Flying Squirrels
There are 43 known species of flying squirrel. While the name flying squirrel is a bit of a misnomer—the creatures cannot actually fly—they are able to glide long distances by leaping from tall heights and extending flaps of skin, called patagia, that stretch from their forelimbs to their hindlimbs. Once airborne, the squirrels have a high degree of maneuverability and are able to steer by adjusting the tautness of the patagia and using their tails as stabilizers

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My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions.

Atomic Force Microscope
With a demonstrated resolution of fractions of a nanometer, the atomic force microscope (AFM) is one of the foremost tools for imaging, measuring, and manipulating matter at the nanoscale. Unlike the electron microscope, which provides a two-dimensional image of a sample, the AFM provides a true 3-D surface profile. Though the term "microscope" suggests the visual study of minute samples, this high-tech device functions in an entirely different manner.

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LETS BEGIN IN 2010

Survivalism
In the 1970s, widespread fear of imminent natural and artificial disasters and societal collapse led to the development of survivalism, a subculture based on the anticipation of catastrophic events and the preparations involved in surviving disaster. Survivalists stockpile food and water, build shelters, and learn skills that they believe will help them live through apocalyptic chaos. Today, many survivalists exchange information via the Internet.

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LETS BEGIN IN 2010

Survivalism
In the 1970s, widespread fear of imminent natural and artificial disasters and societal collapse led to the development of survivalism, a subculture based on the anticipation of catastrophic events and the preparations involved in surviving disaster. Survivalists stockpile food and water, build shelters, and learn skills that they believe will help them live through apocalyptic chaos. Today, many survivalists exchange information via the Internet.

Which, we all know, will survive an apocalypse at least as well as the cockroaches. :-)

Carnivorous Plants
Usually found in places with thin or nutrient-poor soil, carnivorous plants derive some or most of their sustenance by attracting, trapping, and digesting insects, small animals, and protozoans. Though there are hundreds of species of carnivorous plants, they all attract and trap prey using any of 5 basic mechanisms: pitfall traps, flypaper traps, snap traps, bladder traps, and lobster-pot traps

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LETS BEGIN IN 2010

Parahumans
Once solely a concept of science-fiction, the parahuman, or human-animal hybrid, has recently entered the realm of reality. Efforts to combine genes from different species for medical and industrial purposes are now fairly common. Though such research could prove useful for the production of drugs and transplant-ready organs, it has raised numerous ethical, moral, and legal issues.

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LETS BEGIN IN 2010

Space-Time
In physics, space-time is a four-dimensional continuum consisting of three dimensions in space and one dimension in time. This mathematical model, which is an integral part of Einstein's relativity theory, combines space and time into a single continuum that allows physicists to more uniformly describe the workings of the universe.

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LETS BEGIN IN 2010

Etiquette in the Middle East

Travelers who fail to familiarize themselves with a region's customs before visiting that area risk inadvertently offending or insulting their hosts. For example, in Iraq and Iran, the "thumbs up" gesture—a Western expression of approval—is considered an offensive insult. In the Middle East, where Islam is the predominant religion, modesty and hospitality are strongly valued traits, but their practice varies across ethnic groups

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LETS BEGIN IN 2010

Molecular Machine

A molecular machine is a minute mechanism consisting of molecular components that perform mechanical-like movements in response to specific stimuli. Chemists have synthesized a number of simple molecular machines, including molecular propellers and molecular motors, the latter of which are powered by light or reactions with other molecules and are capable of unidirectional rotation. Far more complex biological versions of these artificial nanomachines are found in living cells

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LETS BEGIN IN 2010

Infrasound

Long thought to cause feelings of fear or awe, infrasound is sound that is able to cover long distances with little dissipation at a frequency too low to be detected by the human ear. It is created by natural phenomena such as ocean waves and earthquakes and can be artificially produced by explosions or machines. Infrasound is used by some animals to communicate over long distances and by predators to "freeze" their prey

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My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions.

