The Most Outstanding Creations of Man and Nature (Part 7)

The average width of the waterfall is 10,783 meters, and the maximum length is 12,954 meters. The total height of the water drop is 21 meters. The total length of the cascades is 9.7 km along the river.

The waterfall consists of several thousand islands, countless waterways, and channels, giving this area the name “Si Phan Don,” which translates to “4000 islands.”

During the monsoon season, the river's flood completely engulfs the waterfall, creating a fast, turbulent current with numerous whirlpools, rapids, and water level drops. The Khone Falls are the main obstacle to navigation on the Mekong River.

Throughout the year, no more than 100 mm of atmospheric precipitation falls over the Red Sea (and only in winter months), while 20 times more evaporates over the same period — 2000 mm. This means that more than 0.5 cm of water evaporates daily from the sea surface. At the same time, no significant rivers or streams flow into the Red Sea.

This water deficit in the sea is compensated solely by water inflow from the Gulf of Aden. At the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, there are simultaneous currents entering and exiting the Red Sea. Each year, almost 1000 km³ more water flows into the sea than flows out, thereby compensating for evaporation from its surface.

What about the Dead Sea, known for its salinity? Indeed, the water in it is almost 10 times saltier than the ocean. The Dead Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth, with salinity ranging from 300–310 ‰, and in some years up to 350 ‰. However, the Dead Sea is not a sea but a lake. Seas are usually connected to the world ocean through straits, while the Dead Sea has no outlet to the ocean.

The Tule Tree grows in Mexico, in the state of Oaxaca, in the city of Santa María del Tule, in a plaza near a church. This tree is a Montezuma cypress, also known as the Mexican cypress.

Initially, due to the tree's thickness, it was believed to be several fused trees, but DNA tests later confirmed that it is a single tree.

The tree's height is challenging to measure due to its broad crown, but it is estimated to be 35 meters. The tree's age is unknown, with estimates ranging from 1200 to 3000 years, and one hypothesis suggests it is around 6000 years old.

The thickest tree has an unofficial nickname, “Tree of Life,” due to the images of various animals allegedly visible on its trunk.

The temple's unusual appearance has made it one of the main and most visited attractions in Barcelona, Spain. Once completed, it will be the tallest Christian church in the world.

According to the decision of the initiators of the temple's construction, funding for the work should come exclusively from parishioners' donations, which is one reason for the lengthy construction period. Another factor delaying completion is the complexity of crafting the stone blocks. According to a computer model, each requires individual processing and fitting.

The Sagrada Familia is a truly unique architectural phenomenon, a bridge connecting generations and epochs, offering an exceptional opportunity to not only touch history but also partake in its creation. Over the past century and a half, the structure has been built, grown, and transformed.

Find more interesting facts about this amazing long-term project in our article ☛

The engineers aimed to create a beautiful four-door coupe and achieve a qualitatively new level of aerodynamic performance. The drag coefficient of the Mercedes-Benz Concept IAA is 0.25 in normal mode and 0.19 when the aerodynamic package is activated.

Without the aerodynamic package, the car is a beautiful four-door coupe with proper proportions. However, even in this case, several solutions optimize aerodynamics: the windows are flush with the body, there are no door handles, the underbody is covered with a panel, and the ground clearance is only 100 mm.

Find more interesting facts about this concept car by Mercedes-Benz in our article ☛

Taipans are a genus of highly venomous snakes, including three species: the coastal taipan, the inland taipan, and Oxyuranus temporalis. A bite from these snakes was considered the most dangerous among modern snakes — before the development of an antidote in 1955, more than 90% of bites were fatal.

The inland taipan, also known as the fierce snake or the small-scaled snake, is the most venomous species of taipan. However, it is less aggressive than the coastal taipan. All documented bites from the inland taipan were due to careless handling.

These snakes are found in the central part of the Australian continent. They inhabit dry plains and deserts, hiding in cracks and fissures in the soil, making them extremely difficult to detect.

Adult snakes can reach a length of 1.9 meters, rarely up to 2.5 meters. The back coloration varies from dark brown to straw. The inland taipan is the only Australian snake that changes color depending on the season: in winter (June-August), when it is less hot, this snake becomes noticeably darker. Its head can even acquire a glossy black color.

It should be noted that in horizontal flight, the peregrine falcon is outpaced by the swift. However, during its characteristic hunting stoop (high-speed dive), no other bird matches its speed.

During a hunt, the peregrine falcon perches or soars in the sky. Upon spotting prey, it ascends above the target and dives rapidly, striking it with its talons pressed to its body. The impact from the talons of its rear toes can be so strong that even relatively large prey may lose its head.

The peregrine falcon is a bird of prey from the falcon family, about the size of a gray crow. Peregrines are found on every continent except Antarctica. Their prey primarily includes medium-sized birds such as pigeons, starlings, ducks, and other aquatic and semi-aquatic species, less frequently small mammals.

Pygmy hogs are found at the foothills and on the southern slopes of the Himalayas, in Nepal, Bhutan, and Northwest Assam. These are very secretive animals.

The male permanently resides in a herd consisting of one or two females and their offspring. He energetically protects his herd from predators, attacking with sharp grunts, even humans.

Pygmy hogs are diurnal and forage for food during daylight hours. Foraging typically takes 6 to 10 hours a day, with a midday break to avoid the heat. They are omnivorous, feeding mainly on roots, tubers, and other plant foods, as well as insects, rodents, eggs, young birds, and small reptiles.

Pygmy hogs play an essential ecological role in their ecosystems. By using their snouts to forage, they not only disperse plant seeds but also improve soil quality. Occasionally, they fall prey to pythons and other predators.

Pygmy hogs have become very rare. For many years, zoologists have not been able to observe them in the wild. It is estimated that fewer than 250 adult individuals remain. For this reason, the pygmy hog is listed in the IUCN Red List as an endangered species.

The pygmy hog is protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, which provides absolute protection with the strictest penalties for violators. The pygmy hog is also listed in Appendix I of CITES, which includes all species of plants and animals under the threat of extinction.

Construction of the ship began in April 2019 and was completed in 2022 at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard (France). It became the fifth ship in the Oasis class of cruise liners.

Wonder of the Seas has 18 decks. It accommodates 5,734 passengers in double occupancy, with a maximum capacity of 6,988 passengers, and has 2,300 crew members. There are 16 guest decks, 20 restaurants, 4 pools, and 2,867 cabins.

The ship's infrastructure includes a children's water park, a playground, a full-sized basketball court, an ice rink, a surfing simulator, a 10-deck-high zip line, a 1,400-seat theater, an outdoor aquatic theater with 30 seats, 9.1-meter-high platforms, and two climbing walls 13 meters high.

As with all Oasis-class ships, one of the features on board is Central Park, consisting of over 10,000 live plants.