The giant Galapagos tortoise is the largest tortoise on earth, weighing between 350 and 500 pounds, and stretching 5 feet in length. It’s also incredibly long lived, reaching 100 years of age in the wild. The oldest known tortoise lived in captivity until the ripe old age of 175. These giant lumbering creatures, free of predators and competition, are the key herbivores of the islands, grazing on shrubs, cacti, grasses, and berries....

As cell phones have become more popular in recent years, the incidence of injuries related to distracted walking has risen. In 2010, more than 1,500 people were treated in emergency rooms because of distracted walking, according to a 2013 report from Ohio State University. The number has increased six fold between 2005 and 2010. Some tragic cases, like Burwell’s, have resulted in death. The reason for these injuries is pretty clear: When you’re looking down at a gadget, you’re not looking where you’re going....

But last week, a very different helicopter lifted off the ground for the first time in Florida. Called the Defiant, the prototype has two big rotors positioned one directly above the other. They rotate in different directions, so the chopper doesn’t need that back vertical propeller to keep it from twirling. Instead, the rear propeller pushes the helicopter forward and boosts its speed. While the Defiant, which is made by both Boeing and Sikorsky, is just a demonstration-level prototype, a helicopter like this could someday carry out the kinds of missions for the Army that Black Hawks do today....

That diet was the lowest-ranked of 24 food plans evaluated by a panel of 30 experts in US News & World Report’s annual diet ranking for 2023. The experts looked at multiple factors to make their decision, including how easy it is to follow a diet, the potential for disease prevention when on a plan, and the presence of all food groups. Each diet was given a score best on 11 sets of rankings, including best overall, best diabetes diet, best heart healthy diet, and best plant based diet....

One of the foolproof ways you can shield yourself from hackers is through VPN—you can take your pick from these 10 options. FastestVPN Ideal for use at home and the office, FastestVPN is capable of accommodating up to 10 devices simultaneously. It operates with 99.9 percent uptime and offers access to over 200 high-speed servers across the globe, allowing you to enjoy seamless connection and access geo-restricted content. With a NAT firewall, ad blocker, anti-malware software, and a strict no-logging policy, it guarantees your internet freedom....

And did you know katydids make noises? Song-like noises, even. You can also search by taxonomy, meaning you can peruse, at your leisure, the subtle differences between the Chilean flamingo: And its American counterpart: Or, enjoy the otherworldly squeak of the Montezuma Oropendola: There are a total of 150,000 audio recordings here, covering about 9,000 species. That’s more than 7,500 hours of squawks, squeaks, and roars there for your enjoyment....

Except today, what with the red-and-white car dangling from the center span. And since 4:15 this morning, it’s been the Ministry of Transportation’s problem to get the thing down. Allan Galambos, wiry and gray-bearded, is the ministry’s head structural engineer, and when he got the call that an old Volkswagen Beetle was hanging from Vancouver’s best-known bridge, he wasn’t amused. “Pranks create a lot of risk,” Galambos says. His first worry was that the car might fall onto a ship....

Several small circuit boards containing microcontrollers, sensors, and communication devices — called e-TAGS — are embedded in the pants at the hip, knee, and ankle joints. Each foot has a piezoelectric sensor—a sensor that generates an electric pulse through applied stress—at the heel that is connected to an e-TAG in the pants. The whole setup is powered by a nine-volt battery attached near the waist. To test the apparatus, the researchers used a group of nine healthy people, and four elderly people with a history of falling....

The vaccines, made by Moderna and Pfizer, will go through three more steps before becoming available to the public: They need to be officially authorized by the FDA; reviewed by an independent panel convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and finally approved by the CDC. The CDC panel meets on Friday and Saturday, so it’s likely that the shots will be distributed beginning next week. Pfizer’s vaccine will involve three shots....

