Bioluminsecent Phytoplankton - Dinoflagellates

The biological light, or bioluminescence, in the waves is the product of marine microbes called phytoplankton—and now scientists think they know how some of these life-forms create their brilliant blue glow.

The most common type of marine bioluminescence is generated by phytoplankton known as dinoflagellates. A recent study co-authored by Hastings has for the first time identified a special channel in the dinoflagellate cell membrane that responds to electrical signals—offering a potential mechanism for how the algae create their unique illumination.

(Source: National Geographic)

Weight-driven clocks | Italy, 16th century

(Source: gettyimages.co.uk)

Castellated dial clock, 16th century, Nortwest Europe | Cassiobury Park turret clock, early 17th century, England

(Source: britishmuseum.org)

Camino del Rey trail | El Chorro gorge, Spain

Photos of the Camino del Rey, a vertiginous and very dangerous trail in a very steep canyon called Desfiladero de los Gaitanes (or El Chorro Gorge), in southern Spain.

This is a “No Trespassing” zone, officially closed to the public, but many climbers and hikers walk this trail every day despite its very poor condition and several fatal accidents in recent years.

The trail is made of slabs of concrete attached to a vertical cliff, about 100m (300ft) above the bottom of the canyon. There is no guard-rail and the concrete slabs are completely rotten, with gapping holes and entire sections missing.

(Source: Flickr / loupiote)

Mushroom Lodge | Aspen, CO

Built in the 70s by its original owner Andre Ulrych, the home’s design was inspired by a nautilus shell and there are 12 different levels (including platforms and loft spaces) that curl around the home, connected by ladders and stairways.

(Source: The New York Times)

Mushroom House | La Jolla, CA

Prototaxites, a giant, prehistoric fossil, originally thought to be a conifer [when it was first collected in 1843], is uncovered in Saudi Arabia in an undated photo. A chemical analysis has shown that the 20-foot-tall organism with a tree-like trunk was a fungus that became extinct more than 350 million years ago, according to a study appearing in the May issue of the journal Geology.

GIANT FUNGUS YOU SAY.  HM.

submission by riumplus

(Source: reuters.com)