The Olmec colossal heads are at least 17 monumental stone representations of human heads sculpted from large basalt boulders. The heads date from at least before 900 BC and are a distinctive feature of the Olmec civilization of ancient Mesoamerica. All portray mature men with fleshy cheeks, flat noses and slightly crossed eyes; their physical characteristics correspond to a type that is still common among the inhabitants of Tabasco and Veracruz. The boulders were brought from the Sierra de los Tuxtlas, a mountain range in Veracruz. It is thought that the finished monuments represent portraits of powerful individual Olmec rulers. Each is given a distinctive headdress. The heads were variously arranged in lines or groups at major Olmec centres. Dating the monuments remains difficult due to the movement of many from their original context prior to archaeological investigation. Most have been dated to the Early Preclassic period (1500–1000 BC) with some to the Middle Preclassic period (1000–400 BC). (Full article...)
Hübnerite is a mineral consisting of manganese tungsten oxide, with a chemical formula MnWO4. It typically occurs in association with high-temperature hydrothermal vein deposits and altered granites and in alluvial deposits. Hübnerite is the manganese endmember of the wolframite solid solution series, with ferberite (FeWO4) the opposite iron endmember. Color differences between members of the wolframite family are clear and marked, with the color of hübnerite varying from yellowish brown to reddish brown. It was first described in 1865 for an occurrence in the US state of Nevada and was named after the German mining engineer and metallurgist Adolf Hübner. This stacked image, composed of 38 individual photographs, shows red hübnerite crystals with quartz extracted from the Pasto Bueno mine in Pallasca Province, Peru.
Leonhard Euler (1707–1783) was a Swiss mathematician and physicist. He developed important concepts and proved mathematical theorems in fields as diverse as calculus, number theory and topology. Euler introduced much of the modern mathematical terminology and notation, particularly for mathematical analysis, such as the notion of a mathematical function. He is also renowned for his work in mechanics, optics and astronomy. Euler is considered to be the preeminent mathematician of the 18th century and one of the greatest of all time. He was prolific; if printed, his works would occupy between 60 and 80 quarto volumes. Euler was featured on the sixth series of the Swiss ten-franc banknote and on numerous Swiss, German and Russian stamps. The asteroid 2002 Euler was named in his honor. This portrait of Euler was created by the Swiss painter Jakob Emanuel Handmann in 1753 and is now in the collection of the Kunstmuseum Basel.
The Australasian shoveler (Spatula rhynchotis) is a species of dabbling duck in the family Anatidae. It is native to southwestern and southeastern Australia, including Tasmania, and New Zealand. It ranges in length from 46 to 53 centimetres (18 to 21 inches) and lives in heavily vegetated swamps. This male Australasian shoveler was photographed in the Goulds Lagoon Wildlife Sanctuary in Granton, Tasmania.
The passion fruit is the fruit of a number of plants in the genus Passiflora. They are round or oval, and range from a width of 1.5 to 3 inches (3.8 to 7.6 centimetres). The fruits have a juicy edible center composed of a large number of seeds. This photograph shows two passion fruits of the species Passiflora ligularis (also known as the sweet granadilla), one whole and one halved. This picture was focus-stacked from 14 separate images.
There is a great disconnect between how athiests and religionist view the proper place for religion in the public square. Briefly, atheists (usually) want no religion in the public square, and religionists want equal access (non-denominational) to the public square and view athiesm as just one other "religion" that needs access.
Wikipedia's Reputation
I've been thinking about this key principle: "[What] reliable sources ... have in common is process and approval between document creation and publication." This is also the key to Wikipedia's reliability and reputation. The core principles of neutrality and verifiability along with the standards for articles (featured/good/etc) and the implicit approval of every person who reads an article and makes no changes to it.
Intellectual Property
We (Americans) often "borrow" other people's intellectual property because the transaction method (i.e. limited use permission) does not exist and can not be created without the transaction cost exceeding the value of the permission (which is close to $0.00 in most cases) so we keep using other's work, and they don't sue us.
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