Blade Runner 2049

35 years ago, the original Blade Runner film that starred Harrison Ford in it was forever known as the original Matrix when it came out in theaters and set the template for the future-set cyberpunk genre even pop-culture critics appreciated how the original went. To celebrate the original's 35th anniversary, the true sequel to one of the most iconic films of the 80's has arrived in theaters and with new and returning faces in store, Blade Runner 2049 pushes the limits to this genre with precise storytelling those who watched the original will surely love.

Blade Runner 2049

The classic sci-fi action flick from the early 80's has returned with the long-awaited sequel that picks up where it left off and with Blade Runner 2049, there are so many reasons why this sequel will fare against the best films of the year with its unique storytelling that sets them apart as well as new and returning characters.

The year is 2049, 30 years after the original film, and with blade runner Rick Deckard (played by Harrison Ford) went missing in action, the human-like androids known as Replicants are still among us and as Replicant threats are looming in this dystopian future, a new blade runner known as K (played by Ryan Gosling) discovered a deadly secret that would wipe out humanity in one fell swoop and that lead to the search for Deckard himself to finish this powerful new threat once and for all.

In addition to Ford and Gosling, Blade Runner 2049 also stars Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Carla Juri, Lennie James, Dave Bautista, and Jared Leto. Ridley Scott, who directed the original, returned as executive producer while Hampton Fancher served as the scriptwriter for the sequel and with collaboration with award-winning Denis Villeneuve, who directed this film, this sequel is Blade Runner at its finest and thanks to its new and recurring people that revolved the original like clockwork, the new movie brings out everything sci-fi geeks ever wanted to have; the drama, the suspense, the thrills, everything is possible in this long-awaited sequel.

Come to think of it, 30 years? How long for this story to unfold? Well, thanks to three prequels that spans through the year 2022, 2036, and 2048, people who are eager to watch Blade Runner 2049 had all the answers they need but if you really want to jump through this film without going through the prequel shorts currently streaming on YouTube, as well as the original, feel free to do so. Besides, if you are new to this story, this film won't stop you from enjoying the full experience of what a sci-fi action thriller like this can do. Newbies or veterans, it doesn't matter who you really are because this film blends the past and present through the future like a Saturn V-powered blender.

In the end, Blade Runner 2049 is a worthy contender as one of the best films of 2017 and because it fares better than the original Blade Runner from 1982, the legend is back and it's now more thrilling than ever to satisfy even the most entertainment industry elites with its explosive storyline. Needless to say, you can forget about that lousy Ghost in the Shell film you saw last spring because this BD 2049 film eats it for dinner and it was deliciously addictive and insane from start to finish.

My rating: 4.4 out of 5.

My adventure in PacSci

Earlier, after a few days of persuading my parents, I got myself a chance to visit the Pacific Science Center for the very first time by myself and this is my one shot at entering one of the most popular destinations in the Pacific Northwest for both people young and old alike.



Open from 10:00 AM until 6:00PM, the Pacific Science Center is a fantastic place for visitors to ignite their curiosity in the name of science. It's located near the world famous Space Needle so if you are in a mood for sight-seeing, feel free to visit the PacSci anytime you like, as long as you're not making a ruckus about it.







Whether if its mechanical science, rediscovering nature, exploring outer space, or learning about how the human body functions, the Pacific Science Center got everyone covered with all of the best this museum has offered and me having an adventure in PacSci is both exciting and scary at the same time but that's the life of being a so-called travel bug like me, you'll never know the ups and downs you might come across.

I'm looking forward to revisit this place anytime I want but before ending this note, there's a very cool special exhibit that I just went before calling it a day; called the Terracotta Warriors, this special exhibit running until the 4th of September is a one-of-a-kind exhibition that features life-size statues and over a hundred artifacts from the first imperial dynasty of China, known as the Qin (sounds like chin) Dynasty.



Witnessing those Terracotta soldiers displayed in this special limited-time exhibit is like living a movie fantasy. It's almost like you're in a movie called The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor in so many ways but hey, this special exhibit was proven so successful, most of the tickets sold out within minutes. However, that didn't stop me from entering this very successful exhibit that showcases the ancient history of China's first dynasty from start to finish.

