Scientists Resolve the Mystery behind the Spitting of Archer fish

A species of fish that has a killer aim uses physics to chase for its prey, according to scientists. Archerfish lurk under the surface of water before spitting to hit unsuspecting insects that have landed nearby, which when hit, fall to their death to provide the fish with food.

Research has shown that the animal is able to impulsively take into account light refraction and other physics principles such as the Plateau–Rayleigh instability to be one of the most accurate hunters in the natural world.

The aptly named archerfish employs a unique process to hunt land based insects and small animals – it aims, spits, and stuns. It prowls under the surface of the water, waiting for unsuspecting insects to land nearby. Then, it spits out water jets at a great force, instantly killing the prey. The entire process takes just one-tenth of a second. The archerfish, a species made up of 7 fish that belong to the genus Toxotes, is able to spurt water at its prey with unbelievable speed and accuracy. Cleverer still is the fish’s aim, as the tiny creature takes into account the way light bends as it enters water.

An archerfish can bring down insects as far as three meters above the water’s surface. Once it selects the prey, it alternates its eyes so that the prey’s image falls on a particular part of the eye. Then it presses its tongue against the groove on the roof of its mouth to form a narrow channel, and contracts its gill covers to issue a powerful jet of water through the channel. The power of this shot can be altered for prey of diverse sizes. The jet can be up to five meters long.

Surprisingly, research has showed that the force of the water that hits the insects is much higher than the force at which it leaves the archerfish. Which means the water gains speed, instead of losing it. This is reverse to how a ball or bullet behaves when it is fired.

For years, scientists believed the archerfish had specific internal muscles or organs that helped it spit very hard. But thanks to research done by physicists from the University of Milan, we now know that this isn’t the case. In fact, the fish’s forceful strike is formed externally, using water dynamics.

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Alexey Kljatov Photographs Stunning Close-Ups of Snowflakes

As fascinating as macro photography is, most of us think we can’t do it because it needs specialized equipment. Russian photographer Alexey Kljatov, however, is an inspiration to aspiring amateur photographers everywhere – he created a home-made rig capable of capturing stunning close-up pictures of snowflakes out of old camera parts, boards, screws and tape. His pictures give us an enchanting close-up view of snowflakes that we could never hope for without specialized equipment.

He captures most of the snowflakes on the basic studio on his balcony - comprising a sheet of glass balancing on the legs of an upturned stool. Mr Kljatov, from Moscow, often points an LED torch at the glass from underneath to provide lighting. Some of the darker images have been taken using natural light and woolen fabric placed underneath the glass.

Mr Kljatov takes his pictures using a 12.1MP Canon PowerShot A650, along with his customized add-ons. Given that he once used a plastic bottle to steady his camera, with pictures taken in the camera's macro mode, his new setup looks sophisticated. But it just entails a lens taken from an antiquated USSR Zenit SLR camera strapped to his camera and the aforementioned aids.

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South Korean TV Show Transforms Twin Sisters into Gorgeous Dolls

Plastic surgery in South Korea is a whole norm in their culture’s circumstances and while it’s usually for enhancing their flawed features for the better, a South Korean TV show called Let’s Beauty focuses on the people who really needs it; i.e. the people who feel ‘too ugly’ over their whole appearance to be confident in life.

A pair of twin sisters who were deemed “too ugly” was lucky enough to get sponsored to go under the knife by the show. The twins honestly didn’t look so bad, but they could have had some dental work done. However, the doctors on the show transformed them into “new and improved” twins, who are still identical but look totally different from who they were before.

Lately, South Koreans have been making news for their obsession with plastic surgery. Images of this year’s Miss Korea pageant showed all 20 finalists looking just the same. A 2012 report by The Economist states that South Korea has the highest rate of cosmetic surgery per capita. 20 percent of women in Seoul between the ages of 19 and 49 admit to having had some kind of beauty ‘enhancement’.

It must be an overwhelming experience to go through such a drastic change. Every time the twins look in the mirror, it must freak them out. They seem happy, but I do hope they realize that their kids are going to look nothing like the new them.

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Aishwarya and Aaradhya Visit Azad’s Birthday Celebration

Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao’s son Azad Rao Khan turns two and to celebrate the occasion, proud parents Kiran and Aamir threw a private bash where family members and friend from film industry turned up to wish little Azad.

Kiran and Aamir played the perfect host and greeted the guests. Spotted at the birthday party was Aamir Khan’s daughter Ira, son Junaid with his friend, Aamir’s sister Nikhat Khan and brother Faisal Khan, mother Zeenat Hussain.

Aishwarya arrived with her daughter Aaradhya who just turned two. Aaradhya and Azad get well very well. During their ‘Dhoom 3’ schedule in Chicago, Azad and Aaradhya had a blast and Aamir Khan is reported to be very fond of Aaradhya.

