Cutest baby animals of the world

The World's Cutest Baby Wild Animals

The summer has been the top season for births in the United States, according to records kept by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and August often wins the title as the month during which the most babies are born.

In 2006, the most recent year for which statistics are available, August had the most U.S. births, just as it did in 10 of the previous 16 years, with the CDC estimating that 9 percent of all births occurred then. February had the least.

August had the most births each year from 1990 to 2006 except for six years (1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2003 and 2004) when it was edged out by July, according to National Center for Health Statistics.
Historically, the sweltering, late-summer months are when obstetricians witness an increase in the arrival of newborns.
"It must have something to do with the time of conception and whether there are timing issues with the outcome of pregnancy, besides just a live birth," Mathews told LifesLittleMysteries.
Why August?
Seasons and weather conditions play a role in birthdays, according to Paul Sutton, another CDC health statistics demographer. He theorizes that as the mercury drops in the late fall and winter, things heat up at home as people spend more time indoors. About nine months later, a summer baby is born.
The most common day of the week to deliver in 2006 in the United States was Wednesday, stealing the No. 1 spot from Tuesday, which had been the most common birth day since 1990, according to the CDC.
Worldwide birthing statistics vary with the climates and cultural factors that influence the timing of conceptions and births in other countries.
For example, a study conducted by the University of Occupational and Environmental Health in Kitakyushu City, Japan, noted that Japan experiences two peaks in birth rates throughout the year – one lasting from December to February, and the other in August and September. The researchers speculated that the popularity of springtime marriages in Japan and seasonal temperature variations both may play a role in the timing of these peaks. Below are some of the cutest baby animals in the world. Enjoy.

The Clouded LeopardThese two male clouded leopard cubs, named Sa Ming ("brave warrior") and Ta Moon ("mischievous child"), were born in March 2009 at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C. The species gets its name from the shape of the cat's markings, which can look like dark clouds on a tan background. Clouded leopards are native to Southeast Asia and are listed as vulnerable to extinction due to deforestation and hunting.The creatures have been difficult to breed in captivity, so the birth of the cubs was especially exciting to zoologists.
The Prehensile-tailed PorcupineThough they grow up to be decidedly un-cuddly, baby porcupines are comparatively soft. This baby girl prehensile-tailed porcupine was born in April 2005 at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C.As the babies grow to adult size over about a year, they gradually losetheir red hair and grow stiff, sharp spines. These creatures are rodents native to Central and South America. Their tails ("prehensile" means adapted for grasping or holding) act as fifth limbs to help grab branches while climbing.
Batagur Baska TurtleThis adorable Batagurbaska turtle is one of only 20 individuals known to exist in the wild and in captivity among this critically endangered species. Six of those, including this baby, live at the Schoenbrunn Zoo in Vienna, Austria. This baby's birth was the first time this species was successfully bred in captivity. At home in the rivers of Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, India and Bangladesh, Batagur baska turtles were hunted almost to extinction for their meat and eggs, which are considered a delicacy. 
World's Cutest Baby Asian elephantEven newborn elephants are still some of the animal world's heftiest creatures. This baby Asian elephant, named Baylor, was born weighing 348 pounds (158 kilograms) in May 2010 at the Houston Zoo. Mom Shanti endured a pregnancy lasting almost 23 months. About two hours after birth the calf was able to stand on his own. 
The American FlamingoAdult flamingos may be known for their garish colors and lofty grace,but their babies look like little white balls of fur. This chick was born at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Flamingo chicks take between 24 and 36 hours to hatch out of their eggs, which they do by pecking with a special growth on their bill called an egg tooth. This false "tooth" falls off soon after hatching. Meanwhile, their thin-legged mother birds teeter over them. 
Malayan TapirThis male baby Malayan tapir called Kamal, whose name means "perfection," was born in April 2010 at the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland. These pointy-nosed creatures are related to rhinos and horses. Found in the forests of Malaysia, Thailand, Burma and Sumatra, Malayan tapirs are endangered due to habitat loss and hunting. The mammals grow up to look very different than they do when young; instead of a black coat dotted with white spots and stripes, adults have a black body with one thick white band in the middle. Tapirs grow this adult coat when they are around 6 months old.
 The Sumatran orangutanAs primates, orangutans are relative cousins of humans, though they're a bit more hairy. This Sumatran orangutan, named Menari, was born at New Orleans' Audubon Zoo in June 2009. In the wild, the species is found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, and is endangered due to loss of its natural habitat.
 Polar bear babiesThough they are cuddly creatures when young, polar bear babies grow up to be ferocious predators. They are controversial zoo inhabitants, as many conservationists argue that it's unnatural to breed these violent bears in zoos, rather than in their natural habitat. However, that habitat is swiftly disappearing as the polar bear's home –the arctic ice – is diminishing rapidly due to climate change.
 Baby Masai giraffeBaby Masai giraffe Miles was born in January 2009 at the Houston Zoo. Giraffes are the tallest living terrestrial animal. While adult males average about 17 feet (5 meters) tall, Miles was born at 5.8 feet (1.8 m) tall – still not bad, compared with us little humans! Miles was able to stand up on his own a little over an hour after his birth.
 Baby gentoo penguins  Baby gentoo penguins are basically fuzzier and softer versions of their adult counterparts. This penguin chick was hatched in May 2010 at Scotland's Edinburgh Zoo. Until they are about 3 months old, the chicks are dutifully fed by both mother and father penguins. At that point, they start to grow in their adult feathers and fend for themselves a bit more. These penguins, native to Antarctica, are the fastest known underwater swimming bird. 
  Giant panda Tai ShanGiant panda Tai Shan is a celebrity in his own right. When he was born at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., in July 2000 5he prompted a 50-percent increase in zoo attendance and a rash of fan Web sites. He earned the nickname Butterstick after a zoo worker described him shortly after birth as about the size of a stick of butter. Because Tai Shan's parents are on lease from China, even though the cub was born in the United States, he still belongs to China by law.In February 2010 Tai Shan boarded a special FedEx cargo jet to his permanent home at the Bifengxia Panda Base in Sichuan, China. In this image Tai Shan is 11 weeks old. 
 Baby meerkats named Lia and Roo at London Zoo At first the babies had to be syringe-fed every two hours day and night, but now it has reduced to every five hours."They are also developing their own little personalities. Like any sisters they are very different, Lia is much calmer and more sedate than Roo, who is very mischievous and wants to play all the Ms Hyde said: "At first it was quite difficult getting up with them every couple of hours but now it's a lot easier and I even wake up naturally now, whether I'm doing the feeds or not"They can both stand up on their hind legs, doing the famous meerkat look-out pose.

