The Ten Most Live-able Cities in the World

In an annual survey conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, four Australian cities are listed in the top ten of the most liveable cities in the world. Living conditions in these cities were analyzed according to several factors like political stability, environment, health care, culture, education, and infrastructure.

In this beauty contest for cities of some sort, Vancouver emerged as the world’s most liveable city in 2011. If you are looking to find a perfect place to live at Odusee then it would make sense to choose the world’s most live able city.

1. Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada) – 98.0

The 2010 Winter Olympics host grabbed the gold medal for an unprecedented fifth straight time by beating other cities as the world’s most liveable city. Despite having murder rate higher than the national average, the hosting of the Olympics may have provided the big boost in the city’s infrastructure and tourism thereby helping Vancouver retain the title.

2. Melbourne, Victoria (Australia) – 97.5

Melbourne, the most liveable city in Australia for the second straight year, has edged out rival Sydney for the top spot. From politics to sports, both cities have vied for Australia’s best but the city still managed to cling into its Marvellous Melbourne heritage by becoming one of the “best” cities in the world.

3. Vienna (Austria) – 97.4

Vienna is the top European city to be included in the list because of its old-world charm and sophistication. If you take a walk into the city’s fairy tale streets and buildings, not to mention the unforgettable sights and sounds, then you will know why Vienna is one good place to live.

4. Toronto, Ontario (Canada) – 97.2

Being one of the most ethnically diverse urban centres in the world, Toronto has emerged as one of the favourite places to live. Unlike their American counterparts, Canadian cities like Toronto have vibrant downtown communities that encourage people to live peacefully.

5. Calgary, Alberta (Canada) – 96.6

Calgary may not a typical large North American metropolitan city but it is the most favoured tourist destination for people who are into winter sports and ecotourism. With a number of major mountain resorts in the city and suburbs.

6. Helsinki (Finland) – 96.2

The picturesque city of Helsinki made it to the top ten most liveable cities in 2011 because of its friendly and hardworking people that made it an interesting place to live. It is a modern city that pride itself for its rich cultural heritage

7. Sydney, New South Wales (Australia) – 96.1

Despite being Australia’s largest city, Sydney has fallen behind Melbourne in the rankings. Unfortunately, the city’s growth was hampered by the policies of the New South Wales government such as the restrictions imposed on land release for housing.

8. Perth, Western Australia (Australia) – 95.9

Being the most populous city in the western end of Australia, Perth has emerged as a surprising entry in the list. It is the country’s fastest growing city brought about its growing tourism sector and music and performance arts scene.

9. Adelaide, South Australia (Australia) – 95.9

Adelaide is a new entry in the list because of its notable festivals and sporting events. Famous for its food and wine, the city remains one of the most liveable cities in the region according to the Property Council of Australia in 2011. Aside from being home to numerous educational institutions and research centres, it is also has leading defence industry complexes.

10. Auckland (New Zealand) – 95.7

Auckland, New Zealand’s capital has been a favourable destination for people who live the peace and serenity of the countryside and the wild and breathtaking outdoor attractions of nature.

Places on Earth Aliens Could Thrive?

Shark Bay, Australia

For about 85 percent of the history of life on Earth, only microbes existed. The only large-scale evidence of their activities is preserved by stromatolites, ancient structural records of life on Earth that hold evidence both of the biology of the microbial mat communities that created them and the nature of the environments in which they grew. They are rocky, dome-shaped structures formed in shallow water through the trapping of sedimentary grains by communities of microorganisms.

Yellowstone National Park

What is causing the beautiful colors in this hot spring in Yellowstone National Park? Life, that’s what! Many microorganisms live in the pools there, and because the temperatures of the springs are so hot (most are well over 100 degrees F, or 37.7 degrees C), they are called extremophiles (extreme-loving). They contain molecules that absorb the damaging rays of the sun, protecting their DNA. Those same molecules are also pigments that cause the different colors we see. Different extremophiles thrive in different temperatures, so the color of a particular area is determined by which organisms are living in it. A veritable rainbow appears as the water temperature decreases as it flows further and further away from its superheated source.

Mono Lake, California

Calcium carbonate formations called tufa give California’s Mono Lake an otherworldly feel. Mountains surround the lake, forming a closed hydrological basin—water flows in, but it doesn’t flow out. Because the only way for water to leave Mono Lake is through evaporation, it is naturally hypersaline—roughly two to three times saltier than the ocean. Freshwater streams and underwater springs have brought trace amounts of minerals into the lake over the eons, including arsenic. Recently, bacteria which appear to incorporate arsenic rather than phosphorus into their basic biological molecules were found living in Mono Lake

High Lakes, South America

The highest volcanic lakes in the world are located in the Andes Mountains of South America. Their elevation and isolation make them some of the least understood lakes on Earth and excellent analogs for lakes that existed on Mars 3.5 billion years ago. Simba Lake, at an elevation of 19,265 feet (5,872 meters) in the Chilean Andes, is red because of algae that developed pigments to protect themselves against high UV radiation. They float in the water near the surface, not deep enough to use the water column as a natural protection.

