Ostrich does not hide its head in the sand

It is a myth. An ostrich does not bury its head in the sand. This myth had been created by the early travelers in Africa. They were responsible for the statement that the ostrich buries its head because it thinks it cannot be seen if it cannot see others. As a matter of fact these great birds are very cautious, careful and watchful and they run away at top speed when they think they are in danger. It is reported, indeed, that if it is accompanied by its chicks, an ostrich sometimes throws itself to the ground in such a way as to give the impression that it is hurt. It does so in order to divert the attention of the hunter from its chicks. Still, even under such circumstances, it does not bury its head in the sand.

Effects of Nuclear weapons

 

Nuclear weapons (effects)

The effects of a nuclear explosion are so awesome that they are difficult to imagine. In 1945, a single atomic bomb destroyed most of the city of Hiroshima, Japan, and killed or injured more than half the people. A second bomb caused similar destruction in the Japanese city of Nagasaki. Most of what people know about the effects of nuclear weapons was learned in these explosions and in tests conducted in isolated areas where no people live.

The effects of a nuclear explosion vary with the yield of the weapon. Scientists are still unsure of all the effects, but they know that a powerful nuclear explosion causes destruction in several main ways.

Blast. The enormous release of energy in a nuclear explosion heats the air very quickly. The hot air expands rapidly, creating a shock wave (or blast) that travels out from the site of the explosion. This blast accounts for half the energy released by the explosion. It can flatten buildings near the explosion site and cause damage for miles around. The force of the explosion can also produce a large crater in the ground.

Heat. A nuclear explosion creates a fireball with temperatures of millions of degrees. The temperatures are high enough to instantly destroy almost anything near the site of the explosion. Heat accounts for about a third of the energy released in the explosion.

 

lotus-eaters

What is the legend of the lotus-eaters?

Lotus flowers have a long, rich history spanning thousands of years. Naturally occurring in many countries in Southeast Asia and Australia, they're also found in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, as well as folklore in ancient Greece.

The ancient Greeks told of a strange people that dwelt on the northern coast of Africa. They were called lotus-eaters because they loved to eat the sweet fruit of the lotus tree. This fruit made them lazy; they dreamed away their days. Strangers who ate the lotus fruit also became lazy, and forgot their homes and kindred; they longed to remain in this pleasant land.

In Homer's Greek epic poem the ODYSSEY, it is said that Odysseus and his men came to this wondrous land. Some of the crew ate freely of the lotus fruit and it had upon them the usual effect. They were so unwilling to depart that Odysseus had to have them dragged away to their ships by force.

Among the poems there is a lovely version of this legend, THE LOTOS-EATERS, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Nowadays we call a person who gives himself up to daydreams and idles and sleeps  the days away a lotus-eater.

It is generally thought that the lotus tree, which was so famous in Greek fable, was a shrub that grows rather freely in the western Mediterranean area. It is called Zizyphus lotus; it has a pulpy fruit.

The lotus flower and bud were favorite designs in Egyptian and Hindu art and architecture. We sometimes spell lotus in the Greek way -lotos.

Lotus also grow in the lakes. Nelumbo nucifera, also known as Indian lotus, sacred lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two surviving species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. It is sometimes colloquially called a water lily, though this more often refers to members of the family Nymphaeaceae. 

For centuries, the lotus flower has been depicted in different religions and countries around the world. Miraculously growing in the murkiest of conditions, the lotus is a lucky symbol that's revered for its strength, spirit and of course, its beauty.

The lotus flower appears on some of the earliest Buddhist and Jain imagery we have in South Asia, going as far back as the time of Emperor Ashoka around 250 BCE. lotuses were also used in Buddhist stupas (spherical shrines) as early as 180 BCE, "as a source and support for a goddess who is eventually known as Lakshmi." Because the lotus was also popular among the Indo-Greeks (an ancient nomadic people of Eurasia), it's "unclear geographically where the image first arose," but by the first few centuries of the Common Era, "it is well established to see the Buddha, Jinas, and Hindu gods and goddesses emerging from lotus flowers." Today, the lotus is the national flower of both India and Vietnam.