STUFF: News, Technology, the cool and the plain weird

[MIKA27]

Mysterious Land Mass Appears Overnight Off Japan’s Coast

You would normally expect news of an unusual event off the coast of Japan to be about land disappearing, either because of a tsunami or earthquake or both. That’s not what happened on the northern island of Hokkaido on April 24th when residents of Rausu on the island’s east coast saw a huge land mass rise 10 meters (33 feet) out of the water in less than 24 hours. At the time of this writing, the land mass is an estimated 30 meters (66 feet) wide, 500 meters (1640 feet) long and 15 meters (50 feet) above sea level. Where is it from and what could have caused it?

The circled area shows the new land mass that appeared overnight off the coast of Hokkaido

One of the first witnesses of this mysterious rising land mass was a woman harvesting seaweed along the Rausu shore on April 24th. In the time it took to fill her basket, she said the mass had risen to above her head. Before the area was sealed off, other witnesses reported it to be covered with seaweed and sea urchins. According to Katsuhiro Tanaka, the president of the Rausu Fisheries Cooperative Association, no one saw or heard it rising.

The local residents said they didn’t hear any sounds and there were no tremors.

It’s been only four years since the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami so Rausu residents are naturally worried about the cause of their new addition. Is it an undersea volcanic eruption like the one in November 2013 which created an island off the coast of Nishinoshima that grew so large it eventually joined with the coast? Is it the return of a previously unknown island like Buyan, the land of Russian mythology that could appear and disappear and was believed to the source of all weather?

Geologists flying over the area believe the land mass was lifted out of the water by the weight of a nearby landslide which created a pivot or seesaw effect. That sounds logical … except they can’t say exactly where or when the landslide occurred. Despite that, an official at the central government’s Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau assured the public it won’t happen again.

A depiction of what may have created the land mass

Really? Until some better information is available, I wouldn’t go seaweed-picking in Rausu anytime soon.

[MIKA27]

GOBQ PORTABLE GRILL

We can’t even keep up with the amount of “portable grill” claims we’ve come across over the years. Unfortunately nearly all of them have fallen short. GoBQ Grill looks to follow through with their claims, developing a grill that’s built to take with you, everywhere you go.

The GoBQ is built from durable fabric, and is extremely lightweight. It folds up small enough to fit in your backpack on the go, or the kitchen drawer at home. The fabric is a composite fiberglass material that’s coated with silicone, is heat, fire and flame resistant, and is also FDA approved. The grill offers up 196 square inches of cooking space, and sets up in just 20 seconds with absolutely no tools required, making it the perfect companion on hikes, camping trips, and for tailgating with your friends and family. [Purchase]

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MIKKELLER BEER GEEK VANILLA SHAKE

Not all beer experiments are successful, but every now and then something that sounds amazing ends up tasting amazing as well. Such is the case with Beer Geek Vanilla Shake from Mikkeller. What begins as an imperial oatmeal stout gets loads of vanilla added and is then added to bourbon barrels for 8 months to let it soak up even more flavors. It can stand up to any dessert, but that sweetness won't overpower you, while the 13% ABV just might.

[MIKA27]

Watch The Top 10 Coolest Aeroplane Dogfight Scenes In Movie History

I’m not sure that CineFix included all the most visually awesome aerial dogfight scenes in their top 10 video for best dogfights of all time, but I do know that it’s always fun as hell to see two flying killer bird machines try to take down each other in an incredible array of skill, weaponry, quick reflexes and masterful film editing.

Here’s the top 10:

• Top Gun
• Wings
• The Red Baron
• Tora! Tora! Tora!
• Star Wars: A New Hope
• The Eternal Zero
• Memphis Belle
• The Great Waldo Pepper
• Sky Crawlers
• Les Chevaliers Du Ciel

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This BASE Jumping Video Shot In Dubai Makes You Feel Like You're Falling As You Watch

The Princess Tower is 413 metres high and currently the world’s tallest residential building and the second tallest building in Dubai. It is huge. So obviously when the building opened up their roof to base jump off of, 558 awesomely crazy daredevils joined up and pulled off all sort of crazy jumps. It’s like fear doesn’t exist.

The tricks they pull off are absolutely wild. Pyramids were built, backflips were done, pull ups, mass jumps and so forth.

