Lorenzo the Cat Model

For Two decades, Joann Biondi worked as a freelance writer. Then one day she adopted a kitty that had been thrown in a trash can and left for dead. That kitten had a unique quirk; he enjoyed to wear clothes and pose for the cameras. Therefore Joann started shooting, and then she got serious about photography. Fast forward four years and that kitten is now Lorenzo the Cat, a cat art photography project that has gotten both the cat and the photographer a lot of attention; gallery shows, museum exhibits, and stories in major media outlets throughout the world. Amid it all Lorenzo has remained a mellow dude who still likes to roll around in the dirt, chase lizards, and knock things off the kitchen counter when his food bowl is empty.

See more of Joann’s work on her website and Facebook.

The fastest animals in the world

When we talk about speed, many of you will picture Usain Bolt effortlessly breaking the world record he owned in the first place. Today we will show you animals who can run, swim or fly so fast that they would make Usain Bolt look like a joke. Brace yourself, as you will be surprised with some specimens on the list.

First of all, we will present you the ultimate land carnivore. Lions can be big and scary, but they sure are fast. The remarkable lioness from the picture below can run 50 mph. It should be noted that lions can’t run for too long as they have somewhat small heart and because of that they have to slow down after 1 000 meters or so. Lions are endangered species mostly because of habitat loss and human interference. They can be part of a social organization called pride. Members of the pride are five or six related adult lionesses along with their cubs and one or two male lions. Apart of pride, lions can be nomads as well.

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The next animal on the list is pronghorn. This adorable creature looks like it was a part of some beautiful fairy tale. At one time they were endangered as well and their numbers were around 13 000. Today, there are at least half of million pronghorns out there. This cute thing may not look like much when it comes to speed, but couple of weeks after it is born, the newborn pronghorn can easily outrun a human. Adult pronghorn has the peak of its speed steadily at 58 mph. He is second in command on dry land when it comes to running as fast as it is possible.

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There is only one creature who can outrun a speeding bullet such as pronghorn. We all know who is the fastest land animal on Earth. The name is cheetah of course. Cheetah is famous thanks to its unreal speed and acceleration. When cheetah starts running, 100 kph can be achieved in astounding 3 seconds. The highest speed of any land animal is 120 kph (75 mph). This felid is a true sprinter however, as it can run for 500 meters.

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You must be wondering who can possibly be as fast as cheetah. Don’t forget that we didn’t talk about deep seas and oceans, which cover about three fourths of the Earth. Next animal on the list is a little surprise, as it is in fact a fish. Sailfish has set a record when it comes to swimming at an jaw dropping pace. Some individuals proved that they can achieve speed of around 110 kph.

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The last two specimens on the list are birds. Spine – Tailed Swift can fly faster than any other bird, if we don’t count diving. Spine – Tailed Swift tends to spend most of its life in the air. When the bird flaps its wings, it is perfectly normal for the bird to show us a speed of 170 kph.

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And finally, this is what we have been waiting for. Without further introduction, I am giving you peregrine falcon. The extraordinary bird is the fastest living thing in the world. The trademark of the peregrine falcon is its high speed dive. Thanks to it, the fastest animal in the world can attack its prey in the blink of an eye. The highest speed of any living being on the Earth is around 322 kph (200 mph).

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I hope that you will enjoy reading of this article as much as I was enjoying writing it.

Butterfly Wings Inspire Scientists to Come Up With Amazing Technologies

The blue iridescent wings of the tropical Morpho butterfly are inspiring a wide array of technologies, according to a recent international research. Several important findings are based on studies of this beautiful butterfly. Designs of modern fabrics, make-up and even displays are influenced by the research of these creatures.

A scientist team from the University of Exeter together with researchers from General Electric Global Research Center, University at Albany and Air Force Research Laboratory found out that the physical structure and the chemistry of the Morho butterfly’s wings have interesting properties, which could be used in a variety of useful ways. The design could be useful for protective fabrics, self-cleaning surfaces, photonic security tags and even industrial sensors.

