Angkors located between two massive barays, or reservoirs
Thursday, February 27, 2014
WHAT IS ANGKOR WAT?
Angkor Wat is the largest Hindu, later-turned, Buddhist temple complex from the Khmer Empire, 802 AD to 1432, located in Cambodia. Hinduism came to Cambodia through India. Angkor Wat (Angkor meaning temple) is surrounded by several other temples from the ancient Khmer Empire over a surface area the size of Los Angeles.
Angkor was the capital of the Khmer Empire founded by Jayavarman II who claimed himself to be god-king, or devaraja. The Khmer Empire was successful in their development of complex water systems. At their highest peak the Empire sustained a population of 1 million people, many of them fisherman, and probably many of them working with the creation of the 70+ massive temples. Why did the Khmer Empire collapse? It seems that the complexity of their water systems (which are best understood when looking from an aerial perspective) got the best of them. A period of drought is said to have taken place and lead to the collapse of the Empire.
THE MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE IS SURFACE-VISIBLE IN ICELAND
The Eurasian and American tectonic plates are moving away from each other and create the Mid-Atlantic Ridge that runs through the Atlantic Ocean. This ridge is not visible above water, except for in one place, Iceland.
In þingvellir, Iceland, one can see a large valley with a vista of two mountain ranges on both sides. This precise place is where the North American and Eurasian plates meet and are diverging from each other. The valley reflects the divergence.
Iceland itself was created because it lies between the two plates and was built by the volcanic activity that spurted from the rift 20 million years ago. There are only two places on earth where the meeting point of two major tectonic plates are visible on the Earth's surface. One is the valley in þingvellir and the other is in eastern Africa.
In þingvellir, Iceland, one can see a large valley with a vista of two mountain ranges on both sides. This precise place is where the North American and Eurasian plates meet and are diverging from each other. The valley reflects the divergence.
þingvellir National Park, Iceland. UNESCO World Heritage Site
The easternmost point of the North American plate.
WHAT CAUSES THE NORTHERN LIGHTS?
The Northern Lights otherwise known as Aurora Borealis are created when sun's ionic particles are exerted and move toward the Earth's North and South poles. Because of the speed, the sun particles knock electrons out of atoms in our atmosphere. These electrons then knock into other atoms, causing colors in the sky, often green.
The lights are visible when skies are clear from clouds near the north and south poles. The Northern Lights are seen from Northern Scandinavia, Iceland, Alaska, Canada, southern Greenland, and northern Siberia. The Southern Lights primarily are seen from Antarctica, but potentially are seen from New Zealand and Tasmania.
The lights are visible when skies are clear from clouds near the north and south poles. The Northern Lights are seen from Northern Scandinavia, Iceland, Alaska, Canada, southern Greenland, and northern Siberia. The Southern Lights primarily are seen from Antarctica, but potentially are seen from New Zealand and Tasmania.
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WHOSE BEEN ON EARTH THE LONGEST - DINOSAURS OR THE HOMO GENUS?
So who has been on this planet longer, dinosaurs or the human genus? Dinosaurs came about 230 million years ago and lived on Earth for 165 million years, becoming extinct 65 million years ago. The human genus came about 2.5 million years ago.
To understand who has lived on Earth longer, play with the idea that the time period from the beginning of the dinosaurs to today is compressed into a period of 365 days. In this context, the dinosaurs have lived from the 1st of January to about the 3rd week in September. Humans on the other hand have existed for only 1 day, the 31st of December. We have not occupied this planet for very long, and it is fascinating how much life has been here before us.
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To understand who has lived on Earth longer, play with the idea that the time period from the beginning of the dinosaurs to today is compressed into a period of 365 days. In this context, the dinosaurs have lived from the 1st of January to about the 3rd week in September. Humans on the other hand have existed for only 1 day, the 31st of December. We have not occupied this planet for very long, and it is fascinating how much life has been here before us.
Check out the link:
HUMAN EVOLUTION AND THE ROLE OF TOOLS
The first tools ever made are 2.5 million years old. They were created by our homo family tree ancestors and were found in what today is known as Ethiopia. One of the first bipedal hominids, homo erectus, showed up 700,000 years later and from this time period archaeologists found more advanced tools, such as axes. (Us homo sapiens, first showed up around 200,000 years later).
Why did we use tools? Tools allowed our ancestors to hunt new food and explore new terrain. With the help of tools they gained better access to proteins in meat. The discovery of fire gave us access to the energy found in cooked food that is hard to get at when the food is raw. Both these things contributed to our increased brain size.
Why did we evolve? Obviously, factors such as the environment played a role. But could it also be that the tools that our ancestors created actually in themselves contributed to our biological evolution?
Some theories suggest that our tool development over millions of years played a role in developing our cognitive ability and physical appearance. Tool-making lead to more advanced problem-solving as well as refined motor-skills. Tools are not only a product of our evolution but also have evolved us.
Why did we evolve? Obviously, factors such as the environment played a role. But could it also be that the tools that our ancestors created actually in themselves contributed to our biological evolution?
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