the backbone of night
"Science is the poetry of reality." - Richard Dawkins.

My URL is taken from the title of the seventh episode of Carl Sagan's breathtaking documentary on the universe, entitled "The Backbone Of Night".

After forgetting about/neglecting this blog for ages… it’s time for a new tumblr. Add me.

divineirony:

Hurling through space, I can feel a swelling insignificance.
oldhollywood:

Margaret Hamilton in publicity still for The Wizard of Oz (1939, dir. Victor Fleming) (photo by Virgil Apger)
“I was in a need of money at the time, and my agent called. I said,  ‘Yes?’ and he said ‘Maggie, they want you to play a part on the Wizard.’  I said to myself, ‘Oh Boy, The Wizard of Oz! That has been my favorite  book since I was four.’ And I asked him what part, and he said ‘The  Witch’ and I said ‘The Witch?!’ and he said ‘What else?’”
firsttimeuser:

Inna Muzychuk
via
animalworld:

Why Do HORSES Sleep Standing Up? (by Request)Equus Ferus Caballus“Siesta” ©-GreenA-
Horses do most of their sleeping standing up. Their legs can lock          in place, enabling them to fall asleep without falling over. Because they          are prey animals, horses often don’t feel comfortable sleeping on the          ground, and most of their sleeping is done during the day rather than          at night when the predators are out hunting.
Horses have straight backs, so they cannot get up quickly. If a predator          were to come while a horse was on the ground, they might not be able to          get up fast enough to get away. However, horses do occasionally take short          naps laying down during the day. This helps them to rest their legs. You          can sometimes find a horse stretched out on its side, asleep in the sun,          or laying on the ground with its legs folded under. When horses are in          groups, they will often take turns ‘gaurding’ each other as they rest,          with one horse standing up near the sleeping horse. This behavior would          help to keep a wild horse from being attacked during a nap.
Fact Source: http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/info/hq_sleepstandingup.html
Other photos you may like:
Spanish Andalusian Stallion
Przewalski’s Horse
World’s SMALLEST Horse
Lovely Horse Portrait
allcreatures:

A bear cub hides behind farmer Tian Shougui’s legs in Yukong village, Yibin city, Sichuan province, China. The farmer has been taking care of twin black bears at his house since he found them on his farm in April. One is male, the other is female. The twins have fully recovered with the loving care from their adoptive “mother” Tian. “I just want to raise them up to some 10 to 15 kg and then I will let them go free,” said Tian.
Picture: Feature China / Barcroft Media (via Animal pictures of the week: 24 June 2011 - Telegraph)
woodendreams:

(by Mac Danzig Photography)