A first-of-its-kind study published Wednesday in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, provides the first anatomical description of the female snake clitoris. It finds that at least nine snake species have not one, but two clitorises called hemiclitores. “Across the animal kingdom female genitalia are overlooked in comparison to their male counterparts,” study author and lead researcher Megan Folwell from the University of Adelaide in Australia said in a statement....

The necessity of electric assistance has since become accepted, both to achieve higher performance and to permit vehicles to operate in European cities that restrict cars powered by combustion Still, the announcement of the Ferrari SF90 (named for the 90th anniversary of the foundation of Scuderia Ferrari, Enzo’s racing team that predated his car-making company) comes as a bit of a shock: 986 total horsepower from an all-wheel drive hybrid-electric super sports car....

The EOS RP features the same RF mount with a 54mm internal diameter and short 20mm flange distance as the EOS R. This means any of the existing RF lenses developed for the EOS R will work with the RP, although some of them might make this lightweight camera feel a bit unbalanced. The camera is build around a 26.2 megapixel CMOS sensor and has an ISO range of 100-25,600 with an expandable up to ISO 102,400....

Even if Congress fails to invest in solar energy or EV charging stations, just renovating America’s streets, highways and freeways will reduce pollution. Road repairs help drivers use less gas, reducing carbon pollution, according to a new study published in the International Journal of Sustainable Transportation. Though steamrollers and other machines generate pollution while fixing roads, filling cracks and potholes does more to limit emissions overall. “There are many ways to combat climate change from the transportation side, from the design and maintenance of roads to the utilization of renewable or clean energy for vehicles,” said Hao Wang, an associate professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering at Rutgers University and lead author of the study....

My relationship with the mountains began on hikes with my family, camping trips up into the farthest corners of Glacier National Park that could be reached with a 7-year-old (me) and a toddling 4-year-old (my little brother) in close formation. We took what we could carry in our little packs—supplemented heavily with the resources my parents stuffed into their own. Fast-forward to my early flight-instructing years in Colorado, where one of my greatest joys was introducing pilots to the high country—famously high-altitude airports like Leadville, Telluride and Aspen....

The Mix Folding Dining Room Table is versatile and multipurpose. Unlike others on the market, this one is designed so that both sides fold down. When folded, there’s no surface area, making it ideal for storing away. It can also serve as a console table or desk if you leave one panel up. When fully extended, it can seat four people. Folding chairs can be a good solution to save space when you only plan to use them on occasion—but so many of them are simply ugly....

A lot has changed in 71 years. The iconic image of a police cruiser morphed from being mainly black and white sedans to include a variety of SUVs, pickups, vans, and more. Vehicles with more room, more lights, and more tech have become the go-to for law enforcement, giving Ford the perfect opportunity to prove that its all-new electric Mustang Mach-E could stand up to the challenges that police face every day....

The Kodak single-use camera is undoubtedly a classic. The Funsaver operates at a higher speed than many of its competitors; pre-loaded with 800 speed-film (as opposed to the often seen 400 speed) to guarantee a clear capture for all 27 photos. The shutter is super responsive and makes a great sound, which means you will never be left wondering if you got the shot. This camera is great for capturing outdoor landscapes in natural light; perfect for a beach vacation, camping trip, or local park adventure....

In the office, there’s a fine line between funny and annoying. That’s why we’ve drawn up this list of simple, harmless pranks that cost next to nothing. Make ‘wrong’ candy Color can affect our perception of food in subtle ways. Your colleagues likely associate certain colors with certain flavors, so turn those assumptions on their head by making hard candy with an unexpected flavor that doesn’t match the color. Of course, since you’re going to be playing with food for most of these pranks, it’s important to be aware of any food allergies your friends or colleagues may have....

Unlacing the corset myth The most recognizable shapewear in the world is undoubtedly the corset—essentially a system of support made of fabrics and reeds, whalebones, or metals. While corsets are often thought of as oppressive and painful, the 500-year history of this garment is a little more complicated. Since the 1500s, women (and, in certain periods, men, too) have used such stiffened bodices to smooth the torso and give shape to the breasts....