Super Slow Motion Lightning: First Ever Video of Lightning’s Downward Stroke
The following lightning strike captured by storm chaser Tim Samaras is one of the first ever video captures slow enough (100,000 frames/second) to show lightning as it actually travels toward the ground and back toward the sky. Using an Ultra-High Speed camera that he heavily customized, Samaras was able to confirm that the lightning we see with the naked eye is actually the return stroke back toward the sky, not the superfast downward stroke. This video provides visible proof of this theory.
The World’s Tiniest Snake
Evolutionary biologists from Penn State have recently identified the world’s smallest snake. The 3.9 inch specimen, that’s small enough to fit on a quarter, was found under a rock on the island of Barbados. The spaghetti noodle sized Barbados threadsnake (or Leptotyphlops carlae), is believed to be as small as nature would allow, for if it were any smaller, its young would have nothing to eat. The snake primarily consumes the tiny larvae of termites and ants.
Females of this species produce just one slender egg. In contrast to larger species that may lay up to 100 eggs in a single clutch, with each egg measuring just a fraction of the mother’s body, this snake produces a single hatchling that’s half its mother’s size.
The species is believed to be in grave danger as it’s habitat on Barbados is being replaced by human development.
Sandcastle Hotel
If your idea of a relaxing vacation is sand, sun, and surf, you won’t get anything closer to it than the world’s largest and only sand castle hotel made entirely of sand on Weymouth beach in Dorset, UK. But don’t expect any amenities here like showers or bathrooms - you’re going to have to make do without.
The hotel, design to look like a sandcastle, is the brainchild of sculptor Mark Anderson, and was created as a publicity stunt for Laterooms.com.
It took a team of 7 people eight long days — over 600 hours — to build the 50 foot (15 meter) square by 13 foot (4 meter) high sand hotel using 1,000 tons of sand and seawater.
The open air family room with a sea-side view has a double and single bed made of sand which will set you back a mere $21 (£10) a night to sleep under the starry skies. You can wake up to the ocean when the “tide laps through the door.”
“The beds are made of sand so it can get everywhere, especially between the toes.” said Anderson.
And other places I’m sure.