I have learned a lot of things in the Terracotta Warriors exhibition except for the tomb of the first Chinese emperor which remains a mystery as of right now because no one knows what's inside the Emperor's Tomb, thus resulting to numerous theories that came up from the minds of historians and scientists alike. Science and history played a crucial part of the discovery of the Terracotta warriors and getting to know them is an honor to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Anyway, I think that's enough for that and I hope you had fun at the Pacific Science Center from opening to closing time.

More pics: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1481815308578729.1073742193.119605654799708&type=1&l=4a50185ce0

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Luc Besson, the man who brought you films like Leon, The Fifth Element, and Lucy, has done it again and this time he introduces moviegoers a brand new sci-fi fantasy adventure that will take us beyond the limitless possibilities of outer space and our imagination.

Valerian

This sci-fi fantasy film is called Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets and it's based on a popular comic book series which inspired numerous creative minds. Dane DeHaan plays the titular role of Valerian and Cara Delevingne plays as his partner Laureline. Set in the 28th century, Valerian and Laureline embarked on a mission to an ever-expanding city called Alpha, where a benevolent force threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets and together, they are on a race against time to stop this threat and save the universe.

Visuals has been part of every sci-fi fantasy movie ever made and the true beauty of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is the colorful and vivid visuals that adds life and depth of field into the cinematic masterpiece. Think Avatar, Interstellar, Star Wars, Star Trek, Blade Runner, and any other science fiction movie you know and familiar with because this film feels like mashing up the best science fiction films ever made out of curiosity from many sci-fi geeks and the result is a vast-changing film that releases a prismatic spectrum that will satisfy every moviegoer witnessed.

Despite the colorful visuals that sets Valerian apart, the storyline should have known better and while we are impressed with how it looks, how the film unfolds is a bit of a decency and it can knock some of the moviegoers into boredom until the exciting parts kicked in. And there's another problem with this film and there's a case of product placement.

Remember Minority Report a decade and a half ago? Toyota's luxury division Lexus made a car specifically for this future-set film and in Valerian, Lexus had another go in the sci-fi fantasy landscape with their so-called SkyJet and even though it only exists in the film, this is how Lexus represents its enhanced L-Finesse design in so many ways. It maybe just one of the key aspects on showcasing what Lexus can do when they design almost everything the way they did to their cars in the real world but as a product placement, it kinda rather spoils it like posers loitering around shopping malls all day and all night.

Even though the storyline is what you call a decency, the sheer magnitude of the visuals is what made Valerian one of the best films to watch in the summer blockbuster season and if you're looking for some out-of-this-world adventure that will excite your imagination, look no further.

My rating: 3.7 out of 5.

ALIEN: Covenant

Alien: Covenant

The long-awaited installment of Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror masterpiece has finally clawed its way to the cinemas as ALIEN: Covenant, the latest chapter of the Alien film series, will be the most frightening ALIEN film to date since the original.

In this new movie, the crew of the colony ship called the Covenant has discovered what they believed to be a new habitat for humanity, only to realize that they have been fallen to a dark and vicious trap where vicious creatures are lurking beyond their imagination. As the creatures lurking around the Covenant, the crew must attempt to do whatever means necessary to escape from this sinister threat.

The film stars Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Noomi Rapace, Guy Pearce, and James Franco.

Unlike the dismal prequel to the original 1979 film called Prometheus five years ago, this film really is a proper Alien film because it has all the right timing of fear, suspense, thrills, and of course, it won't be complete without the alien, which is why this film is called because without that creature, it wouldn't be called a proper Alien film like what Prometheus suffered.

It is a great horror film to watch for the summer season but if you're too scared to watch this film, you'd better off seeing the cast getting panicked in the film rather than not watching it at all because those alien appearances will get you nightmares even more than any other horror movies you've encountered so far and nothing will get you more prepared than the never-ending intergalactic nightmare this film possesses, not even your five-minute breaks.

