MAY 18 — The Guinness Book of World Records named “Merlin” as the cat with the loudest purr in the world, stating that its purr is comparable to a dishwasher. (London, England) (Eagle News Service Jay Paul Carlos, Dexter Magno, MRFaith Bonalos)
Life
25 foot long shark spotted off the coast of Massachusetts
MAY 18 (Reuters) — A shark close to 25 feet (7.6 m) long was spotted by Massachusetts authorities Saturday (May 16) swimming about 200 yards (162.8 m) off the coast of Wellfleet on Cape Cod. According to local news reports, police identified the shark as a basking shark, which is very similar to the great white, but does not eat meat. The basking shark gets its name because of its slow moving nature and the […]
Google’s new self-driving cars to hit roads, with steering wheels
Google Inc’s self-driving cars will begin testing on public roads this summer, but it turns out they will have steering wheels and brakes, which is not what the company envisioned a year ago. Engineers will operate 25 prototype vehicles designed by Google, which use the same software as Google’s Lexus RX450h sport utility vehicles that have already self-driven about 10,000 miles (16,093 km) a week in recent months, the company said in a blog post. […]
What you need to know about Food Safety
Food poisoning is an illness caused by eating contaminated food. It’s not usually serious and most people get better within a few days without treatment. In most cases of food poisoning, the food is contaminated by bacteria, such as salmonella or Escherichia coli (E. coli), or a virus, such as the norovirus. Common Food Poisoning Germs A number of microorganisms can cause food poisoning. Common culprits include: Salmonella. Salmonella bacteria are the leading cause of food […]
Full Cycle Mariculture Solution to Declining Grouper Stocks
MAY 14 (WWF) — “Don’t fall into that fish pen,” warns Daryl Dandal, an offshore cage warden. “It has two giant groupers. Both are larger than you.” I nod and tiptoe through a network of planks above the glittering waters of Taytay in Palawan, Philippines. Here lie about 2000 fish cages, where various species of grouper are grown to feed a ballooning export trade. For the Philippines, this is the center of the LRFFT: the […]
WWF: West Philippine Sea in Rough Waters
THE dredging of coral reefs to build artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea has alarmed conservation group World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). In April 2013, poaching vessel F/V Min Long Yu destroyed 3902 square meters of seabed in the Tubbataha Reefs. Ongoing reclamation in a half-dozen reefs has now obliterated 1.2 million square meters – 310 times the damage wrought on Tubbataha. Mechanical dredgers which cut, crush and compact corals have also stirred […]
New radar technology already saving lives in disaster zones
MAY 8 (Reuters) — With the earthquake in Nepal having decimated its capital and countryside, millions of dollars in aid and assistance have flown into the Himalayan nation, including the latest radar technology designed to find survivors buried in rubble. One such device is FINDER, Finding Individuals for Disaster and Emergency Response, which sends out low-powered microwave radar to detect human heartbeats. “FINDER is a very low-powered radar that puts a low-powered radio signal towards […]
DOH advises public against six common summer diseases
MANILA, 7 May (PIA)–The Department of Health (DOH) advised the public against six common summer diseases (6S). Health Secretary Janette Loreto-Garin revealed that there are six common summer diseases or conditions (6S) that can adversely affect one’s health. These are Sore eyes, Sunburn, Sipon at ubo, Suka at tae, Sakit sa balat and Sakmal ng aso. Sore eyes or conjunctivitis, when mistreated, can lead to blindness. More than just eye irritation, it can easily be […]
World’s largest Lego-made Millennium Falcon
MAY 6 (Reuters) — Hundreds of “Star Wars” and Lego enthusiasts came together for the “May the 4th Be With You” weekend – celebrating the Star Wars franchise – to build the world’s biggest Lego Millennium Falcon in Australia. The model of the iconic spaceship was made from nearly 250,000 toy bricks at Westfield Southland shopping center in Cheltenham, a suburb of Melbourne. The structure is almost five meters wide and is flanked by two […]
Nine archaeological sites in Mexico registered under UNESCO ‘protection’
MAY 6 (Reuters) — Nine of Mexico’s most emblematic archaeological sites have been registered for “special protection” by the United Nations, awarding the grand cities of Mesoamerica’s lost civilizations special status. Mexico’s Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday (May 05) that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, registered pre-Columbian sites across the country including Monte Alban, Teotihuacan, Chichen Itza and Calakmul, amongst others. “Monte Alban together with the other eight sites that […]
Mountain-climbing as a metaphor for life, universe and everything… (Warning: Melodrama)
QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News Service, May 4) – It was still dark when the group decided to go up the mountain on our second day in Nagsasa. We trekked the long, sandy beach on our way to the foot of the mountain, and once we reached it, the climbing – with its accompanying epiphany -started. As I negotiated the steep path, the first thing that flashed in my mind is regret – regret that […]
Sun, surf and sand… Adventures in Nagsasa Cove, Zambales
QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News Service, May 4) – The first of May usually sees crowds of people taking advantage of the holiday to go to the nearest beach and have fun in the sand, soak up the sun’s rays while listening to the sound of the surf. Boracay, Puerto Galera, Caramoan… these are just some of the popular tourist destinations during Labor Day, but if you want to traverse the road less traveled, just […]