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The scales of these butterfly species’ wings absorb and reflect certain light rays the same as pigments and dyes do. This allows them to create color and dynamically control the light flow, which is great for regulating temperature as well as camouflage. The iridescent coloring is created by tiny tree-like microstructures instead of chemical pigmentation, which is the way we usually perceive colors. The nanostructures from which the wing scales are made, respond to gases differently on the top of the scales than the bottom, making them versatile even on nanoscale, while before it was believed, that such structures were possible only on microcsale.

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The team of interdisciplinary scientists such as physicists, chemists, biologists and materials scientists unveiled the existence of surface polarity gradient which makes the Morpho butterfly scales so unique. This discovery creates a lot of possibilities when designing sensors or multicolored fabrics and similar materials. Usually sensors and multicolored fabrics are made out of a variety of separate sensors, but this finding can create sensors which work within a single chemically graded nanostructured sensing unit.

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The understanding of iridescence in flying insects such as butterflies or moths, has revolutionized the understanding of natural photonics. Now scientists can work on applying these exceptionally small photonic sensors in a wide range of different technologies.

Prehistoric Creatures still Walking the Earth

From a 220-million year old shrimp to a 130 million year old frog find out which modern species have a gift for survival. These prehistoric creatures still exist and walk the earth.

Purple Frog

                                                                                                 Photo via Impact Lab

Purple frogs live underground, getting out just to mate during monsoon season, and they eat termites, ants, and and worms, but experts believe the frogs have been around for about 130 million years, since the days of the dinosaurs and that they evolved into their current state before humans existed.

Tuatara

                                                                                                 Photo via Auckland Zoo

Tuatara comes from New Zeland and based on the country’s website: The tuatara is part of the Sphenodontia order, which witnessed all of its other members go extinct more than 60 million years ago. Although they look like modern-day reptiles and lizards, they have body structure that experts believe has remained basically the same for 220 million years.

Tadpole Shrimp

                                                                                                         Photo via Computer Scotland

Two years ago, researchers in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, discovered the tadpole shrimp (Triops cancriformis) that have uniquely adapted reproductive methods that have allowed them to survive pretty much entirely unchanged for more than 220 million years.

Coelacanth

                                                                                                 Photo via Wired

The coelacanth that some experts believe symbolizes the evolutionary step between ancient fish and reptiles, had dinosaurs for its neighbors when it wondered the oceans more than 65 million years ago, and though it was believed to have gone extinct alongside the dinos, a coelacanth caught in 1938 put the fish back on the world stage.

Sandhill Crane

                                                                                                              Photo via Carolina Nature

Recent discoveries are showing that the sandhill crane has survived plenty of previous threats. According to The Nature Conservancy, a fossil found in Nebraska, “estimated to be about 10 million years old, is identical in structure to the modern sandhill crane.”

Horseshoe Crab

                                                                                                      Photo via Rollins.edu

Horseshoe crabs could share their name with the other crabs you see at the seaside, but they’re not crustaceans — they are part of their own Arthropod class called Merostomata, and, according to The Horseshoe Crab, they are most similar to trilobites, creatures that lived 544 million years ago.

Sturgeon

                                                                                                                 Photo via The Shadowlands  

When sturgeon  (which date back as far as 70 million years)  first arrived on the scene, they were yet another fish in the sea. Now, they’re valued for their caviar stocks and facing extinction because of overfishing. Sturgeon live in saltwater and can grow as long as 15 feet  but their fins, skeleton, and lifestyle are nearly the same as they were millions of years ago.

Impressive Microscopic Photos of Food

Caren Alpert spent eighteen years as a photo editor as well as food photographer before transforming her artist’s eye to the things we see each day yet never look closely at: What we eat.

Red Licorice: 

Can you recognize this volcano opening? It’s red licorice, and is made from sugar, fruit flavoring, and gelatin. Though red licorice doesn’t generally contain licorice extract, its cousin, black licorice does, and you may also use licorice extract for skin treatments and hangover helpers.