Here’s some background on what’s happening:

What sounds like a nightmare for most is still a dream for others; to BASE jump off the world’s second highest residential structure with the most qualified athletes in the world.

SkydiveDubai and XDubai have partnered with DreamJump to bring dreams to extreme reality when they opened the opportunity for limited people from the public to jump using the DreamJump System.

In addition to the dream jumps, a total of 558 BASE Jumps occurred in a matter of just a few days off the Princess Tower in the heart of the Dubai Marina.Dubai Film has partnered alongside SkydiveDubai and XDubai to bring the fear, adrenaline, laughter, excitement, and joy for you to enjoy.

[MIKA27]

Lake Mead Is Now Lower Than Ever, But Vegas Has A Crazy Survival Plan

Yesterday, the surface of Lake Mead reached its lowest level since it was filled in 1937 — 329m above sea level. But engineers were prepared for this: A huge infrastructural project under the lake has been underway since 2008 to ensure that Vegas residents will still be able to get water, even as the drought continues.

The project, called the “Third Straw”, is one of three tunnels that have been dug beneath the lake to extract water — tunnels that have been dug deeper and deeper as lake levels drop. The First Straw is good down to 320m above sea level, which the US Bureau of Reclamation originally predicted the lake might reach by January of 2016. The Second Straw goes down to 305m, and the Third Straw is currently being built to reach 262m. Now it looks like they might need that Third Straw even sooner then they planned. It’s expected to be completed later this year. [Review Journal]

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American Airlines Planes Grounded Because Of Pilot iPad Crashes

American Airlines has been using iPads in place of paper reference books for several years — but last night, a weakness showed. “Several dozen” of the airline’s planes were grounded as pilots’ iPads crashed.

In a slew of of tweets, it came to light that the iPads used by pilots instead of the piles of old-school reference books were crashing ahead of take-off, reports Quartz. The software and data that they use are provided by Jeppesen, a sub-division of Boeing Digital Aviation.

Speaking to Quartz, one passenger explained that “the pilot told us when they were getting ready to take off, the iPad screens went blank, both for the captain and copilot, so they didn’t have the flight plan.” One pilot is reported to have told a passenger that “the entire 737 fleet on American had experienced the same behaviour.”

Andrea Huguely, American Airlines director of corporate communications, told USA Today that “in some cases, the flight has had to return to the gate to access a Wi-Fi connection to fix the issue.” It remains to be seen whether the problem has been properly fixed, but we’ve reached out to American Airlines to find out. Until then, it may for pilots to pack some dead trees in their bag.

[MIKA27]

The F-22 Raptor Looks Absolutely Killer In These Stunning Photos

Amazing. Blair Bunting recently photographed the F-22 Raptor and created the coolest pictures of the fighter jet yet. The head on view of the plane looks absolutely killer and the side view is stunning, like from a movie. It almost looks too good.

Read more about the photography process of the F-22 here.

[MIKA27]

DRYTUNES WATERPROOF WIRELESS SPEAKER

In search of the ultimate outdoor speaker? Well, we’ve got you covered with Drytunes, a rugged speaker that’s both waterproof and wireless.

More than just your typical waterproof speaker, Drytunes is considered the first completely waterproof high-fidelity speaker. It features 16 hours of playback, giving you plenty of time to provide a soothing soundtrack to your outdoor activities. It was even designed play music with the case closed. And playing music well isn’t all this bad boy does. Inside the rugged case is 400 cubic inches of internal dry storage filled with a foam interior. This foam can be completely customized to your liking, stowing your valuables safely away. Whether it’s your cameras or tablet, the case will ensure your gear stays protected and dry. The speaker retails for $399, and comes in several different colors. [Purchase]

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CLOUD 9 FLOATING BAR IN FIJI

We’ve encountered are fair share of amazing bars. I’ve also highlighted some of the best turquoise water resorts on the planet. But this is definitely the first time we’ve featured an amazing bar floating in turquoise waters.