Medication you do not need Blog

Bad Medicines one should avoid (eg Sugar)

    

A spoonful of sugar might make the medicine go down. But it also makes blood pressure and cholesterol go up, along with your risk for liver failure, obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

Sugar and other sweeteners are, in fact, so toxic to the human body that they should be regulated as strictly as alcohol by governments worldwide, according to a commentary in the current issue of the journal Nature by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

While a spoonful of sugar might make the medicine go down, 21 spoonfuls will significantly lower your "good" cholesterol and spike your triglycerides, the fat associated with heart disease and stroke, according to a study published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Those 21 teaspoons constitute the average amount of added sugars consumed by Americans, according to the study. Make that 22 teaspoons, should you need an extra one for your heart medication.

Added sugar, such as corn syrup and other sweeteners added to everything from canned soup to, well, nuts, have long been associated with obesity, diabetes and dental cavities. This new study, led by researchers from Emory University in Atlanta, is the first to connect these sweeteners to blood lipids.

     

The researchers propose regulations such as taxing all foods and drinks that include added sugar, banning sales in or near schools and placing age limits on purchases.

Although the commentary might seem straight out of the Journal of Ideas That Will Never Fly, the researchers cite numerous studies and statistics to make their case that added sugar — or, more specifically, sucrose, an even mix of glucose and fructose found in high-fructose corn syrup and in table sugar made from sugar cane and sugar beets — has been as detrimental to society as alcohol and tobacco.

The amount of sugar we're allowed to eat every day according to new U.S. government guidelines is too high and could pose health risks, a new study suggests.

The study showed that getting one-fourth of your daily calories from high fructose corn syrup — the equivalent of drinking about three glasses of juice per day — increased participants' risk of heart disease.

