7,500 Miles On $5 In Gas, Veggie Oil

A high school student in Atlanta named Bill Bridgers has converted his diesel pickup truck to run almost exclusively on used vegetable oil. He has been driving across the country with his father and a friend, informing people about alternative fuel possibilities along the way. He is chronicling his journey at VegTheUsa.com.

Bridgers uses a large filter to get food particles and impurities out of the oil, which is then heated to 180 degrees and pumped into the truck's engine. He says he has lots of friends in the restaurant business who give him their used oil, which is just a waste product to them. Gasoline is only used when the truck is first turned on, then just before it's turned off.

So far Bridgers says he and his companions have driven 7,500 miles and spent just $5 on gas. The rest of the time, his truck has been running on the vegetable oil.

Nature on an 8.5x11 Sheet of Paper

What Tree is That?

Most trees can be identified by studying their leaves, seeds, and fruit. This website contains a glossary of tree terms, as well as a flash animation that will help you learn to identify these characteristics and take a step-by-step approach to arrive at the name of your tree.

Dolphin with "Remains of Legs"

Researchers in Japan captured a bottlenose dolphin that has an extra set of fins that could be the remains of back legs (see picture). This discovery may provide further evidence that dolphins once lived on land.

Fossil remains show dolphins and whales were four-footed land animals about 50 million years ago and share the same common ancestor as hippos and deer. Scientists believe they later transitioned to an aquatic lifestyle and their hind limbs disappeared.

Though odd-shaped protrusions have been found near the tails of dolphins and whales captured in the past, researchers say this was the first time one had been found with well-developed, symmetrical fins.

Bug Gallery

Check out this gallery of neat bug pictures. Below are a few samples:

Elephants are Self-aware

Elephants can recognize their reflection, placing them in an elite group of self-aware animals that includes humans, apes and dolphins.

Scientists made the discovery after setting up a mirror in front of three female elephants at Bronx Zoo in New York. The animals used it to watch themselves eat and used their trunks to examine inside their mouths.

One repeatedly touched an X painted on her forehead with her trunk. The mark could be seen only in the mirror.

Ten-Foot Terror Bird!

The fossil of a giant carnivorous bird (2) has been found in Patagonia. It is the largest known avian skull to have ever been found.

The 10ft-tall extinct phorusrhacids (or "Terror Birds") were vicious flightless birds able to snap up dog-sized creatures that flourished in South America between 60 million and two million years ago. The find suggests that these monstrous birds, which are thought to have weighed up to half a ton, were probably more agile and less portly than previously thought.

Snowflake magnified to 300 micrometers

Found: Mighty Mouse

Scientists have discovered what is believed to be the first terrestrial mammal found in Europe in decades: a mouse with a big head, ears, eyes and teeth that lives in a mountainous area of Cyprus.

The mouse was native to the eastern Mediterranean island, survived the arrival of man on Cyprus and could be considered a "living fossil," experts said.

The find is exciting because according to experts, "new mammal species are mainly discovered in hot spots of biodiversity like Southeast Asia, and it was generally believed that every species of mammal in Europe had been identified."

Amapa region of Brazil -- More New Species

An international team of scientists risked their lives to discover 40 new species of plants and animals in a recent exploration of the Amapa rainforest region of Brazil.

A few of the scientists were apparently "nearly eaten by hungry animals" but were ultimately able to come out of the rainforest with thousands of specimens representing dozens of new and interesting specials species. Below are some pictures from Conservation International:

"A possible new species of frog of the genus Dendrobates was discovered during recent expeditions in the Amapá Biodiversity Corridor:"



"The proposed [rainforest preservation] corridor harbors more than 1,700 species of plants and animals, including the lined forest falcon (Micrastur gilvicollis):"