New study says Turin Shroud dates back to Jesus’ era. (Daily News)

"Scientists from Padua University have placed Turin Shroud between the 280 B.C. and A.D. 220. The cloth is prized by many Catholics as Jesus’ burial shroud.

The famed burial shroud that many Catholics say bears the face of Jesus has been dated back to Christ’s time, a new study says, which raises questions about whether the relic is more than a medieval hoax.

Scientists have never been able to explain exactly how the Turin Shroud, kept in Italy, was imprinted with the face, torso, and legs of a crucified man. But researchers have made several attempts to figure out when the linen cloth was produced. A 1988 test placed the shroud firmly in the Middle Ages, between A.D. 1260 and A.D. 1390. But a recent report from Italy’s Padua University dates the shroud between 280 B.C. and A.D. 220, much closer to the time that Christians believe Jesus walked the Earth."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/turin-shroud-medieval-hoax-article-1.1301831#ixzz2OwL3sbKy

This is a picture of the lightest substance on Earth (io9)

"Scientists have just unveiled the lightest human-made substance on Earth. How light are we talking? Let's put it this way: it's less dense than helium.

The battle for rights to the title of world's lightest material (technically world's lowest density material) has played out like a brutally rapid series of monarchal overthrows. For years, NASA's aerogel (density 1 milligram per cubic centimeter) held the title of lightest material on Earth. In November 2011, it was dethroned by a gorgeous, ultralight metallic microlattice (density 0.9 mg/cm3). Months later, a substance called "Aerographite" with a density of just 0.2 mg/cm3 blew both of these ultralight materials out of the water. Now, a new material has assumed the throne."

more - here (io9.com)

Calvin and Hobbes Animated Fun

Do you love Calvin and Hobbes strips? There you have them ANIMATED (sort of...)! SO cool! Many, many more are here - http://calvinandhobbesgifs.tumblr.com/ Love it!

24 Things You Didn't Know About Beer (Visually)

24 Things You Didn't Know About Beer infographic

Have archaelogists found Alfred the Great too? (Mirror)

"A team of archaeologists believe bones buried in an unmarked grave in Winchester could be those of the 9th Century Saxon leader."

DAYS after confirmation that Richard III had been found, ­trowels are being sharpened to dig for more royal remains. 

A team of archaeologists is hoping to locate Alfred the Great and believe bones buried in an unmarked grave in Winchester could be those of the 9th Century Saxon leader. 

They will begin excavating at St Bartholomew’s church in the spring and the results could be known by early summer. 

A vicar reputedly bought the bones after Alfred’s original crypt at Hyde Abbey was ransacked. 

If the remains turn out to be those of Alfred – widely regarded as the greatest ever English king – it would be one the most significant archeological discoveries ever made."

The whole story - Mirror.co.uk

Inside Mussolini's wartime bunker: First pictures of fascist leader's secret lair (Daily Mail)

• - Experts said the underground chamber was the dictator's 'last bunker' 

• - It was only discovered after engineers stumbled across an iron hatch 

• - Bunker contains nine rooms but was never finished before he was arrested 

• - The chamber, under the former fascist headquarters, will be open to public 

• 
  

• By HANNAH ROBERTS 

• 
  

• "Pictures of Benito Mussolini's last wartime bunker that he built to protect him from an RAF bomb attack have been released for the first time. 

• 
  

• The reinforced concrete cell, constructed 50ft below the former fascist headquarters in Rome, was so secret it was not discovered until 2011. 

• 
  

• Historians believe Mussolini, one of Hitler's closest allies during the Second World War, had the underground bunker built for himself and his mistress Claretta Petacci."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2298968/Inside-Mussolinis-wartime-bunker-First-pictures-fascist-leaders-secret-lair-built-protect-RAF-strike-Rome-headquarters.html#ixzz2Odf3bHeU

Prezentace - Reálie USA (GSOŠ DUM)

V rámci školního projektu Inovace krok za krokem byly zpracovány Reálie USA. Celkem soubor obsahuje 20 powerpointových prezentací, které prošly odbornou i jazykovou korekturou, a měly by být tedy bez chyb. I když i sebepřísnějšímu kontrolorovi sem tam něco unikne. ;)

Témata prezentací:

1. Geography 
2. People & language 
3. Education system 
4. Holidays 
5. US History 
6. US History II 
7. US Sports 
8. Political system 
9. US Presidents 
10. US Literature 

11. Region - Northeast 

12. Region - Southeast 

13. Region - Northcentral 

14. Region - Southwest 

15. Region - Northwest 

16. Washington, DC 

17. New York 

18. Chicago 

19. National Parks 

20. Czechs in the USA

Prezentace jsou vhodné k přípravě na státní i školní maturitní zkoušku z AJ. Na stránkách školy se během krátké doby objeví i sada prezentací k Velké Británii, Austrálii a Novému Zélandu. Odkaz najdete na těchto stránkách, až bude k dispozici.