Participants in the study who drank three glasses a day of a beverage sweetened with either fructose or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) had, within two weeks, significant increases in their blood fat and cholesterol levels, both risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend people consume no more than 25 percent of their daily calories from added sugar. The new study suggests the 25 percent upper limit should be re-evaluated, the researchers said.

"Our results suggest that consuming 25 percent of daily energy as sugar is too much sugar," said study researcher Kimber Stanhope, of the University of California, Davis.

"Parents should not feel safe feeding their children 25 percent of energy as sugar or consuming that much themselves," Stanhope said.

Stanhope said the study only lasted two weeks, so it's not certain whether the metabolic changes observed during the study will last over the long term. More research needs to be done to verify this and determine just how much added sugar is safe to consume, Stanhope said.

Glucose versus fructose

In contrast to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, the American Heart Association recommends people consume just 5 percent of their daily calories from sugar.

Stanhope and colleagues examined 48 adults ages 18 to 40 years whose body mass index, or BMI, ranged from 18 to 35 (a BMI above 30 is considered overweight). The participants were divided into three groups. One group consumed 25 percent of their daily calories from glucose, one from fructose and one from HFCS.

Glucose and fructose are both sugars found in nature, but are rarely consumed in their pure form. HFCS is a syrup derived from corn in which about 50 to 55 percent of the glucose has been converted to fructose.

The women in the study drank the equivalent of 3.7 12-once sodas per day and the men drank the equivalent of 4.4 12-once sodas per day, Stanhope said.

After two weeks, those in the fructose and HFCS group had increases in their LDL ("bad") cholesterol, triglycerides and apolipoprotein-B — a protein that can lead to plaque buildup in arteries, which in turn, can cause vascular disease.

Participants who drank the beverage sweetened with glucose did not see the same increases. Stanhope said this is because the body responds differently to fructose than it does to glucose. The body has a mechanism to keep the liver from absorbing too much glucose — the organ puts up a "stop sign," and glucose is instead sent to the blood stream where it can be used by the muscles, brain and other tissues, Stanhope said.

But no such stop sign exists for fructose, so the liver continues to absorb fructose, even when it does not need the energy, Stanhope said, and excess sugar is converted into fat, she said.

More long term studies are needed to determine whether a high glucose diet may eventually have detrimental effects on heart disease risk factors as well, Stanhope said.

Criticism

Experts said the study was quite small and did not precisely control for diet and exercise, so the conclusions that can be drawn are limited.

"I don't think one can draw really large sweeping conclusions from this that would change the way we eat," said Katherine Tallmadge, a registered dietitian and author of "Diet Simple"

Tallmadge said she hopes the work is the impetus for further, more rigorous studies that can inform the dietary guidelines.

But Tallmadge agrees that getting 25 percent of your daily calories from added sugar is too much.

"In my experience 25 percent of your diet as sugar is just way too much, even to maintain a healthy body weight," and would not help you lose weight, Tallmadge said. Tallmadge said people should consume no more than 10 percent of their calories from added sugar.

Pass it on: Getting 25 percent of your daily calories from added sugar may increase your risk of heart disease.

Sour words about sugar

The background is well-known: In the United States, more than two-thirds of the population is overweight, and half of them are obese. About 80 percent of those who are obese will have diabetes or metabolic disorders and will have shortened lives, according to the UCSF authors of the commentary, led by Robert Lustig. And about 75 percent of U.S. health-care dollars are spent on diet-related diseases, the authors said.

Worldwide, the obese now greatly outnumber the undernourished, according to the World Health Organization. Obesity is a public health problem in most countries. And chronic diseases related to diet such as heart diseases, diabetes and some cancers — for the first time in human history — kill more people than infectious diseases, according to the United Nations.

Less known, and still debated, is sugar's role in the obesity and chronic disease pandemic. From an evolutionary perceptive, sugar in the form of fruit was available only a few months of the year, at harvest time, the UCSF researchers said. Similarly, honey was guarded by bees and therefore was a treat, not a dietary staple. [6 Easy Ways to Eat More Fruits & Veggies]

Today, added sugar, as opposed to natural sugars found in fruits, is often added in foods ranging from soup to soda. Americans consume on average more than 600 calories per day from added sugar, equivalent to a whopping 40 teaspoons. "Nature made sugar hard to get; man made it easy," the researchers write.

