Latest news with #NorthPole
Fox News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Man throws darts at world map, visits whichever country he hits: 'Are you crazy?'
A man has made travel an unpredictable adventure by throwing a dart at a map of the world while blindfolded — and visiting whichever country his darts happen to hit. Sorin Mihailovici, 48, a small business entrepreneur, started the journey in 2012 after telling a friend he wanted to "wake up one morning and throw a dart at a map and go there." Mihailovici began by visiting far-flung places like the North Pole, Russia and Indonesia, originally taking annual trips but now traveling to up to 16 destinations a year. The trips were initially funded by his savings and later through partnerships with companies, per SWNS. He doesn't travel to the exact spot where his dart lands, but begins in the country's capital because some nations, such as Uruguay, are too small for precise targeting, said Mihailovici. Mihailovici's favorite countries so far include Iceland, Argentina and Thailand, while Madagascar ranked "hands down" as his least favorite, he said, due to a "misconception" shaped by the animated movie sharing its name and locals who "didn't have the best intentions." Praising Vietnam, Mihailovici, a Canadian, insisted its cuisine is "the best street food I've ever had," and noted it was the cheapest destination that he's traveled to, SWNS reported. Some countries, especially in Scandinavia like Norway and Sweden, and places like Switzerland and the Maldives, can be quite expensive, he pointed out. Mihailovici's travel show, "Travel by Dart," features footage from his trips. He began editing and publishing the clips during the COVID pandemic, eventually selling the concept to a distribution company, as SWNS reported. "While we were at home, I started editing all those materials from every country and created a season of 13 episodes," he said. "Most of the time it's just me on location. I hire a local videographer, film and create episodes for YouTube — and over the years, I've started doing a show for Amazon Prime." Despite the unpredictable nature of his travels, Mihailovici said he isn't afraid of dangerous destinations. He was in Iraq recently, he said. "People said, 'Are you crazy?' Maybe it was not safe, but nothing happened to me. We went to Baghdad and Babylon. It was great. I was eating camel every day," Mihailovici told SWNS. He admitted he was "a little scared" about going to Iraq given the political situation, but was determined to follow through with wherever the dart suggested he go. "It was great. I was eating camel every day." "The idea is to visit the whole world, each and every country by dart," Mihailovici said. "I did all the big ones that are larger on the map," he said. "The smaller ones are hard to hit, and I'm also blindfolded [while throwing the dart], so I can't pinpoint it to a certain continent." Mihailovici said he hopes to continue expanding his travel list. He said Australia and Spain are his next dream destinations, though he admits they're "hard to hit" and plans another dart throw in August, according to SWNS. Among the countries he's traveled to so far are Easter Island, Indonesia, Bermuda, Portugal, Cuba, Thailand, Colombia, Brazil, Italy, Iceland, Greece, Japan, Antarctica, Germany, Vietnam, India, Turkey, South Korea and Yemen, SWNS reported. Mihailovici said hotels sometimes offer gratuities to be featured in his show, per SWNS.
Malay Mail
6 days ago
- Science
- Malay Mail
The eye-opening science of close encounters with polar bears: Arctic expedition uncovers diet shifts and pollution risks
ONGYEARBYEN, July 24 — It's a pretty risky business trying to take a blood sample from a polar bear — one of the most dangerous predators on the planet — on an Arctic ice floe. First you have to find it and then shoot it with a sedative dart from a helicopter before a vet dares approach on foot to put a GPS collar around its neck. Then the blood has to be taken and a delicate incision made into a layer of fat before it wakes. All this with a wind chill of up to minus 30C. For the last four decades experts from the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) have been keeping tabs on the health and movement of polar bears in the Svalbard archipelago, halfway between Norway and the North Pole. Like the rest of the Arctic, global warming has been happening there three to four times faster than elsewhere. But this year the eight scientists working from the Norwegian icebreaker Kronprins Haakon are experimenting with new methods to monitor the world's largest land carnivore, including for the first time tracking the PFAS 'forever chemicals' from the other ends of the Earth that finish up in their bodies. An AFP photographer joined them on this year's eye-opening expedition. French spatial scientist Marie-Anne Blanchet takes an adipose tissue biopsies and blood samples from a sedated polar bear, in eastern Spitzbergen, in the Svalbard archipelago April 11, 2025. — AFP pic Delicate surgery on the ice With one foot on the helicopter's landing skid, vet Rolf Arne Olberg put his rifle to his shoulder as a polar bear ran as the aircraft approached. Hit by the dart, the animal slumped gently on its side into a snowdrift, with Olberg checking with his binoculars to make sure he had hit a muscle. If not, the bear could wake prematurely. 