Kompletní souboru prezentací si můžete stáhnout ZDE.

The New Landscapes of Yao Lu (Phaidon)

"The Prix Pictet-shortlisted photographer's work brings to mind the Japanese master Hokusai - but look again!"

"At first glance these photographs by Chinese-born and Prix Pictet shortlisted photographer Yao Lu bring to mind the work of the Japanese artist Hokusai and the school of Ukiyo-e.

But look again and you'll realise they're not what they seem.

Yao's works are entirely man made. The shapes resembling oriental landscape paintings of waterfalls, cliffs and mountains are in fact landfills and mounds of derelict rubble draped in the green mesh used to prevent dust blowing away from building sites or that cover skips while they’re in transit."

More stunning pictures here - phaidon.com and here (dailymail.co.uk)

Stehujeme! A Blacka to skoro vubec nezajima.

Rika se, ze je lepsi vyhoret, nez se stehovat. Nesouhlasim. Ale pohled na to, kolik toho clovek za relativne kratkou dobu nasysli je zajimavy. A pes si asi mysli sve. Ze ne?

Famous F-1 Engine was recovered by Jeff Bezos

"What an incredible adventure. We are right now onboard the Seabed Worker headed back to Cape Canaveral after finishing three weeks at sea, working almost 3 miles below the surface. We found so much. We’ve seen an underwater wonderland – an incredible sculpture garden of twisted F-1 engines that tells the story of a fiery and violent end, one that serves testament to the Apollo program. We photographed many beautiful objects in situ and have now recovered many prime pieces. Each piece we bring on deck conjures for me the thousands of engineers who worked together back then to do what for all time had been thought surely impossible."

full story and more photos - bezosexpeditions.com

Could you drink beer instead of water and still survive? (io9)

Beer. 

"It is one of the most awesome things in life. This leads to a couple of important questions. One: how long can you survive on beer alone? Two: to what extent is beer a suitable replacement for water? 

A couple years ago, Slate's Jeremy Singer-Vine had a go at the first question. His answer? You'd live long enough to develop scurvy, but probably not much longer: 

"Not more than a few months, probably. That's when the worst effects of scurvy [resulting from vitamin c deficiency] and protein deficiency would kick in... If you kept to a strict beer diet—and swore off plain water altogether—you'd likely die of dehydration in a matter of days or weeks, depending on the strength and volume of beer consumed. There's plenty of water in beer, of course, but the alcohol's diuretic effect makes it a net negative in terms of hydration under most conditions." 

One experiment, in particular, lends credence to the first half of Singer-Vine's hypothesis: in the 1920s, researchers fed two Rhesus macaque monkeys with 200 milliliters of India pale ale per day, and some other foods lacking in vitamin C — within 2 months the monkeys were exhibiting symptoms of scurvy. But what about the second half? The part about dying of dehydration?"

Full story and conclusion - io9.com

Death Wish coffee: World’s strongest coffee has ’200 per cent’ more caffeine than normal cuppa (Metro)

"Overdosing on caffeine to keep your eyes from hitting the floor during your 16-hour office shift has a distinct possibility of putting you in an early grave.

However, an American company has decided to embrace this by bringing out  a blend of coffee named Death Wish, which it has dubbed ‘The World’s Strongest Coffee’.

Delivered in a black packet emblazoned with a skull and crossbones, the coffee is said to have ’200 per cent’ more caffeine than your standard cuppa.

‘This is not your regular morning coffee.  This is not your store bought coffee.  You will not find this coffee at your local diner or at your sissy Starbucks,’ its disclaimer reads.

‘Death Wish Coffee is the most highly caffeinated premium dark roast organic coffee in the world. This is Extreme Coffee, not for the weak. Consider yourself warned.’

With over 11,000 likes on Facebook, Death Wish has clearly caused a stir, with website testimonies proclaiming ‘This coffee should be illegal…Thanks!!’ and ‘I’ve died and gone to heaven’.