Cloud 9 is a mind blowing bar floating off the main island of Fiji, Viti Levu. The open concept facility spans two levels, featuring a lounge bar, day beds, and hanging chairs to take in the 360-degree views of the ocean. It has the ability to accommodate up to 100 people, and offers up several different activities including swimming, parasailing and jet ski rentals. And for food, there’s a restaurant complete with Italian wood fire pizzeria. So how do you get to this booze-filled paradise? All you have to do is a catch a 45-minute boat ride from Port Denarau. If that sounds like too much time, you can always hope on a 10-minute speed boat from the various resorts surrounding the waters of Vanua Malolo on Ro Ro Reef. [Purchase]

[MIKA27]

THE LIBERTY FLASK

On the Statue of Liberty it says, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” But what about the quote on a solid oxidized copper flask that has the same hue as Lady Liberty? Maybe something simpler like, “Give me your booze.”

The Liberty Flask from Jacob Bromwell features an off-set spout and the company’s signature green patina finish that’s “painstakingly achieved through a natural process of 30 years of aging and oxidization” at their Vermont workshop. A proprietary clear coat is then applied to seal the patina from changing and locking in the finish for life. Each American-made 9-ounce flask is unique, with parts of raw copper occasionally showing through. A birch wood stopper is also included. [Purchase]

[MIKA27]

Wall Street Journal: Some Apple Watches Are Too Broken To Ship

Apple has found problems with the component that powers the Apple Watch’s “Taptic Engine”, according to the Wall Street Journal. The problem is causing shipping delays for many customers, so if you haven’t gotten yours, now you know why.

The taptic engine is a linear actuator that lets the Watch give you a little taps on the wrist. It’s haptic feedback that’s subtler than the buzzes you get from vibration motors on other smartwatches. It sounds like a neat idea! Unfortunately, the WSJ says that one of the two big suppliers is making parts that don’t work properly. Apple has reportedly moved almost all of its production to the Japanese supplier that does work.

The report makes sense given that the Apple Watch appears to be in short supply. Customers still face long lead times, and stores still don’t have inventory to sell. It’s worth noting that the story. based on unnamed sources but you can usually trust the WSJ’s supply chain contacts.

Just goes to show: Never buy the first version of Apple anything. [WSJ]

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Scientists Map The Hidden Rivers That Feed Antartica's Bleeding Glacier

At Blood Falls, deep red iron-rich water oozes out of a glacier. It’s dramatic and unmissable on its own, but Blood Falls has always hinted at some greater hidden thing — that would be a vast subterranean network of briny waters, which scientists have just started to map.

The salty water are likely the remnants of an ancient sea that still host microbial life. In a study published in Nature Communications today, scientists flew an electromagnetic sensor over Taylor Valley in Antarctica. Based on the sensor’s readings, they could tell whether it was ice, soil or something else entirely — likely liquid brine. “These inferred brines are widespread within permafrost and extend below glaciers and lakes,” they write.

A helicopter flies the sensor over Lake Frxyell in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

The flights were conducted over the Antarctic austral summer in 2011. More recently, microbiologist Jill Mikucki, who helped carry out this electromagnetic research, led a team to actually sample the subterranean liquid brine. You can read about that expedition below. Those results aren’t published yet, but we’ll be waiting for them eagerly.[Nature Communications]

[MIKA27]

Morphing Wings Will Turn Planes Into Fuel-Saving Shape-Shifters

Flying’s great — you can be whisked across timezones in a matter of hours — but it’s not so great for your wallet or the atmosphere. NASA’s new wing design that adjusts its flaps mid-flight could be the fix.

NASA teamed up with the US Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) and Michigan-based engineering firm FlexSys Inc. to create a new type of wing that tailors its flap angles from -2 degrees to 30 degrees. Instead of plane ol’ flat wings, these flexible puppies can be adjusted up and down to make the aircraft more aerodynamic. This can make aircraft lighter, and also make them less noisy during takeoff and landing.

The tech’s been dubbed Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge (ACTE) flight. Testing started late last year, and just now successfully completed all 22 flight tests.

Now, looking ahead, ACTE tech can either be retrofitted onto existing planes, or integrated into brand new ones.

Now maybe if we can just complementary booze on all flights, we’d be golden. [NASA]

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Watch Jeff Bezos' New Rocket Take To The Skies For The First Time

Yesterday, Blue Origin’s New Shepard space vehicle ventured out on its first developmental test flight. The Jeff Bezos-founded organisation reports that the launch was a success — though it didn’t manage to recover the propulsion module as it hoped.

