Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Tuesday Trivia: Wild New Zealand

Lathrop Saddle outside of Hokitika. Image: Alan Watson
With part of the Spiral Team on the Milford Track this week we thought we'd have a look here at our wonderful wild natural spaces.

The Milford Track. New Zealand's premier great walk, sometimes described as the finest walk in the world. A bit crowded but it certainly looks worth it. And isn't any track crowded that has more than one group on it?

Some amazing photos from the Southern Alps. Caution, may cause an irresistible need to explore New Zealand wilderness.

We have so much here to explore! The DOC website shows that we have tracks all around the country. Wherever you are in New Zealand there is a track not far away.

"There's a real purity in New Zealand that doesn't exist in the States. It's not an easy thing to find in our world anymore. It's a unique place because it is so far away from the rest of the world. There is a sense of isolation and also being protected." - Elijah Wood

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Tuesday Trivia: Flames of the world



The Gates of Hell. A flaming crater in Turkmenistan that has been burning for four decades!

The Eternal Flame Falls of New York. Ok these ones need to be relit occasionally.

And finally one that's closer to home! Not far from Murchison apparently.

"The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire" - Ferdinand Foch

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Tuesday Trivia: Ancient Tech

Image: Marsyas CC BY-SA 3.0

Making ice in the desert? 2400 years ago the Persians were making ice in the desert to keep cool on hot summer days.

Ancient robots lasers and computers? Not quite as we know them but still pretty amazing.

Antibiotic beer from 1500 years ago. I wonder how effective it was.

"Give me a lever long enough and fulcrum on which to place it and I shall move the world." - Archimedes

Tuesday, November 04, 2014

Tuesday Trivia: Time to eat bugs?

Image: Takoradee CC BY SA 3.0


Delicious tinned bugs. Looks pretty good based on the packaging at least...

Grow your own food at home. And I'm not talking about a vegetable garden.

A delicious cricket shake after the gym? Are insects the future for gym nutrition?



"If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos." - E. O. Wilson