The lotus effect refers to the very high water repellency (superhydrophobicity) exhibited by the leaves of the lotus flower (Nelumbo). Dirt particles are picked up by water droplets due to a complex micro- and nanoscopic architecture of the surface, which minimizes adhesion.

This effect can easily be demonstrated in many other plants, for example Tropaeolum, cane and columbine (Aquilegia), and on the wings of certain insects.

The phenomenon was first studied by Dettre and Johnson in 1964 using rough hydrophobic surfaces. Their work developed a theoretical model based on experiments with glass beads coated with paraffin or PTFE telomer. The self-cleaning property of superhydrophobic micro-nanostructured surfaces was studied by Barthlott and Ehler in 1977, and perfluoroalkyl and perfluoropolyether superhydrophobic materials were developed by Brown in 1986 for handling chemical and biological fluids. Other biotechnical applications have emerged since the 1990s. Learn more about the 'Lotus Effect' on Wikipedia.

If you wipe your butt with the lotus leaf after taking a poop in the wilderness, will the turds stick to the lotus leaf?

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Surfing Teahupoo in the Windward Islands, French Polynesia. Give em, brah! Incredible awesome footage but those waves scare the shit out of me. I wonder how those guys can swim and not sink with the huge brass balls it takes to surf those waves.

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Rock on Grandpa! He is strong for his age! Not many people these days are even close to this guys fitness level.

LOL @ 1:10: "yo baby, watch this, just keep your forehead still - no hands!"

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This is Wayne Oien, he just won an award very being very good at playing the snare drum. He won mainly because he is incredible. Wayne Oien 2011 Snare solo 1st place D.C.A.

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Here is the FIRST EVER ORIGINAL Batmanning video done by the "Batman Boilers"

This was actually really cool, and it's nice that they're cute too. You can follow them on on Twitter @batmanboilers

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September 4 2011 - BUTUAN City, Philippines:

Villagers and veteran hunters have captured a one-ton saltwater crocodile which they plan to make the star of a planned ecotourism park in a southern Philippine town. About 100 people had to pull the crocodile, which weighs about 2,370 pounds (1,075 kilograms), from the creek to a clearing where a crane lifted it into a truck.

The saltwater crocodile captured over the weekend in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur, is to become the star of a planned ecotourism and conservation park near the Agusan Marsh, Bunawan Mayor Edwin Elorde said Tuesday.

“We will take advantage of this crocodile as a tourism attraction and we hope it will help us generate income and jobs,” Elorde told the Inquirer by phone.
The saltwater crocodile, now named Lolong—after Ernesto “Lolong” Conate, a Palawan hunter who was hired to help catch the crocodile but died of stroke while laying the groundwork for the plan days before—was captured after a 24-day hunt by a team of crocodile experts and villagers near Lake Mihaba, one of several bodies of water within the Agusan Marsh, the country’s largest marshland.

The hunt was launched after a local fisherman went missing near a creek early last month and a reported crocodile attack on a carabao. Villagers also claimed that a crocodile attacked and killed a 12-year-old girl, identified as Rowena Romano, in the same waters on March 7, 2009. Elorde expressed hopes that Lolong, which measures 21 feet (6.4 meter) and weighs 1,075 kilograms, would help boost tourism and income for the sleepy town of about 37,000 people.







Elorde said the people of Bunawan believe that Lolong is not the only large crocodile lurking in the 113,910-hectare Agusan Marsh, which straddles several municipalities in Agusan. “Maybe a thousand or more,” he said when asked for an estimate. But Elorde clarified that there was no more hunt for crocodiles in the municipality, contrary to some reports.

He also said that the hunt for Lolong was launched only to appease residents who became after hearing reports of a crocodile attacking animals and humans. This early, Elorde said that crocodile conservation groups and researchers have signified interest to support plans about Lolong, which is now housed in a huge metal cage, becoming the main attraction of the planned ecopark.

To heighten public awareness, Elorde said they were planning to enlist Lolong, who is believed to be 50 years old, in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest and oldest crocodile captured alive in recent years. “We are eyeing a Guinness Record for Lolong,” he said.