Chocolate Cake 

In your hand, chocolate cake is moist, sweet, and indisputably delicious. But below a microscope, it’s a blocky, geometric collection of cocoa, sugar, flour, and other ingredients.

Banana Skin

Because you throw banana peels in the compost the moment you’re done eating, you might not realize how textured and mountainous the skin can be.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is part of the cruciferous group of vegetables — together with broccoli, cabbage, and kale — but it hasn’t earned exactly the same popularity. And that’s a pity, {simply because properly-cooked cauliflower isn’t the mushy, cheese-covered side dish of your youth: It’s a tasty canvas for roasting, grilling, blending for soups, and adding other flavors from curry to chestnuts. (It’s also packed with vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber.)

Fortune Cookie

This isn’t a dark river slicing through an arid desert — it’s a cracked fortune cookie, made from flour, sugar, butter, and extracts, then rolled, cut, and shaped into a sweet folded triangle.

Red Onion

Cooks realize that the real beauty of an red onion is its versatility: The layered veggies put in a tasty depth to salads, soups, stews, casseroles, and many other meals.

Pineapple Leaf

Nice and delicious pineapples are as at home on your dish alone because they are adding a touch of flavor to meats and salads — however the leaves  have even more practical use. They could be turned into fibers that ethical designers use instead of carbon-heavy cotton or synthetics.

Radish

A springtime plants, radishes come in nearly all the colors of the rainbow — red, pink, white, purple — and add a zesty tang to lighten up fresh salads and roasted side dishes (you can also add the greens to butter to spread the taste around).

Cake Sprinkles

Once magnified, cake sprinkles look just as colorful as the healthier meals on this list — however the hard texture isn’t quite as attractive as geometric as veggies and fruit skins.

Star Anise

Star anise is among the several foods on this list that’s as extraordinary from afar as it is when magnified: A tasty Chinese spice which is easily recognized by its unique form. Though you may use it in cooking, additionally it is well-known for its medical purposes: fans like its antifungal and antibacterial properties, and use it for fighting coughs (it’s also a main ingredient in Tamiflu).

Amazing Macro Photography of Insects

Point of view is everything. And that is particularly true when considering these amazing macro photography by Ondrej Pakan. He takes scary crawlies that you’d normally steer clear of and turns them into something stunning.

Blue Damselfly

                                                                                                         credit: Ondrej Pakan

Red Sonya

                                                                                                  credit: Ondrej Pakan

Dew Covered Bug Eyes

                                                                                                     credit: Ondrej Pakan

Red Sonya

                                                                                          credit: Ondrej Pakan

Just a Fly

                                                                                              credit: Ondrej Pakan

Can you guess what this insect is?

                                                                                                        credit: Ondrej Pakan

Rhyno

                                                                                          credit: Ondrej Pakan

Hippie

                                                                                                    credit: Ondrej Pakan

Red Head

                                                                                             credit: Ondrej Pakan

Abracadabra

                                                                                    credit: Ondrej Pakan

If you haven’t had enough , you can see more macro photography over at Ondrej’s website.

10 Most Unusual Cat Breeds in the World

Everyone knows just how affectionate folks can be about cats. And those emotions might be twice as powerful when it comes to exotic breeds, even (or especially!) if the cats are a little… well… different looking! The kitties on this list certainly stand out from your average neighborhood tabby, whether because of their hair (or lack of it), the size of their limbs, their ears, or simply because they look a little… weird. Yes, the following 10 cats are all rather bizarre – but we think you’ll agree that they’re still totally lovable in their own unique ways.

10. Sphynx

                                                                                                        Photo: Nicolaas Hamid

The Sphynx is probably the best-known bizarre cat there is. And depending on your point of view, it’s either a charmingly exotic or a slightly creepy looking breed. That said, even if you’re not a huge fan, you have to admit that there’s something hypnotic about these felines’ lovely big eyes, which are made even more prominent by the lack of any surrounding fur or eyebrows.