'We fly in quickly,' Oldberg said, and 'try to minimise the time we come in close to the bear... so we chase it as little as possible.' After a five- to 10-minute wait to make sure it is asleep, the team of scientists land and work quickly and precisely. They place a GPS collar around the bear's neck and replace the battery if the animal already has one. Only females are tracked with the collars because male polar bears — who can grow to 2.6 metres — have necks thicker than their heads, and would shake the collar straight off. Olberg then made a precise cut in the bear's skin to insert a heart monitor between a layer of fat and the flesh. 'It allows us to record the bear's body temperature and heart rate all year,' NPI researcher Marie-Anne Blanchet told AFP, 'to see the energy the female bears (wearing the GPS) need to use up as their environment changes.' The first five were fitted last year, which means that for the first time experts can cross-reference their data to find out when and how far the bears have to walk and swim to reach their hunting grounds and how long they rest in their lairs. The vet also takes a biopsy of a sliver of fat that allows researchers to test how the animal might stand up to stress and 'forever chemicals', the main pollutants found in their bodies. 'The idea is to best represent what bears experience in the wild but in a laboratory,' said Belgian toxicologist Laura Pirard, who is testing the biopsy method on the mammals. A male polar bear bear walks on the sea ice near glaciers in eastern Spitzbergen, in the Svalbard archipelago April 9, 2025. — AFP pic Eating seaweed It has already shown that the diet of Svalbard's 300 or so bears is changing as the polar ice retreats. The first is that they are eating less seals and more food from the land, said Jon Aars, the lead scientist of the NPI's polar bear programme. 'They still hunt seals, but they also take eggs and reindeer — they even eat (sea)grass and things like that, even though it provides them with no energy.' But seals remain their essential food source, he said. 'Even if they only have three months to hunt, they can obtain about 70 per cent of what they need for the entire year during that period. That's probably why we see they are doing okay and are in good condition' despite the huge melting of the ice. But if warming reduces their seal hunting further, 'perhaps they will struggle', he warned. 'There are notable changes in their behaviour... but they are doing better than we feared. However, there is a limit, and the future may not be as bright.' 'The bears have another advantage,' said Blanchet, 'they live for a long time, learning from experience all their life. That gives a certain capacity to adapt.' Belgian toxicologist Laura Pirard, specialized in marine mammals, works on biopsy samples of polar bear adipose tissue, in a laboratory onboard the science icebreaker vessel 'Kronprins Haakon' while sailing in eastern Spitzbergen, in the Svalbard archipelago, on April 9, 2025. — AFP pic Success of anti-pollution laws Another encouraging discovery has been the tentative sign of a fall in pollution levels. With some 'bears that we have recaptured sometimes six or eight times over the years, we have observed a decrease in pollutant levels,' said Finnish ecotoxicologist Heli Routti, who has been working on the programme for 15 years. 'This reflects the success of regulations over the past decades.' NPI's experts contribute to the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) whose conclusions play a role in framing regulations or bans on pollutants. 'The concentration of many pollutants that have been regulated decreased over the past 40 years in Arctic waters,' Routti said. 'But the variety of pollutants has increased. We are now observing more types of chemical substances' in the bears' blood and fatty tissues. These nearly indestructible PFAS or 'forever chemicals' used in countless products like cosmetics and nonstick pans accumulate in the air, soil, water and food. Experts warn that they ultimately end up in the human body, particularly in the blood and tissues of the kidney or liver, raising concerns over toxic effects and links to cancer. — AFP
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Yahoo
Thrill-seeking tourists stunned by 'amazing' sight as polar travel booms
