Burning bright: The spectacular 'fire rainbow' that bathed the Scottish sky in a palette of stunning colours. By Tom Goodenough Published: 10:39 GMT, 27 July 2012 | Updated: 12:01 GMT, 27 July 2012 As photo opportunities go it was heaven sent. Ali Bain was walking through his local wildlife reserve with his camera at the ready when the clouds above him parted to reveal this dramatic 'fire rainbow'. Appearing as a cascade of colour tumbling out of the clouds, the phenomenon lasted just 20 seconds before it disappeared. But Mr Bain still had time to take this spectacular shot of the skies above Moray, in Scotland. The rare fire rainbow was spotted at the River Spey in Moray by 61-year-old Ali Bain who was out for an evening stroll He said: 'I was out walking my dog and took my camera because we were out on a wildlife reserve. 'Then I noticed an unusual rainbow in the sky. 'It only lasted for about 20 seconds. 'I was happy that I had my camera with me.' The optical marvel is formed by plate-shaped ice crystals coming together in high altitude clouds.
Great balls of ice! 3,000 frames-per-second video shows what happens when you drop liquid nitrogen onto a frying pan. Effect captured by 3,000 frame per second cameraSame to what happens when water is dropped onto hot panFilmed by makers of six-volume cookbook By Rob Waugh Published: 14:17 GMT, 26 July 2012 | Updated: 14:32 GMT, 26 July 2012 An incredible video has shown off what happens when you drop liquid nitrogen onto a hot frying pan - and explains why water forms into little 'balls' when dropped onto a hot surface.
The effect, known as the Leidenfrost effect, was captured in a video shot by the makers of Modernist Cuisine, a six volume, $450 cookbook that clocks in at 2,468 pages long - and has sold more than $20 million. The Leidenfrost effect is caused by the liquid produces an insulating vapour layer when it comes in contact with a solid surface that is hotter than its boiling point - so balls of water or nitrogen 'glide' across the surface until they disappear. Scroll down for video Sizzle! The droplet sizzles away to nothing, insulated from the hot surface by a layer of vapour But why is it so BIG? 'She leaned in and kissed me full on the lips': Did Marilyn Monroe have a lesbian affair with a 16-year-old girl?
By Olivia Fleming Published: 21:09 GMT, 26 July 2012 | Updated: 21:31 GMT, 26 July 2012 A new book to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's death has revealed how the blonde bombshell was sexually attracted to women. Marilyn Monroe: My Little Secret, told by Jane Lawrence to author Tony Jerris, reveals how the Fifties sex symbol seduced a 16-year-old girl who started the actress' first fan club at 20th Century Fox. In recollections told to Mr Jerris, Ms Lawrence reveals how the then 29-year-old actress 'leaned in and kissed me full on the lips, very softly and very slowly. I was nearly hyperventilating.' Secret affair: Jane Lawrence (left) tells her story to author Tony Jerris, revealing how the Fifties sex symbol seduced her at 16 after she started the actress' first fan club at 20th Century Fox No Business Like Show Business: Ms Lawrence reflects upon her fondest memories of the screen goddess, and exposes the sexual relationship she shared with her as a teenager.
Fishing for a fortune: Chinese porcelain fish bowls found in Essex barn are set to sell for thousands. By Anna Edwards Published: 12:11 GMT, 26 July 2012 | Updated: 14:43 GMT, 26 July 2012 It is a find that would have bargain hunters swooning with envy. After being smothered in dust and forgotten in an old barn, this pair of beautiful bowls were discovered by an eagle-eyed expert looking around a house.
The giant Chinese porcelain fish bowls had been ignored for so long that they were discovered languishing in dust and containing a mummified mouse. The matching yellow pair were made in the 19th or early 20th century for the last dowager empress of China, Cixi, to keep her goldfish in. What a find! This giant pair of Chinese porcelain fish bowls, that were made in the 19th or early 20th century for the last dowager empress of China, Cixi, are now to be sold at auction They are now to be sold at auction and have been given a conservative estimate of £10,000, but are likely to sell for much more.
James Grinter, from Reeman Dansie’s auction house in Colchester, was the expert who spotted the bowls. World's tallest observation wheel given the green light to be a high roller on Vegas strip. By Daily Mail Reporter Published: 11:27 GMT, 26 July 2012 | Updated: 11:27 GMT, 26 July 2012 Caesars Entertainment Corporation, the business behind 50 casinos including Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, has announced it has permission to build the world's tallest observation wheel on the Vegas Strip. The Ferris-style wheel, dubbed the High Roller, is expected to stand 550ft tall, nine feet taller than the Singapore Flyer - the current world record holder - and 110ft taller than the London Eye, the tallest observation wheel in Europe.