The vehicle’s 149,140Nm thrust liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen BE-3 engine apparently “worked flawlessly” during the test according to Bezos, with guidance, navigation, control and separation all working as planned. “Any astronauts on board would have had a very nice journey into space and a smooth return,” he adds.

Sadly, one of the main goals of Blue Origin is re-use, so the failure on that front is a shame. Maybe next time?

[MIKA27]

A Bass Pro Shop In A Pyramid Is Surely A Sign That The World Is Ending

How does a city reuse a former basketball arena when the team moves to new digs across town? And what if, hypothetically, that arena is shaped like a pyramid? If you’re Memphis, you fill it with a 50,000 square metre Bass Pro Shop, then sit back and wait for the apocalypse to arrive.

Built in 1991, Memphis’s Great American Pyramid has been empty for over a decade, looming on the skyline like a bad idea conceived after too much cocaine. Numerous proposals have tried to revive the 32-storey pyramid, but none had the $US191 million backing of America’s most audacious retailer.

In addition to the sales floor, the store is like a Vegas-scale Bubba Gump outpost including a cypress swamp with live alligators, a bowling alley, a restaurant, an observation deck, taxidermy museum, and a hotel. If these photos aren’t enough to convince you of humanity’s impending doom, there are more images over at Bloomberg Businessweek. The store opened today.

[MIKA27]

All Your Home Really Needs Is This R2-D2 Pinball Machine Coffee Table

Forget couches, forget dining tables, forget beds, forget even a working toilet; all your home really needs for you to be happy and content is this amazing R2-D2-themed coffee table featuring a working Star Wars pinball machine inside.

The pinball machine (circa 1991) hidden beneath the table’s glass top comes courtesy of Data East, so it provides a genuine pinball experience with all the lights, dings, and tilting you could ever want. And the table is on wheels, so once you’re done entertaining guests with it in the living room, you can wheel it into the bedroom for some private pre-shuteye high scoring.

The front of the table — if you can call it that — even features a working projector showing an image of R2-D2 inside the Death Star from the Star Wars films, sadly not Princess Leia begging for your help. So what will the ultimate coffee table cost you? Since Altar Furniture claims it takes around 320 hours to manufacture each one, its $US10,000+ price tag makes sense, even if it instantly puts an end to your dream of owning one.

[MIKA27]

The Cockpit Of Solar Impulse Is Not For The Faint-Hearted

The solar-powered aeroplane Solar Impulse is heading toward one of the most difficult phases of its around-the-globe flight: crossing the Pacific Ocean. That means the pilot will have to sit for five days and nights in the confined cockpit of the plane. As you can see, it’s not particularly luxurious.

The plane recently landed in Nanjing, China and the next flight is due to start on May 5, when Solar Impulse will take off for its seventh flight to Hawaii. The lonely pilot, Bertrand Piccard, will fly the zero-fuel aeroplane about 8172km (4412 nautical miles) for an estimated time of 120 hours. All the while, he’ll be sat in the unpressurised cockpit where temperatures swing wildly between day and night, staring at the bank of displays and instruments shown above. Piccard is one amazing guy.

[MIKA27]

Chernobyl Has Sandwich Fox, Apple Woman and Forest Fire

By now you’ve probably seen the viral video of the sandwich-making fox living inside the exclusion zone around the site of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster in 1986. If you haven’t, here it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htDF4RfIVdk

The radiation zone stretches 19 miles in all directions from the plant and is considered to be unsafe for humans for at least 20,000 years. About 300 people refused to evacuate and live inside the area, along with a wide variety of animals in addition to the sandwich fox. Workers on the New Safe Confinement structure are only allowed to work five-hour days for 30 days and then must leave for at least 15 days. Since 2011, journalists like the fox feeders and tourists have been allowed in the zone for short visits.

Bionerd measuring radiation in a control room at the Chernobyl nuclear plant

The radiation hasn’t stopped Bionerd, the pseudonym for an anonymous scientist and vlogger who has posted videos of herself walking inside reactor buildings, getting bitten by “radioactive ants” and eating apples growing on trees near the epicenter. Bionerd is conducting research – measuring radiation levels – and assures her Internet fans that she gets exposed to more radiation in a hospital emergency room.

