August was a fantastic month for Cryptoworld, with over 20,000 unique (new) visitors and almost 800,000 hits! Unfortunately hits aren’t really a true indication of the amount of visitors to a site, but it would be great if we can top the 1 million mark before the end of the year!
Anyway – the top stories for August are as follows – interestingly a couple of old stories have crept back into the top ten!
Scary Ants?
1) Scary! Ants form Global Mega-Colony
Very Scary: A single mega-colony of ants has colonised much of the world, scientists have discovered. Read the whole start here >>>
2) Mermaid spotted in Israel
Israel was in the grips of mermaid fever in August after numerous sightings of the mythical sea creature off its coast. Read the whole story here >>>
3) Orange balls of light seem over South London
Crowds of people gathered in Balham and Tooting (South London) to watch two sets of orange lights fly in formation across the night sky.
Still a very popular story – now with 75+ comments!!! Read the whole story here >>>
5) Sewer Creature is REAL – but not what you’d expect!
One possible answer – Bloodworms (Tubifex tubifex) – what’s your thoughts? Watch the video here >>>
6) Lights, Lanterns and UFOs!
Lots and lots of people are seeing strange lights all over the world. Here in the UK, there are new sightings on an almost daily basis – but what are they? Read the full story and watch the video here >>>
The Bare-faced bulbul
7) Bald Songbird discovered in Laos
The latest strange creature to emerge from a rugged region of Laos is a bald songbird, dubbed the “bare-faced bulbul”. Read the full story here >>>
8 ) 4 new Thylacine sightings in 3 months!
An old story from June 2006 has crept back up the charts – Four new sighting of the Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacine) have been reported in the last three months on the outskirts of Portland, Southern Australia. Read the whole story here >>>
Helensburgh Big Cat?
9) Big Cat captured on video in Helensburgh, Argyll?
An off-duty Ministry of Defence police dog handler has taken a video of what he claims is a panther-sized big cat. Read the story (with photo) here >>>
10) Cannibal Frog found in Australia
The matchbox-sized green-stripe frog normally eats bugs – but this one swallowed a green tree frog. Read the full story (with photo) here >>>
The ability to digest the milk sugar lactose first evolved in dairy farming communities in central Europe, not in more northern groups as was previously thought, finds a new study led by UCL (University College London) scientists published in the journal PLoS Computational Biology. The genetic change that enabled early Europeans to drink milk without getting sick has been mapped to dairying farmers who lived around 7,500 years ago in a region between the central Balkans and central Europe. Previously, it was thought that natural selection favoured milk drinkers only in more northern regions because of their greater need for vitamin D in their diet. People living in most parts of the world make vitamin D when sunlight hits the skin, but in northern latitudes there isn’t enough sunlight to do this for most of the year.
In the collaborative study, the team used a computer simulation model to explore the spread of lactase persistence, dairy farming, other food gathering practices and genes in Europe. The model integrated genetic and archaeological data using newly developed statistical approaches.
The study simulated the spread of lactase persistence and farming in Europe, and found that lactase persistence appears to have begun around 7,500 years ago between the central Balkans and central Europe, probably among people of the Linearbandkeramik culture. But contrary to popular belief, they also found that a need for dietary vitamin D was not necessary to explain why lactase persistence is common in northern Europe today.
The Environment Agency said its staff were amazed to find a dead piranha in the East Okement tributary of the River Torridge.
The piranha, which has razor-sharp teeth, is generally considered to be the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world.
The 35cm (14in) fish was spotted by Bob Collett, Dave Hoskin and Eddie Stevens during a sampling trip on the river.
Fish species which the team would commonly expect to find within the river include Salmon, Brown Trout and possibly other species such as Bullheads, Stone loach and Minnow.
‘What we actually discovered was something we would not expect to find in our wildest dreams. We could hardly believe our eyes,’ said Eddie Stevens, from the Environment Agency.
Israel is in the grips of mermaid fever after numerous sightings of the mythical sea creature off its coast.
One town council is taking the reports so seriously that is is offering a $1m (£609,000) reward to anyone who can prove the existence of a mermaid in its waters.
Kiryat Yam municipality, near Haifa, says it has been told of dozens of sightings in the past few months. “Many people are telling us they are sure they’ve seen a mermaid and they are all independent of each other,” said council spokesman Natti Zilberman.
The nautical nymph is only seen in the evening at sunset, according to media reports, drawing crowds of people with cameras hoping for a glimpse. “People say it is half girl, half fish, jumping like a dolphin. It does all kinds of tricks then disappears,” Mr Zilberman said.
Asked whether a dolphin or large fish could be a more rational explanation, he insisted: “They say it is a female figure, it looks like a young girl.”
The council denied its offer of a reward was a publicity stunt, but said it hoped to nurture the mermaid as something which could bring in more tourists.
So, it’s probably just a dolphin, but the local council seem to think it’s a mermaid and plan on cashing in – why don’t they just set up dolphin spotting boat trips?
The latest strange creature to emerge from a rugged region of Laos is a bald songbird, dubbed the “bare-faced bulbul.” Its little-visited habitat, a sparse forest on rugged limestone karsts, is becoming known for unusual wildlife discoveries. Scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the University of Melbourne discovered the bird while working on a project funded and managed by the MMG (Minerals and Metals Group) mining company, which operates the Sepon copper and gold project in the region.