The High Roller is the centerpiece of a planned $550 million development, dubbed LINQ, expected to open next year between the company's Harrah's Las Vegas, Imperial Palace and Flamingo Las Vegas casinos. Spinning on the strip: The High Roller observation wheel will dominate the skyline in Las Vegas after it opens in 2013 Building permit: Caesars Entertainment Corporation has been granted permission to build the wheel, which should be the tallest in the world at 550ft. Haunting images of America's abandoned cities paint picture of nation's forgotten struggles. By Daily Mail Reporter Published: 20:25 GMT, 26 July 2012 | Updated: 20:55 GMT, 26 July 2012 Shops sit in neat lines, a pool table waits for the next player and cars queue for their turn at a gas station - but there will be no customers, no patrons and no drivers here. These haunting images reveal America's abandoned cities, the nation's once bustling communities now dilapidated, cobwebbed and eerily silent.
While they all share the same conclusion, each city has a different story leading to its demise - tales of raging fires, devastating floods or simply overspending during the copper, mercury or gold rushes. Bleak: The once-thriving gold mining town of Bodie in California now sits abandoned, with scores of empty houses and saloons lining its streets and fields Artifacts: The town thrived after the discovery of gold in 1859 and residents enjoyed a wealthy existence. Silent: The ghost town of Bodie, California, was once a thriving mining settlement with a wild reputation. Any buyers? July 26 weather: Rare storm pattern to sweep through Midwest onto East Coast. One man was killed in Brooklyn, New York, and a woman died in Genesee, PennsylvaniaRichard Schwartz, 61, an assistant New York State attorney general, was killed after being hit by scaffolding and bricks falling from a church steeple that was struck by lightning32 million people in path of severe storm and New York City has 'unusually high risk' of tornadoState of emergency issued after tornado touched down in Elmira, NY at 4.15pm with fires, building damage and motorists trapped in carsFlights delayed up to 2 hours at JFK, La Guardia and Newark airportsCampsites evacuated in Allegany and Niagara regions By Beth Stebner and Louise Boyle and Emine Sinmaz Published: 19:53 GMT, 26 July 2012 | Updated: 18:34 GMT, 27 July 2012 Two people were killed and more than 100,000 homes and businesses in New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania were without electricity Friday morning after ferocious thunderstorms swept through the region.
Scroll down for video Gov. Can't rain on my parade! Here it comes! It's true, the mountain air really is clearer: Photographer captures blazing stars of the Milky Way from 6200ft up in the Swiss Alps. By Rob Waugh Published: 15:02 GMT, 26 July 2012 | Updated: 15:02 GMT, 26 July 2012 From the top of Switzerland's 6,200ft Stanserhorn, you can see France and Germany's Black Forest - but one Swiss photographer aimed his lens at a target a little further away, to capture the starry band of our own galaxy, the Milky Way.
The photograph was captured by Alessandro Della Bella at 1am on the Stansenhorn on 26 July. Home, sweet galactic home: The Milky Way - our galaxy - shines at night at around 1 AM, on the Stanserhorn, 26 July 2012, in Switzerland Della Bella says, 'The foremost thing in my mind - and my eyes - is the joy of photography.' The Swiss mountain had a funicular railway since 1893, but recently replaced it with a rather hair-raising open-topped cable car - the world's first. Opening in Switzerland, The Cabrio rises to a height of 1.2 miles above sea level as it climbs the Stanserhorn mountain near the city of Lucerne. Sun seeking red-breasted Robin makes the most of the hot weather as it sprawls out in a garden tub.
By Emily Allen Published: 10:21 GMT, 23 July 2012 | Updated: 15:24 GMT, 23 July 2012 Robins and snowy Christmas scenes may go hand-in-hand but this little bird is making the most of the summer now that it has finally arrived. The red-breasted creature was spotted sprawled out in a pot of Mediterranean lettuce in a garden in Oxford. With its wings outstretched and feathers splayed as it tried to cool down, the little bird blissfully soaked up the sun as the rays beamed down into the garden. Sunbathing: This little robin was spotted stretched out in a pot of Mediterranean lettuce in an Oxford garden And with that distinctive colouring he doesn't have to worry about sunscreen and going red in the sun. The unusual sighting, spotted by a gardener on Saturday, is in stark contrast to the normal sightings of robins, often seen ruffling their feathers in winter as snow covers Britain. But this pint-sized bird looked quite a home in temperatures of around 20C in the university city.
London 2012 Olympics: Company designs Guinea Pig Olympics calendar. Furry rodents put into humorous sporting positions to celebrate OlympicsNo animals were hurt in the making of this 2013 calendarDesigners used digital tricks to make the guinea pigs look like athletes By Richard Hartley-parkinson Published: 13:20 GMT, 23 July 2012 | Updated: 14:43 GMT, 23 July 2012 As London makes its final preparations ahead of Friday's Olympic opening ceremony, it appears that it's not just humans getting into the Games spirit. This set of guinea pigs show that they also want a piece of the action as they take to the track, field and pools for a funny calendar to celebrate the event. Maverick Arts Publishing created a calender called the 'Guinea Pig Games - Going for Gold' and shows what our furry friends would look like if they took part in sporting events. This picture shows Paula Ratcliffe running over Tower Bridge and is taken from the calendar's month of June Hopefully Team GB's Olympic sailing team will fare better than these guinea pigs who feature for July.
