Malaysia Welcomes its 14th King in its 54 Year History

On December 13, 2011, Al-Sultan Al-Mu'tasimu Billahi Muhibbuddin Tuanku Alhaj Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah Ibni Al-Marhum Siltan Badlishah ascended to the throne as Malaysia's 14th King.

At 84 years old, he created history as the oldest Sultan to ascend to the post and the only one to have held the post twice!

He succeeded Al-Wathiqu Billah Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah who was the youngest ruler to hold the post. His reign as king ended on December 12, 2011.

In Malaysia's unique rotational monarchy system, 9 rulers from 9 different hereditary states take 5-year turns to be on the throne. The remaining 4 out of 13 states that form the country did not have monarchs and are headed by governors.

Read more about Malaysian Monarchy here.

Other sources: 1, 2, 3

Today The World is Welcoming the Birth of a New Country

9th July 2011 will be remembered by the people of South Sudan as they officially declared their independence from Sudan and become the 193rd UN Recognised Country.

The independence of South Sudan came after referendum in January in which 99% of the people of the south voted to be separated from the north.

Both territories have been at war for decades with the casualties of some 2.5 million people.

Source

Space Shuttle Atlantis Begins Final Mission

On the 8th of July, 2011, at 11:29 a.m. local time, NASA successfully launched the Space Shuttle Atlantis on its mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

This launch is historic because it marks the end of NASA's Space Shuttle Program after being started 30 years ago.

After the mission the shuttles will be placed in museums throughout the country and the journey to the ISS will become a commercial endeavor.

The shuttle Atlantis which is on its 12-day mission will arrive at the ISS on Sunday.

Read more: 1, 2.

The Case of Nyan Cat, the Viral Video

On 16th June 2011, due to the popularity of Nyan Cat video, The people at Youtube decided to enable a custom flash player to replace the normal progress bar showing a mini Nyan Cat with a rainbow trail.

To learn more about the origins and the evolution of the Nyan Song click here.

See how long can you endure the cuteness here and here.

Meet The Real life Batman!

Meet Daniel Kish, at the age of one, he was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma so doctors had to remove both his eyes.

At the age of two, he began to discover ways of 'seeing' his world like most blind childs do, stomping with his feet, snapping fingers, clapping hands, and making clicking sounds.

Now, at the age of 44, Daniel is a fully independent person with the help of a method he called "Flash Sonar" or more commonly known as echolocation.

This technique which is also employed by bats and dolphins enables him to "see" everything around him. Using echolocation, Daniel is able to ride a mountain bike through streets with heavy traffic and on dirt trails, climb trees, camping, travelling, cooking, swimming and dancing. In short, he can do what sighed people can do. In fact, he's accomplished more than most people have accomplished.

Sources: 1, 2,

Barreleye - A Bizzzare Fish With Transparent Head

This remarkable fish was found by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) just off the coast of Central California.

What remarkable about this small fish known as Barreleye Fish (Macropinna microstoma) is that it has a transparent dome covering its head. But, if you're thinking that the things you see inside the transparent dome are the insides of its head, the you're wrong.

The green sphere shaped thing is not a brain but a part of the fish's super sensitive, tubular shaped eyes. The eyes face upwards and were believed to be fixed in position until recently when scientists discovered that the eyes can tilt to face forward. What looked like a pair of eyes on the fish's face however, are not eyes at all. they are the fish's nostrils!

Read more about Barreleye Fish: 1, 2, 3

Most Expensive Coffee Made From Animal Poop?

The world famed Civet Coffee or locally known as Kopi Luwak is a special type of coffee taken from the droppings of Luwak or Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hemaphroditus).

The process of making this coffee began when the civet eats the ripe coffee berries and swallowing them together with their beans. The beans then passed through this little animal's digestive tract before being pooped out in clumps. These clumps are then collected by farmers, thoroughly cleaned, dried and lightly roasted before being served to those willing to pay.

Studies shows that inside the civet's stomach, the coffee beans are fermented in a mixture of stomach acids and enzymes which brings out the full taste and aroma of the coffee and reduce bitterness.

However, scientists in America have come up with ways to imitate the process without involving animals.

Sources: 1, 2, 3

Also check out the imitated civet coffee which goes under the brand "Magic Cat"