Tag: anatomy

Pencil drawings of Perfection!

UK: “Bewick’s British Birds” – a Classic Masterpiece! (26.5.2026)

Bewick was the son of a farmer from Tyneside (New Castle-Upon-Tyne) yet he became one of Britain’s greatest and most popular engravers of his time – a true master. His farming parents were wealthy enough to have their son educated (instead of working from an early age) so he was fully literate. As he was not properly middle-class (perhaps a well-off peasant-farmer) he did not attend University, but instead became and Engraving Apprentice at Ralph Beilby’s engraving business at aged 14. This apprenticeship lasted seven-years – permitting him to master every aspect of this trade. Indeed, he became an expert in “woodcut printing” which can be dated back to the 1440 printing-press of Johannes Gutenberg. His masterpiece featured here was first published on October 14th, 1797 – although I think later editions were enlarged and improved. We were lucky in that the cover price is £12.99 – but this copy was on sale for just £4.99!

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Fujian Scientists Make Evolutionary Discovery!

China: Jurassic Fossil Discovery Sheds New light on Origin of Birds! (13.2.2025)

While it is well established that birds evolved from dinosaurs, the timing of this transition has long been debated. Some studies suggest that birds’ earliest diversification occurred during the Jurassic Period, though the fossil record has been sparse and fragmentary. Archaeopteryx, often considered the earliest known and arguably the only Jurassic bird, has long been the focus of this debate.

Although Archaeopteryx possessed feathered wings, it closely resembled non-avian dinosaurs, particularly due to its long, reptilian tail, which is in stark contrast to the short tails seen in modern birds. Recent research has even questioned whether Archaeopteryx should be classified as a bird, suggesting instead that it may be more closely related to the deinonychosaurs, a group of theropod dinosaurs.

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Taijiquan as Advanced Rationality

As a development of higher reason, Taijiquan is a distinct activity with a unique philosophy, which is indicative of an advanced rationality. This use of the human mind has developed a set of combat effective physical exercises that are designed to complement the anatomy and physiology of the human body. No movement exists within Taijiquan that has not evolved from the requirement of optimising the inner and outer physical structures of the body.

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