Darius is an amazing bunny, 4ft 4in from twitching nose to fluffy tail – longer than the average six-year-old child – and has recently beaten his own Guinness World Record as the biggest bunny on the planet. 

“We treat him more like a dog than a rabbit,” says owner Annette Edwards, 60, from Worcester. “He has a kennel rather than a hutch and travels from place to place in a dog crate. People book him to go to lots of open days and events all over the world. He loves all the fuss and attention.”

Darius weighs in at a whopping three and half stone, around 22 kgs and grazes on hay, together with around 12 carrots, six apples and two cabbages a day.

Annette, who used to run a pet shop, says: “Animals are measured by vets for the Guinness Book of Records and they are judged by their length, not weight, to stop people from overfeeding them.”

Darius’ owner, Annette Edwards, has owned several other record-breaking rabbits.

Darius is insured for $1.6 million, has an agent and travels with a bodyguard who reportedly makes about $100,000 a year just to wrangle a rabbit.

Annette has bred four of the world’s biggest rabbits, all of the Continental Giant breed from Holland, at her countryside home. Edwards’ pets just seem to jump into the record book. Another of her rabbits, Alice, had held the record before Darius shouldered her aside. Before Alice, there was Amy, who died in 2008 while on a publicity tour of Italy. Before Amy, there was Roberto.

      “I haven’t a clue why my rabbits grow so big,” admits the mum-of-ten. “I put it down to the fact that they lead a very chilled-out life in the country and happy, healthy bunnies just grow. They don’t burrow. They love having lots of space to run around.”

Hear's the VIDEO about him. Watch him live in action:

Source: birminghammail.co.uk

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