Unfortunately, the fun with foxes and fruit may end soon. A forest fire started on April 27 inside the exclusion zone within 12 miles of the plant. One estimate put the size of the blaze at 400 hectare or about 1.5 square miles. Firefighters were brought in immediately and Ukraine Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk issued this statement on April 28:

As of 1245 (05:45 EDT) the fires has been localized and contained. The radiation levels are normal.

Smoke from the forest fire over the Chernobyl exclusion zone

That’s not reassuring to nuclear safety expert John H. Large, who has visited the site previously.

Brush fires and forest fires were the greatest concern in terms of the means by which you can disperse a secondary radiological impact from the original dissipation that occurred in 1986. In the exclusion zone and further away you have an area that has been abandoned for farming, abandoned for man management. That means you’ve got lots of brush and young wood growing out of control, and that means there’s a big fuel load to have a fire.

As expected, there is disagreement as to whether the smoke from the fire, which can spread hundreds of kilometers away, is contaminated with radiation. Investigation may be difficult because authorities suspect the fire may have been deliberately set and have tightened security in the exclusion zone.

The fox and Bionerd are safe for now, but what about the rest of us?

[MIKA27]

The Incredible Animal Life of Tennessee’s Uncharted Cave Systems

It has often been said in recent years that humans know more about our moon than we do about the expanses of our own oceans. Marine biologists speculate that an incredible number of undiscovered species may still exist within parts of the deep ocean, with room for somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 or more new large marine species alone.

While our oceans may remain among the most mysterious habitats yet to be explored, they are not the only “final frontier” in our search for new forms of terrestrial life. In their exhaustive book Caving: The Sierra Club Guide to Spelunking, authors Lane and Peggy Larson make the case for why more and more people are being drawn to the underground: technological improvements have broadened our ability to descend safely into the depths below us, and with those technologies, renewed interest in what new things we may learn while there.

“In the last thirty years the art of cave exploration has been revolutionized by radical improvements in caving equipment and the adoption of new techniques,” the Larsons wrote, “many of these adapted from mountaineering. These improvements have spawned a vital explosion of cave exploration and scientific investigation. Suddenly man has dropped deeper and crawled farther underground in natural caverns, and done so in greater safety, than he has ever before een privilege to accomplish—and there are greater depths, longer passages, and scientific questions begging answers.”

Thanks to modern cinema, horror films might leave a number of us thinking the kinds of scientific questions we’ll face could also involve gruesome salamander-like cavern dwellers, and other hideous, monstrous things that dwell below.

Truth be known, there probably are hundreds—if not thousands—of undiscovered species below us. But rather than being ghastly humanoids, or gigantic worms that feed on human sacrificial offerings, the majority of these species are likely to be minuscule, with many small enough to fit on a thumbnail.

Zoologist David Withers examining some Sequatchie caddisflies found near Sequatchie Cave.

In 2004, the Washington Post spoke with Tennessee’s state zoologist, David Withers, about the incredible biodiversity below his state alone. With more caves than any other state, Tennessee boasts more than 8,600 known cavern systems, constituting the largest and most complex underground system in the country, which extends into the earth below at least a half dozen neighboring states.

The Washington Post article noted the incredible biodiversity expected to exist within the caverns:

“Most of these caves have never been surveyed for their biodiversity, and some scientific experts estimate that as many as 1,000 species are yet to be discovered. Sheltered until recently from the outside world and with few opportunities to escape, a variety of largely unknown species of cave flora and fauna have evolved out of sight over millions of years.”

If one could imagine the sorts of creatures that might exist in such uninviting places, which consist mostly of beetles, millipedes, and other creepy-crawly critters, it might be easy to understand why few take up such pursuits, apart from the endomologists among us. Granted, there are occasional reports of other things from time to time, which may do more to fulfill the imaginations of the cinema enthusiasts aforementioned, rather than the collection bottles of scientists seeking the minutiae our world has to offer in the way of biology.

In the quest to trace the uncharted regions of our world, and our hope for the discovery of new species where they may thrive, all too often we set our sights on those larger things… even if by “larger” we still mean small enough to fit inside a kettle. There are indeed far smaller members of the undiscovered animal world, and in far-more out of the way places; we cannot overlook the earth-dwellers in our survey of all creatures, both great, and small.