Many researchers are seeing sugar as not just "empty calories," but rather a chemical that becomes toxic in excess. At issue is the fact that glucose from complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, is safely metabolized by cells throughout the body, but the fructose element of sugar is metabolized primarily by the liver. This is where the trouble can begin — taxing the liver, causing fatty liver disease, and ultimately leading to insulin resistance, the underlying causes of obesity and diabetes.

Added sugar, more so than the fructose in fiber-rich fruit, hits the liver more directly and can cause more damage — in laboratory rodents, anyway. Some researchers, however, remained unconvinced of the evidence of sugar's toxic effect on the human body at current consumption levels, as high as they are.

Economists to the rescue

Lustig, a medical doctor in UCSF's Department of Pediatrics, compares added sugar to tobacco and alcohol (coincidentally made from sugar) in that it is addictive, toxic and has a negative impact on society, thus meeting established public health criteria for regulation. Lustig advocates a consumer tax on any product with added sugar.

Among Lustig's more radical proposals are to ban the sale of sugary drinks to children under age 17 and to tighten zoning laws for the sale of sugary beverages and snacks around schools and in low-income areas plagued by obesity, analogous to alcoholism and alcohol regulation.

Economists, however, debate as to whether a consumer tax — such as a soda tax proposed in many U.S. states — is the most effective means of curbing sugar consumption. Economists at Iowa State University led by John Beghin suggest taxing the sweetener itself at the manufacturer level, not the end product containing sugar.

This concept, published last year in the journal Contemporary Economic Policy, would give companies an incentive to add less sweetener to their products. After all, high-fructose corn syrup is ubiquitous in food in part because it is so cheap and serves as a convenient substitute for more high-quality ingredients, such as fresher vegetables in processed foods.

Some researchers argue that saturated fat, not sugar, is the root cause of obesity and chronic disease. Others argue that it is highly processed foods with simple carbohydrates. Still others argue that it is a lack of physical exercise. It could, of course, be a matter of all these issues.

A speed counts Blog by Donie

10 of the fastest land animals on earth

Speed does matter a lot in wild life, be it for saving your life from the hunters or predators, or for catching your prey for food. This is a list of land animals with highest running speed.  

 

(1) Cheetah:The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), a member of the feline family, lives primarily in parts of Africa and the Middle East. The cheetah clocks in at an impressive, chart-topping speed of 71mph (114 kph). It can sprint at these speeds over short distances. Since they run so fast, cheetahs take about 30 minutes to catch their breath after a chase before they can begin eating their catch.

 

(2) Pronghorn: With its slightly hooked horns, caramel-colored coat and white underside, the pronghorn closely resembles an antelope. Dwelling in Southern Africa, it grazes upon the grasses and shrubbery near rocky hillsides or semi-desert plains. To escape from predators, the pronghorn gallops at up to 57 mph (95 kph).

 

(3) Springbok: The springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis), or antelope, also looks similar to the Grant's Gazelle, with a light brown coat, black horizontal stripe, white belly and sharp, ringed horns. It can run up to 53 mph (85 kph) and can leap up to about 13 feet (4 meters) in the air.

 

(4) Blue Wildebeest: The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), a large antelope, can be found in the plains and woods of Southern and East Africa. The blue wildebeest gets its name from the silvery blue sheen of its hide, and it has shaggy tufts of hair on its head and down its back. It's capable of reaching speeds of 50 mph (80 kph).

 

(5) Lion: The king of the jungle can charge at speeds of more than 50mph (80 mph) — but only over short distances. That's why lions sneak up on their prey as a group, carefully closing in on the animal from various angles, before quickly running in to attack.

 

(6) Thomson's Gazelle: The Thomson's gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii) looks similar to Grant's Gazelle, but is noticeably smaller and has a white patch on its rump that extends beyond its tail onto its back. The animal can reach speeds of 50 mph (80 kph) and roams about the open, grassy plains of Africa.

(7) Grant's Gazelle: Also found only in Africa, the Grant's gazelle (Nanger granti)has a tan coat with a horizontal black strip and a white belly. This gazelle has long, dark horns that are pointy and only slightly curved. It can run as fast as47 mph (76 kph).

