Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Magdeburg Water Bridge - Water on Water

 The Magdeburg Water Bridge (German: Kanalbrücke Magdeburg) is a Large Navigable Aqueduct in Central Germany, located near Magdeburg. The Largest Canal Underbridge in Europe, it spans the River Elbe and directly connects the Mittellandkanal on the west side and Elbe-Havel Canal on the east side of the River, allowing Large Commercial Ships to pass between the Rhineland and Berlin without having to descend into and then climb out of the Elbe itself.











Sunday, May 9, 2021

Qasr al-Farid - A Lonely Castle

In The Middle Of A Barren Desert, A Lonely Castle 

Has Kept Watch For Centuries


In the Middle of the Vast, Golden Desert of Northern Saudi Arabia, A Castle rises out of the Sand, emerging from a Massive Stone. 


Its Facade is all clean lines and right angles, in contrast to the Natural Surface of the Stone and the Structure is instantly striking. Seeing it, you can't help but Wonder - Who Built It ? Why ? How long has it been here, looking out over the Empty Desert?


The Structure is known as Qasr al-Farid, which means "Lonely Castle," and was built in the Ist Century, during the Pre-Islamic Nabataean Kingdom. 


It's located in Mada'in Saleh, also known as Al-Hijr or Hegra and is one of over A Hundred Similar Monuments in the Area. 


If it reminds you of the Carved City of Petra in Modern-Day Jordan, it should. Petra was the Capital of the Nabataean Kingdom. Mada'in Saleh was the 2nd Largest City and was a Major Trading Center.



Qasr al-Farid isn't actually a Castle, though; it's a Tomb. It's Unfinished and in its Unfinished State, it allows us a Glimpse into how the Nabataeans Constructed their Massive Stone Buildings. 


They liked to use Single Pieces of Sandstone and Carved from the Top Down. 


They also borrowed Decorative Elements from Egyptian, Hellenistic and Assyrian Styles. The Size of the Tomb indicated the Person's Social Status. 


Qasr al-Farid is the Largest of the 131 Tombs in the Area. Despite having faced the elements for 1,900 years, Qasr al-Farid is in Very Good Condition thanks to the Dry Climate.


Today, Qasr al-Farid isn't quite So Lonely. It's a Popular Spot With Tourists and the Whole Archaeological Site where it's located has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Saudi Arabia's Ist.

Friday, April 23, 2021

Top 10 Animals Who Live Longer

 Red Sea Urchin


The red sea urchin or Strongylocentrotus franciscanus is found only in the Pacific Ocean, primarily along the West Coast of North America. It lives in shallow, sometimes rocky, waters from the low-tide line down to to 90 meters, but they stay out of extremely wavy areas. They crawl along the ocean floor using their spines as stilts. If you discover one, remember to respect your elders — some specimens are more than 200 years old.


Turtles


Tortoises are considered the longest living vertebrates on Earth. One of their oldest known representatives was Harriet, a Galápagos tortoise that died of heart failure at the age of 175 years in June 2006 at a zoo owned by the late Steve Irwin. Harriet was considered the last living representative of Darwin?s epic voyage on the HMS Beagle. An Aldabra giant tortoise named Adwaita died at the rumored age of 250 in March 2006.



Geoducks


First on the list are these large saltwater clams that are native to the Puget Sound and have been known to live for at least 160 years. They are characterized by their long ?necks?, or siphons, which can grow to over 1 meter long.



Tuataras


The word ?dinosaur? is commonly used to describe an old person, but when it refers to a tuataras, the term is as literal as it is metaphorical. The two species of tuatara alive today are the only surviving members of an order which flourished about 200 million years ago ? they are living dinosaurs. They are also among the longest-lived vertebrates on Earth, with some individuals living for anywhere between 100 and 200 years.

Lamellibrachia Tube Worms


These colorful deep sea creatures are tube worms (L. luymesi) that live along hydrocarbon vents on the ocean floor. They have been known to live 170 years, but many scientists believe there may be some that have lived for more than 250 years.




Bowhead Whales


Also known as the Arctic whale, the bowhead is by far the longest living mammal on Earth. Some bowhead whales have been found with the tips of ivory spears still lodged in their flesh from failed attempts by whalers 200 years ago. The oldest known bowhead whale was at least 211 years old.


Koi

Koi are an ornamental, domesticated variety of the common carp. The are common in artificial rock pools and decorative ponds. Amazingly, some varieties are capable of living more than 200 years. The oldest known koi was Hanako, a fish that died at the age of 226 on July 7, 1977.


Ocean Quahog

The ocean quahog (Arctica islandica) is a species of clam that is exploited commercially.Researchers have interpreted the dark concentric rings or bands on the shell as annual marks, much like a tree has rings. Some collected specimens have been calculated to be more than 400 years old


Antarctic Sponge


Perhaps due to the extremely low temperatures of the Antarctic Ocean, this immobile creature has an extremely slow growth rate. Some estimate the oldest known specimens are 1,550 years old.



Turritopsis Nutricula Jellyfish


This species of jellyfish might be the only animal in the world to have truly discovered the fountain of youth. Since it is capable of cycling from a mature adult stage to an immature polyp stage and back again, there may be no natural limit to its life span. Because they are able to bypass death, the number of individuals is spiking. ?We are looking at a worldwide silent invasion,?says Dr. Maria Miglietta of the Smithsonian Tropical Marine Institute.


















 



Thursday, April 22, 2021

Fastest In The World

 Fastest Car in the World Shelby Super Cars Ultimate Aero 412.28 KMPH





Fastest Animal in the World Cheetah 113 KMPH






Fastest Bird in the World Spine tailed swift 171 KMPH





Fastest Fish in the world Sail Fish 110 kmph





Fastest Man in the world Usain Bolt 40-43 KMPH






Fastest Plane in the world X-43 Aircraft 12144 KMPH





Fastest Train in the World Shanghai Maglev Train 581KMPH




Ducati Desmosedici RR GP Replica (Legal ) 320 KMPH



Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Lantern Festival, Seoul, Korea

  Lantern Festival, Seoul, Korea

 Seoul Lantern Festival was organized near the Cheonggye Stream in Seoul, South Korea. About 20 counties participate in this event. This festival is part of a campaign by South Korea to attract Foreign Tourists.










Monday, April 19, 2021

Worlds Largest Cave in Vietnam

The World’s Largest Cave passage was discovered deep within a remote Vietnamese Jungle. The Son Doong Cave measures 262 feet by 262 feet (80 meters by 80 meters) and at least 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometers) deep, making it the largest single cave passage ever discovered, according to National Geographic News, where the discovery was announced.

The previous record holder, Deer Cave in Malaysia, is 300 feet by 300 feet (91 m by 91 m) in parts, but is only about a mile (1.6 km) long.