Dawn Of Fire

Sunrise on Hawaii's Kilauea volcano reveals new growth struggling to survive in an otherworldly landscape.



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(thanks Cora)

Advertisement Posters Of Russian Automobiles From The 1950s And '60s

The automotive industry in the Soviet Union spanned the history of the state from 1929 to 1991. It started with the establishment of large car manufacturing plants and reorganisation of the AMO Factory in Moscow in the late 1920s–early 1930s, and continued until the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991.

Before its disintegration, the Soviet Union produced 2.1-2.3 million units per year of all types, and was the sixth largest automotive producer, ranking ninth place in cars, third in trucks, and first in buses.

An Interactive Map Of New York's Earliest Skyscrapers

Between 1874 and 1900, Manhattan went from zero skyscrapers to over 250. The Skyscraper Museum's online interactive for their current exhibition Ten & Taller: 1874-1900 visualizes this 19th-century boom through a map, timeline, and photographic grid.

(via Nag on the Lake)

Thousands Of Sharks Visit A Sea Mount

In the Pacific, a tiny island 300 miles away from the shore hides a giant mountain beneath the waves that forms a home for thousands of plankton feeding fish.

These fish attract Tuna, and the Tuna attract thousands of Sharks. Watch this video to learn more about this fascinating food chain, and hear some weird but true facts about the visiting Hammerhead Sharks.



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(thanks Cora)

The Secret History Of The First Cat In Space

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On October 18th, 1963, the Centre national d'études in France was set to send a small cat named Félix into space. After lagging behind its Soviet and American competitors, France was eager to stake its claim in the space race - with cats, for some reason. But on launch day, the mischievous little beast went missing - and an accidental heroine stepped in to take his place. Her name was Félicette.

On October 24th, 1963, Félicette jetted 130 miles above Earth on a liquid-fueled French Véronique AG1 rocket, soaring high above the Algerian Sahara Desert. She returned just fifteen minutes later, already a decorated heroine for her nation.

(via Neatorama)

Never Without My Dentures

Four pensioners in a nursing home are watching their favorite soap opera when the Evil Nurse confiscates the TV remote.



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(thanks Cora

The 'Almost Human' Gorilla Who Drank Tea And Went To School

John Daniel was no ordinary gorilla. For starters, he was called John Daniel. And he had his own bedroom, drank tea and cider, and could purportedly do his own washing up. Villagers in Uley adopted the lowland gorilla after he was captured in Gabon by French.

In 1917, he was spotted for sale in a London department store by Uley resident Maj Rupert Penny. Penny's sister, Alyce Cunningham, raised John as a human boy in the village and used to send John on regular walks with the children of Uley junior school, according to Groom.

Free Straw

(via Bad Menu)

Riding Shotgun: A Driving Enthusiast's Story

Louise likes drivers who are in control. Louise is turned on by safe driving. The hilarious mockumentary-style film highlights the importance of controlled driving for young drivers.



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(thank Mike)

10 Horrifying Stories Of Hoarders Who Died In Their Stuff

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No matter how many episodes of the various hoarding shows they air, it's still tough to believe that anyone really lives that way. And yet there are thousands of people in America nearly trapped inside homes that are overflowing with trash.

It's disturbing, sad and frightening. And when things get really out of control, the end result is devastating. People literally die in these homes, crushed or hidden beneath their stuff and sometimes found only weeks later when the stench of their decomposing bodies alerts authorities that something horrifying has happened.

13 Things You Didn't Know About The Dick Van Dyke Show

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On October 3, 1961, a new CBS sitcom hit the airwaves. The Dick Van Dyke Show centered around the adventures of an easygoing comedy writer named Rob Petrie (played by Van Dyke), his beautiful wife Laura (a young actress named Mary Tyler Moore), and his two comedy co-writers Sally Rogers (Rose Marie) and Buddy Sorrell (Morey Amsterdam).

For Approval

Video made by Creative Studio Mainframe from Manchester.



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End The Misery Today

(via Bad Newspaper)

There Is One Animal That Seems To Survive Without Oxygen

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It is microscopic, looks a bit like a jellyfish, and survives in a place that would kill every other known animal species. In 2010, at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, a research team found evidence of an animal able to live its entire life without oxygen.

The tiny Mediterranean animals belong to a group called the loriciferans. Loriciferans are about the size of a large amoeba. They live in muddy sediments at the bottom of the seas. But supposedly, that mud should contain some oxygen to allow the animals to breathe. The mud in the L'Atalante basin at the bottom of the Mediterranean does not.

(thanks Paul-René)

There Used To Be 4 Billion American Chestnut Trees, But They All Disappeared

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American chestnut trees once blanketed the east coast, with an estimated 4 billion trees spreading in dense canopies from Maine to Mississippi and Florida. These huge and ancient trees were awe-inspiring, the redwoods of the east coast, but with an extra perk - the nuts were edible.

Chestnuts were roasted, ground into flour for cakes and bread, and stewed into puddings. The leaves of the trees were boiled down into medicinal treatments by Native Americans. Finding a mature American chestnut in the wild is so rare today that discoveries are reported in the national press.

The Maleo - The Bird That Can Fly The Moment It Hatches

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Beneath the red hot sand of an Indonesian island something stirs. A large egg is hatching and soon the newborn creature will dig its way out to the surface and take its first gulps of fresh air.

Yet no parent watches over it. This sounds as if it should be a young turtle, thrusting its flippers sideways as it makes its desperate lurch towards the ocean. It is not, however. This is a bird. More remarkable still is that when it emerges the chick will already be able to fly.

The Unlikely Origins Of '60s Disposable Dresses

In 1966, the Scott Paper Company tried a novel promotion for its new line of household paper goods - in return for two proofs-of-purchase along with $1.25, customers could receive a disposable dress. Scott’s 'Paper Caper' dresses wildly exceeded expectations, and by the year's end, the company had received nearly half a million orders.

Within months, many other manufacturers wanted a piece of the paper-dress market. But by 1969, the trend was dead. Collectores Weekly spoke with writer and curator Jonathan Walford about the paper dress phenomenon and the reasons for its quick demise.

(thanks Hunter)