This then will be one of the most feared horror films of the year and if you're not fully prepared to take on the worst this film possesses, you'll end up on the same fate as the characters in this film.

My rating: 3.9 out of 5.

Juno probe successfully reached Jupiter

After a five-year journey, NASA's Juno probe has successfully reached Jupiter.

Launched in August 2011, Juno completed entry into Jupiter's orbit at around 0353 hours UTC, making it the second probe to enter Jupiter since the Galileo in 1995. It will orbit Jupiter over the next 18 months and conduct observations from an altitude of 5,000km - the closest a probe has reached the planet's surface.

With Juno, NASA scientists will be able to discover more about the planet Jupiter.

Further reading: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/36710768

*Creative visualization

The dirty little secret of car commercials

There is one dirty little secret about how car commercials are made and that dirty little secret is something involves CGI fakery.

Why CGI in every car commercials that goes "professional driver, closed course" and "do not attempt" this and that? That reason goes to the availability of vehicle and location. As uncovered by unknown sources, people involved in the making of car commercials with some "professional driver" and "do not attempt" on it resort to using bangers on the shooting, then edit it out to look like a brand new car when viewed on TV. Yep, that explains a lot.

The Blackbird

There's another dirty little secret to make car commercials with using the actual car. You see, a UK-based firm called The Mill introduced a clever-looking machine called the BLACKBIRD. Although they got that name from the SR-71 recon plane for some reasons, the BLACKBIRD is a shapeshifting vehicle that solves the problems of making a car commercial.

It is the world's first fully adjustable car rig that not only alter its chassis to match the precise length and width of almost any car but also its appearance. With CGI, the car rig can be altered to match a specific car and its electric motor can be recalibrated to emulate the driving characteristics of the subject car.

Here's a video that sums everything up:

Watching car commercials will never be the same again, even those "do not attempt" moments because the next time you see a car commercial with a car doing ridiculous stunts, better start asking how did that happen and the results would be very questionable because it would be either bangers or this.

Scoop: http://www.autoblog.com/2016/06/23/mill-blackbird-car-rig-video/

Over a thousand planets discovered by the Kepler Mission

Big fan of space? Well, you may not going to believe this because the Kepler Mission from NASA verified that it discovered a record-breaking 1,284 new planets, making it the single largest finding of planets to date.

The analysis was done on the Kepler telescope's July 2015 planet candidate catalog, which identified 4,302 potential planets. For 1,284 of the candidates, the probability of being a planet is over 99%, which is a minimum required to earn its planetary status. Although the additional 1,327 candidates are more likely to be classified as a planet, they never meet the 99% criteria and will require additional study. The remaining 707 are more likely to be some other astrophysical phenomena.

NASA astronomers state that out of the 1,284 new planets outside the solar system, nine of them may be able to support life like that on Earth.

With this discovery, the number of confirmed exoplanets is now over 3,200. 21 of them are believed to be Earth-like.

Source: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasas-kepler-mission-announces-largest-collection-of-planets-ever-discovered

The "real" green herbs you can find

The "green herb", every Biohazard/Resident Evil fans' favorite necessity (next to the first aid spray) to survive through the war on bioterrorism. Use one of these and you'll recover in no time but it can be mixed with different kinds of herbs (be it green, red, or blue) for added healing effects. We want to have one of these in order to survive the ongoing war on terror but little did you know that green herbs do exist globally and those real-world green herbs do have a similar effect on those you've commonly used in the franchise. As part of honoring the 20th anniversary of the Biohazard/Resident Evil franchise, let's list down the "real" green herbs you can find in order to survive the ongoing war on terrorism in the form of zombies, mutants, and powerful villains.

Green Herb

Peppermint - Often used as a flavor for minty candies, peppermint can be use to treat respiratory illnesses such as coughs, colds, asthma, even fatal tuberculosis. It can even sooth the muscles of your intestines to ease down abdominal pain. It's no wonder capsules made from these are the medicine of choice for those who have IBS.

