Global Warming Uncovers Corpses Frozen in Time. Photo via Last Days of the Incas Five hundred years ago, three Inca children were left to freeze high in the cold Argentinian Andes as a religious sacrifice. In time, their bodies mummified, having been swallowed in snow and entombed within the glacier, lost to time. But centuries later, in a warmer world, their perfectly-preserved corpses were discovered beneath the melting snow -- an increasingly common sight.
Experts say that as glaciers continue to recede throughout the world, more of their long-guarded secrets will be revealed in the warm grip of a changing climate. When the three Inca children were discovered thanks to melting in the Andes, their well-preserved, mummified remains helped advance archeological knowledge of their rather mysterious civilization. For example, the frozen body of 24-year-old pilot, Benjamin Rafael Pabón, was discovered by hikers in Peru -- over 20 years after his plane crashed in the Andes. Photo: Noah Friedman-Rudovsky for The New York Times. Escapes from Alcatraz Island. There were, however, prisoners who decided not to wait for a transfer to another prison. Over the 29 years (1934-1963) that the Federal prison operated, 36 men (including two who tried to escape twice) were involved in 14 separate escape attempts. Twenty-three were caught, six were shot and killed during their escape, and two drowned.
Two of the men who were caught were later executed in the gas chamber at the California State Prison at San Quentin for their role in the death of a correctional officer during the famous May 2-4, 1946, "Battle of Alcatraz" escape attempt. Whether or not anyone succeeded in escaping from Alcatraz depends on the definition of "successful escape. " Is it getting out of the cellhouse, reaching the water, making it to land, or reaching land and not getting caught? Following are summaries of the 14 escape attempts: #1. . #2. . #3. . #4. Afghanistan: July 2011 - Alan Taylor - In Focus.
In the month of July, 54 coalition soldiers were killed in Afghanistan, including 32 Americans. This was as the United States began drawing down its forces, with some 10,000 U.S. troops due to pull out by the end of the year. Currently, the U.S. has some 150,000 troops deployed in Afghanistan. This month also saw an escalation in recent assassinations claimed by the Taliban, as both the mayor of Kandahar and President Hamid Karzai's half-brother, Ahmad Wali Karzai, were killed. The assassinations and continued suicide attacks are heightening uncertainty in the face of troop withdrawals, despite assurances from both coalition and Afghan officials. Gathered here are images from the ongoing conflict over the past 31 days, part of an ongoing monthly series on Afghanistan. [41 photos] Use j/k keys or ←/→ to navigate Choose: An internally displaced Afghan man speaks from a small window at a refugee camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, on July 28, 2011.
A bomb dropped from a U.S. U.S. Lance Cpl. U.S. Afghanistan: August 2011 - Alan Taylor - In Focus. On August 6, 2011, American forces in Afghanistan suffered their single deadliest day in the nearly decade-long war, as Taliban insurgents shot down a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, killing 30 Americans and eight Afghans. August continued to be a particularly deadly month for Afghan civilians, who bore the brunt of dozens of attacks and IED explosions across the country. According to the Associated Press, Afghan government officials were apparently angered when they learned of secret American talks with an emissary of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, and in reaction appear to have leaked details of the secret meetings, scuttling the talks and sending the emissary into hiding in Europe.
As the U.S. continues its plan to withdraw combat forces by the end of 2014, a negotiated settlement between the Karzai government and the Taliban has become a major goal, but all sides involved are reportedly pursuing separate, often secret discussions with multiple contacts inside the insurgency. Spc. Libyan Rebels Storm Qaddafi Compound - Alan Taylor - In Focus. Earlier today, rebel Libyan forces stormed into Bab al-Aziziya, the fortified compound of Muammar Qaddafi in Tripoli, Libya. Qaddafi loyalists put up a fierce firefight for a time, but rebels were able to take control of the compound by this afternoon.
Qaddafi himself and his sons (who apparently have escaped captivity) remain at large, and gunfire and explosions continued to erupt sporadically across the capital city as night fell. Collected below are some of the scenes from the fall of Qaddafi's compound today. Also see earlier entries: DIY Weapons of the Libyan Rebels, and Qaddafi Losing Grip on Libya. [32 photos] Use j/k keys or ←/→ to navigate Choose: Rebel fighters stomp on the head of a statue of Muammar Qaddafi inside the main compound in Bab al-Aziziya in Tripoli, Libya, on Tuesday, August 23, 2011. Rebel fighters speak to a suspected pro-Qaddafi soldier after he was captured in Tripoli, Libya, on August 23, 2011. After the Taking of Tripoli - Alan Taylor - In Focus.
Tripoli is a quieter city today than it was earlier this week, as rebel forces assumed control, announcing they would be transferring their leadership there from Benghazi. The U.N. has freed up millions of dollars in aid money and dozens of countries have now recognized Libya's National Transitional Council as the new legitimate governing body in Libya. However, International agencies are urging both sides to make efforts to halt widespread abuses and avoid revenge attacks.
Parts of Tripoli were littered with bodies yesterday as rebel forces fought the last pockets of resistance by Muammar Qaddafi's loyalists. Fighting continues in other parts of Libya, in Qaddafi's hometown of Sirte and near the border of Tunisia, and Qaddafi once again urged his followers to fight the rebels, saying "The enemy is delusional, NATO is retreating".
Collected below are scenes of a battered Tripoli from the past several days - a warning, some are rather brutal. [36 photos] Click to view image. World War II: Battle of Midway and the Aleutian Campaign - Alan Taylor - In Focus. Six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan prepared to deal one more decisive blow to the U.S. Naval forces in the Pacific. Its aim was to destroy U.S. aircraft carriers and occupy Midway Atoll -- a tiny but strategically important island nearly halfway between Asia and North America, that was home to a U.S. Naval air station. American codebreakers deciphered the Japanese plans, allowing the U.S. Navy to plan an ambush. Use j/k keys or ←/→ to navigate Choose: An SBD-3 dive bomber of Bombing Squadron Six, on the deck of USS Yorktown. Aircraft carrier USS Enterprise at Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in late May 1942, being readied for the Battle of Midway. TBD-1 torpedo bombers of Torpedo Squadron Six unfold their wings on the deck of USS Enterprise prior to launching an attack against four Japanese carriers on the first day of the Battle of Midway.
View showing the stern quarter of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in the Pacific in 1942. U.S. Video.