 

(8) Cape Hunting Dog: Found only in Africa, the cape hunting dog (Lycaon pictus) is also known as the African hunting dog and the painted hunting dog because of the unusual black spatters of spotting on its tawny coat. The wild dogs can run at speeds of up to 45 mph (72 kph).

 

(9) Brown Hare:The long and powerful hind legs of the brown hare (Lepus capensis) allow it to run at speeds of 45 mph (72 kph). Widespread over Europe, Asia and Africa, the brown hare lives aboveground and does not build burrows in the ground like 

 

(10) Coyote: Like wolves, coyotes (Canis latrans)howl and use scent marking to determine their territory, though they live alone or in pairs, not in social groups like wolves. They can be found in Canada, Mexico and throughout the United States, including upstate New York. Coyotes normally run at speeds of 25 to 30 miles an hour (40 to 48 kilometers per hour), but they can run at up to 43 mph (69 kph) when pursued.

Unusual items that flew into Space

9 Weird & Unusual Things That Flew on NASA's Space Shuttle

  
Space shuttle Atlantis stands on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it is set to liftoff on STS-135, the final shuttle mission.

When NASA's space shuttles launch into orbit, they don't just carry astronauts and supplies into the final frontier. There's a lot of other weird stuff that makes the out-of-this-world journey, too.

NASA's last space shuttle mission will launch Friday, July 8 on the Atlantis orbiter to deliver spare parts to the International Space Station. The mission will be the 135th and last flight for the program, which began in 1981.

But over the course of 30 years, the space shuttles have flown some peculiar objects into orbit. The list of odd stuff that flew aboard the shuttles is a long one, and includes the Olympic torch, a replica of the golden spike from the First Transcontinental Railroad, and rocks from the top of Mount Everest and the surface of the moon, just to name a few. 

Here nine recent space oddities carried into orbit on NASA shuttles:

(1) Cans of Coca-Cola & Pepsi

In 1985, special modified cans of Coca-Cola and Pepsi soda rode aboard the space shuttle Challenger on its STS-51F mission. The trip added more fuel to the so-called "Cola Wars" between the Coca-Cola Company and Pepsi, Co.

"Originally, only Coca-Cola was scheduled to fly," said Robert Pearlman, editor of collectSPACE.com, a website that tracks space-flown artifacts, and a SPACE.com contributor. "In addition to their desire to offer carbonated beverages for astronauts, Coca-Cola was also observing the effects of spaceflight on changes in taste perception with the goal of understanding altered tastes among target populations on Earth, such as the elderly."

"When Pepsico Inc. learned Coca-Cola was aboard, they approached NASA to fly as well, and quickly devised their own shaving cream can-inspired design," said Pearlman.

The cans, which were officially dubbed the Carbonated Beverage Dispenser Evaluation payload, were part of an experiment by the two soft drink giants to test packaging and methods of dispensing the liquids in a microgravity environment.

At the end of Challenger's mission, however, the astronaut crewmembers deemed the experiment a failure due to the lack of refrigeration and insufficient protection from microgravity effects. [Most Memorable Space Shuttle Missions]

Coca-Cola later flew a dispenser specially designed for microgravity to give astronauts the opportunity to enjoy Coke and Diet Coke in space. The dispenser flew during the space shuttle Discovery's STS-63 mission in 1995. The beverages were dispensed into sealed drinking cups and the liquid was chilled on the spot using cooling coils attached to the storage container.

A second-generation dispenser was also flown on Endeavour's STS-77 mission in 1996. This version held Coke, Diet Coke and Powerade, an energy drink. The device, however, did not work as expected on orbit.

(2) The New York Mets' Home Plate

Astronauts Mike Massimino (right) and Mike Good, STS-125 mission specialists, with home plate from New York City's Shea Stadium during a break from their training in the JSC Neutral Buoyancy Lab. Massimino brought the plate aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis for the trip to Hubble.
In 2009, as the New York Mets organization prepared to move its baseball team into the new Citi Field in Queens, N.Y., a piece of hardware from the team's old home, Shea Stadium, made a special trip into space. On May 11, 2009, the home plate from Shea Stadium launched into orbit on the space shuttle Atlantis' STS-125 mission — the last trip to the Hubble Space Telescope.

