UNEXPECTED THINGS CAN sometimes blow you away.
Great things come in the most unassuming of packaging, don’t they? Let’s find out where nature has tucked away the secret big guns…
1. The Pocket Hercules
Weight lifter Naim Suleymanoglu is a Turkish World and Olympic Champion. And can you guess why he was dubbed the “Pocket Hercules”? Well, pound-for-pound, he became the strongest man in the world – lifting 3.15 times his body weight in the 1988 Summer Olympics (for those curious, that was a whopping 190kg in clean and jerk). And his height? Just 4 ft 10 in. Jeepers.
2. On a budget
Sometimes, a shoestring budget can take you right up to the stars. Just take a look at the Irish film Once. It got the green light for €112,000 from the Film Board, with filming going ahead on an extremely tight budget after other funding fell through last minute. The film was shot with a skeleton crew over just 17 days, saving money by using natural light and using friends’ houses where possible. And the result? $20,710,513 at the box office, two Grammy Awards and an Oscar.
3. Under the sea
Plankton are absolutely crucial to our seas and oceans – and yet, with their microscopic size, humans can’t even see them. This diverse group of organisms can’t swim against a current, yet they are a key part of the underwater ecosystem. Photosynthesis by phytoplankton forms up to half of global primary production. They are the main food source for zooplankton – which then together form the base of the oceanic food chain. Larger zooplankton, fish, and mammals depend on plankton for their survival.
We’d be lost without them, basically.
4. Nano Nano
Nanotechnology is “the manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular and supramolecular” scale – in layperson’s terms, it’s the study and application of extremely small things. To get an idea of the scale you’re dealing with, a nanometer is one billionth of a meter. Check out the video before, where water is repelled by nanotechnology in special oil coatings.
5. Bullseye!
Ever heard of a bullet ant? It inhabits rainforests in places such as Nicaragua, Honduras and Paraguay – and it’s not something you’d want to find beside you in bed. The pain caused by its sting is said to be greater than that of any other hymenopteran, and it’s ranked as the most painful on the Schmidt sting pain index. According to some victims, it is akin to being shot (hence the name). The pain has also been described as “burning, throbbing and all-consuming”. Eek.
6. Hot damn
Got a taste for spicy foods? Well, what about trying the Guinness World Record holder for hottest chilli pepper? The Carolina Reaper looks quite unassuming, with its relatively compact size and wrinkled flesh, but don’t be fooled – it rates peak levels of 2,200,000 Scoville Heat Units. (To give you an idea of scale, a Scotch bonnet pepper is somewhere between 100,000 and 350,000.)
The Nissan Leaf is a family-sized car – with 5 seats and lots of boot space – with a big difference. It runs entirely from electricity. It’s affordable and sustainable to charge, with smart charging points all around the country. It also offers instant acceleration – there’s no revving as you run through the gears. That plus fast charging, smart features and a 5 year battery warranty. What are you waiting for?