                                                                                                  Photo: The Pug Father

9. Ukrainian Levkoy

                                                                                                             Photo: Nickolas Titkov

The Ukrainian Levkoy is similar to the Sphynx in some ways (the most obvious being its lack of fur), but it’s also very different, with folded-over ears and large but narrow eyes. The Ukrainian Levkoy’s profile is angular, and the breed is described as ‘dog-faced’. The smooth-skinned specimen pictured is hairless, but some Levkoys may have patches of hair or be covered in short downy fur.

                                                                                                     Photo: Alena Ivanchuk

8. Cornish Rex

                                                                                                           Photo: Lisa

This elegant lady has been rather fabulously named ‘Quails Nest Kissing Time of Boska’, or Kissy III for short. The regal moniker is quite appropriate, really, for a kitty with such a beautiful, wavy fur coat – or, to be precise, undercoat. Unlike other cats, the Cornish Rex (for this is our next breed) lacks the two outer layers of hair, known as guard hair and awn hair, respectively. Instead, it’s only protected by a silky down layer. And the Cornish Rex, along with the Devon Rex, has much softer fur than other cats.

7. Scottish Fold

                                                                                                 Photo: Psihopat

Instead of flaunting large upright ears like the Cornish Rex, the Scottish Fold hardly has any ears at all! Well, that’s how it looks anyway. The real story is that the cartilage in this cute breed’s ears is creased, or folded, causing the ear to bend downwards and appear tiny. Some people think this gives the breed an owlish look, which is intensified by the Scottish Fold’s large, round eyes.

                                                                                                              Photo: Kostj

6. Exotic Shorthair

                                                                                                      Photo: Charlyn Wee

This precious little kitten also has a pretty cute name: Fig Newton. She’s an Exotic Shorthair, which is very similar to the Persian breed, except for its short, dense fur. Exotic Shorthairs have round heads with flattened looking faces and small ears. Like their heads, their bodies are also rounded, giving them the appearance of cuddly teddy bears.

                                                                                                            Photo: Captain Pancakes

5. Munchkin

                                                                                                               Photo: Jimmy Leo

When the Munchkin breed first arrived on the scene in 1994, it was met with controversy. One veteran show judge resigned in disgust, and several cat registries still refuse to recognize the breed. The problem is the Munchkin’s short little legs. Many were concerned that the mutant gene responsible would leave the cats with the kind of crippling problems that affect short-legged dogs like Corgis and Dachshunds.

                                                                                                             Photo: Jimmy Leo

4. Peterbald

                                                                                                         Photo: Atlantiscats

The Peterbald is another often – but not always – hairless breed of cat. These cats are known for their long, lean bodies, large pointed ears, and big, almond-shaped eyes. And as you can see from this photo, they also have a rather unusual characteristic for cats: webbed feet! Very bizarre… Although they are able to use those flexible-looking toes to grasp objects and even open door latches.

                                                                                                    Photo: Atlantiscats

3. Savannah Cat

                                                                                              Photo: Jason Douglas

With its exotic stripes, this cat looks like it belongs in the wild rather than a family home. Actually, the Savannah cat is a hybrid of a domestic cat and an African wild cat known as the Serval. Traces of their wild heritage include the ‘ocelli’, or eye-like spots, on the backs of their ears, and the ‘cheetah tear’ markings next to their noses.

2. LaPerm

                                                                                                                      Photo: Jane Gianoutsos

Looking at this cat’s long, wavy hair, it may come as no surprise to learn that the breed is known as LaPerm. The fur of these cats is made up of short, tight curls, long, corkscrew ringlets, and even straight hair. Curiously, many LaPerms are born bald, while others lose their hair and replace it – sometimes several times over the course of their lives.

1. Elf Cat

                                                                                     Photo: © Kristen Leedom, Sphynx-cattery.com

If this isn’t a bizarre cat breed, we don’t know what is. The creation of American breeders Karen Nelson and Kristen Leedom, Elf cats are a very new addition to the cat world. These strange looking kitties are the result of a cross between the Sphynx and the American Curl (that’s where they get those amazing ears from!).

                                                                                         Photo: © Kristen Leedom, Sphynx-cattery.com

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8