Surrounded by a frozen and unforgiving landscape, tourists recently watched on as two polar bears picked apart the carcass of a dead whale floating among icebergs in the frigid Arctic. Stunning images of the "unforgettable moment" were captured from the passenger vessel, with a marine biologist on board telling Yahoo News Australia it was "the best sighting of this kind" in the 18 years he's worked as a guide. "Our guests got to witness two bears near a dead whale floating amongst the ice," marine biologist Mikolaj Golachowski explained. "It was a foggy day, so everything kept coming in and out of view. But then it cleared and we saw a bear (most likely a female) walking close to the ship, heading towards the carcass, then spending about an hour on top of it, feeding. "After that, she left to disappear into the returning fog... It does happen, but in my 18 years of working as a guide in the Arctic, this was the third and by far the best sighting of this kind. Reasonably close and long. "That was amazing!" he said. The moment on July 11 was cherished for how special it was, and it's scenes like this that are seeing more travellers keen to throw some warm clothing into a suitcase and jet off to the ends of the Earth. As a result, Polar tourism is booming as more and more visitors flock to the once out-of-reach environment. But the trend has raised concerns about the potential costs to the environment. "Interest in travelling to the Arctic has grown year on year over the last few years," a spokesperson for Quark Expeditions, a tour company specialising in Arctic and Antarctic travel, told Yahoo News. While the company focuses primarily on tourism around the North Pole, between 14-16 per cent of people exploring Antarctica with the company are Australians, it said. Tourists flock to polar regions as 'sustainability' is questioned Both the Arctic and Antarctica are experiencing booms in tourism, and scientists are urging authorities to focus on sustainability as demand skyrockets. Antarctica While tourism to Antarctica remains exclusive and very expensive, it has slowly started to grow in popularity. Visitors have increased more than tenfold in the last 30 years, according to data from the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. 🐋 Quiet change seen off Australia's coast linked to 'worrying' event 🥺 Emotional decision looms as ancient site faces extreme storm 📚 Backlash over radical climate change plan for Aussie schools Unchecked tourism growth in the southern polar region is cause for concern, scientists say. Approximately two-thirds of Antarctic tourists land on the continent, threatening fragile ecosystems there by compacting soils, trampling vegetation, introducing non-native microbes and disturbing breeding colonies of birds and seals. Darla Hatton MacDonald and Elizabeth Leane, both professors at the University of Tasmania, explained the polar region is already under increased pressure due to climate change, and tourism will only exacerbate the issue, tipping the delicate ecosystems into decline. The Arctic In June, United Airlines commenced direct flights from the US to Greenland to accommodate the growing interest in polar explorations. The 2,200-metre runway recently built at Nuuk airport also expands options for tourists eager to travel to the country, without the commitment of flying first to Denmark or Iceland and changing at a remote airport in Kangerlussuaq. However, cruise ships remain the most popular mode of transport, with tourists heading for the Arctic via Norway. More than 1.5 million cruise passengers visit Norwegian ports every year, according to the Norwegian Coastal Administration. Elina Hutton, Arctic tourism researcher, said the influx of tourism is damaging sensitive polar ecosystems. She believes Arctic governments need to put tighter controls on cruise ships to restrict the number of visits, throwing into question whether tourism should be embraced, Reuters reports. "Do we need to be able to travel everywhere? Do we need to be able to fly to Antarctica and cruise to the North Pole? I know it would be fun — but is it something that we need to be able to do?" she said. "It can't be sustainable." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Why NASA is launching 2 new satellites into space
The northern lights have been captivating stargazers for generations. But the same charged particles from the Sun's atmosphere responsible for this brilliant celestial display can also damage and destroy Earth's electrical and communications systems. The Earth's magnetosphere protects the planet from the constant bombardment of solar particles, known as solar wind. This magnetic shield usually keeps these dangerous particles from damaging and destroying our technological infrastructure. But there are weak spots in the shield above the North and South Poles called polar cusps. You can think of them as a front door or funnel for the solar winds to enter our atmosphere. MORE: How global warming could threaten satellites, according to new study When the Sun's particles enter this funnel, the Earth's and the Sun's magnetic fields can come into contact with one another and rearrange themselves in a process scientists call magnetic reconnection. If that occurs, a powerful explosion of energy is released, sometimes equivalent to an entire day's worth of power consumed in the United States. These events can trigger the dazzling auroras or, in some extreme cases, disable satellites and cause electrical grid failures. The Sun has been particularly active lately as it's reached the peak of its 11-year solar cycle. To better understand how the magnetic reconnection process works and its impact on Earth, NASA is launching a pair of research satellites on Tuesday at 2:13 p.m. ET on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, as part of a ride-share mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The TRACERS mission, short for Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites, includes