[MIKA27]

MOUSTACHE COFFEE CLUB

When it comes to coffee, freshness matters. A lot. Which is why the Moustache Coffee Club roasts and ships your coffee on the same day. In most cases, you get your beans so quickly that you need to read the Recommended Drink Date to make sure you don't start brewing too soon. As for the beans themselves, they're different nearly every shipment, sourced from single origins and hand selected by the Moustache team. Weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly plans are available so you can choose one that fits your drinking habits.

[MIKA27]

IBM Just Cracked One Of The Biggest Problems Facing Quantum Computing

Quantum computing could make complex calculations trivial — but it’s currently fraught with problems. Now, though, IBM has solved one of the biggest, allowing it to detect the internal errors that could otherwise render quantum calculation useless.

One of the many problems exhibited by the breed of future computers is that they exist in the delicate and fuzzy quantum world, using not bits but qubits — quantum bits. Each of these qubits can represent a 0, a 1, or — crucially — both, providing the ability to dramatically bump up computation speeds. When both exist at the same time on the quibit, they are related by what physicists call a phase relationship.

But in real quantum computers, errors can occur when a qubit holds both states: they can flip to being just a regular 0 or 1 (known as a bit flip), or the phase relationship can change sign (known as a phase flip). While there are already techniques in existence that can detect both errors, so far it’s been impossible to detect them both at the same time. That’s not much use, because you needed to be able to detect all errors for a quantum computer to work reliably. But researchers at IBM have cracked the problem. PhysOrg explains how:

The IBM Research team used a variety of techniques to measure the states of two independent syndrome (measurement) qubits. Each reveals one aspect of the quantum information stored on two other qubits (called code, or data qubits). Specifically, one syndrome qubit revealed whether a bit-flip error occurred to either of the code qubits, while the other syndrome qubit revealed whether a phase-flip error occurred. Determining the joint quantum information in the code qubits is an essential step for quantum error correction because directly measuring the code qubits destroys the information contained within them.

It’s a seemingly simple solution to what’s been a huge problem in the quantum community. IBM reckons it should be enough to introduce this kind error detection in the larger arrays of qubits that researchers hope to create in the future. We sure hope so.

[MIKA27]

Bird or bat? New dinosaur find in China is a bit of both and a puzzle of evolution

A reconstruction of the part-bird, part-bat Yi Qi.

Chinese scientists have discovered the first dinosaur to have “hybrid” wings combining feathers with a membrane similar to that of bats.

The 160 million year old fossil, found in China’s northern Hebei province and described in the latest issue of the journal Nature, was a small carnivore with sharp teeth and strong jaws.

Named Yi Qi, which means “odd wings”, the fossilised creature could lead to a re-evaluation of how dinosaurs evolved into birds.

Scientists had believed the key was the growth of feathers, but the hybrid wings of Yi suggested the process could have been more sophisticated and chaotic than previously thought.

“We were shocked by the discovery. Never before had any dinosaurs carried a feature like this,” said Xu Xing, professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing and one of the authors of the Nature paper.

“Going hybrid is a risky business. Most attempts have ended up in failures, and this was one of them. Mother Nature’s failed experiments rarely got preserved in fossil records because their occurrence was just a blink in the long history of natural evolution,” he said.

The fossil, currently being kept at the Tianyu Museum of Natural History in Shandong province, was different from other dinosaur fossils in that some parts were badly preserved.

But the wing structure caught the eye of the researchers.

“In the beginning, we really didn’t know what this rod-like bone structure was,” said Shu Kewen, another of the authors of the paper from the institute.

By chance he came across a picture of a Japanese dwarf flying squirrel and spotted an almost similar bone. Using various methods such as computed tomography and electromagnetic scans to obtain microscopic details including black pigments and chemical traces, the scientists confirmed the bone was a crucial part of the membrane structure on the Yi Qi’s feathered wings.

Commonly found in ancient flying creatures such as Pterosaur and in modern mammals such as bats, the membrane had a simpler structure which allowed easier flight control than feathers.

But the disadvantages were also obvious. Membrane wings were heavier and thus less efficient for long-distance flying.