Active Denial System
Informally labeled the "pain ray," the Active Denial System (ADS) is a non-lethal weapon being developed by the US military. Designed for use in crowd control operations, the ADS emits electromagnetic radiation that excites water molecules in the epidermis, causing an intensely painful burning sensation. Though the device does not actually burn the skin, its effect is said to feel similar to a hot light bulb being pressed against it.

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LETS BEGIN IN 2010

Mail Art
Some claim that mail art, an art form that uses the postal system as a medium, began when Cleopatra had herself delivered to Julius Caesar in a rolled-up carpet, but the thousands-strong, international network of mail artists as it exists today is a more recent development, evolving between the 1950s and 90s. Mail artists typically exchange ephemera in the form of decorated envelopes, illustrated letters, artist trading cards, zines, objects, and a number of other items.

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LETS BEGIN IN 2010

Exabytes

An exabyte is a unit of information or computer storage equal to one quintillion bytes—an amount roughly represented by the number 1 followed by 18 zeros. Though the term is rarely encountered in any practical context, a popular, hotly contested assertion, which often cites as support a project at the UC Berkeley School of Information, is that "all words ever spoken by human beings" can be represented by approximately 5 exabytes of data

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LETS BEGIN IN 2010

Wish Trees

Identified by the faithful as possessing special spiritual value, wish trees are individual trees which have been distinguished—often by species, position, or appearance—as the objects of wishes. Visitors commonly offer up coins, liquor, and other gifts in order to gain fulfillment of their desires. Among the most famous wish tree visitors was Queen Victoria, whose 1877 visit to an oak in the Scottish Highlands brought it much fame

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LETS BEGIN IN 2010

The Loudness War

The music industry's tendency to record, produce, and broadcast music at progressively increasing levels of loudness to create a distinct sound is known as the Loudness War. Because the maximum amplitude of recorded music cannot be increased, overall loudness can only be boosted by reducing the dynamic range of source audio and distorting recordings, leading to complaints from some audiophiles

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LETS BEGIN IN 2010

What Lights the Firefly?

Commonly called fireflies or lightning bugs, the carnivorous beetles of the family Lampyridae are named for their use of bioluminescence when attracting mates or prey. Fireflies are capable of producing red, yellow, or green "cold light" containing no ultraviolet or infrared rays. Approximately 90% of the energy used in the process is converted to visible light—compared to 10% for incandescent electric bulbs, which emit the remainder of their energy as heat

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LETS BEGIN IN 2010

Fluxus
Fluxus, "to flow" in Latin, is an international group of artists noted for blending various artistic media and disciplines in the 1960s. Considered an attitude rather than a movement or style, Fluxus encourages a do-it-yourself aesthetic and values simplicity. Fluxus developed out of many of the concepts explored by composer John Cage, who focused on the notion of chance in art through works such as 4'33"—a "composition" performed without a single note being played.

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LETS BEGIN IN 2010

slamic Script Calligraphy
Revered as the primary means by which the Qur'an has been preserved, Islamic calligraphy is the art of decorative writing that often employs Arabic script, which consists of a 28-letter alphabet and 18 different forms of writing. These calligraphic scripts are often woven into intricate pictographic calligrams depicting animals, mosques, and various other figures.

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LETS BEGIN IN 2010

H.L. Mencken
Often regarded as one of the most influential American writers of the early 20th century, H.L. Mencken was a journalist, satirist, social critic, and cynic known as the "Sage of Baltimore," for the city where he lived his entire life. Perhaps best remembered for his satirical reporting on the Scopes evolution trial, which he dubbed the "Monkey trial," Mencken was frequently critical of myriad groups.

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LETS BEGIN IN 2010

Kshatriya: The Warrior Class

Kshatriya is Hindu India's military varna, or caste. In ancient times, it was considered the highest varna, but it was later supplanted by the priestly Brahman class. The legend of the caste's demotion by Vishnu may reflect a historical struggle for power between priests and rulers. According to Hindu texts, Kshatriyas studied the ancient martial arts, which were eventually carried by Buddhist monks to China and Japan.

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LETS BEGIN IN 2010