two spacecraft flying in close formation in low Earth orbit at speeds exceeding 16,000 miles per hour. One satellite will trail the other by just 10 to 120 seconds, allowing researchers to capture changes in space weather activity in near real time, according to David Miles, a professor at the University of Iowa and the principal investigator for TRACERS. "So, we have two spacecraft. This is the novel part of TRACERS," explained Miles during a mission press conference. MORE: New Biomass satellite will provide an unprecedented look at the planet's forests "That gives us two closely spaced measurements that allow us to pick apart: Is something accelerating and slowing down? Is something moving around? Is something turning on and turning off?" he added. Each satellite carries a suite of instruments and tools for measuring how the Sun's hot, ionized gas impacts the magnetosphere. "What we will learn from TRACERS is critical for the understanding and eventually the predicting of how energy from our Sun impacts our Earth and our space and ground-based assets, whether it be GPS or communication signals, power grids, space assets and our astronauts working up in space. It's going to help us keep our way of life safe here on Earth and help to continue to enable safe space exploration," said Joe Westlake, NASA's director of Heliophysics. The mission comes amid growing concern about the dangers of space weather and the possibility that solar storms could knock out communication systems, degrade GPS accuracy and damage power infrastructure on Earth. In the past, solar storms have been responsible for power blackouts, destroyed satellites and disruption to the GPS navigation system. "Understanding our Sun and the space weather it produces is more important to us here on Earth than most realize. Every human on Earth, as well as nearly every system that's involved in space exploration and human needs, is affected by space weather," Westlake said. MORE: How to increase your chances of seeing the northern lights as the current solar cycle peaks The mission is part of NASA's Small Explorers program and is scheduled to last one year, but NASA says it could remain operational beyond those initial 12 months. Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Prince Harry made himself the 'centre of attention' by 'dissing his family', according to royal author
Five days before its official release date, the internet blew up as Prince Harry 's highly anticipated memoir was leaked online. People began posting videos on TikTok as they read aloud the vivid details of Harry losing his virginity in a field behind a pub and his anecdote about frostbite on his 'todger' after a trip to the North Pole. Excerpts - including some which were doctored - were shared on Twitter after some Spanish booksellers broke the embargo and put the book out early on January 5, 2023, leading some newspapers to get their hands on the book early. It was reported that publishers spent millions to prevent the content of the book from getting leaked, but this proved to be futile. Coming off the back of Harry and Meghan's no-holds-barred interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, the book was billed as a fresh attack on the Royal Family. To say that Spare, which was officially published on January 10, 2023, ruffled a few royal feathers would be a crude understatement. Royal author Ingrid Seward claimed that Harry's emotional problems had been caused by him allowing the 'Spare' label to 'dominate his life - to the extent that he has now made a career out of it'. Seward wrote in her book, My Mother and I: 'Harry had a good relationship with his father until he moved to America, "unlocked his inner self", and started using his position as the spare to make noise.' Seward has spent 40 years covering The Firm and its highs and lows – from the War of the Waleses and Toegate to Megxit and beyond. Like many journalists of her generation, she would often find herself invited to Kensington Palace for cosy chats with Princess Diana or to the ski slopes of Switzerland with Charles, William and Harry. Having witnessed the boys grow into men, she is one of the most qualified people to comment on why Harry couldn't be happy in his position within the Royal Family. Harry would play the fool and get away with childish antics, such as standing behind visitors and pulling funny faces behind their backs to make William laugh when he had to meet them. At the age of nine, Harry reportedly turned to his brother and declared: 'You're going to be King; it doesn't matter what I do.' It seems that this attitude is one Harry has carried from childhood into his adult years. In his memoir, Harry laid bare shocking accusations, including that his brother physically attacked him and that Charles did not hug Harry when his mother Diana died. Seward wrote: 'His row with his brother was one thing - this is not unusual with siblings, when one has all the responsibility and the other is free to have more fun. Ingrid Seward, who has spent 40 years following The Firm, claimed that Harry's emotional problems had been caused by him allowing the 'spare' label to 'dominate his life - to the extent that he has now made a