cold pole

In record time

A british explorer has endured sub-zero temperatures to become the first person to swim at the North Pole. Lewis Gordon Pugh, 37, swam one kilometre in 18 minutes and 50 seconds at -1.8°C — the coldest waters a human has swum in ever. The water was on the verge of turning to ice and had it been a degree cooler, even polar bears would have been unable to swim. Pugh wore just a pair of speedos, a cap and goggles. He later said that it felt like jumping into a Black Hole because the water was completely black in colour. Pugh’s ability to withstand cold has been developed after years of training. Before he dives in, he spends around 15 minutes using mind power to superheat his body. His pulse rate shoots up from 70 to 160 a minute and his temperature rises from 37°C to 38.4°C, causing him to sweat profusely.

pisa magic

Tower toll

The leaning tower of Pisa has been straightened. Don’t lose heart, it has been straightened by only 18 inches, returning it to its position of 1838. The tower, as we know, was built at an inclination to compensate for its subsidence during construction. It has been leaning since 1173 and was on the verge of collapse. An international team of 14 experts got together for the entire effort. The straightening work involved extracting 70 tonnes of earth from the northern side of the tower, causing it to sink on that side.