This schlieren image shows the two spherical shock waves of a .44 magnum. Gary Settles of Penn State University will tell you all about shock waves here: Link

Nathan Sawaya, a professional Lego artist, built this model of Hans Han Solo frozen in carbonite with about 10,000 Lego bricks!

Link (via The Green Head)

Spanish scientists Jose Antonio Lorente Acosta of the Granada University is conducting a genetic test to see whether Columbus was not a Genoan merchant, but a Catalan pirate instead!

While historians have mostly reckoned Columbus was an Italian born in 1451 in Genoa, a persuasive counter-lobby argues that the mariner who pioneered the Spanish conquista was in reality the Catalan Cristofol Colom, who airbrushed his past to conceal activities as a pirate and conspirator against the king.

Link

A fogbow is formed by much smaller droplets of water than a rainbow. These droplets are too small to reflect and refract sunlight, so instead diffraction of light is dominant. Since a fogbow is broader than a rainbow, the colors overlap to produce a whitish bow.

Link to Earth Science Picture of the Day fogbow archive (awesome site, highly recommended) | more fogbow pics

Spanish explorers Ramon Larramendi, Juanma Viu and Ignacio Oficialdegui set a new world speed record by crossing the Antarctic using a "polar catamaran" pulled with giant kites!

Link

Jackie Brown, an activist who dressed up as Aunt Jemima, was arrested after disrupting the City Council meeting in Jacksonville, Florida.

Brown, president of the Jacksonville Coalition of Black Contractors, said the law treats blacks like "slaves" because it does not provide enough opportunities for minority contractors.

Link

To see more of Tom’s awesome photos, see: Link (via Jaf Project)