Mario Eludo, technical director for protected areas and wildlife in Caraga, said he saw no problem in the plan to place the crocodile in a new habitat for tourism purposes. “So far, the DENR [Department of Environment and Natural Resources] sees no problem with the planned ecotourism park. Whether or not the crocodile can adapt to the new habitat will be the subject of our study,” he said. Eludo also said placing the crocodile in a contained environment would provide researchers, environmentalists and scientists an opportunity to observe its nature and behavior.

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This is of a 17-year old defendant, in Texas, who's on trial for shooting at a juvenile detention officer... gets scolded by the judge for mumbling in court, he tries to fire his attorney and then when it comes time for a lunch break, he pees in trash can. The judge was so professional. I think too professional. This guy intentionally insulted society as a whole.

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Not only is this guy talented, but he has awesome taste in music, too. He went on semi final of "La France a un incroyable talent" the equivalent of "America's got talent" TV show. I saw him several times in Paris, unfortunately it's been some years he's been doing this in the streets, he should be doing a show on Cirque du Soleil or a cruise ship or something.

This was Iya Traore performing outside of Sacre Coeur in Paris, Montemarte, France.

Iya Traore's website: http://www.iya.fr/en/iya_traore.php

Some more of him doing his thing including climbing a lamp post with the ball balanced on a Biro held in his mouth!

http://www.picturesforwalls.com/photo/paris_montmartre_Street-Performer,-Montmartre,-Paris_juggler.htm

http://www.picturesforwalls.com/photo/paris_montmartre_Street-Performer,-Montmartre,-Paris_pele.htm

http://www.picturesforwalls.com/photo/paris_montmartre_Street-Performer,-Montmartre,-Paris_thejuggler.htm

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Indian Spiderman! This is a really bad idea. Let's hope this doesn't catch on. This clip was taken from second class bogie in Central Railways Mumbai. These stunts and moves are done purely by professional fools! DO NOT TRY IT OUT EVER! Seriously though, I was totally amazed with him running on the wall.

There's eXtreme sports... and then there's this:

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Wow. This is incredibly embarrassing, especially for someone who is a blasian westerner. WTF!? We gotta do better!

The video below has been circulating on the Korean Internet this week of a black gentleman yelling at and threatening an elderly Korean couple. It's definitely going to be a viral hit by the end of the week, as it's making its rounds around the world as we speak...

Anyway, his violent behavior was the result of him misunderstanding the elderly man’s comment to him. The elderly man reportedly said “니가 여기 앉아” (a sign of consideration) but not knowing Korean, the man in question interpreted “니가” as the N-word which led to his violent outburst.

Apparently our culprit learned “개새끼야” but couldn’t be bothered to learn simple pronouns. Definitely North American, but if his hair is any indication he’s definitely not a soldier.

부모님은 참 자랑스러워 하시겠다.

The foreigner in question is 24 years old, an American, and an English teacher. The victim was 61. This went down around 11:10pm Saturday on the bus from Moran Station to Bundang. One of the bus passengers called 112 (Five-Oh), and the bus driver stopped the bus in front of a nearby police station, where the foreigner was arrested.

Whoever this dude is, needs to man up and come forward and APOLOGIZE for this unacceptable tirade.

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What Happens When The Wheel Of Death Performance Goes Wrong (VIDEO)

Must See Cirque du Soleil - especially LIVE. Something to do before you die: see a Cirque du Soleil show! Amazing Cirque du Soleil performance of The Wheel Of Death. Make sure you watch the video in it's entirety, as these athlete performers ramp up the danger like you cannot imagine or understand. ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.

What Happens When The Wheel Of Death Performance Goes Wrong (VIDEO)

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This Orangutan is from the Tama Zoo in Tokyo, Japan. Even their Orangutans are smarter...

Jeez, she even wrings the damn thing out like a pro! I think they can finally be released safely now and probably find jobs and stuff too. Seriously though, how can anyone not respect these sentient creatures with whom we share SO much?

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That is one big effing penny!

This is the work of Shay Aaron, you can check out more of his work on Flickr. If you like his work, you will also like Stephanie Kilgast as well. Her work is equally as impressive. FYI: Shay Aaron doesn't just make stuff, he sells it on Etsy too!



More on Reddit.

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