The Yi Qi’s hybrid structure seemed to have more cons than pros. Aerodynamic analysis showed the dinosaur could fly, but not very far, and could glide, but not very efficiently.

“Yi was not a competitive flyer,” Xu said. “It might have been gliding most of the time with an occasional flapping of the wings.”

The extinction of the species was inevitable, the scientists concluded. As other dinosaurs took to the skies on fully feathered wings or as mammals with full membranes, Yi Qi lost out in the race of natural selection.

[MIKA27]

Mystery of the Knights Templars: Protectors or Treasure Hunters on a Secret Mission?

The Knights Templars were a secret society whose true purpose remains a mystery or is at least vigorously debated among scholars and historians to this day. The Templars left behind many clues of their actions which have been passed down through generations, hidden in ancient manuscripts and discovered by archeologists in the modern era. Their story is one that has captured the fascination and curiosity of people throughout the ages – were they sent to the holy land in Jerusalem to protect Christians on pilgrimages, or were they sent there on secret missions by higher authorities in order to unearth lost artifacts and buried treasure under temples and sacred holy sites?

The Knights Templars were members of a religious military order of Christian knighthood founded around 1118-1119 in Jerusalem by the French knight Hugh des Payens. For nearly two centuries this organization was the most powerful order in the medieval world. They were the first standing army in Europe since the fall of the Roman Empire and by the time they reached their pinnacle of power in 1300, it is said they numbered in the tens of thousands. In the beginning, there were a total of nine founding knights who made up the organization and were all related to one another through blood or marriage. As both monks and soldiers, they were a paradox without precedent since there had never been praying priests who took up arms who also took vows of poverty, obedience and celibacy. Knights Templars did not surrender unless they were outnumbered three to one and believed that since they were fighting for God they would be immediately sent up to heaven upon falling in battle.

BaldwinII ceeding the location of the Temple of Solomon to Hugues de Payns and Gaudefroy de Saint-Homer. The fourth person is Warmund, Patriarch of Jerusalem.

Today in Europe, there are hundreds of former templar sites scattered across the continent showing how influential they were centuries ago. At their peak, there were approximately 15,000 Templars houses with a network stretching from England to Egypt with the center of power situated in the then heart of the medieval world, France. Conventional history says the Knights Templar’s purpose was to protect travelers traveling along the coast of the Mediterranean to Jerusalem. In the middle ages, pilgrimages were made by westerners who had been guaranteed their safety in the city and templars protected them through the passes and mountains. In addition to protection of the pilgrims, Templars also defended the Christian kingdom of Jerusalem and other holy sites as part of their duty.

Crusades and Escort Service

For two hundred years, the Crusades were fought in the name of God and were considered to be a clash of civilizations. Enemies were formed between the Christian west and Muslim east, which have endured to this day. In 1065, Jerusalem was taken by the Turks and the Christians were treated badly enough to where, throughout Christendom, people were stirred to fight and recapture the city. Another reason for the Crusades stems from the Church‘s desire to block any Islamic incursion into Christian lands. On November 27th 1095, Pope Urban II gave a speech in which he exhorted Christians to rise up against Muslims in the Holy Land. At this point in time, Muslims controlled Spain and parts of Eastern Europe. Thousands responded to the call and took up the sword but only around 1,000 ever made it to Jerusalem. The western Christians united with the Byzantines in the east and in 1099, the Crusaders, led by Godfrey of Bouillon, captured Jerusalem back from the Turks after a five week siege. When the holy sites were in Christian hands, Westerners began traveling to the area in record numbers. Outside the city walls, life was dangerous and there became a need for an escort service which is when the first Knights Templars came forward.

Pope Urbanus ll preaching the First Crusade.

Banking Back Home

During the third crusade, the Christians were decimated at the battle of Hattin. It was the single worst military disaster in the holy land and one of the worst defeats for Christianity. The Templars were all put to the sword by their Muslim conquerors who would go on to take the city of Jerusalem a few months later. Subsequent crusades by later generations would come to be known as failures. When they returned home after the first crusades in 1128, the Templars were rich and influential and answered to no one but the pope. They also did not have to pay taxes and were allowed to cross through the borders of European countries unrestricted. From 1150 on, they stopped guarding the road to Jerusalem. Instead they devised a system which allowed pilgrims to travel without cash and valuables that might otherwise make them targets. The Templars entered into the banking business and the Temples (local lodges) were established throughout Europe, drawing deposits of massive wealth. The services the templars offered became the model for today’s banking system, money transfers, pension plans and traveler’s checks. Their wealth made them the prominent bankers of their age and the first western multi-national corporation. The most controversial service the Templars offered was the issuance of high profile loans. Princes and commoners alike banked with the Templars, and many states became indebted to them. The church, adamantly against usury at this time, looked the other way.