Time magazine’s Rebecca Nelson test drove the beans, which are sold in 450g (1lb) bags priced at £13.

Describing herself as a ‘former Starbucks barista who basically mainlined espresso shots night and day’ she blogged about experiencing an intense high, which was soon followed by a caffeine comedown.

‘You know that feeling when your eyes have been open for 36 hours straight?’ she asks.

So perhaps Death Wish is not for the faint-hearted but if you’re not impressed, the New York-based company run by coffee shop owner Mike Brown will buy your robusta beans back.

There’s no mention of covering funeral expenses though."

Source - metro.co.uk

IPA - Iniciace Pivního analfabeta (Cuketka)

"Musím konstatovat, že propít se k tomuto článku nebylo jednoduché. Je pravda, že to byla cesta plná aromatických dobrodružství a bohatého extraktu, ale ten zatraceně vysoký obsah alkoholu se ukázal býti vskutku obtížným. Nyní je již dobojováno a mohu vklidu prohlásit — jsem ofiko zblázněný do pivního stylu India Pale Ale (IPA)."

celý článek i s vybranými adepty na ochutnání od Cuketky.

The Cheesegrater, the Walkie-Talkie and the Gherkin: Amazing aerial pictures show how London's skyline has changed over 18 spectacular months (DailyMail)

"From the wedge-shaped 'Cheesegrater' to the more solid-looking 'Walkie-Talkie', these spectacular photos taken from 2,400-feet above London show how skyscrapers have been springing up in the capital in the past 18-months.

Aerial photographer Jason Hawkes took the pictures while flying in a helicopter over the financial district of the capital.

Despite the rest of Britain being in the doldrums after the economic downturn, these photos show London is still climbing."

Full gallery  - Daily Mail

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2295728/How-The-Leadenhall-Building-Cheesegrater-come-tower-London.html#ixzz2O43Mo2KH
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Behold: Google’s Stunning Street Views From the Top of the World (Wired)

"Your day job, not to mention fitness level, will probably keep you from ever ascending the mightiest peaks on Earth. Don’t worry. Google’s done the hard work for you and released the stunning panoramic images needed to make you feel like you’re on top of the world.

Google, which seems determined to map every square inch of the planet, on Monday released Street View images from four of the seven tallest mountains on earth. One lucky engineer, who happens to be a passionate mountaineer, led the Google Mountain Enthusiast team during a project that was strictly a labor of love for all involved.

“There’s a social benefit to using these tools to tell the story in these environments. A chance to really connect to whats on the ground with a rich imagery so they can see what it looks like and feels like to be there,” says Dan Fredinburg, who is a technical program manager for security and privacy when he isn’t scaling summits.

Fredinburg’s teams — which included four to seven people, depending upon the trip — used a lightweight tripod and digital camera with a fisheye lens to visually map Aconcagua in Argentina (22,841 feet), Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (19,341 Feet), Mount Elbrus in Russia (18,510 feet) and Everest South Base Camp in Nepal (17,598 feet). It’s the same setup the Street View team uses for the Business Photos program. They opted to use that rig instead of the 40-pound, 75-megapixel Google Trekker backpack."

Full story and gallery - wired.com

Jan Šuráň: Nopálové pivo je zdravé, ale pivovarníci sázejí na jistotu (CFO World)

„Vyrobit pivo stojí skoro stejně, jako ho ošetřit, zfiltrovat, zpasterizovat, stabilizovat, zabalit a dostat na trh. Tyto činnosti malé pivovary nedělají a nemají tedy příslušné náklady. Ale jejich mzdové výdaje činí třicet až čtyřicet procent celkových nákladů, kdežto u velkých jde jen o osm až deset procent,“ říká Jan Šuráň, pivovarnický expert a majitel pražského Pivovarského domu.

