In the 1940s, U.S. doctors led experiments that intentionally infected thousands of Guatemalans with venereal diseases. A closer look at how it happened, and who knew:
John Cutler, the young investigator who led the Guatemalan experiments, had the full backing of US health officials, including the surgeon general.
“Cutler thought that what he was doing was really important, and he wasn’t some lone gunman,” says Susan Reverby, a historian at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, whose discovery of Cutler’s unpublished reports on the experiments led to the public disclosure of the research.
“Human Experiments: First, Do Harm.” — Matthew Walter, Nature
The Amazon rain forest is home to many large beetles, but none of them compares in length to the titan beetle, Titanus giganteus. This gargantuan insect has mandibles that can easily snap a pencil in half, and reportedly they can rip into human flesh, too.
10 of the largest insects in the world
“In late July, he explains, the Squatchers gathered at Bluff Creek, less than 20 miles (32 kilometers) east across the mountains. “We had walked about a mile and a half, when someone suddenly said: ‘There’s a Sasquatch sitting by the side of the road,’” Kiel recounts. “I didn’t believe him, so I asked: ‘Is it a bear?’ But he was adamant.”
Bigfoot Spotted in North Carolina? Watch Video The New Bigfoot Exhibit Watch Video Did This Man Meet Bigfoot? Watch Video Kiel grabbed an infrared camera and peered through the viewfinder. “And, sure enough,” he says, “there was the heat signature of a very large animal with its back to us, without a neck, with massively broad shoulders and a pointy head. You could see it from the waist up. I was totally flabbergasted.” Kiel claims that the creature then turned around and looked at him twice. The intimate exchange of glances lasted about 15 minutes. Then Kiel, the expedition leader, decided to pull out. “I wanted to be respectful,” he says.”
Cage divers confront a great white shark. (© David Litchfield) #
The frozen lake on Flickr.
A beautiful Florida sunset…
What is the Gulf of Mexico dead zone?
The giant, lifeless expanse appears every summer, but historic flooding along the Mississippi River could make 2011 a record-breaking year.
Incredible footage of the climatic Phoenix dust storm
Adventures in time-lapse: Here we have some videos (credit to Mike Olbinski and Blaine Coury) of the colossal dust storms that touched down in Phoenix, Arizona on July 5th. As always, safety is crucial during extreme natural events. We’ll admit, though, it’s hard to watch this footage without feeling wonderment and stark awe towards the natural world. source
