Saturday, July 31, 2010

10 Facts you Didn't Know about Living in Outer Space

 During one day you will experience 16 sunrises

The sun rises and sets every 90 minutes in low Earth orbit, making it really hard to sleep well due to the absence of normal day/night cycles. To counteract this, ISS administrators set astronauts' schedules on a 24-hour, Earth-based timetable to keep their activity as grounded as possible. The clocks onboard the ISS are set to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), about halfway between Houston, Tex., and Moscow. To keep astronauts on that schedule, Mission Control sends wake-up calls to shuttle missions. They typically play music, which is either requested by an astronaut or an astronaut's family member. Astronauts on the ISS, on the other hand, wake up with the help of an alarm. 


 You will grow taller

Without the compressive force of gravity, your spinal column expands and you grow taller, usually by between 5 and 8 cm. Unfortunately, the extra height can bring complications, which may include backache and nerve problems. 


 You may stop snoring

A 2001 study showed that astronauts who snored on Earth snoozed silentlyin space. That's because gravity plays a dominant role in the generation of apneas, hypopneas, and snoring. It's possible for astronauts to snore in space, and NASA has even recorded crewmembers doing so, but the effects of zero gravity appear to reduce snoring. 


 Some food and condiments require adding water to be eaten in space

In space, salt and pepper are available but only in a liquid form. This is because astronauts can't sprinkle salt and pepper on their food in space. Thesalt and pepper would simply float away. There is a danger they could clog air vents, contaminate equipment or get stuck in an astronaut's eyes, mouth or nose. 

 The longest time a person stayed in space is 438 days
The record for a long-duration mission is held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who completed a 438-day (or 14 month) tour of duty aboard the Mir space station in 1995. 


 Only three men have ever died in space

Of the 439 astronauts that entered space up to the end of November 2004, 11 have died in training incidents and 18 have died in in-flight accidents. Of those 18, only the crew of Soyuz 11 in 1971 actually died in space. The USA sets the space-boundary at 50 miles high while the FAI defines space as starting at a height of 100 km. Challenger's last flight in 1986 never reached this height. Columbia broke apart on re-entry.

The crew of Soyuz 11, Georgi Dobrovolski, Viktor Patsayev and Vladislav Volkov, were killed after undocking from space station Salyut 1 after a three-week stay. A valve on their spacecraft had accidentally opened when the service module separated, which was only discovered when the module was opened by the recovery team. Technically the only fatalities in space(above 100 km). 


 Almost every astronaut experiences space sickness

In the absence of gravity, signals from the vestibulary system and the pressure receptors are wildly misleading. The effect usually leads to immediate disorientation: many astronauts suddenly feel themselves upside-down, for example, or even have difficulty in sensing the location of their own arms and legs. This disorientation is the main cause of so-calledSpace Adaptation Syndrome, which one astronaut wryly described as "a fancy term for throwing up". Half or more of all space travelers suffer from space sickness, which brings with it headaches and poor concentration as well as nausea and vomiting. Usually, though, the problems disappear within a few days as astronauts adapt. 


 The hardest thing to readjust when you come back from space, is when you let go of objects, they fall.

When they return to Earth, astronauts have to re-adapt just as painfully as when they first got into space. There is one re-adaptation that can take somewhat longer to accomplish, although the consequences are more likely to be amusing than crippling. Several long-duration Russian cosmonauts have reported that months after their flight, they still occasionally let go of a cup or some other object in mid-air - and are quite disconcerted when it crashes to the floor. 


 Cosmic radiation makes you see blinding flashes

Gazing out of their space capsules, Apollo astronauts witnessed sights that humans had never seen before. They saw the breathtaking view of the Earth's bright blue disc against the inky black of space. They saw the far side of the Moon. They also saw strange flashes of light inside their eyeballs! Since then, astronauts aboard Skylab, the Shuttle, Mir, and the International Space Station have all reported seeing these flashes. What the astronautswere experiencing is space radiation zipping through their eyes like subatomic bullets. When a "bullet" strikes the retina, it triggers a false signal that the brain interprets as a flash of light. Needless to say, this is not good for your eyes. At least 39 former astronauts have suffered some form of cataracts after flying in. 