Basil - Once used as a tasty concoction on fancy meals on fancy restaurants, this kind of "green herb" can be use to ease down farting, lack of appetite, even wounds as well.

Lemon Balm - A mint derivative, this kind of "green herb" can ease down stress, insomnia, wounds, insect bites, even herpes. Not only that, some claim that lemon balm can help treat cold sores on their lips.

Parsley - It may be used as decoration for fancy meals but eating one of these will help ease down gassy problems in your stomach as well as your bad breath.

Rosemary - Apart from treating bad breath, this green herb provides good concentration, necessary if you want to take out monsters and terrorists with calm and orderly precision.

Sage - Although the name sounds so similar to a magical person in role-playing games, a Sage is a kind of green herb which is useful to treat mouth and throat inflammation.

Thyme - Thyme or thymol is a green herb that can be used to treat cough, congestion, or even indigestion.

Aloe Vera - As most skin care products used this kind of herb for its skin-healing properties, this kind of green herb was commonly used to speed up wound healing thanks to its antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties

Eucalyptus - Also a mint derivative, this kind of green herb is used to treat respiratory illnesses, making it an ideal cold remedy known to man. Apart from being a respiratory aid, it was used for the treatment of muscle pains, perhaps most painkillers used the ingredient sourced from this kind of green herb.

Niaouli - Originated from Australia and Southeast Asia, this green herb comes with antiseptic properties. Its oils are powerful enough to treat colds and can be mixed with different kinds to treat different ailments.

Oregano - Americans think that this kind of herb was used for pizza sauce but it has the highest reputation in terms of antioxidant properties for culinary purposes. The oregano's medicinal properties can be attributed to the anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant compounds. It's no wonder this green herb was used for protection against cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

Goldenseal - Commonly used as a disinfectant, it contains berberine and hydrastine, capable of its antibacterial properties. The primary use for this green herb is for treating upper respiratory congestion and sinus infections as well as skin infections, sore throats, mouth ulcers, and eye infections.

Cubeb - This green herb has a rather bizarre use as an aphrodisiac because not only can be used for solve dental problems, it can also be used to intensify sexual pleasure during coitus, according to Unani physicians. Who knew, right?

Bupleurum - Although not used by Western herbalists, this Chinese tonic herb was used for the treatment of liver and circulatory system. This green herb was rarely used but when combined with different herbs like ginger, ginseng, and peony, this herb can help heal different ailments such as menstrual problems.

Balsam of Peru - Long time ago, this herb was used in cough medicine to kill parasites inside of our body but today, it's been used for aromatherapy purposes as well as treating skin problems similar to other balsams.

Burdock - This green herb was once used as a nutritive liver tonic that helps clean and build the blood, while its diuretic properties helps in the elimination of waste materials. It can also be used to treat skin problems, control blood sugar levels, and the theoretical treatment of cancer.

Neem - Once used as a traditional cure in Ayurvedic medicine traditions in India since ancient times, this green herb was used for the treatment of skin problems such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, scabies, and athletes foot. Some say, it can also be used to reduce plaque-induced gingivitis and avert periodontal disease when used as a mouthwash.

Spearmint - While it has the same properties as peppermint, this green herb is a milder version and it's suitable for young children. A spearmint tea is used to treat hiccups as well as indigestion while a sweetened one can help treat colds or congestion.

Wormwood - Although used to stimulate digestion and prevent heartburn and gas, this green herb is a capable dewormer that has been used for centuries to expel tapeworms, threadworms, and roundworms from dogs, cats, and humans.

Lobelia - Even though it's useful to treat bronchitis and asthma, this herb comes with the same properties as nicotine, which is useful for smokers to slowly end their smoking habits.

For more information on herbs, why not check a website called Annie's Remedy, you'll find some detailed info about different kinds of herbs. Check it out at www.anniesremedy.com

And there you go. When the next time terrorism has struck in your neighborhood in the form of zombies and mutants, best to prepare some green herbs while you're fighting back against these enemies. All we need now is some scientific knowledge on how to mix these herbs.