Pilbara, Western Australia

Created in a shallow pool on early Earth more than three billion years ago, these stromatolites represent a record of the most ancient life on Earth. They formed because colonies of microbes, as they grew, incorporated sediments from the water to create rocky structures. Found in Western Australia, the stromatolites take several different forms, including the slightly cone-shaped ones seen here resembling an egg carton. The structures shown in this picture are each about half an inch (1.2 centimeters) high.

Rio Tinto, Spain

Cloudy with particulates and flowing along terraces made of iron oxides, the Rio Tinto in southwestern Spain stretches for more than 62 miles (100 kilometers) before reaching the Atlantic. Despite its acidic waters and high concentrations of iron and other heavy metals, the river supports an incredible diversity of extremophile microorganisms, including algae and fungi. Microbial biofilms colonize the riverbed and are covered with yellow iron oxide precipitates, seen here. Because of geological similarities with Mars, the Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) team tested equipment at Rio Tinto in 2005 for drilling on Mars in search of subsurface life.

Svalbard, Norway

Svalbard is a remote archipelago in northern Norway, deep within the Arctic Circle. Scientists with the Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition (AMASE) traveled there to test the protocols, procedures, and equipment needed to detect traces of organic chemistry and perhaps life on Mars. Instruments that will fly onboard NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory and ESA’s ExoMars missions were tested in Svalbard by the AMASE team. With a unique combination of volcanoes, hot springs, and permafrost, the Bockfjord Volcanic Complex on Svalbard is the only place on Earth with carbonate deposits identical to those found in the famous Martian meteorite ALH84001 (aka Allan Hills).

Flinders Range, South Australia

Piece of upturned sandstone in the Flinders Range of South Australia shows ripple marks of an ancient sea bed. This area of Australia hosts fossils of the first complex, multicellular organisms, which began to emerge on Earth about 600 million years ago. The study of these early fossils, known as the Ediacaran Fauna.

Ellesmere Island, Canada

Borup Fiord Pass Glacier on Ellesmere Island in Nunavut is a site in the Canadian High Arctic where astrobiologists study the potential for life on Jupiter‘s moon Europa. Water rich in sulfur-containing compounds flows from the top of this 656-foot-thick (200-meter-thick) glacier, a chemical mix that is capable of supporting microbial life. Europa’s icy surface is similarly stained with sulfate salts.

Mona Lisa recreated with 3,604 Coffee Cups

The Mona Lisa, one of the world's most famous paintings, has been recreated with 3,604 cups of coffee - and 564 pints of milk.

The different colours were created by adding no, little or lots of milk to each cup of black coffee. It measures an impressive 20 feet high and 13 feet wide and took a team of eight people three hours to complete.

It was created for The Rocks Aroma Festival in Sydney, Australia, and seen by 130,000 people who attended the one-day coffee-lovers event.

Elaine Kelly, from event organizers the Sydney Harbor Foreshore Authority, was delighted with the result. She said: "Each coffee cup was filled with varying amounts of milk to create the different sepia shades of the painting."

BAOBAB TREE - Beautiful African Tree

Adansonia (Baobab tree) is a genus containing eight species of trees, native to Madagascar (having six species), mainland Africa and Australia (one species in each). The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that island.

A typical common name is baobab. Other common names include boab, boaboa, bottle tree, upside-down tree, and monkey bread tree. The species reach heights of 5 to 30 metres (16 to 98 ft) and have trunk diameters of 7 to 11 metres (23 to 36 ft). An African Baobab specimen in Limpopo Province, South Africa, often considered the largest example alive, has a circumference of 47 metres (150 ft) and an average diameter of 15 metres (49 ft).

Some baobabs are reputed to be many thousands of years old, which is difficult to verify as the wood does not produce annual growth rings, though radiocarbon dating may be able to provide age data. The Malagasy species are important components of the Madagascar dry deciduous forests.

Beginning in 2008, there has been increasing interest for developing baobab as a nutrient-rich raw material for consumer products.

Baobabs store water inside the swollen trunk (up to 120,000 litres (32,000 US gal)) to endure the harsh drought conditions particular to each region. All occur in seasonally arid areas, and are deciduous, shedding their leaves during the dry season.

NEW ZEALAND

Uluru (Ayers Rock) - Australia

Uluru is one of Australia's most recognisable natural icons. The world-renowned sandstone formation stands 348 m (1,142 ft) high (863 m/2,831 ft above sea level) with most of its bulk below the ground, and measures 9.4 km (5.8 mi) in circumference. Both Uluru and Kata Tjuta have great cultural significance for the Anangu Traditional landowners, who lead walking tours to inform visitors about the local flora and fauna, bush foods and the Aboriginal dreamtime stories of the area. Uluru is notable for appearing to change colour as the different light strikes it at different times of the day and year, with sunset a particularly remarkable sight when it briefly glows red. Although rainfall is uncommon in this semiarid area, during wet periods the rock acquires a silvery-grey colour, with streaks of black algae forming on the areas that serve as channels for water flow.