We hardly ever look at ceilings, but they can make a world of difference in the mood of a room. Architecture fan deputy dog has a roundup of beautiful ceilings from all over. He is still looking for an explanation of this ceiling. Pictured is a ceiling at Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon, Portugal. http://deputy-dog.com/2009/07/ceiling-porn.html

(YouTube link)
Sweet, safe, and delicious fireworks, from PES. -via Buzzfeed

Humans have always been fascinated with the salamander's ability to regenerate lost limbs. Now scientists studying salamander genes have discovered that the process isn't quite as complicated as once thought.

By tracking individual cells in genetically modified salamanders, researchers have found an unexpected explanation for their seemingly magical ability to regrow lost limbs.

Rather than having their cellular clocks fully reset and reverting to an embryonic state, cells in the salamanders’ stumps became slightly less mature versions of the cells they’d been before. The findings could inspire research into human tissue regeneration.

“The cells don’t have to step as far back as we thought they had to, in order to regenerate a complicated thing like a limb,” said study co-author Elly Tanaka, a Max Planck Institute cell biologist. “There’s a higher chance that human or mammalian cells can be induced into doing the same thing.”

Researchers are hopeful, but also aware that early experiments in replicating this cell process can lead to uncontrolled growth, meaning cancers. Link

Even our fine feathered friends are getting into alternative energy! This birdhouse design from Studio Oooms has a solar panel on the roof, and a translucent perch that lights up at night. The idea is that the light will attract bugs that the bird can feast upon. Genius! Link -via J-Walk Blog

A cat named Tango became the accidental star of the BBC TV show Question Time, hosted by David Dimbleby.

One-year-old Tango became the star of the discussion programme after finding his way into the school hall where it was being recorded.

He ducked under a desk and headed towards the panel. At first, Dimbleby and guests including employment minister Jim Knight and Tory security spokesman Dame Pauline Neville-Jones were oblivious to his presence.

But as he pawed under the table he caught the eye of LibDem MP Julia Goldsworthy, who in astonishment mouthed the word 'cat' at the production team.

Meanwhile, Jackie Ellery of Newquay, England hadn't seen her cat Tango in hours. As she wondered about his whereabouts, she sat down to watch TV.

She said: 'My friend phoned me to say, "Have you seen your cat on the telly?" And there he was.

'It's lovely - he's a mischievous cat anyway and because we live so close to the school he's often in the school grounds.'

Tango, who returned to his owner that night, has since become something of a celebrity. Mrs Ellery said: 'I've even been asked for his paw-tograph.'

Link - via Arbroath

The video:

[YouTube Clip]

Independence Day in the United States is always July 4th. Most people just call it the Fourth of July, so moving it is out of the question. Other commemorations occur on different days in different years. Today's Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss will test your knowledge of 13 such holidays and events. I scored 85%, since I had to guess on two of them, and got them backward. Link

Popular Mechanics bought eight science kits for kids, reviewed them, and found instructions on the 'net for replicating the same experiments with materials many people have on hand.

...homemade experiments can be just as complex and educational (while costing up to $100 less), so we found alternatives to each of the boxed kits that teach similar lessons just as well. Bottom line: Whether preassembled or drawn from kitchen cupboards, science kits can be educational and fun.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/4323417.html -via Geek Like Me

Developed by MITERS, a group at MIT who build things, this souped-up shopping cart can achieve speeds of up to 45 mph! I don't know, it doesn't look all that safe to me. Link

(YouTube link)
This sewer-cam video from Raleigh, North Carolina has been inspiring nausea all over the web. Deep Sea News contacted experts to find out what kind of creature this could be.

They are clumps of annelid worms, almost certainly tubificids (Naididae, probably genus Tubifex). Normally these occur in soil and sediment, especially at the bottom and edges of polluted streams. In the photo they have apparently entered a pipeline somehow, and in the absence of soil they are coiling around each other.

Read more about annelid worms and see more videos, if you have the stomach for it. http://deepseanews.com/2009/06/creatures-from-the-sewer/ -via a comment at Digg

A hippopotamus in Alkmaar, South Africa was desperate for a dip to escape the heat, and climbed over ten foot walls to bathe in a water tower! Once in, he couldn't get out on his own. A farm worker spotted him -or rather, spotted two big nostrils poking out of the water.

Equipped with a hydraulic crane and a cage, hippo hunter Chris Hobkirk and his team from the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Association set to work. In a four-hour operation, they drained the tank and used poles to gently nudge the hippo into the 3m-long (10ft) steel cage before winching it to safety.

Mr Hobkirk – who has rescued more than 180 stranded hippos in the past six years – said it was a tricky procedure but he was glad with the outcome.

'Maybe we got lucky with this one. In the past, I have removed hippos from small dams. In those cases, the water levels have always been much lower so this was different.'

Link -via Arbroath

Gimme A Hug is a documentary from the Protect the Sharks Foundation.

Sharks are one of the most important top-predators in our oceans and there is still a lot we don’t understand, or even know, about this fascinating animal.

This short documentary shows one of the most mysterious phenomena in the animal world; amazing animals, showing a totally different behaviour then most people would expect.

The DVD is available for purchase with subtitles available in several languages. See the trailer at the Protect the Sharks Foundation website. http://www.protect-the-sharks.org/about-sharks/gimme-a-hug/ -via the Presurfer

(YouTube link)
If you are ever lucky enough to get the chance to drive a Ford Model T {wiki}, keep in mind that they were a bit different from modern cars. Who knew it had three pedals, none of which was an accelerator? Henry Ford Estate volunteer Ed Hebb takes you through the process. -via Metafilter

Sylvilagus palustris hefneri is a now-endangered species of rabbit named in honor of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. University of Central Florida graduate teaching assistant Rosanna Tursi is studying the genetic diversity of the species in the Florida Everglades, of which there may be only 300 rabbits remaining.

Hefneri is the most recently recognized subspecies of the marsh rabbit. It's small with short, dark brown fur and a grayish-white belly. Discovered in 1984, the subspecies was named in honor of Hefner after his organization donated money to support fieldwork on the rabbits. Good for Hef!

His namesake bunnies live in an island environment and are dependent on specific grasses and plants for feeding, nesting and shelter. Population growth and development in their area has led to the death of the bunnies at the hands of vehicles or domestic animals. Their natural habitat also is being destroyed.

http://blogs.discovery.com/news_animal/2009/06/playboy-bunnies-close-to-extinction.html -via Digg

(image credit: Rosanna Tursi)

Maps have always been good visual aids for political cartoons, since there's no question about who is referred to. BibliOdyssey takes a look at political cartoon maps of Britain and Europe through history. Twelve maps are featured, including this 1793 map by Robert Dighton (portrait artist, caricaturist, and thief). Portraying Britain as a person, often riding a fish, is a recurring theme in such maps. Link -Thanks, peacay!

Taking public transportation is good for the environment, but used-up Metrocards aren't -unless you find something useful to do with them. The Infrastructurist found nine wacky things people have made out of the cards, including this lovely suit. http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/06/26/how-arts-and-crafts-can-save-the-planet-10-creative-uses-for-your-dead-metrocards/ -via Everlasting Blort