January 2012
119 posts
The Oldest Trees in the World
mentalflossr:
Joe Burbank/MCT/Landov
Roughly 3,500 years ago, a tiny cypress tree sprouted in the swamplands of Central Florida. Earlier this month, that cypress burned to the ground. As a tribute, here’s a look at some of the world’s oldest and most amazing remaining trees.
He's Great, But
dearoldlove:
He’s great and doesn’t deserve this, so how do I tell him I’m sill in love with you?
Oye…
Dinosaur Bones: What ancient proteins can tell us... →
Remember in Jurassic Park when they got dinosaur DNA from an ancient mosquito’s stomach? Well, if they had been interested in dinosaur proteins, they only had to look at a dinosaur bone. Dinosaur bones are at least 65 million years old. And all of the meat has turned to stone. Over this amount of time and with this much abuse, scientists thought no DNA or proteins could survive. They were...
WatchWhat a lovely, little short. Brings to mind Up and The Wizard of Oz, among others. Hope it gets the Oscar <3
“Inspired, in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books, “Morris Lessmore” is a story of people who devote their lives to books and books who return the favor. Morris Lessmore is a poignant, humorous allegory about the curative ...
Watchthedailywhat:
Storytime of the Day: The latest StoryCorps (previously) heartwarmer starts with a typo, and ends with two people, half a world away, falling madly in love with each other.
[storycorps.]
The sweetest thing.
5 Ripped-from-the-Headlines Doctor Who Stories
mentalflossr:
From its start in 1963, Doctor Who has heavily featured the future and the past — but stories based on current events have also been part of the series. While it isn’t quite Law & Order, sometimes we do get to see Doctor Who: Ripped from the Headlines!
Skit Skat Cat!
animalsbeingdicks:
I suggest you watch this while listening to this. It makes all the difference in the world.
“With the Republican candidates courting Cubans in Miami today, Fidel Castro...”
– The Caucus, NYT blog (via peacelovedave)
mental_floss on tumblr: This Tortoise Is Older... →
mentalflossr:
Even with the long life expectancy of giant tortoises, an Aldabra Giant Tortoise named Adwaita blows all others away with a life lasting around 255 years. Estimates put his birth date around 1750, making him an entire generation older than the United States of America.
The tortoise was…
“Love is by definition an unmerited gift; being loved without meriting it is the...”
– Milan Kundera
John Tyler's Grandsons Are Still Alive!
mentalflossr:
Born in 1790, John Tyler was our 10th President. He took office in 1841 after William Henry Harrison died. And he has two living grandchildren!
Not great-great-great-grandchildren. Their dad was Tyler’s son.
How is this possible? The Tyler men have a habit of having kids very late in life. Lyon Gardiner Tyler, one President Tyler’s 15 kids, was born in 1853. He fathered Lyon...