The bare-faced bulbul gets its name from the lack of feathers on its face and part of its head. It is the only known bald songbird in mainland Asia, according to scientists, and the first new species of bulbul described on the continent in over 100 years. The bulbul family includes about 130 species.
The thrush-sized bird is greenish-olive with a light-colored breast and a distinctive featherless, pink face. The bluish skin around its eye extends to the bill, and a narrow line of hair-like feathers runs down the center of its crown. It appears to primarily dwell in trees. A description of the species has been published in the July issue of the Oriental Bird Club’s journal Forktail. Authors include Iain Woxvold of the University of Melbourne, along with WCS researchers Will Duckworth and Rob Timmins.
I foolishly forgot to do this in June, but thought it a good idea to let you know the Top 10 Most Read Stories in July (2009).
The alleged Sewer Monster!
1) Very Weird Unknown life form found in Sewers! (Video)
Unsurprisingly, the Sewer monster is still the top read post. What is it? The debate seems to still be ongoing. Read more, watch the video and decide for yourselves >>>
2) Sewer Creature is REAL – but not what you’d expect!
Following in 2nd place is one possible answer – Bloodworms (Tubifex tubifex) – what’s your thoughts? Watch the video here >>>
Girl catches Giant Catfish!
3) Schoolgirl catches Monster Catfish
Schoolgirl angler Jessica Wanstall netted a record when she hooked this monster fish that was more than twice the size of her. Read the full story (with photo) here >>>
4) Tall Blond Haired Aliens spotted by Police Officer in Wiltshire?
A Police Sergeant has come forward claiming to have seen three exceptionally tall beings inspecting a crop circle near Silbury Hill, Wiltshire. Read the full story here >>>
5) Jumbo Squid found on beach after Earthquake! (Video)
Residents near a San Diego beach awoke on Saturday (11th July 2009) to find dozens of jumbo squid (Humboldt squid) flapping helplessly on the shore — about an hour after an earthquake – any connection? Watch the video here >>>
6) Tiny Monkey found in Amazon!
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced that is had discovered a new monkey in a remote region of the Amazon in Brazil. Read the full story here >>>
Strange Lights over London
7) Orange balls of light seem over South London
Crowds of people gathered in Balham and Tooting (South London) to watch two sets of orange lights fly in formation across the night sky.
Still a very popular story – now with 62+ comments. Read the full story here >>>
8 ) Ancient blood-sucking lamprey found in River Thames
An ancient blood-sucking fish has been found in the Thames by a 13-year-old boy. Read the full story here >>>
9) Multicoloured Triangular Shaped UFO filmed over China (Video)
Strange multicoloured UFO filmed over Changsha, the capital city of Hunan Province in China. The object looks triangular in shape, but could perhaps be just a reflection? Watch the video here >>>
10) Monster Snake spotted in Rumford Canal!
Police told the Sun Journal of Lewiston that two people contacted them Wednesday (1st July 2009) saying they had seen a monster snake, perhaps up to 17 feet long, enter the canal behind a local store. Read the full story here >>
Lots and lots of people are seeing strange lights all over the world. Here in the UK, there are new sightings on an almost daily basis – but what are they?
Below is one possible explanation, and one that I personally believe is the cause of 99.9% of all the sightings. I know this will open up a debate, and I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but without solid video proof, Chinese style lanterns are probably the best explanation.
The heavenly lantern festival takes place once a year, and usually held 15 days after the Chinese New Year. Historically, paper lanterns where used to send messages over the enemy lines.
Thanks to David for the original link, and thanks to all the sighting reports, comments and feedback. Please check the Similar Posts links below, or try searching Cryptoworld for Lights, Lanterns or UFOs for more information.
The bizarre sightings began at 11pm on Saturday and the spectacular show in the sky above Muir of Ord, Ross-shire ended at 1am.
Residents watched in awe as three bright orange dome-shaped objects hovered then flew at high speed in random spirals closer and closer to the village.
Last night (leading expert?) Nick Pope said: “This could be one of the most significant UFO events in recent history.” — “Sightings like this are hugely significant because they are very rare.”
“Most UFOs are seen by single witnesses so it’s very difficult to get any proof. For whole streets of people to see something is almost without precedent and this sounds like one of the most significant UFO events in recent history.” — “It’s also very unusual for a UFO to be seen for such a long time. Most are very brief.”
An off-duty Ministry of Defence police dog handler has taken a video of what he claims is a panther-sized big cat.
Pc Chris Swallow was helping a friend with their garden in Helensburgh, Argyll, when he spotted the black creature on a nearby railway line.
The officer, who is stationed at the Faslane naval base on the Clyde, said the cat was as big as a Labrador dog.
Big cats have been reported in the area in the past, with several sightings of the so-called Coulport Cougar.
Pc Swallow said he saw the animal on 30 June while working in the garden at Kildonan Drive, Helensburgh.
He could tell it was not a Labrador, as he first thought, because of the way it was walking, and because its tail was about twice the length that a dog’s would have been.
