Cafe

Trees create immense negative pressures of 10's of atmospheres by evaporating water from nanoscale pores, sucking water up 100m in a state where it should be boiling but can't because the perfect xylem tubes contain no air bubbles, just so that most of it can evaporate in the process of absorbing a couple molecules of carbon dioxide. Now I didn't mention the cohesion of water (that it sticks to itself well) but this is implicit in the description of negative pressure, strong surface tension etc.

When you picture the lowest levels of the food chain, you might imagine herbivores happily munching on lush, living green plants. But this idyllic image leaves out a huge (and slightly less appetizing) source of nourishment: dead stuff. John C. Moore details the "brown food chain," explaining how such unlikely delicacies as pond scum and animal poop contribute enormous amounts of energy to our ecosystems.

he White Salmon River in Washington state is flowing again as the nearly 100-year-old Condit Dam was disabled with explosives Wednesday. The reservoir draining took about 2 hours. Further demolition is scheduled in 2012. The event is a significant milestone for river restoration and dam removal nationwide.

Captain Dave Anderson of Capt. Dave's Dolphin and Whale Safari in Dana Point, California, at great personal risk, has recently filmed and edited a 5-minute video that contains some of the most beautiful, jaw-dropping, footage ever taken with a drone from the air of a huge mega-pod of thousands of common dolphins stampeding off Dana Point, California, three gray whales migrating together down the coast off San Clemente, California, and heartwarming close-ups hovering over a newborn Humpback whale calf snuggling and playing with its mom as an escort whale stands guard nearby, filmed recently in Maui.

When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in the United States after being absent nearly 70 years, the most remarkable "trophic cascade" occurred. What is a trophic cascade and how exactly do wolves change rivers? George Monbiot explains in this movie remix.

Guillaume Nery base jumping at Dean's Blue Hole, filmed on breath hold by Julie Gautier.

This is what happens when a coke can meets some flowing lava.

In touching scenes at a zoo in Canada, a baby polar bear cub has been filmed taking his first steps.

Shot with Canon C100, Canon 70-200 F2.8, Canon 1.4 TC.

"Car L" meets the lions. The remote controlled 4x4 camera buggy gets up close and personal as it is stalked by this curious pride of lions in Botswana.

A female Amethyst-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus amethysticollis) sleeps in Peru.

One hundred days of "Cub A" and "Cub B" are over, and the twin giant panda cubs have officially been named Mei Lun and Mei Huan. Born July 15, 2013, Mei Lun and Mei Huan are the first surviving pair of giant panda twins ever born in the U.S. and are the fourth and fifth offspring of Lun Lun and Yang Yang.

David Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of amazing sea creatures, including a color-shifting cuttlefish, a perfectly camouflaged octopus, and a Times Square's worth of neon light displays from fish who live in the blackest depths of the ocean.

Rich & Laura Howard celebrated their 20th Wedding Anniversary in La Paz Mexico at Costa Baja Resort/Spa. Their dive with the friendly resident sea lion colony was interrupted when whales dropped by.

What do you get when you combine a lightweight, high-definition GoPro camera and an eagle? One of the best YouTube videos I've seen all year. At one point in your life, you've likely seen a bird flying and wondered what it would be like to have the opportunity to soar. This POV is likely the best we'll get to experiencing that rush. This particular video was shot in Chamonix near the Mer De Glace (Sea of Ice) - the longest glacier in France.

This week marks the 178th anniversary of Darwin's first exploration of the Galapagos Islands. This volcanic archipelago is one of the most biodiverse and unique places on the planet, with species that have remarkably adapted to their environment. Through observing the animals, Darwin made key insights that informed his theory of evolution. Here's a short documentary that captures the 10-day expedition: More info

A giant ant colony is pumped full of concrete, then excavated to reveal the complexity of its inner structure.