I've come to know myself too well.

amnhnyc: Did you know? Whales’ flippers, or pectoral fins,...

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 22:47:41 -0400

Did you know? Whales’ flippers, or pectoral fins, share bone structure with the human arm and hand.

In fact, the bones of cetacean flippers are the same kinds of bones as in the human arm, with an upper arm bone, two forearm bones, and hand, wrist, and finger bones. In whales, fingers are elongated and may have additional bones.

Read more on whales’ amazing adaptations here.

Photo

Thu, 30 May 2013 00:04:33 -0400

Discovery, Animal Planet, and History Channel exposed for killing animals for profit

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:44:14 -0400

Discovery, Animal Planet, and History Channel exposed for killing animals for profit:

ikenbot:

jtotheizzoe:

climateadaptation:

These channels are failing the spirit of conservationism and education. They are failing inspiring awe in young people. Failing much needed inspiration in a very confused and conflicted world.

These shows are failing their core values, their main purpose, which is leadership in environmentalism and cultural education. Far worse, they are failing millions of young people - millions - who look up to them.

Please join me in asking Discovery, Animal Planet, and the History Channels to stop, apologize, and correct.

That’s an important read up there, folks. These “reality” shows are feeding an outdated and unscientific view of predator species. These are channels founded on principles of education and conservation (TLC, of course, left the building years ago). Are they willing to sacrifice that for what appears to be gratuitous bloodsport?

Like any media, you can vote with your eyeballs. And if you support any kind of rights for wild animals and natural spaces, you can not support these programs. If the account above is true, shame on these networks.

It speaks to part of a larger issue with nature films. The amazing footage we see in shows like Africa, Planet Earth, and Frozen Planet is rarely the result of serendipity. It involves years of careful research and preparation to maximize the chances of capturing nature’s majesty on camera, and what is captured is highly edited to create story, drama and emotion. These are uniquely human interests, and nature doesn’t include them in her original script.

That’s not to say we are being fleeced all the time. People like Sir David Attenborough take these concerns very seriously, and constantly strive to find the balance between entertainment and true nature in every varying instance. What we watch is real. But is it REAL?

I wonder how many people realize that, for instance, the famous polar bear birth scene from Frozen Planet was filmed in a zoo? Disney’s adorable Chimpanzee movie was not a documentary, but rather spliced together to create an emotional tale of adoption. Jason Goldman put together a great collection of opinions on the matter.

How far can we take allowances to deliver good edutainment before we are delivering bad science? The “reality” shows surely fail the test. But the others? What do you think?

Damn, I mean considering these are the same dudes putting out irrelevant series after another it feels like their purpose is to flood the brains of anyone watching with mindless, pointless bullshit.. this comes to no surprise. Still pretty damn fucked up though.

"Marry your best friend. I do not say that lightly. Really, truly find the strongest, happiest..."

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:31:54 -0400

““Marry your best friend. I do not say that lightly. Really, truly find the strongest, happiest friendship in the person you fall in love with. Someone who speaks highly of you. Someone you can laugh with. The kind of laughs that make your belly ache, and your nose snort. The embarrassing, earnest, healing kind of laughs. Wit is important. Life is too short not to love someone who lets you be a fool with them. Make sure they are somebody who lets you cry, too. Despair will come. Find someone that you want to be there with you through those times. Most importantly, marry the one that makes passion, love, and madness combine and course through you. A love that will never dilute - even when the waters get deep, and dark.””

- N’tima

someday

(via streetspir-it)

climate-changing: infinity-imagined: Oceanic phytoplankton...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:29:05 -0400

climate-changing:

infinity-imagined:

Oceanic phytoplankton blooms imaged from space by Envisat. Plankton blooms occur in regions of the ocean that have optimal temperature, sunlight, and nutrient supply for marine algae to grow exponentially. Most blooms are composed of coccolithophores, single celled organisms which grow disk-like exoskeletons of calcium carbonate. Trillions of these disks color the water white, showing the phytoplankton density and beautiful fluid dynamics of ocean currents.