 While in space, you may have to take sponge baths to hygiene yourself

While stations such as Skylab and Mir have been equipped with a shower, most astronauts take sponge baths using washcloths or moistened towelettes. This reduces the amount of water consumed. Each astronaut will also have a personal hygiene kit with a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, razor and other basic toiletries. 

Friday, July 30, 2010

8 Weirdest Live Stuff Busted by Customs Control


 South African caught at airport with crocodiles and 70 other animals in luggage

A South African man was caught trying to smuggle 70 live animals including crocodiles through airport customs in his luggage. The 28-year-old was arrested after apparently stashing several of the valuable reptiles in his bags, along with dozens of snakes, a turtle, spiders, scorpions and frogs. Customsofficials were shocked to discover the haul of wild creatures hidden inside plastic tubs as the man passed through O R Tambo International Airport near Johannesburg after arriving from Bangkok in Thailand. The collectionof animals included at least three different endangered species and eight inch-long Caiman crocodiles, small insect-eating cousins of the famous Nile crocodile.
 
 Man caught in Norway customs with 14 royal pythons and 10 albino leopard geckos hidden all over his body
Customs officials in Norway arrested a man who had 14 royal pythons and 10 albino leopard geckos hidden under his clothing. He had rolled up the pythons in socks and put the geckos inside boxes, and then taped them to his chest and legs. The animals had a total value of about $10,000. The scariest thing about all this is that officials didn't become suspicious until they did a routine check on his luggage and found a tarantula, and it was exactly when they started to search him. 


 Woman caught trying to smuggle 51 living fishes under her skirt

There must have been something fishy about the way she walked. Customsofficials stopped a woman as she arrived in Melbourne on a flight from Singapore and found 51 live tropical fish allegedly hidden in a specially designed apron under her skirt. During the search customs officers became suspicious after hearing 'flipping' noises coming from the vecinity of her waist. An examination revealed 15 plastic water-filled bags holding fish allegedly concealed inside a purpose-built apron. The fish were later identified as tropical Catfish with one fish, the Asian Arowana, being a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) listed fish. All of the fish are Prohibited Imports. The value of the fish was estimated at $30,000. 


 German caught with 24 geckos and 20 skinks hidden in his underwear

A German tourist was caught trying to leave New Zealand with 23 geckos and 20 skinks hidden in his underwear. Hans Kubus, 58, was stopped at Christchurch Airport after checking in, and was searched by customs staff. A small package containing the reptiles was found in his underwear. The package contained eight separate compartments separating various geckos and skink species.

Kubus' luggage also contained a single gecko in a rolled up sock. A total of 24 geckos from five different species were found, as well as 20 skinks from two other species. The German admitted trading geckos and skinks from the wild without a permit. A black market trade in geckos exists in Europe and those taken by Kubus would have had a street value of around $35,850 US. The value of the skinks was unknown because trading in that species had not previously been identified. 


 Man caught smuggling 14 live birds in his trousers

A traveler was caught at Los Angeles International Airport with 14 songlive birds strapped to his legs under his trousers. Customs officers searched Sonny Dong, 46, and found bird feathers and droppings on his socks, as well as birds' tail feathers visible under his pants. The subsequent search discovered 14 live birds attached to two flat pieces of cloth that were wrapped around his calves.


 Swiss man caught trying to take 164 trapdoor spiders to Germany

German customs officials inspecting a Swiss car got a nasty shock when they discovered 164 large spiders and 45 boxes of cockroaches -- the arachnids' food for the journey. Officials found the spiders, some as large as a hand, in plastic bags and sealed inside boxes in the man's car as he attempted to cross the Basel border. The spider-man was planning to sell the spiders at a fair in Germany. The same man was stopped at exactly the same place in 2007 trying to sneak nearly 1,000 spiders across the border in his car. 