Inappropriate Facebook pictures on your profile really could lose you a job. Researchers warn of increase in employers checking candidates social networking profileLifestyle, attitudes and even your appearance in photos can matter By Mark Prigg Published: 14:34 GMT, 23 July 2012 | Updated: 15:04 GMT, 23 July 2012 Your Facebook profile really could lose you a job, researchers have found. In one of the biggest ever studies of the importance of Facebook profiles among job hunters, American scientists found that employees increasingly use the social networking site to weed out unsuitable candidates. 'While employers are using Facebook to monitor their employees, they have also begun to use it as a screening tool when considering potential candidates,' said Vanessa de la Llama of the Florida International University in North Miami, who led the research. Pause for thought: Employers are increasingly checking the Facebook profiles of potential staff.
Here, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg pauses as he delivers a keynote. 'War shirt' worn by Native American chief sells at auction for $900,000. The shirt was worn by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribeIt was sold at the Coeur d'Alene Art Auction in Reno, Nevada on Saturday By Graham Smith Published: 08:13 GMT, 23 July 2012 | Updated: 11:06 GMT, 23 July 2012 A war shirt worn by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe that can be seen in a painting hanging in the Smithsonian Institution has sold for $877,500 at auction. The shirt is considered to be one of the most important Native American artefacts to ever come to auction. It had been expected to sell for between $800,000 and $1.2million at the annual Coeur d'Alene Art Auction in Reno, Nevada on Saturday.
Important artefact: This war shirt worn by Chief Joseph of Nez Perce tribe sold for $877,500 at auction in Reno, Nevada, on Saturday Iconic: Chief Joseph wore the shirt while posing for a portrait by Cyrenius Hall in 1878. Auction spokesman Mike Overby said: 'Anything associated with Chief Joseph is highly desirable, and that's a pretty special shirt.' Chief Joseph in 1877. Keeping up with the Joneses': Comparing ourselves to our Facebook friends now at a whole new level. Over half of 16-24-year-olds constantly compare their themselves to friends on FacebookMore than one in ten 45-54 year-olds do the sameOne in seven 'feel stressed' by keeping up with others By Bianca London Published: 14:36 GMT, 23 July 2012 | Updated: 08:13 GMT, 24 July 2012 Everyone is guilty of having a quick flick through their Facebook friends' holiday snaps from time to time.
But according to a new study, the common idiom 'Keeping up with the Joneses', which refers to the comparison to one's neighbor as a benchmark for social caste, has been taken to a whole new level thanks to social media. To fail to 'Keep up with the Joneses' is perceived as demonstrating socio-economic or cultural inferiority and now it has been revealed that one in five Facebook and Twitter users admit they now constantly compare themselves to others based purely on the status updates, pictures and messages from their ‘friends’ on social media sites. Holiday New Kitchen or bedroom New car New bathroom.
Floods kill. Death toll reaches 37 after city battered by heaviest downpour in 60 yearsDisaster has affected 1.9 million and is estimated to have caused almost one billion pounds worth of damagesThe torrential rain saw roads submerged and caused blackouts across BeijingResidents took to the internet to express their anger over the city's 'flawed' infrastructure By Kerry Mcdermott Published: 16:41 GMT, 23 July 2012 | Updated: 16:41 GMT, 23 July 2012 A devastating rainstorm that claimed 37 lives in Beijing over the weekend has raised serious concerns over the Chinese capital's ability to cope with flooding. Beijing was hit with the heaviest downpour seen in the city in 60 years on Saturday, with many roads submerged under waist-deep water for hours. The death toll had reached 37 by Sunday night according to the municipal government, after 25 people drowned, six were killed in cave-ins in houses, five were electrocuted and one was killed by lightening.
Playing God: Scientists simulate first-ever 100% realistic sex disease bacteria - and find could pave way for artificial life. Breakthrough moment for artificial biology100% realistic simulated bacteria 'lives' inside PCSimulation could be used to design new medicines - or even life formsCould pave way for scientists to design bacteria using 3D modelling tools By Rob Waugh Published: 08:08 GMT, 23 July 2012 | Updated: 09:49 GMT, 23 July 2012 The first-ever complete computer model of a tiny, sexually transmitted bacteria is now 'living' inside a computer. The 'complete' model of the 'Mycoplasma genitalium' bacteria behaves exactly like the real thing - based on data from 900 scientific papers. The discovery could pave the way for scientists to design new bacteria in the same way we design cars or 3D models now.
Every chemical change inside the bacteria is simulated at the molecular level - a breakthrough that could be a a stepping-stone towards creating tailor-made life forms. It's alive! Since then, the field has changed. ‘Many of the issues we're interested in aren't single-gene problems,’ said Covert. Mind control: Researchers believe 'brain training' could teach people how to stop snacking. Hat's no visual trick: New telescope's 'First Light' pictures capture spectacular view of 'Sombrero' galaxy.
Wonder cleaner that 'scrubs kitchens to car engines' goes on general sale after being hotel trade's 'most closely guarded secret' Scientists create transparent solar panels out of 'glass-like' plastic.