With the end of the Mayan Calendar upon us (and if you’re reading this tomorrow, we have to assume they were wrong), what better way to start off this edition of the Friday Smorgasbord with monster fish. Sharktopus and megapiranha may have been the antagonist in really bad horror flicks, but for the megapiranha actually may have existed and packed the most powerful bite in history. Researchers have found black piranhas can exert a force up to 30 times greater than their weight in when biting prey. On top of that they have reconstructed the fossil of a real megapiranha that had a bite on par with the modern day cousin but a much larger and deadlier bite. Thankfully megapiranha is extinct excepting in Hollywood.
[via Geekosystem]
These fragile, yet stunning frost flowers are a natural phenomenon that occur in the Arctic Ocean when conditions are just right. One a doctoral candidate at the University of Washington, Jeff Bowman, watched the Arctic Ocean transform from heavy ice to a meadow of frost flowers on an expedition in 2009. The frost flowers are ice crystals that form in the frigid air above the ocean surface when it reaches -7.6 degrees Fahrenheit and with calm winds. These flowers don’t usually last for more than a few weeks. One of the most surprising aspects of these formations is the surprising amount of salt and bacteria. The frost flowers contain salinity levels three times higher than the surrounding seawater.
[via ABC News]
Researchers doing 3D mapping the Great Barrier Reef have discovered a large slab of the reef perched on the continental shelf that could break off and cause a massive tsunami. The 1 cubic km slab could fall tomorrow or a 1,000 years from now. The research team figures the tsunami generated could affect the Queensland coast 40 miles away.
[via Phys.org]
When we hear these stories, we want to find these thieves and kick them in the teeth. The Reef Shoppe in Irondequoit, N.Y., was robbed of $15,000 in corals, $5,000 in merchandise and a small amount of cash. Store managers believe the thief or thieves knew his shop well, but current employees are not among those they suspect were responsible. Remember karma is a b*tch, so if you live in the area and have any information on this crime call CrimeStoppers at 585-423-9300.
[via WHAM-TV]
[youtube]http://youtu.be/q_SobFUvgno[/youtube]
We wanted to leave you on a brighter note and this video should start off with the Jeff Foxworthy line “You might be a redneck if….” Here some guy fishing jumps in the water to be in what appears to be a jumping swarm of Asian carp when he gets more than he bargains for.
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