Oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus (/ˈkwɜːrkəs/;[1] Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 600 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus (stone oaks), as well as in those of unrelated species such as Grevillea robusta (silky oaks) and the Casuarinaceae (she-oaks). The genus Quercus is native to the Northern Hemisphere, and includes deciduous and evergreen species extending from cool temperate to tropical latitudes in the Americas, Asia, Europe, and North Africa. North America contains the largest number of oak species, with approximately 90 occurring in the United States, while Mexico has 160 species of which 109 are endemic. Classification Genus Quercus The genus Quercus is divided into the following sections: Genus Cyclobalanopsis Old oak tree on the shore of Lake Koluvere, Estonia. The ring-cupped oaks of eastern and southeastern Asia. Hybridization Uses Genetics
Oddity Archive The Blue Fugates Troublesome creek in the state of Kentucky, U.S.A was not famous for any trouble as the name suggests, but for an odd family that lived in this wilderness. Troublesome Creek is known worldwide for the Fugates family that dwelt there. The Fugates were known as the ‘blue people’ and were an oddity because they were ... Sphinx Known fruit of the unknown; Daedalian plan; Out of sleeping a waking, Out of waking a sleep; Life death overtaking; Deep underneath deep? Goddess Saraswati Goddess Saraswati, fondly known as Saraswati Maa or His Shakti, is the Goddess of music, science, arts and technology.
Norse mythology An undead völva, a Scandinavian seeress, tells the spear-wielding god Odin of what has been and what will be in Odin and the Völva by Lorenz Frølich (1895) For the practices and social institutions of the Norse pagans, see Norse paganism Norse mythology, or Scandinavian mythology, is the body of mythology of the North Germanic people stemming from Norse paganism and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia and into the Scandinavian folklore of the modern period. The northernmost extension of Germanic mythology, Norse mythology consists of tales of various deities, beings, and heroes derived from numerous sources from both before and after the pagan period, including medieval manuscripts, archaeological representations, and folk tradition. Most of the surviving mythology centers on the plights of the gods and their interaction with various other beings, such as humanity and the jötnar, beings who may be friends, lovers, foes and/or family members of the gods. Sources[edit]
Chicago's Freezing Fire - In Focus On Tuesday night, a huge vacant warehouse on Chicago's South Side went up in flames. Fire department officials said it was the biggest blaze the department has had to battle in years and one-third of all Chicago firefighters were on the scene at one point or another trying to put out the flames. Complicating the scene was the weather -- temperatures were well below freezing and the spray from the fire hoses encased everything below in ice, including buildings, vehicles, and some firefighting gear. Use j/k keys or ←/→ to navigate Choose: A truck is covered in ice as firefighters work to extinguish a massive blaze at a vacant warehouse in Chicago, Illinois, on January 23, 2013. Chicago firefighters battle a five-alarm blaze in single digit temperatures at a warehouse on the city's South Side, Bridgeport neighborhood, on January 23, 2013. Icicles form on a fire hose as Chicago firefighters battle a five-alarm blaze in a warehouse on the city's South Side, on January 23, 2013.
Meliae Description[edit] Many species of Fraxinus, the ash trees, exude a sugary substance, which the ancient Greeks called méli, "honey". The species of ash in the mountains of Greece is the Manna-ash (Fraxinus ornus). The Meliae were nurses of the infant Zeus in the Cretan cave of Dikte, according to Callimachus, Hymn to Zeus. Of "manna", the ash-tree sugar, the standard 19th-century US pharmacopeia, The Dispensatory of the United States of America (14th edition, Philadelphia, 1878) said: Fermented honey preceded wine as an entheogen in the Aegean world. Meliae[edit] Argive genealogy in Greek mythology[edit] References[edit] Sources[edit] Ruck, Carl A.P. and Danny Staples, The World of Classical Myth 1994, p. 140.Burkert, Walter, 1985. External links[edit]
60 insane cloud formations from around the world [PICs] Cloud varieties go way beyond the cumulus, stratus, and cirrus we learn about in elementary school. Check out these wild natural phenomena. STANDING IN A CORNFIELD IN INDIANA, I once saw a fat roll cloud (like #4 below) float directly over my head. It’s a 12-year-old memory that remains fresh. There was a moment of mild panic just as the cloud reached me — Is this what a tornado looks like right before it hits? I thought. I imagine a lot of these photographers having similar hesitations as they set up for the shots below.
