The Beauty of Maps: A Documentary Here we bring you the 4 part BBC series, The Beauty of Maps. Released almost a year ago the documentary takes us through the staggering four million map collection of the British Library in London. Through the ages the story of the worlds landscape and population has been told through the creative and colorful use of maps. Medieval Maps Pt 1 Medieval Maps Pt 2 Medieval Maps Pt 3 City Maps Pt 1 City Maps Pt 2 City Maps Pt 3 Atlas Maps Pt 1 Atlas Maps Pt 2 Atlas Maps Pt 3 Cartoon Maps Pt 1 Cartoon Maps Pt 2 Cartoon Maps Pt 3 Known in some circles as the most amazing man in the universe, he once saved an entire family of muskrats from a sinking, fire engulfed steamboat while recovering from two broken arms relating to a botched no-chute wingsuit landing in North Korea.
Heatwave: Met Office upgrades warning for South East - FrontMotion Firefox 17 July 2013Last updated at 13:43 ET BBC weather presenter Chris Fawkes: "It is difficult to keep yourself cool and your core temperature can rise, causing some pretty big problems." Health warnings have been issued as heatwave conditions are reached in London and the South East. The Met Office issued a "Level 3" warning on the hottest day of the year, with temperatures hitting 32C (89.6F) at Northolt, west London. The warning alerts healthcare services to help those in high-risk groups such as the elderly and young children. Two similar heatwave warnings were issued last week in Yorkshire and the Humber, and in south-west England. It is the UK's first prolonged heatwave since 2006. While the warm weather has been welcomed by sunbathers, sport watchers and barbecue fans, health officials said the heat could be dangerous for very young children, elderly people, pregnant women and those with serious illnesses. Continue reading the main story How to stay safe in the sun In other developments: Phew!
Decoding the Secret Language of Food Expiration Dates Americans tend to harbor dark suspicions about that forgotten can of beans in the back of the pantry, far past its sell-by date. If you’re like most consumers, you probably just toss expired items on the better-safe-than-sorry principle (unless, perhaps, it’s a Twinkie). But there’s a good chance many aged food remains totally safe to eat, according to a new report (PDF) that blames the flawed food-dating system for tons of perfectly edible food getting wasted each year. While many consumers consider the dates printed on foods a hard deadline, they actually indicate maximum quality or freshness, not safety, explains David Fikes, vice president in charge of consumer affairs at the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), a food trade group. While some of those products are donated to food banks, many end up in the landfill. One of the problems, NRDC scientist Dana Gunders says, is that none of the myriad ways foods are labeled actually tell consumers when they should throw out a product.
Suit water leak halts ISS spacewalk - FrontMotion Firefox 16 July 2013Last updated at 11:08 ET "It is not sweat": Footage from Nasa shows the incident unfold Nasa has aborted a spacewalk at the International Space Station (ISS) because of a dangerous water leak in an astronaut's helmet. The leak was so bad that Luca Parmitano, Italy's first spacewalker, could not hear or speak as the spacewalk came to an abrupt end. He asked his spacewalking partner, Christopher Cassidy, for help getting back inside the ISS. "He looks miserable. The source of the leak wasn't immediately known but one possible source being considered was the helmet drink bag that astronauts sip from during spacewalks. However, Mr Parmitano reported that it didn't taste like drinking water. Before crewmates inside yanked off his helmet, Mr Parmitano said: "It's a lot of water." Nasa rarely cuts a spacewalk short, but the Italian could have choked on the floating water droplets in the helmet. This was the second spacewalk in eight days for Mr Parmitano (L) and Chris Cassidy (R)
Why you shouldn’t go to the doctor at 10 a.m. on a Friday This mock appointment book shows the most and least popular times for Americans to schedule a doctor’s visit during the week. Overall, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. are the most popular times for any kind of appointment; Tuesday is the most popular day; and Friday at 10 a.m. is the most popular time slot of all. If you’re in need of a checkup, steer clear! The data come from ZocDoc, an online service that uses access to scores of appointment books from across the country to help patients schedule visits more efficiently. The patterns revealed by ZocDoc’s scheduling data beg for psychological analysis.
Valley fever: An incurable illness in the dust - FrontMotion Firefox Cases of an incurable illness called valley fever are multiplying at a mystifying rate in the American south-west. Six states are affected, and Mexico too, but few places have been hit as hard as one remote city. Even in sweltering heat, the wind brings no respite to Avenal. The gusts are warm, like a hairdryer, and they carry an invisible threat that has claimed and disrupted many lives. The tiny city of 14,000 people, nestling in a dip in the floor of the San Joaquin Valley, California, is what experts refer to as a "hot zone" for coccidioidomycosis - an illness caused by the inhalation of tiny fungal spores that usually reside in the soil. Described by the Centers for Disease Control as a silent epidemic, 22,401 new infections were recorded across the US in 2011, mostly in the south-west, up tenfold from 1998. Although two-thirds of those infected suffer no symptoms, and the illness is not contagious, about 160 people die each year when the fungus spreads beyond the lungs to the brain.