COP21 concludes with the Paris treaty

After weeks of negotiations from the world's top leaders at the COP21 Climate Conference in Paris, they have managed to conclude the climate conference by adopting a new global framework known as the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement is a global framework that will commit all nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, be it economic superpower or emerging country alike.

This agreement calls for the world to make efforts to keep the global temperature rising to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-Industrial Revolution levels. It also promises nations to bring global emissions to none within the year 2050.

For every five years, all nations must submit their reduction targets to the UN for a reevaluation.

The Paris Agreement marks the first time all nations are expected to reduce emissions since the 1997 Kyoto Protocol that required developed countries to do so, except for emerging ones.

Further reading:

1) COP21: Climate deal 'final draft' reached in Paris - BBC News
2) Final draft of climate deal unveiled in Paris - CNN.com
3) Global Climate Change Pact Approved at COP 21 Conference in Paris
4) COP21 ends with adoption of Paris Agreement - News - NHK WORLD - English

There's something hidden in the Mona Lisa portrait

Looks like the world got shocked over the shocking discovery by a French scientist regarding what's hidden underneath the legendary Leonardo da Vinci painting of Mona Lisa.

An expert known as Pascal Cotte has spent the decade observing the hidden mystery behind the legendary Mona Lisa painting using science and technology, well, reflective light technology to be fairly exact. A reconstruction shows there was an hidden image of a sitter looking off to the side, which shows no trace of her enigmatic smile, which puzzled most art lovers for over five centuries.

The Louvre Museum, where the legendary painting was portrayed, have no comments as of now because his claims was not part of the scientific team. His claims regarding what's hidden behind the painting are controversial and have divided opinion among experts.

Comments? Well, it maybe as mysterious as the one we saw on The Da Vinci Code but it's even more bizarre than the City of Death arc of Classic Doctor Who. Anyone remember that?  Well, you get the idea.

Report: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35031997

Yes. NASA says waters of Mars DO exist.

Image Reference: BBC

Shocking news for everyone who's into space (and DW-related malarkey) because there was news regarding what's what with the planet Mars because today, the top officials from NASA confirms signs of water flowing on Mars, showing incredible evidence of life in the red planet.

Yes, there IS such thing as waters of Mars according to NASA but I should warn you that pretty soon, when you go there, you might wind up like these guys as seen from that Doctor Who special titled The Waters of Mars. What? Haven't seen it? But if you did see it years ago or you've binge-watched Doctor Who for this, use extreme caution because even though NASA confirms there is such thing as waters of Mars, you'd better not make close contact with that.

Please...Every Whovian in the world knows how this ends...in disaster.

Further reading:

1) CNN - Liquid water exists on Mars, boosting hopes for life there, NASA says

2) New York Times - NASA Confirms Signs of Water Flowing on Mars, Possible Niches for Life

3) The Guardian - Nasa scientists find evidence of flowing water on Mars

What's a leap second?

In case you REALLY, REALLY, REALLY missed it or if you were sleeping in the pancitan, there's going to be a leap second that will occur at the end of June (or the beginning of July, depending on where you're on), where an extra second will add so instead of 23:59,59 becoming 00:00:00 GMT, it's 23:59,59 becoming 23:59.60 GMT. Scary isn't it?

So, what's a leap second anyway? Little did you know that the planet Earth, as a clock, loses about 0.6 of a second every year as it fluctuates randomly. The first leap second occurred sometime in 1972 and there were about 25 leap seconds to be added to the calendar.

This little clip will sum everything up about what is a second and why leap seconds occured:

Another possible reason why Earth's losing seconds is because of the motion of the planet and according to some researchers that a powerful earthquake struck Japan in March 11, 2011 made the Earth speed up, shortening the day by just two microseconds. There's a little experiment about a man-made quake where a 50,000+ crowd asked by some presenter to jump at the same time during a certain concert. Here's a little clip that sums everything up;



Could it be that the recent quake struck Nepal months ago have shortened the day within a few microseconds? For me, I'm not so sure but some handful of geniuses have to find out for themselves but in the meantime, the leap second timetable;

Tokyo Time: 15/7/1 08:59:60
Los Angeles Time: 6/30/15 16:59:60
Manila Time: 7/1/15 07:59:60
London Time: 1/7/15 00:59.60

*Concerning London Time and Los Angeles Time, the actual start may differ from those due to "Daylight Saving Time" and "Summer Time" changes.

