Thursday 24 April 2008

Fastest man ever

Read this from the old press that released the list of fastest man ever in the history of mankind. According to CDC Sports Online, Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell is the world fastest man, with new record of 9.77 seconds set in Athens in 100m track event.



However, controversy occurs as some ppl ask why must be the one fastest in 100m event set as the standard for world's fastest man? why not 200m? 400m?

Look at this picture, what do you think? who should be crowned as the fastest man?


What's your opinion about this? and why? =P If you calculate it, 9.77*2= 19.54 sec, which is slower than 19.32 sec as shown above.
Here is the best answer I could find over resources:

-- "According to EIS Director of Science and Research Professor Greg Whyte, who says that men who run twice the distance have a more accurate claim to the title.

“The fastest man on the planet does not compete in the 100m but is in fact a 200m runner,” explains Whyte. “Why? Well, in both events the athlete starts from a stationary position and there is a requirement to accelerate to maximum velocity.

“Achieving this maximum velocity will take athletes in both events approximately 35-40 metres and the 200m by the nature of the distance will spend longer at peak velocity than the 100m runner.

“Therefore the average running velocity is higher in a 200m runner as they will run for approximately 160m at peak velocity compared to a 100m runner who will run for only around 60m at the same rate.”

For those still unconvinced, a cursory glance at the record books reveals a simple truth; Michael Johnson’s 200m world record of 19.32 - which he set in 1996 and which has yet to be beaten - equates to 9.66 for each 100 metres, significantly quicker than Asafa Powell’s 100m world record of 9.77 set in early 2005.
" --

Wednesday 23 April 2008

Largest Island in the world

What do you think? Kinda like general geographic question =P but well it's here bit tricky to answer this question.

From meaning of the word 'Island' (which is a piece of land surrounded by water), Australia and Antarctica are needless to say the biggest islands in the world. However, they are more commonly known as 'continent'due to its large size of land which somehow more suitable to be named so.


So which island is accepted as the largest island in the world?
The answer is Greenland. Greenland is the world's largest island, which has 840,000 square miles (2,175,590 km2). This is followed by New guinea and world's third is Borneo island.

Some interesting information about the world's largest island. Greenland is not only the world's largest but it's unique in the fact that 81% of the country is ice and glaciers. The coastal edges consist mainly of Tundra and bush Tundra.

Tuesday 22 April 2008

Largest Fish in the World

The Whale Shark is the largest fish in the world and, in spite of its name, it is not a “Whale” it is a “Shark”. Given its name because of its sheer size, Rhincodon typus was first identified off the coast of South Africa in 1828.


Whale Sharks are in the order Orectolobiformes, often referred to as “Carpet Sharks” because many members in this family have carpet-like patterns. Relatives within this classification number only 32 species including the Nurse Shark, Wobbegong and the Blind Shark, a nocturnal feeder that is not blind at all but has a habit of closing its eyes when caught or disturbed, thus its common name.



Unlike the Great White Shark propelling through the ocean like a torpedo, the marine giant Whale Shark is a slow moving plankton feeder, normally traveling no more than 5mph it is relatively harmless to divers and, as always, best left undisturbed.

Monday 21 April 2008

World Fastest Civil Aircraft



Gulfstream G650 is the world fastest civil non-military aircraft ever.

Since the 1960s, the Gulfstream jet has been synonymous with the fastest, ultra luxury business travel regardless of cost – only 1600 have ever been made but now, the company is raising the bar with a new ultra-large cabin G650 due in 2012.

The US$58.5 million G650 is capable of traveling 7,000 nautical miles (8055 miles) at 0.85 Mach (647 ph/1,041 km/h) or 5,000 nautical miles (5,753 miles) at 0.90 Mach (685 mph/1,102 km/h) and has a top speed of 0.925 Mach (794 mph/1,133 km/h), which will make it the fastest non-military aircraft flying. It will even cruise at 51,000 ft, in order to avoid airline-traffic congestion and adverse weather.