Director Ayan Mukherjee of ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ fame was also invited. He is very close to Aamir and his family. Aamir Khan was spotted in his upcoming film, ‘Dhoom 3’ avatar with hat on. Kunal Kapoor came with his friend. Filmmaker Karan Johar arrived to wish Azad. Filmmaker Kunal Kohli, Sona Mahaptra, Ram Sampath were also invited at the bash

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Paul Walker’s Deadly Crash on CCTV

CCTV footage that reveals the exact moment that Paul Walker's Porsche Carrera GT careened into a tree and burst into flames has been released - as one witness claimed that the crash was an accident not a drag race.

Accident investigators 'have received eyewitness statements that the car involved was travelling alone at a high rate of speed' the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a written statement on Monday. 'No eyewitness has communicated the [department] to say there was a second vehicle.'

The surveillance footage shot from a nearby rooftop camera shows a cloud of black smoke billow into the sky in the seconds after the crash, just moments before what appears to be a large detonation sends a huge fireball skywards. The witness who spoke to the Hollywood reporter said that the fire was already burning when he and the star's friends arrived to try and battle the blaze.

There were pieces of the car that flew into the space lot next to the tree. Also, the front fascia of the building next to the crash was about three stories tall and made of glass,' said the driver to the Hollywood Reporter. 'I looked up and saw the crash broke the window at the top of the building. 'I thought, 'That must have been a sizeable crash.'

Moments before Paul Walker took what turned out to be a fatal ride - he posed proudly next to the exotic car that burst on impact in the deadly accident.

Paul was photographed with the red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT that belonged to his friend Roger Rodas. They were attending a fundraiser in Santa Clarita, CA.

We're told the photos and video were taken about 30 minutes before the accident.

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Unusual Road Eruption Accident in Russia Ekaterinburg

Drivers who criticize about potholes in the road may now count themselves lucky after a driver had a narrow escape when the road erupted in front of him.

Like a scene out of a Hollywood disaster movie, the road rose into the air in front of an SUV driver who was speeding up to a red light. The video, shot in Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovskaya Oblast, Russia, has been viewed more than 40,000 times online.

A dashboard camera caught the moment the road surface was shot into the air by the explosion. The video, dated Thursday, shows the car slowing down for a red light when the SUV driver overtakes on the outside, only for the van to bang into the road rubble. It erupts into three large pieces, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

A second car only missed it by moments when the driver turned right hardly seconds earlier. Experts who have seen the footage believe it was caused by an exploding gas main. Howard Robinson, chief executive of the Road Surface Treatments Association, who has seen the video, said: 'It looks like a gas main has exploded. If it was a water main we would see water gushing upwards.'

In the clip the clearly stunned SUV driver can be seen getting cautiously out of his car as the hazard lights flash. Some have speculated online that the eruption was caused by a burst underground sewer or underground air pressure. Others have joked the explosion was intentionally carried out to stop the driver running the red light. One person posted on Live Leak: 'In Russia cops don't stop you for running a light, the road does'.

Another user wrote: 'Car driver wanted to run the red light, red light did stop him immediately.' However, other views have put forward an even more melodramatic explanation. One called Strymerx asked: 'Is this a new movie of Godzilla?'

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Australian Family Sets New Guinness Record with Over Half a Million Christmas Light Installation

An Australian family who put more than half a million Christmas lights on their house has claimed a world record - for the second time. Father-of-three David Richards from Canberra first won the title in 2011 with 331,038 lights, but was beaten by a family in New York who put up 346,283.

His family vowed to take regain the title this Christmas - so installed more than 31 miles of wire with 502,165 lights, glowing reindeer and loud music around their suburban home, to the frustration of some neighbors. Guinness World Records confirmed the family's charity feat has officially the most Christmas lights on a residential property.

Some of the Richards’ neighbors are very upset and haven’t spoken to the family since 2011. But most of them love the dazzle and come to visit from numerous miles away. David says, “I have always loved Christmas. Having the Christmas lights with the community coming in and sharing it is a time when you get to know people you perhaps should know better, I guess.”

Of course, putting up so many lights would mean a enormous electric bill. It comes up to about $2,200 a month, an amount that the local power company has been generous enough to donate. The Richards hosts a charity event open to the public, and the proceeds go to children’s charities that fight Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. In 2011 they had 70,000 visitors and collected about $70,000. This year David wants to up the amount to $90,000. “It actually helps a lot of families who have put up with an amazing amount of grief. That makes it all worthwhile to me,”

David lives in the suburb of Forrest with his wife Janean, 13-year-old son Aidan and daughters Caitlin, 10, and Madelyn, 6. It took them a month to put up all the lights – they started in October and worked every weekend since. Thankfully they didn’t have to physically count all the lights. Delivery records and invoices helped with that. The lights aren’t just meant for Christmas, they’re also meant to party his wife’s cousin’s wedding this Saturday.

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