The Amazing World

While the humans have been looking for the elixir of life throughout every period of history, it appears that there is one species of jellyfish that are actually immortal. Turritopsis nutricula, or sometimes – Turritopsis dohrnii, is able to transform its cells from mature state back to immaturity, in other words – back to youth. The medusa leads a regular cycle of life, but after maturing and mating, it reverts back to its initial state – a polyp colony. The process is referred to as “transdifferentiation”, and it basically makes the jellyfish unable to die. The bell-shaped immortal jellyfish measures up to a maximum of bout 4.5 millimeters (0.18 in) and is about the same in its length and width. Originating in the Caribbean, it has now spread worldwide, and the discovery of its unique ability has heated up many discussions among the scientists. Some claim that their mystery is soon to be solved and applied to humans, while others only expect it to improve the quality of life at o...

Are out-of-body experiences valid? Dr. Crookall at the University of Aberdeen has written 9 books on out-of-body cases due to the overwhelming amount of evidence in their favour. A survey of 380 Oxford students showed that 34% had an OBE. A separate survey of 902 adults revealed that 8% have had an OBE. In a study of 44 non-Western societies, only 3 did not hold a belief in OBEs. Another study showed that out of 488 world societies, 89% had at least some tradition regarding OBEs. So this phenomenon is familiar and lots of people claimed to have experienced it before, but is there any scientific credibility to this phenomenon?  A fascinating experiment was done by Dr. Charles Tart, who was a Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of California. He had also served as a Visiting Professor in East-West Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and as an Instructor in Psychiatry at the School of Medicine of the University of Virginia. A study he...

Tardigrades (also known as water-bears or moss piglets) are water-dwelling, segmented micro-animals, with eight legs. They were first described by the German pastor Johann August Ephraim Goeze in 1773. The name Tardigrada (meaning "slow stepper") was given three years later by the Italian biologist Lazzaro Spallanzani. Since 1778, over 1,150 tardigrade species have been identified. Tardigrades can survive in extreme environments. For example, they can withstand temperatures from just above absolute zero to well above the boiling point of water, pressures about six times greater than those found in the deepest ocean trenches, ionizing radiation at doses hundreds of times higher than the lethal dose for a human, and the vacuum of outer space. They can go without food or water for more than 10 years, drying out to the point where they are 3% or less water, only to re-hydrate, forage, and reproduce. They are not considered extremophile because they...

Photography has the power to capture more than just pretty landscapes and family portraits. It can capture history and often times the emotion of actually being there. This is exactly what these 30 photos do. From life and death, to war and those amazing moments of rare beauty in unexpected places. They tell us more about the human experience and our place in the universe than words ever could. 1) In 1967, 17-year-old Jan Rose Kasmir offers a flower to soldiers during an anti-war protest outside the Pentagon. 2) Brazilian police fire on a man during protests against corruption and police brutality in 2013. 3) Sergeant Frank Praytor looks after a kitten during the height of the Korean War in 1952. 4) A curious Afghan girl holds the hand of a female American soldier. 5) A South Korean man cries as his North Korean brother waves after inter-Korean temporary family reunions. 6) Anna Fisher on the cover of Life magazine in 1985. 7) Thani...