Crusader coins of the kingdom of Jerusalem, Denier in European style with Holy Sepulchre. British Museum, 2007.

Decline of the Templars

With the fall of the Holy Land to the Muslims in 1187, the Templar order lost its founding purpose and became a target for unhappy debtors. With the failure of the crusades and subsequent closures of the passage to the holy land, there no longer became a reason for the Knights Templars to exist. Imagine a standing army roaming Europe that answered to no one and with no battle to fight. This attracted attention and due to the wealth and political power the Templars had, they were seen as a threat to the power structure. During the early 14th century, the order experienced a sudden decline. In 1302, King Philip IV of France came into conflict with the pope. Needing cash for his wars, he waged a vicious and skillful campaign aimed at suppressing the Templars, gaining their wealth while simultaneously, striking a blow against the papacy.

On Friday October 13, 1307, all the Knights Templars in France were arrested by agents of King Philip and he ordered any still residing in the country to be thrown into prison where they were tortured until confessing to accusations of heresy, homosexuality, and dishonest business activities. They were charged with capital offenses and their properties seized. More than likely, many of the confessions were meaningless but following these admissions, a Papal command was issued by Pope Clement V to all Christian sovereigns in 1312 which ordered that all Knights Templars be disbanded. The order of the Templar Knights went underground and their movements have been shrouded in mystery ever since. Friday the 13th is linked with this historical event.

Execution of the Templars in the presence of Philip ‘the Fair’. Bedford Master 1415-1420, France

Conspiracy

After Clement’s edict in 1312, the Templars virtually vanished from the pages of history. Of the hundreds, possibly thousands of Templars who were not arrested, there is little record of what happened to them. There is documentation that their large fleet of ships vanished and it’s possible that they fled to Scotland since the country was something a Templar stronghold at the time. They might have gone to Switzerland or hidden in the Alps which bordered southern France (its endless mountain range would have been a perfect hiding spot for treasure). Some survivors of the Templar order can be traced and they simply changed their name becoming the Knights of Christ in Portugal for example.

But of all the mysteries surrounding the Knights Templars, the most puzzling one concerns their time spent in Jerusalem. The Templars literally disappeared there for nine years and what they did in their time there remains mostly unknown. There were nine middle aged monks who were hardly in a position to protect travelers coming in and out of Jerusalem. There also doesn’t seem to be a written account of any pilgrims being guarded by the Templars. In 1867 a clue came to light when a British archaeological team excavated under the site of the temple mount in Jerusalem. There, they uncovered tunnels extending vertically from a mosque for some twenty five meters which fanned out horizontally under the dome of King Solomon’s temple. Templars spurs and various pieces of armaments were found as proof that the tunnels had been used by them. A prevailing theory is that the Knights Templars were digging under the Temple for treasure left there by the Jews after the invasions by the Romans in 70 AD. Other theories suggest the knights were guarding the Holy Grail and in possession of major treasures. The biblical temple of Solomon once housed the Ark of the Covenant and Ten Commandments. There are early masonic writings in the 1800’s citing documents which allegedly link the Templars with the arc of the covenant and treasure buried in the Temple of Solomon. Regardless of which theory is the right one, when they emerged again in Europe they were more wealthy, powerful and influential than ever.

[MIKA27]

The Sun Just Spat Out A Massive Solar Filament

Last week, the sun spat out a massive solar filament that extended the star’s visible hemisphere by almost half. This image of that huge lick of plasma was captured by NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO).

Solar filaments are unstable strands of plasma that loop out of the sun because of strong magnetic fields that push them outwards. Occasionally, the forces become such that they get spat out further into space — like this one. The image was captured by the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph aboard SOHO. The block-colour anulus is used to block the intense light at the surface of the Sun, allowing the image to be captured in more detail. [NASA]