To wipe deodorant buildup under your arm, use hand sanitizer Here's what 11 mainstream critics think of Del Toro's Pacific Rim | Blastr - FrontMotion Firefox The studio took a big chance in making Guillermo del Toro’s monsters-vs.-mechs epic Pacific Rim, and the moment of truth hits this weekend. So, is the film actually any good? According to the first mainstream reviews to hit, the answer is ... probably yes. The majority of reviews coming out seem to be pretty positive, though there are admittedly a few dissenting voices in the mix. Despite the fact that the film is expected to be a moderate box-office bomb, it’s apparently pretty awesome — so it’ll be interesting to see if positive word of mouth can get this one back on track by Friday. Here are excerpts from 11 major reviews, breaking down the highlights: “Pacific Rim is that massively good, and capable of bringing out childlike wonder that summer blockbusters largely forget. So, after reading all that, do you plan on checking out Del Toro's biggest movie yet this weekend?
The Minimalistic Gmail Cheat Sheet 79,178views 72faves 72shares Did you know that you can browse through gmail without using the mouse much? This is a cheat sheet that provides you with an in depth view of gmail shortcuts, the description of what they do, and a il... lustration of where the results appear in your monitor. Did you work on this visual? Get a Quote 79,178views 72faves 72shares Did you know that you can browse through gmail without using the mouse much? Did you work on this visual? Get a Quote 79,178views 72faves 72shares Did you know that you can browse through gmail without using the mouse much? Did you work on this visual? Get a Quote 4 posters cleverly depict the sounds of Star Wars and other pics | Blastr - FrontMotion Firefox What if movie posters showed us how we'd hear a movie, not how we'd see it? That's the idea behind MovieSound, a new project from the Italian team of art director Salvatore Zanfrisco and copywriter Nicolleta Zanterino. The project's goal is "celebrating the ultimate way to enjoy cinema - by ears," and features sound bites from classic and cult movies like Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Psycho translated into poster form through a visual depiction of sound waves combined with icons from the films. To see this in action, play the clip above, which features a sound bite from Star Wars of lightsabers humming and clashing. The sound bite is then visually represented both as a sound wave and as a set of lightsabers -- one blue and one red -- meeting in the center of the image. The MovieSound team hasn't made a video for every one of their posters, so you can't hear all the sounds that directly inspired the images. Here's The Dark Knight: And here's a particularly clever poster for The Shining:
The Hidden Way to Zoom in Closer in Google Maps 'A writhing mass of flesh-eating maggots': Doctors find larvae inside British woman’s ear after she complained of headaches and bizarre scratching sounds inside her head - Health News - Health & Families Derbyshire resident Rochelle Harris had just returned from a holiday in Peru when she began developing shooting pains in her face. The 27-year-old initially thought little of it, and assumed the problem would quickly disappear, but the following day she woke to find a strange liquid covering her pillow and began hearing scratching sounds coming from inside her head. Click here to view more of the gruesome maggot images Increasingly concerned by the discomfort, Ms Harris decided to visit the Accident and Emergency department at the Royal Derby Hospital, but was told the problem was likely to be a simple ear infection or mosquito bite. It was only after she was referred to the local Ear, Nose and Throat clinic for an hour-long examination that was intended to confirm the infection, that the sickening truth of the problem became clear. Speaking to the Discovery Channel for a new documentary series titled ‘Bugs, Bites and Parasites’, Ms Harris said: “My Mum asked her ‘Can you see what it is?’
How to Get in Touch With Loved Ones During a Disaster | Gadget Lab Photo: Alex Washburn/Wired Disasters often strike without warning–and if you have family or friends who are in or near harm’s way, you’re going to want to get in touch. Unfortunately, that isn’t always so easy: Cell signals and land lines can be jammed with the massive amount of calls flowing in and out of an area. And in the case of today’s Boston Marathon tragedy, there are reports that cell service has been shut down altogether. Here are some of the best tips we know for getting in touch, but this is by no means a complete list. Don’t call. Additional tips: Use a battery case for your smartphone–that thing can’t make it through a whole day when it’s not constantly scanning for a signal. Also, be sure to keep your emergency contact list up to date. Again, please share your tips in the comments below.