Baby-Sized Bethlehem

Happy holidays from Little Big World with this short Christmas-special time-lapse film from the Christmas market in Bethlehem.



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(thanks Cora)

10 Most Rat-Infested Cities In The Western World

image credit: Edal Anton Lefterov

Rats have cohabited with humans for thousands of years, but these elusive and sometimes aggressive animals are perhaps best known for the potential health risks they pose. Rats can carry infections such as salmonella and leptospirosis. They are everywhere in urban areas; and thanks to the way humans have populated the city, New York has been shown to be an ideal place for rat populations to thrive.

Some cities have even seemed to resign themselves to the fact that living without rats is an impossible dream. As Castle Island, Boston preservationist Bill Spain has said of the local area's rat infestation, 'We need a Pied Piper.' Here are ten of the most rat-infested cities in the western world.

Friday Cartoon By Mark Anderson

Mark Anderson is a professional cartoonist from the Chicago area. His cartoons have been published in Reader's Digest, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Woman's World and the Saturday Evening Post, to mention just a few. Among his clients are GM, General Electric, FedEx, Microsoft, and IBM.

Frost On Glass: Ice Flower Art

image credit: Marilylle Soveran

When a pane of glass is exposed to very cold air on the outside while inside the air is reasonably moist, frost can form. Known as ice flowers or fern frost, it is remarkable for the intricate patterns it creates.

The surface of the glass influences the way that the ice is formed so that the first process of crystallization, known as nucleation, is randomized. The patterns, then, are almost infinite in variety. Science aside, ice flowers are a source of wonder, things of elegance and beauty.

Holland's Got Talent - Amira Willighagen

Nine-year-old Amira Willighagen stuns judges and the audience on Holland's Got Talent with an opera voice no one was expecting. She sings Puccini's aria 'O Mio Babbino Caro.' You may not understand the language in the first part of the video, but skip to the 1.35 minute mark to hear Amira sing.



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(thanks Michael)

This Ghost Glass Frog Has Got The Craziest Eyes

image credit: Brian Gratwicke

The Ghost Glass Frog (Centrolene ilex) is a species of frog in the Centrolenidae family. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama. It has the craziest hypnotizing eyes you've ever seen.

(via Everlasting Blort)

The House On Elliðaey Island, Iceland

image credit: Chris Zielecki

Also known as Bjork's house or the most secluded house in the world, the house on Elliðaey Island in Iceland has puzzled the web with its absurd set up. Who on earth would want to live in a windswept, treeless rock without anyone else in sight?/

The British Library Puts 1,000,000 Images Into The Public Domain

The British Library has released over a million images onto Flickr Commons for anyone to use, remix and repurpose. These images were taken from the pages of 17th, 18th and 19th century books.

The images themselves cover a startling mix of subjects: There are maps, geological diagrams, beautiful illustrations, comical satire, illuminated and decorative letters, colourful illustrations, landscapes, wall-paintings and so much more.

(via Open Culture)

Santa Prank: A Freestyle Prank Starring UCB's Shockwave And Flytalker

Watch Santa and his elf/beatboxer find out what these New Yorkers want for Christmas in probably the coolest way ever.



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(thanks Francesca)

The Crossword Puzzle Is 100 Years Old

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Historians of the crossword puzzle generally date its first appearance to December 21, 1913, just about 100 years ago. Arthur Wynne, a journalist from Liverpool, England, published a 'word-cross' puzzle (picture above) in the New York World that embodied most of the features of the genre as we know it. This puzzle is frequently cited as the first crossword puzzle, and Wynne as the inventor.

But a decade would go by before the crossword, as it was by then called - apparently due to a typesetter's error - would become one of the biggest fads of the Roaring Twenties.

Human Intelligence Isn't Superior To That Of Other Animals

image credit: patriziasoliani

Researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia argue in an upcoming book, The Dynamic Human, that humans really aren't much smarter than other creatures - and that some animals may actually be brighter than we are.

The book's co-author Dr. Arthur Saniotis says: 'For millennia, all kinds of authorities have been repeating the same idea ad nauseam, that humans are exceptional by virtue that they are the smartest in the animal kingdom. However, science tells us that animals can have cognitive faculties that are superior to human beings.'

Tis The Season

Ever wondered what Santa and his crew are up to during their time off?



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(thanks Cora)

These Terrifying Photos Of The Original Michelin Man Will Haunt Your Dreams

Bibendum, commonly referred to as the Michelin Man, is the symbol of the Michelin tire company. The Michelin Man was once an overweight, cigar-smoking beer drinker. Bibendum was conceived by Edouard and André Michelin, the brothers who founded the company.

The 115-year-old character is one of the world's oldest trademarks, and also one of its most loved. But early photographs of the Michelin man are nothing short of terrifying.

(via Everlasting Blort)

Lamaze Class

You're doing it wrong!

(via Bad Newspaper)

The Bizarre Hammerhead Worm

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Some people just don't like worms despite the fact that their usefulness to humanity is long established and recorded. Worms aerate the soil, break down organic matter and even excrete fantastic fertilizer.

Yet still they are hated: if accidentally picked up they are flung away with Olympian exuberance, often with ear-shattering shrieks as accompaniment. What, then, would those haters make of this, the bizarre hammerhead worm? Prepare to meet a strange beast indeed - not to mention one of the messiest eaters on the planet.

Spacecraft's 'Rainbow Eyes' Looks Deep Into The Sun

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory views the Sun in multiple wavelengths, each one revealing a little more about its dynamics. The views are compiled to reveal how different parts of the Sun appear under each wavelength or 'color'.



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(thanks Cora)

What's That Clinging To The Towering Wall And Why Doesn't It Fall Off?

image credit YouTube

Maybe you've seen this before. It's totally amazing. We're in northern Italy looking at the face of the Cingino Dam, and here and there on the vertical stone wall, you'll see a few dark specks. They look like protruding rocks, or maybe some kind of metal studs, but lean in, and you'll see they have what seem to be... legs.

These are goats, Alpine ibexes. Also known as the steinbock, they are a species of wild goat that live in the mountains of the European Alps.

Ron Burgundy's Apartment For Sale

It has been nine long years since we last saw our favorite San Diego news team. After nearly a decade they’ll be back in our lives and our living rooms (or at least movie theaters), in 'Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.'

Since Anchorman 2 is coming out today, the Movoto Real Estate team put a price tag on Ron Burgundy's apartment. It features amenities fans will enjoy such as rich mahogany and a library with many leather bound books.

(thanks Travis)

VW Bus 8 GB USB Memory Stick Flash Pen Drive

A Volkswagen Bus T1 USB memory stick made of Die Cast material with superb metallic surface finishing.

(via get addicted to)

Unique Birth: Gorilla Twins

At Burgers' Zoo in Arnhem, the Netherlands, gorilla N'Gayla gave birth to twins. Gorillas usually get only one young at a time. Mother and babies are doing well. Father is OK too.



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(thanks Cora)