 Man caught trying to smuggle snakes in his suitcase

X-ray images caught a man trying to smuggle 44 snakes and lizards on a flight out of Australia in his suitcase. The 24-year-old smuggler had checked in for a flight to Bangkok from Sydney's airport when Customs officialsallegedly spotted him and confiscated his reptile stash when his bag was being screened. The haul included 24 shingleback lizards, 16 bluetongue lizards, three black-headed pythons and an endangered albino carpet python. The reptiles in the smuggling attempt would fetch between around £90,000 (200,000 Australian dollars) on the black market.

The reptiles were hidden in socks and cloth bags. 


 Australian caught smuggling pigeons in his trousers

An Australian man was arrested after he was caught trying to bring two pigeons into the country hidden in his trousers. The 23-year-old man was stopped by customs officials at Melbourne airport after he made it to the airport from Dubai. The officers searched his bags and allegedly found a vitamin container with two bird eggs inside. A further search revealed he was wearing tights under his trousers, with a live pigeon stuffed into each leg. The birds were wrapped up in padded envelopes, but had nothing else to protect them during the 10-hour flight. The man was arrested on the scene and could face 10 years in jail and a substantial fine if convicted. Officers also seized a money belt containing plant seeds and undeclared samples of eggplant in the passenger's baggage before he was handed over to Australian Quarantine and Inspection Services staff. 

Thursday, July 29, 2010

10 of the Strangest Mc Donald's Meals



 McLobster

The McLobster is a lobster roll available seasonally and only in the Maritimes Provinces and Maine. It is called McHomard in French.


 Vegetarian burgers: McVeggie and McAloo Tikki Burger

In India, selling beef is prohibited (Hindus revere cows), so there you are going to find these two totally vegetarian sandwiches. The McAloo is made with regular bun, a crispy, breaded spicy potato and vegetable patty, eggless tomato mayonnaise, two slices of tomatoes and shredded onion. The McVeggie looks similar to the McAloo Tikki Burger, but is made out of mixed vegetables, peas, and spices, lettuce and veg mayonnaise.


 Shrimp Burger

After McDonald's posted a loss in 2002 amid the mad cow scare, the company added in 2005 a new item to its menu in Japan: the shrimp burger. That was the latest effort by the Japan unit of the U.S. fast-food chain to win over Japanese palates and spark sales. 


 McKebab

McDonald's has Kosher branches only in Israel and Argentina. There you can eat the McKebab (kebab served on flatbread). Israel and Argentina are also the only places in the world where McDonald's burgers are barbecued on charcoal rather than fried. 

 Beef Fan-Tastic

The name Beef Fàn-tastic is unique to Singapore, the name of the dish emphasize the "fan" word which is rice in Mandarin. Beef Fàn-tastic offers tasty sliced beef, grilled onions, crunchy lettuce and sliced red cabbage between two toasted premium white rice patties. 


 KiwiBurguer

The KiwiBurger is a hamburger sold at McDonald's restaurants in New Zealand, and it's a McDonald's menu item you won't find anywhere else in the world. The burger has ingredients that are not a part of any other product (beetroot for example), while eggs are cooked on a special grill. It consists of a 100% pure beef patty, Farmer Brown egg, Wattie's Beetroot, tomato, lettuce, Mainland cheese, onions, tomato sauce, and mustard on a toasted bun. 


 Gazpacho Alvalle

Gazpacho is a cold Spanish tomato-based raw vegetable soup which is served in sealed plastic cups. Gazpacho is mostly consumed during the summer months, due to its refreshing qualities. 


 Shake Shake Fries

Shake Shake Fries are sold in Hong Kong and are only available at certain times throughout the year. There are several different flavors including seaweed, chargrill, French onion and salt and pepper. 


 McArabi Chicken

In Saudi Arabia no pork products are served as it is prohibited by Islamic law. But you can eat the McArabi Chicken which is a popular Arabic-themed sandwich. It's made out of two grilled chicken patties (de-boned breast meat), Arabic bread, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and garlic sauce.


 McPinto

In Costa Rica's McDonald's you can find a prototypical traditional dish: seasoned rice and black bean dish, called Gallo Pinto or McPinto. It is served with scrambled eggs and sour cream. Gallo Pinto is considered the national dish.