Elm Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The genus first appeared in the Miocene geological period about 20 million years ago, originating in what is now central Asia.[1] These trees flourished and spread over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward across the Equator into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, many species and cultivars were also planted as ornamental street, garden, and park trees in Europe, North America, and parts of the Southern Hemisphere, notably Australasia. The other genera of the Ulmaceae are Planera (water elm) and Zelkova (zelkova). Taxonomy[edit] Etymology[edit] The name Ulmus is the classical name for these trees, with the English name "elm" and many other European names derived from it.[7] Familiar species[edit] Pests and diseases[edit]
Snow Leopards Discovered Flourishing in Afghanistan The Snow Leopard is known for its elusive nature and wildlife groups have been concerned for decades about their dwindling numbers. Yet there is some good news – the species is, it seems, flourishing in one remote part of Afghanistan. The war torn country is home to a vigorous population of snow leopards. The World Conservation Society recently laid a number of camera traps in the Wakhan Corridor. This is a remarkable turn out of events as it has been estimated that there are only around seven thousand snow leopards in the world, scattered across a dozen countries in Central Asia. That isn’t the last of their worries either. Panthera uncial is considered one of the most endangered of the big cats. The goal of the World Conservation Society is to make sure that these wonderful beasts have are protected and have a future in Afghanistan. This it seems has not been the case. Yet there is a lot of work to be done.
Fraxinus European Ash in flower Narrow-leafed Ash (Fraxinus angustifolia) shoot with leaves Selected species[edit] Eastern North America Western and southwestern North America Fraxinus anomala Torr. ex S.Watson – Singleleaf AshFraxinus berlandieriana DC. – Mexican AshFraxinus cuspidata Torr. – Fragrant AshFraxinus dipetala Hook. & Arn. – California Ash or Two-petal AshFraxinus dubiaFraxinus gooddingii – Goodding's AshFraxinus greggii A.Gray – Gregg's AshFraxinus latifolia Benth. – Oregon AshFraxinus lowellii – Lowell AshFraxinus papillosa Lingelsh. – Chihuahua AshFraxinus purpusiiFraxinus rufescensFraxinus texensis (A.Gray) Sarg. – Texas AshFraxinus uhdei (Wenz.) Western Palearctic (Europe, north Africa and southwest Asia) Eastern Palearctic (central and east Asia) Closeup of European Ash seedsUnusual "treelets" growing from a fallen ash tree in Lawthorn wood, Ayrshire, Scotland Ecology[edit] Threats[edit] Canker on an Ash tree in North Ayrshire, Scotland Emerald ash borer Uses[edit] Cultural aspects[edit]
Playtype | Typographer's Glossary Serif: Serif's are semi-structural details on the ends of some of the strokes that make up letters and symbols. A typeface that has serifs is called a serif typeface (or seriffed typeface). Some of the main classifications of Serif type are: Blackletter, Venetian, Garalde, Modern, Slab Serif, Transitional, and Informal. Fonts in each classfication share certain similiar characteristics including the shape or appearance of their serifs. Poetic Edda Collection of Old Norse poems Poetic Edda is the modern attribution for an unnamed collection of Old Norse anonymous poems, which is different from the Edda written by Snorri Sturluson. Several versions exist, all primarily of text from the Icelandic medieval manuscript known as the Codex Regius. The Codex Regius is arguably the most important extant source on Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends. From the early 19th century onwards, it has had a powerful influence on later Scandinavian literatures. Codex Regius was written during the 13th century, but nothing was known of its whereabouts until 1643, when it came into the possession of Brynjólfur Sveinsson, then Bishop of Skálholt. Brynjólfur attributed the manuscript to Sæmundr the Learned, a larger-than-life 12th century Icelandic priest. Bishop Brynjólfur sent Codex Regius as a present to the Danish king, which gave the name. Composition[edit] The Eddic poems are composed in alliterative verse. Authorship[edit] Date[edit] [edit]
15 Awesome Chemistry GIFs You don’t need to watch Breaking Bad to know that chemistry is pretty awesome. Below, we explore our favorite 15 chemistry GIFs and the science behind them (when we could figure it out): Melting Metal With Magnets The Science: The copper wire has a significant amount of AC electricity running through it, causing it to act like a really strong electromagnet. In the metal slug, eddy currents form due to the magnetic field the copper wire is causing while the copper wire has high frequency AC flowing through it. Orange LED Light In Liquid Nitrogen The Science: When an LED is immersed in liquid nitrogen, the electrons lose a lot of thermal energy, even when the light isn’t turned on. Awesome Chemistry GIFs: Heating Mercury Thiocyanate Hydrogen Peroxide Catalyzed By Potassium Iodide