Sinking boats, disemboweling sharks: Why orcas are evil geniuses
Despite being dubbed the "killer whale," the orca has enjoyed a pretty family-friendly image, whether it's putting on shows with humans at Sea World or starring in 'Free Willy.' But just like how its classification as a whale is misleading (it's actually the largest subspecies of the dolphin family), so too is its friendly reputation. Orcas live in all the world's oceans, from the Arctic Ocean and Antarctica to warmer tropical seas, and in every single one they are menaces, apex predators at the top of the food chain, ruling with an iron fin! Massive, agile, and extremely intelligent, they are the most powerful and deadly animals in the water. And as if that weren't enough, there have been increasing reports lately of their species serial killing, vengefully sinking boats, torturing other animals for sport, and more. Have we got your attention? Then click through to learn more about the evil genius of orcas.
2024-01-18T17:05:37Z
The most dangerous volcanic regions in Europe
Europe is not necessarily regarded as a world volcano hotspot. Millions of years ago, however, much of the continent was shaped by violent volcanic and seismic events. The reason behind Europe’s volcanic activity is because it is located between the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate, a prime area for volcanism. For its part, Iceland is a huge hotspot, sitting as it does on a rift between the Eurasian Plate and the North American Plate. And Europe's islands, the Canaries for example, and those in the Mediterranean, have long suffered the consequences of frequent, often lethal volcanic eruptions. According to the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program, a volcano is called "active" when it has erupted within the last 10,000 years. So, how many active volcanoes are there in Europe, and are those classified as dormant likely to vent their anger any time soon? Click through and discover Europe's most volcanic areas.
2024-04-17T05:03:54Z
What did going to the Moon achieve, really?
July 20, 1969, was without a doubt a monumental moment in human history–the landing of the first human beings on the surface of the Moon. In 1972, the final mission of NASA's Apollo program touched down on the lunar surface. Apollo revolutionized and accelerated space technology along with our ability to live and work in space. But what else did these epic voyages beyond our own planet achieve? While the Space Race pretty much ended with the conclusion of the Apollo program, interest in lunar exploration did not. Over the decades there have been fewer attempts to put human beings on the moon's surface, but many attempts to develop technology that will allow us to further understand and explore the moon. American aerospace company Intuitive Machines successfully performed a historic moon landing on Thursday, Feb. 22. Their unmanned M-1 lander, named Odyssey or “Odie” for short, became the first commercial spacecraft to soft-land on the moon. It was also the first American-made aircraft to land on the moon since the Apollo mission over 50 years ago. Intuitive Machines is collaborating with NASA in the development of Odyssey, as the government agency intends to buy their landers to scout the moon in preparation for their next manned mission. NASA will send astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972 through the Artemis program. They intend to carry out this mission by the end of the decade. “Today for the first time in more than a half-century, the US has returned to the moon,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Today is a day that shows the power and promise of NASA’s commercial partnerships.” Click through and find out how Moon missions changed our modern world.
2023-12-07T12:03:15Z
The 30 freest countries in the world
One of the benchmarks of human progress is measured in the amount of freedom people experience in a given country. However, it's something that's not easy to determine objectively. The Cato Institute in Washington, D.C. and the Fraser Institute in Vancouver, Canada, co-publish the annual Human Freedom Index Report, which observes the relationship between freedom and other social and economic phenomena. Personal freedom might be described as our ability to voice our opinion, equality experienced before the courts, and the ease of travel to/from a country. Economic freedom is the ability of people in that country to do well, without the need for government assistance or an economic authority. To calculate the final Human Freedom score, personal freedom and economic freedom are measured and combined, then compared to the scores of other countries. Curious to know if your country made the top 30? Click on to find out!
2024-03-20T09:09:59Z