Trying out the whole "how old are you" thing

A few days ago, computer giant Microsoft shook the world with their new age-guessing site called "How Old Do I Look" and what this experimental website does is simple, it can determine how old a person is via facial recognition. Although the results turned out to be true (or false), this new age-guessing site is just one of the things they can say that the future is now thanks to science.

It all started when the boffins are making a demo for their Build2015 developer conference hosted by Microsoft, showcasing how developers can create smart apps using Azure services. With their face detection API's, they created an age-guessing website which lets users upload pics and have the API determine the age and gender of any faces recognized in that picture. As for those who are worrying, Microsoft don't store photos, nor sharing them after this.

There's been some madness about this thing because a few days ago, this site determines the age of manga creator Hirohiko Araki and according to the age-guessing site, he looks 27 years old although in truth, he's 54 (55 this year). Fans think he's an immortal vampire because of his ageless youthful face.

Anyway, without further ado, I decided to try this myself. Last night, I took a picture of myself and while the results are calculated, I was shocked to see how old I really am...

I was 44 but I was 24 years old!

On the next day, I tried it again, only this time, I took off my glasses and this is my result;

21? Nope, not even close.

Anyway, we tried with various pics I've rummaged through my home and the results turned out to be mixed. I've even tried it on my whole family. Some got it right, some got it wrong, but no matter.

I'm starting to believe that science is so amazing that there is now something that can determine how old are we really are but as for me, no matter how old are we, it's the actions that can determine our age, not this one because this is just plain rubbish.

Historic landing on a comet is a success

Philae lander
(Image: AP)

Mankind made history today as after seven hours of waiting at the European Space Agency's mission control in Darmstadt, the people in charge of the Rosetta mission celebrated their historic accomplishment as the Philae spacecraft safely landed on the target comet and with the success of the Rosetta mission, scientists are able to witness what is like to be with the comet and study close up what happens when it gets closer to the sun. It occurred at 1600 hours GMT (0000 hours or midnight Philippine Standard Time) and they've landed twice according to Philae lander manager at the DLR German space center, Stephan Ulamec, because the probe's two harpoons haven't fired to fasten the craft down in the ultra-low gravity.

Report: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/nov/12/rosetta-mission-philae-historic-landing-comet

Interstellar (2014 film)

Interstellar

If you're a fan of those space opera films such as 2001 and Gravity, there's a new space opera film made by the creative minds of Christopher Nolan. Titled Interstellar, this space opera film has a mix of edge-of-your-seat thrills and some tear-dropping drama as moviegoers progress through the film.

In the not-too-distant future, the planet Earth faced multiple disasters and it has warned that within a few moments, Earth will face its demise unless mankind find its new home. NASA physicist Professor Brand, played by Michael Caine, is devising a plan to save Earth's remaining population by transporting them to a new home planet via a wormhole but first, he summoned a former NASA pilot, played by actor Matthew McConaughey, and a group of researchers, and were asked to go through a wormhole and across the universe in search for man's new home.

With all that stuff coming out from the film, Interstellar feels as traumatizing as disaster movies but for a space opera, feels like this isn't like Gravity or any other space opera moviegoers know. The drama feels more dramatic but when it comes to storytelling, it's not what you called Oscar-worthy, as well as the casting. As for the background music, the orchestral feel really gives this film a very dramatic approach and that's because Hans Zimmer, the one in charge of the music score from numerous films, done a pretty good job giving the background music he made for the film well-suited.

Despite not being true to its name, Interstellar really shines as a space opera with some gut-wrenching moments that will keep you hanging through the very end.