Awesome

mad-as-a-marine-biologist: headlikeanorange: A male fiddler...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:28:31 -0400

mad-as-a-marine-biologist:

headlikeanorange:

A male fiddler crab trying to attract a female. (Les Animaux Amoureux)

What a stud.

theoceaniswonderful: Dolphins in Bais by steve de neef

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 15:10:39 -0400

theoceaniswonderful:

Dolphins in Bais by steve de neef

discovery: Though humans often believe they are the only ones...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 15:09:16 -0400

discovery:

Though humans often believe they are the only ones with culture, that’s not the case. Animals from whales and dolphins to monkey and parrots also develop their own distinctive cultures.

Learn more about this incredibly fascinating phenomenon, here - http://bit.ly/ZSlFaQ

laughingsquid: Intricate Fantasy Animal Sculptures by Ellen...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 15:09:04 -0400

laughingsquid:

Intricate Fantasy Animal Sculptures by Ellen Jewett

100leaguesunderthesea: Diver&MolaMola by BigAnimals.com on...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 15:08:52 -0400

100leaguesunderthesea:

Diver&MolaMola by BigAnimals.com on Flickr.

Want to swim with one of these sweet fish.

thatscienceguy: A lighter being shot

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 15:05:06 -0400

thatscienceguy:

A lighter being shot

scipsy: A giant waterspout in the mature stage. During peak...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 15:02:41 -0400

scipsy:

A giant waterspout in the mature stage. During peak intensity this waterspout had a diameter of approximately 30 meters (via NOAA)

[x] this may be the greatest thing to ever happen.

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:25:24 -0400

[x]

this may be the greatest thing to ever happen.

jtotheizzoe: Wringing out a Washcloth on the ISS Space...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:30:49 -0400

jtotheizzoe:

Wringing out a Washcloth on the ISS

Space Canadian Chris Hadfield continues his quest for interplanetary internet dominance with this incredible experiment submitted by two Nova Scotia high school students: Kendra Lemke and Meredith Faulkner

They wanted to know what would happen if you wrung out a washcloth on the ISS? I won’t spoil the ending for you, but suffice to say it’s about the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.

I love how he doesn’t even have to hold the mic. Great job, Kendra and Meredith! For science!

I love science.

underthevastblueseas: via Pinterest

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:45:13 -0400

underthevastblueseas:

via Pinterest

anoceanactivist: The cuteness. I can’t. :*

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:43:58 -0400

anoceanactivist:

The cuteness. I can’t. :*

colchrishadfield: People ask to see stars - my camera does its...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 22:23:06 -0400

colchrishadfield:

People ask to see stars - my camera does its best in dim light. Our atmosphere glows in the dark.

littlepawz: How cute! This little fox can’t figure out if it...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:23:22 -0400

littlepawz:

How cute! This little fox can’t figure out if it wants to be black, red or white…so it is a bit of everything :)

underthevastblueseas: A group of amateur cave explorers...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:51:24 -0400

underthevastblueseas:

A group of amateur cave explorers discovered a river in Mexico with banks, trees and leaves just like an ordinary river, but with an additional metric shit ton of “WTF,” because they were hovering 25 feet over it in scuba gear when they discovered it.

While underwater water doesn’t seem possible, the “river” is actually a briny mix of salt water and hydrogen sulfide. It’s much more dense than regular salt water, so it sinks to the bottom and forms a distinct separation that acts and flows like a river.

Deep sea lakes look like normal lakes, complete with sandy and rocky shores. Scientist call these lakes “cold seeps,” but they’re a hotbed for life, because apparently waterfront real estate is a hot commodity under water, too. The “rocky” shores are actually made up of hundreds of thousands of mussels. Even weirder, the lakes under the waves have waves of their own.

Photos by Anatoly Beloshchin, source,

ethereal-organism: hotanimebabe: nature peekaboo

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 20:32:44 -0400

ethereal-organism:

hotanimebabe:

nature

peekaboo