Tortoise

Turtles have been on the earth for more than 200 million years. They evolved before mammals, birds, crocodiles, snakes, and even lizards.

The earliest turtles had teeth and could not retract their heads, but other than this, modern turtles are very similar to their original ancestors.

Turtles live on every continent except Antarctica.

Turtles will live in almost any climate warm enough to allow them to complete their breeding cycle.

While most turtles do not tolerate the cold well, the Blanding’s turtle has been observed swimming under the ice in the Great Lakes region.

Turtles range in size from the 4-inch Bog Turtle to the 1500-pound Leathery Turtle.

North America contains a large variety of turtle species, but Europe contains only two species of turtle and three species of tortoise.

The shell of a turtle is made up of 60 different bones all connected together.

Most land tortoises have high, domed carapaces that offer protection from the snapping jaws of terrestrial predators.

Most turtle species have five toes on each limb with a few exceptions including the American Box Turtle of the Carolina species that only has four toes and, in some cases, only three.

Turtles have good eyesight and an excellent sense of smell. Hearing and sense of touch are both good and even the shell contains nerve endings.

Some aquatic turtles can absorb oxygen through the skin on their neck and cloacal areas allowing them to remain submerged underwater for extended periods of time and enabling them to hibernate underwater.

Turtles are one of the oldest and most primitive groups of reptiles and have outlived many other species. One can only wonder if their unique shell is responsible for their longevity.

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Kilimanjaro

Elevation: 19,340 feet
Location: Tanzania, east Africa

The meaning and origin of the name Kilimanjaro is unknown. It is thought to be a combination of the Swahili word Kilima, meaning “mountain,” and the KiChagga word Njaro, loosely translated as “whiteness,” giving the name White Mountain.

Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and fourth highest of the Seven Summits, is considered the tallest freestanding mountain in the world, rising 15,100 feet (4,600 meters) from base to summit.

Kilimanjaro is composed of three distinct volcanic cones: Kibo 19,340 feet (5,895 meters); Mawenzi 16,896 feet (5,149 meters); and Shira 13,000 feet (3,962 meters). Uhuru Peak is the highest summit on Kibo’s crater rim.

Kilimanjaro is a giant stratovolcano that began forming a million years ago when lava spilled from the Rift Valley zone. The mountain was built by successive lava flows. Two of its three peaks—Mawenzi and Shira—are extinct while Kibo, the highest peak is dormant and could erupt again.

Kilimanjaro has 2.2 square kilometers of glacial ice and is losing it quickly due to global warming. The glaciers have shrunk 82% since 1912 and declined 33% since 1989.

Kilimanjaro lies within the 756-square-kilometer Kilimanjaro National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is one of the few places on earth that encompasses every ecological life zone including tropical jungle, savannah, and desert to montane forests, subalpine plants, and the alpine zone above timberline.

Kilimanjaro has five common routes to its highest summit: Marangu Route; Machame Route; Rongai Route; Lemosho Route; and Mweka Route.

Climbing Kilimanjaro is easy and requires no technical climbing or mountaineering experience. The biggest challenge and danger is the high altitude. Climbers die from improper acclimatization and altitude sickness rather than falls.

Kilimanjaro is not a peak you can climb on your own. It is mandatory to climb with a licensed guide and have porters carry your equipment. This sustains the local economy and allows local people to reap the rewards of tourism.

The fastest verified ascent time was by Italian Bruno Brunod in 2001. He climbed Uhuru Peak from Marangu Gate in 5 hours, 38 minutes, and 40 seconds. The fastest round-trip time was by local guide Simon Mtuy who ran up and down on December 26, 2004 in 8 hours and 27 minutes.

Mount Meru, a 14,980-foot volcanic cone, lies 45 miles west of Kilimanjaro. It is an active volcano; has a snowcap; lies in Arusha National Park; and is often climbed as a training peak for Kilimanjaro.

Valcanoes

A volcano is a mountain that opens downward to a pool of molten rock below the surface of the earth. When pressure builds up, eruptions occur.
In an eruption, gases and rock shoot up through the opening and spill over or fill the air with lava fragments. Eruptions can cause lava flows, hot ash flows, mudslides, avalanches, falling ash and floods.
The danger area around a volcano covers about a 20-mile radius.
Fresh volcanic ash, made of pulverized rock, can be harsh, acidic, gritty, glassy and smelly. The ash can cause damage to the lungs of older people, babies and people with respiratory problems.
Volcano eruptions have been known to knock down entire forests.
An erupting volcano can trigger tsunamis, flash floods, earthquakes, mudflows and rockfalls.
More than 80% of the earth’s surface is volcanic in origin. The sea floor and some mountains were formed by countless volcanic eruptions. Gaseous emissions from volcano formed the earth’s atmosphere.
There are more than 500 active volcanoes in the world. More than half of these volcanoes are part of the “Ring of Fire,” a region that encircles the Pacific Ocean.
Active volcanoes in the U.S. are found mainly in Hawaii, Alaska, California, Oregon and Washington, but the greatest chance of eruptions near areas where many people live is in Hawaii and Alaska.
Even though the volcanic eruption in Iceland was relatively small, the ash cloud that was produced disrupted European air travel for six days in April 2010. The eruption created the highest level of air travel disruption World War II.
Crater Lake in Oregon formed from a high volcano that lost its top after a series of tremendous explosions about 6,600 years ago.