Celý velký rozhovor nejen o nopálovém pivu - CFO World


Nopálové pivo už v Praze bylo. 
Do Prahy uvedeno pivo z nopálu, skvěle chutnající „nutriční bomba“

"České družstvo Ardanas dnes v Praze představilo pivo, vyráběné z kaktusu populárně známého jako nopál, pěstovaného na svazích mexické sopky Popokatepetl, který je skvěle chutnající „nutriční bombou“. Surovinou je kaktus, pěstovaný v Mexiku, „Opuntia ficus-indica“, téměř bez trnů a s mnoha výživnými látkami, ze kterého se procesem dehydratace získá prášek – na tunu připadne asi 15–16 tun rostlin-, který se potom používá na výrobu piva. Prezentace probíhala v hlavním městě Čech za účasti generálního ředitele obřího producenta piva Heineken v České republice a se zástupci menších českých pivovarů jako je Litovel, Jihlava nebo Uherský. Produkt budeme „nabízet českým, německým a belgickým pivovarům a také firmám americkým a mexickým“, řekl Vladimír Komínek, prezident družstva, které vlastní celosvětový patent na pivo a chléb z nopálu. České družstvo vyrábí mimo piva už tři roky také pečivo z této rostliny a plánuje výrobu jogurtů a čaje."

Nopál

Street: A Mesmerizing Slow-Motion Drive Down the Streets of NYC (PetaPixel)

"Combining the capabilities of a high-speed camera with the basic idea that “there are enough [magical moments] happening every moment of any given day,” New York artistJames Nares is currently captivating audiences at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with his mesmerizing video “Street.”

Shot in September of 2011, “Street” consists entirely of slow-motion panning shots of the streets of New York, as seen from a moving car. Using a high-speed camera, Nares captured 16 hours of footage, which he then edited down to 3 (regular speed) minutes — translating into just over an hour of slow-mo magic."

VIDEO - PetaPixel

Evolution of the New York Driver’s License (NYT)

"New York State first began issuing paper licenses to chauffeurs in 1910, and the shape, form and style have changed over the past century, adapting to new laws and technologies. The following is a sampling of how the license has evolved."

full gallery - New York Times

Crater-Scraper is a Porous Structure to Capture Light and Water (eVolo)

Xiaomiao Xiao, Lixiang Miao, Xinmin Li, Minzhao Guo
China

"The Crater Scraper project is an imagined solution for the healing of the Earth’s surface as the planet suffers the impact of major asteroid strikes. Asteroid craters could be filled in with built settlements, holding communities of different sizes (depending on the size of the crater).

As cities historically form at a core and extend peripherally, Crater Scrapers too have a central core that connects the settlement as a whole vertically and horizontally. Elevator systems link infrastructure vertically, from the bottom of the crater to the Earth’s surface; at the top, a separate transportation system links the community across the expanse of the filled-in indentation. At the bottom of the city, people traverse its length on foot."

complete story and more astonishing pictures - eVolo.us

Water-stained violin proven to be the one that played Nearer my God to Thee by brave bandmaster as the Titanic sank (DailyMail)

• Violin belonging to Wallace Hartley expected to fetch six-figure sum 
• Band on Titanic widely believed to have played 'Nearer my God to thee'
• Violin has two splits in its woodwork after being damaged by sea water

By RICHARD HARTLEY-PARKINSON

"For more than 100 years Titanic has gripped the imagination, with mysteries and unanswered questions aplenty.

But now one of the doomed liner's most enigmatic secrets has been uncovered as experts say they are certain a water-stained violin discovered in an attic was from the ship.

Described as the most important artefact to have been plucked from the sea after the 1912 disaster, the violin belonged to bandmaster Wallace Hartley."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2293232/Water-stained-violin-proven-played-brave-bandmaster-Titanic-sank.html#ixzz2NWAaeWgd

Wright Brothers: Second in Flight? (Discovery)

"Were we wrong about the Wright Brothers?

That's the shocking claim by Australian aviation historian John Brown, who told FoxNews.com he has photographic proof that German immigrant Gustav Whitehead flew over Connecticut in 1901 -- Orville and Wilbur were second.

“Two years, four months, and three days before the Wright brothers, somebody else flew first,” Brown said via phone from Germany. "It’s really a radical revision of the history of aviation."

full story here - discovery.com

Retro Instagram Camera! (DailyMail)

 

The 21st century Polaroid: Real-life Instagram camera lets you print out a retro postcards

• Camera will come with filters to recreate retro effects
• Can print mini postcards with space to write on them
• Will also post pictures to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

A real-life Instagram camera is set to go on sale after being backed by Polaroid.

The camera was originally developed as a concept by designers Socialmatic.

It contains a lens, touchscreen and printer - and has been designed to look like the icon for Facebook's photo sharing site.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2287796/The-real-life-instagram-camera-lets-print-retro-postcard-are.html#ixzz2Mb2VuvsA