Amazing ↓

Guy Blows Up Hot Water Bottle With Nose

“In a highly competitive sport, Jemal Tkeshelashvili blows hardest.”

Chimps Really Do Grieve

“United in what appears to be deep and profound grief, a phalanx of more than a dozen chimpanzees stood in silence watching from behind the wire of their enclosure as the body of one of their own was wheeled past. This extraordinary scene took place recently at the Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center in Cameroon, West Africa. When a chimp called Dorothy, who was in her late 40s, died of heart failure, her fellow apes seemed to be stricken by sorrow. As they wrapped their arms around each other in a gesture of solidarity, Dorothy’s female keeper gently settled her into the wheelbarrow which carried her to her final resting place – not before giving this much-loved inhabitant of the centre a final affectionate stroke on the forehead.” w/ photos

An Oil Rig Made From Matches

“Finding your way round the Brent Bravo oil rig is a surprisingly bewildering business, even with a retired rig engineer called David Reynolds as your guide. ‘I’m afraid it’s a bit cluttered,’ says David. ‘But that’s how oil rigs are.’ There’s the main body of the rig itself, supported by three enormous circular buttresses, littered with cranes, lifeboats and a helipad marked with an ‘H’. Then there’s what’s called the platform – almost as big as the rig itself and designed to bob about to one side on an enormous floating pontoon. ‘So this is your drilling platform,’ he continues. ‘With the drill floor, pipes, crane housing… That’s the derrick – where the oil comes in. And there’s an oil tanker – look! It’s impossible not to look. Not least because, rather than marching round a rain-lashed oil rig in the middle of the North Sea and shouting at the tops of our voices to be heard over the wind, David and I are several miles inland, in a very quiet museum in a little village called Bursledon, on the outskirts of Southampton. Oh yes, and the entire oil rig – buttresses, cranes, derricks, even the oil tanker – is made out of matchsticks. A staggering 4,075,000 matchsticks, to be precise – all individually whittled to size and glued together by David over the past 15 years.” w/ photos

20-Ft Front Flip

“It must be the shoes!”

World’s Biggest Picnic

“Sydney Harbour Bridge was turned into a picnic en masse yesterday as thousands flocked to the world famous landmark to share breakfast. On most mornings, the bridge is packed with the vehicles of thousands of busy commuters driving bumper to bumper trying to make it to work in the rush-hour traffic. But this morning it was closed to traffic and instead transformed into a huge gathering for an al fresco breakfast as part of a city-wide food festival. Around 6,000 people were invited to lay siege on the grassy banks in the middle of the highway. The aerial view of the bridge a scene like never before with freshly laid grass, grazing cows and hundreds of families enjoying a picnic breakfast. The forecast rain was thankfully held off and people turned out to enjoy croissants, sausages, bacon eggs and coffee – with a stunning view across the water to the Opera House.” w/ photos

World’s Smallest Working Train Set

“Measuring a tiny eighth of an inch by quarter of an inch, this carefully crafted piece of engineering is the world’s smallest working train model. The five-carriage train, which is 35,200 times smaller than a real train, nips around an oval route even taking in a ride through a tunnel on its three-quarter inch track. Created by New Jersey train enthusiast David Smith, the miniscule model was built using nothing more fancy than a craft knife and a steady hand.” w/ photos

Scientist Creates Frankenstein-Like Bird

“Mad science? By combining the brains of two different species, one scientist hopes to create a hybrid bird which can be taught to sing. Though unlike Mary Shelley’s Dr. Frankenstein, who sought fame and companionship from his concoction, Jarvis’ intent is born out of a genuine scientific curiosity. He hopes that the chimera bird can teach us more about the neurological basis of birdsong, and perhaps even human speech. Jarvis described his project to New Scientist: “The goal is to get a non-singing animal that can actually learn how to imitate sounds.” Non-singing birds like quails squawk innately and don’t learn their calls, while songbirds like finches learn to sing by imitating their parents. So by swapping their brains, Jarvis aims to hatch a quail with a finch-like brain which can be taught to sing.” w/ photos

98 Base Jumpers Plunge Off Malaysian Tower

“Plummeting through the air off the top of a 421m tower is not everyone’s idea of fun, but for these base jumpers it was an experience of a lifetime. Some 98 of the extreme sports enthusiasts took part in the 2009 International Tower jump in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today. The structure was built in 1995 for communication purposes and is currently the fifth tallest freestanding tower in the world. Professionals from 18 countries gathered for the opportunity to hurl themselves into the sky before parachuting down to earth during the event. Base jumping started in the 1980s after several sky jumpers modified their equipment for an increased thrill… The first base jump in Malaysia was held in 1999 and the annual event continues to draw huge crowds and increasing numbers of participants.” w/ photos

World’s Fastest Turtle

“Damn, what’s the hurry? This turtle is faster than Usain Bolt on a bad day.”

Millions Of Stingless Jellyfish

“A sea full of jellyfish is bound to strike fear into the hearts of many while mesmerizing others with the intricate beauty of nature. But swimmers plunging into this colossal army of jellyfish – staggeringly over one million in their number – would have no real reason to be afraid. In a captivating twist the entire fleet no longer have stingers strong enough to be felt by humans. Scientists reckon the huge group of Golden Jellyfish became trapped in Jellyfish Lake when it became separated from the Pacific Ocean. Cut off from certain sea-dwelling predators the wobbly creatures had no more need for a powerful sting and evolved differently to their ancestors out in the open water. The stunning pictures were captured by U.S. Navy oceanographer John Bleidom. He and wife Amy bobbed around inside the ’smack’ – the collective name for jellyfish – when he visited the marine lake on Eil Malk island, near the Philippines.” w/ photos