Category Archives: Oceanic

19-Isle

Radiance

High above the flying scud and dark-rolling clouds, there floated a little isle of sunlight, from which beamed forth an angel’s face; and this bright face shed a distinct spot of radiance upon the ship’s tossed deck.

“Ah, noble ship,” the angel seemed to say, “beat on, beat on, thou noble ship, and bear a hardy helm; for lo! the sun is breaking through; the clouds are rolling off – serenest azure is at hand.”

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

20-Glue

Swimming

Smile!

It is an important and popular fact that things are not always what they seem.

For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much – the wheel, New York, wars, and so on – whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time.

But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man – for precisely the same reasons.

So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish by Douglas Adams (1999)

27-Trip

Dihydrogen Oxide

Triple Point

The triple point of pure water is at the temperature just above freezing (0.01° C) and at the pressure (0.006 atm) at which it can exist in equilibrium in all three states: liquid, solid, and gaseous.

Yes, water can freeze & boil at the same time!

The triple point is used to calibrate thermometers.

12-Murk

It needs scarcely to be told, with what feelings, on the eve of a Nantucket voyage, I regarded those marble tablets, and by the murky light of that darkened, doleful day read the fate of the whalemen who had gone before me.

Yes, Ishmael, the same fate may be thine. But somehow I grew merry again. Delightful inducements to embark, fine chance for promotion, it seems–aye, a stove boat will make me an immortal by brevet.

Yes, there is death in this business of whaling–a speechlessly quick chaotic bundling of a man into Eternity. But what then?

And therefore three cheers for Nantucket; and come a stove boat and stove body when they will, for stave my soul, Jove himself cannot.

Chapter 3 – The Chapel, Moby Dick by Herman Melville

04-Donk

Equine

Donkeys on Shore

Descendant of the wild ass, the donkey is a domestic member of the horse family used for hauling goods since 4000 BC.

Donkeys are also related to zebras, although they’re often stockier, stronger and have much different personalities.

Female donkeys are called “jennies” or “jennets,” and a female ready to breed is known as a “broodmare.”

Ass is interchangeable with donkey, and “jackass” refers specifically to a male donkey. But a jackass is not a mule, and all burros are not jackasses.