career out of it' Seward wrote: '[Harry's] row with his brother was one thing - this is not unusual with siblings, when one has all the responsibility and the other is free to have more fun.' William and Harry are pictured in 2017 'But the anger aimed at the monarchy, the British people, his father and stepmother was totally unnecessary.' On its first day of publication, Spare sold approximately 1.4million copies in the US, Canada and the UK, becoming the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time. The book's title came from Harry's feeling of being 'a spare part' compared to William being heir. In Spanish the book was titled En La Sombra (In The Shadow), which aptly summarises Harry's ill-feeling towards his brother. In the Channel 5 documentary, Meghan: Duchess for Sale?, which aired earlier this month, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said: 'Spare was again, together with the interviews, something that was a red rag to King Charles. 'Harry trashed his family in the book and they haven't forgotten and they may never trust him again afterwards.' Seward wrote: 'Much of Harry's ire has been directed at his elder brother William, the heir, and their relationship has always been fraught with rivalry - so much so that Harry developed a complex about being the second best. 'He always felt the need to compete in everything, especially with his brother. 'His relationship with the Queen was very much characterised by Harry being the joker, and when he had something serious to say to her, he had very little idea how to go about it.' The brothers ended up at loggerheads when the Queen reluctantly accepted that Harry could keep his beard on his wedding day. The royal author wrote: 'When William discovered this he was furious: annoyed that Harry had gone to the Queen, annoyed that she had given her clearance and annoyed at what he saw as Harry's one-upmanship.' It was the late Queen, pictured alongside Harry and Meghan in 2018, who found herself in an 'impossible position' when it came to dealing with her grandson's antics The Waleses and the Sussexes are pictured during the notoriously awkward walkabout following the Queen's death in 2022 This stemmed from the fact that William had not been allowed to keep his beard at his own wedding. 'Harry explains in Spare that William always felt the Queen indulged Harry in his misbehaviour, while he was expected to maintain high standards. 'This argument became so heated that at one point William actually ordered Harry to shave, "as the Heir speaking to the Spare",' wrote Seward. But it was the late Queen who found herself in an 'impossible position' when it came to dealing with Harry's antics. Seward wrote: 'However much she loved Harry - and she did - she couldn't condone the way he was speaking about the institution of the monarchy that she had spent 70 years preserving. 'He chooses to be the victim and wreak vengeance on the slights he thought he had suffered; on his family, on the Press and through the courts.' Jack Royston, royal correspondent for Newsweek, noted in Channel 5's documentary, Meghan: Duchess for Sale?, that in the aftermath of the publication of Spare the Sussexes suffered a massive crash in the opinion polls. It seems that Harry's determination to tell his version of 'the truth' has not only placed a wedge between the Sussexes and the Royal Family, but also damaged the public perceptions of the couple. They were chastised by both the British and American press, with the US animated sitcom South Park even making a parody episode called The Worldwide Privacy Tour. The couple were also called 'grifters' by a Spotify executive. In the YouGov opinion polls, both Meghan and Harry's popularity has been on a steady decline. Most recently Harry's high-profile court case, which saw the Government's decision to downgrade his security during his visits the UK upheld, has prompted rumours of a sequel to Spare. A Buckingham Palace insider told The Sun: 'There's a lot of worry that Harry could tell all in a book deal or even follow Meghan's lead and make a podcast. 'He's hinted he has discovered secrets during the hearings, particularly regarding the treatment of him and Meghan, that would shock us all. 'It is a veiled threat, essentially that he will tell all if it doesn't go the way he wants it to.' While Spare 2 could do well for Harry financially, many royal observers wonder if this would eliminate any chance of a reunion between Harry, William and Charles. Megxit timeline of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Meghan and Prince Harry reveal intentions to 'step back' from working royal roles - January 8 2020 Sandringham Summit - January 13 2020 Harry and Meghan move to California - March 2020 Sussexes attend Commonwealth Day service - March 9 2020 Oprah interview - March 8 2021 Duke of Edinburgh's funeral - 17 April 2021 Unveiling of statue of Princess Diana - July 1, 2021 Queen's Platinum Jubilee service at St Paul's Cathedral - June 3 2022 Walkabout following death of Queen - September 10 2022 Queen's funeral - September 19 2022 Harry & Meghan Netflix docuseries - 8 December 2022 Publication of Spare - January 10 2023 Harry attends Charles' Coronation without Meghan - May 6 2023