DOGS

Dogs have been domesticated for 10,000 years.
There are over 200 different breeds of dogs
Canis Familiaris is the Latin name for dog.
The largest dogs among all breeds, at least in terms of height, is the Irish Wolfhound.
Nearly all but two breeds of dogs have pink tongues. The two exceptions? The Chow Chow and the Shar-pei, both with black tongues.
The Basenji is the only barkless dog in the world.
Dalmatian puppies are born pure white, with their spots developing as the mature.
The ancient Chinese royalty loved the Pekingese, carrying them tucked into the sleeves of their royal robes.
Greyhounds are no doubt fast. In fact, they can reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour for short amounts of time.
Many dogs’ eyes reflect the color green in the dark, but some also reflect orange or red.
Laikia, a dog, was the world’s first ever space astronaut. She was sent into space in an artificial earth satellite in 1957 by the Russian government.
Survivors of the Titanic included two dogs: a Pekingese belonging to Henry Sleeper Harper and a Pomeranian belonging to Miss Margaret Hays.
The oldest known breed of dog is the Saluki, which is an Arabic word meaning noble one. These dogs were raised as hunting dogs by ancient Egyptians.
The oldest breed of dog native to North America is the Chihuahua.
Every minute, dogs take ten to thirty breaths.
The only mammals with prostates are humans and dogs.
There are 42 teeth in a dog’s mouth.
One of the very first animals domesticated by humans was the dog.
The oldest known dog lived to be 29.
The “spring” in Springer Spaniel referred to this dog’s ability to spring or startle game.
In Flemish, Schipperke translates to “Little Captain.”
The Lhasa Apso was used by monks to guard temples.

Singapore Flyer

Diameter: Singapore Flyer is 150 metres in diameter – about the length of 87 Singaporean men lying down head-to-toe. The average Singaporean man is 1.72m tall.
Height: Singapore Flyer measures 165 metres in height – about the height of a 42-storey building. To amuse your child, describe the height as “31 male giraffes stacked on top of one another”. The average height of a giraffe is 5.3 metres.
Land area: Singapore Flyer stands on 33,700m2 or 363,000 ft2 – an area that will fit 172 tennis courts or 1,120 parking lots. A typical parking lot is 30m2.
Capsule size: Each capsule is 4 metres x 7 metres – about the size of a city bus. There are 28 capsules. Each capsule can carry up to 28 passengers.
Speed it travels: 0.24m per second, or 0.76km/h.
Total capacity per revolution: 784 passengers.
Boarding & Flying
Boarding: To board the capsule, you use the “step on platform” – it’s like walking on level ground into the capsule. There are two synchronised doors and two platforms on each side – making it easy for the elderly and those in wheelchairs to get on and off.
Rotation: Each rotation is about 32 minutes.
Smooth Rotation: Singapore Flyer is designed and built to rotate smoothly under various wind conditions at high altitudes – thanks to precision wind engineering.
View Radius: On board Singapore Flyer, you can see up to 45 kilometres away – that’s 3 kilometres more than the entire length of our island city. From the Flyer, you’ll be able to see Changi Airport, Sentosa Island, and even parts of Malaysia and Indonesia.
Design & Technology
Design: Singapore Flyer is the brainchild of world renowned architect Dr. Kisho Kurokawa (Japan) and architectural firm DP Architects (Singapore). The design is notably “avant-garde” – experimental and innovative while emphasizing simplicity and harmony.
Technological Wonder: Singapore Flyer uses a slim ladder truss rim – not the usual triangular rim used by other observation wheels.

Copper

Facts about the Definition of the Element Copper
A ductile, malleable, reddish-brown metallic element that is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity and is widely used for electrical wiring, water piping, and corrosion-resistant parts, either pure or in alloys such as brass and bronze. The most common uses of Copper are in Copper sulfate, Hammered copper, Tubing, pipes – Plumbing, Wire, Electromagnets, Statues, Watt’s steam engine, Vacuum tubes, Musical instruments, Component of coins, Cookware and Cutlery. A Copper Reaction involves a process in which Copper is mixed with another substance which react to form something else.

Interesting Facts about the Origin and Meaning of the element name Copper
The name originates from the Latin word cyprium, after the island of Cyprus. Copper was associated with the goddess named Aphrodite / Venus in Greek and Roman mythology. The island of Cyprus was sacred to the goddess. In alchemy, the symbol for copper was also the symbol for the planet Venus. In Greek times, the metal was known by the name Chalkos. In Roman times, it became known as Cyprium because so much of it was mined in Cyprus.

Facts about the Classification of the Element Copper
Copper is classified as a “Transition Metal” which are located in Groups 3 – 12 of the Periodic Table. An Element classified as a Transition Metals is ductile, malleable, and able to conduct electricity and heat.

Occurrence of the element Copper in the Atmosphere
Obtained from chalcopyrite, coveline, chalcosine
Common Uses of Copper
Copper sulfate
Hammered copper
Tubing, pipes – Plumbing
Wire
Sheets
Electromagnets
Statues
Watt’s steam engine
Vacuum tubes
Musical instruments
Component of coins
Cookware
Cutlery

The Properties of the Element Copper
Name of Element : Copper
Symbol of Element : Cu
Atomic Number of Copper : 29
Atomic Mass: 63.546 amu
Melting Point: 1083.0 °C – 1356.15 °K
Boiling Point: 2567.0 °C – 2840.15 °K
Number of Protons/Electrons in Copper : 29
Number of Neutrons in Copper : 35
Crystal Structure: Cubic
Density @ 293 K: 8.96 g/cm3
Color of Copper : red / orange / brown

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