My rating: 2.6 out of 5

Inventor creates oxygen-producing leaf

Time now for some scientific breakthrough as Royal College of Art graduate, Julian Melchiorri, has claimed that he invented a "silk leaf" that produces oxygen not just for space travel but also for clean air. This "synthetic leaf" was co-developed with Tufts University.

Julian says that this silk leaf was very light, low energy-consuming, completely biological, and his idea for this leaf he created was to use the efficiency of nature in a man-made environment. I was amazed by this but can Brainiacs harness the energy of the leaves? Eh...nope.

Report: IFLSCIENCE Image: Julian Melchiorri

The Beast” will fly by the Earth today...

Two months ago, scientists discovered an asteroid "2014 HQ124" nicknamed "The Beast" that will fly by Earth this week and in case someone alarmed by this, reports show that it will make its close approach at an estimated 1:56AM Eastern Time Sunday, June 8, 2014 (1:56PM Philippine Standard Time). That's today if you have any doubts. Its close approach will be about three times the distance between the earth and the moon.

Remember, the distance between the earth and the moon is an estimated 384,400 km but that close approach of "The Beast" asteroid is three times the said distance, therefore it will be at an estimated 1,153,200km. In English terms, that's an estimated 717,000 miles.

Asteroid 2014 HQ124 is over 1000ft wide and travelled at 31,000mph, but it will pose no threat to the planet because of its distance. Let's hope it's not like the one that happened in Russia last year. I think...

Report: http://www.interaksyon.com/article/88574/the-beast-asteroid-flies-by-earth-sunday

What is a platypus?

He's a platypus. He don't do much...

In honor of the so-called Platypus Day, don't know why but fans of Phineas and Ferb won't mind about it but paying tribute to Perry the Platypus (a.k.a. Agent P), there's so much to explain about what is a platypus and even a little 47 second science won't work to describe about this semi-aquatic, egg-laying, mammal that some thought it was just a product from a duck and a beaver apart from noticing the bill of the duck and the tail of the beaver. So...gyururururu.....

Some essential facts:

- Scientific name for platypus is ornithorhynchus anatinus. Maybe that's why a lyric that goes Our Ornithorhynchus anatinus brings smiles to the both of us.

- Platypuses have a beaver-like tail, bird-like beak or duck-like bill (whatever you called it), walks like a reptile, and they had webbed feet.

- They can be found at different locations, especially Australia, and their favored habitats are lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.

- Male platypuses are poisonous, meaning they have a spur of toxins that can kill a dog or cause severe pain to humans. I'm not sure why...

- Platypuses are nocturnal, meaning they're are active at night just like hamsters but unlike hamsters, platypuses sleep in their burrows.

- The reproductive cycle of a platypus is rather unusual because male ones tend to chase their female and grabs the tail of the female platypus before mating. Two-to-three weeks later, the female platypus lay about two or three eggs and incubates it for about 10 days before hatch.

-  Platypuses sweat milk...like what you saw from a Phineas and Ferb episode where Candace and Perry swapped bodies by one of their inventions.

- Platypuses eat frogs, fishes, or insects taken from the aquatic surface with their beak, which is also useful to dig up invertebrates from stream or lake beds. They don't eat underwater but store their food in their cheeks and then eat it at the surface.

- Baby platypuses grow a temporary tooth, which is essential to hatch their way out from their eggs.

- The remains of the ancient platypus species were found in the Patagonian region of South America.

- Platypuses belong to the family of animals called monotremes.

- Some studies pointed out in prehistoric times, humans trapped platypuses for their skins but in the year 1912, there is a law that prohibits the harvesting of platypuses for skins, therefore keeping the platypuses population very very far from extinction.

Sources:

Platypus Facts and Pictures (NatGeo Kids) - http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/platypus/

BBC Nature - Platypus - http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Platypus

Platypus Facts For Kids (Animals Time) - http://animalstime.com/platypus-facts-kids/

Platypus Facts (Conservation Institute) - http://www.conservationinstitute.org/platypus-facts/

So, there we go. Some of the good stuff about what is the platypus and that left me a good mystery that goes...how does a platypus made a gurgling sound like Perry? You know, gyurururururururu...