"The only problem was the plate wouldn't fit as is into the shuttle's locker designated for memorabilia," said Pearlman. "Rather than leave it 'home,' Massimino was able to trim off the plate’s black-colored border using a razor, flying just the 'white part.' The two parts were reunited once the plate was back on the ground."

Astronaut Mike Massimino, a New Yorker and devoted Mets fan, brought the plate with him and his six crewmates on their mission to overhaul the aging Hubble Space Telescope. After journeying into space, the plate was returned to Earth, and Massimino was invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game upon his return.

Shea Stadium in Queens's Flushing neighborhood was demolished after serving as the home of the Mets from 1964 until 2008. The Mets placed the flown plate on display in Citi Field, which opened its doors in the spring of 2009.

(3) Buzz Lightyear – To Infinity and Beyond!

Buzz Lightyear floats aboard the International Space Station during his 468 day mission.

As part of an educational and public outreach mission, NASA teamed up with Disney to launch an action figure of the beloved character Buzz Lightyear, from Disney-Pixar's film "Toy Story," into space. A 12-inch tall Buzz flew to the International Space Station on Discovery's STS-124 mission in May 2008.

The intrepid figurine spent a whopping 468 days at the orbiting outpost, during which time he starred in educational videos as part of joint NASA and Disney outreach programs. After more than a year in space, Buzz hitched a ride back to Earth on Discovery's STS-128 mission, which landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Sept. 11, 2009.

On Oct. 2, 2009, the action figure was even treated to a ticker tape parade at Walt Disney World in Florida to celebrate the successful completion of his long-duration mission in space.

"Joining Lightyear for his hero’s welcome back to the 'Happiest Place on Earth' was his namesake, Buzz Aldrin. Disney asked permission to name the cartoon space ranger after the real moonwalker before the first 'Toy Story' movie was released in 1995," Pearlman said.

(4) Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber

The original lightsaber used by Luke Skywalker in the film 'Star Wars' will fly to the real space station on shuttle Discovery's STS-120 mission in October.

Fans of the iconic "'Star Wars" films celebrated a moment where fiction met reality, when a lightsaber prop from the sci-fi movies flew on the space shuttle Discovery's STS-120 mission.

"The lightsaber's flight was of particular interest to one STS-120 crew member, a self-described big 'Star Wars' fan who also woke during the mission to the theme from the movies," said Pearlman. "The song was chosen by Parazynski's son, who just happens to be named Luke."

One of Luke Skywalker's lightsabers was stowed onboard Discovery as it launched to the International Space Station to deliver a new module to the orbiting laboratory on Oct. 23, 2007. The prop was the original one used by actor Mark Hamill, who played Skywalker, in director George Lucas' 1977 film "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi."

The lightsaber flew to the space station and back to mark the 30th anniversary of the film franchise. Lucas was in attendance to watch the STS-120 launch, and at the end of the mission, the Jedi weapon was returned to him and his company, LucasFilm.

(5) Ashes of Star Trek's Creator

Roddenberry's wife, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, died in 2008, and her ashes, along with some of her husband's, 

In a fitting way to immortalize Star Trek's creator, Gene Roddenberry, some of the sci-fi legend's ashes were flown in a small capsule on the space shuttle Columbia's STS-52 mission in 1992. Columbia delivered the tiny canister into outer space, where it orbited the Earth 160 times before being returned on the shuttle.

"To the best of everyone's knowledge, it was the first time that human remains were launched on a manned spacecraft," Pearlman said.

A portion of Roddenberry's ashes were also launched into space in 1997 by the Houston-based firm Celestis, Inc., which offers a range of memorial spaceflight services. The remains of Roddenberry, who died in 1991, journeyed into the cosmos along with 23 other peoples' ashes in the company's debut Founders Flight, aboard an Orbital Sciences Pegasus rocket.

Roddenberry's wife, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, died in 2008, and her ashes, along with some of her husband's, will be launched on Celestis' Voyager Memorial Spaceflight Service, which is slated for 2012.

(6) Sports Jerseys of All Kinds

Examples of patches, pins and more onboard shuttle Discovery.

Astronauts, like anyone else, have their favorite sports teams and players. As a result, many spaceflyers have chosen to show their team spirit by taking jerseys into space with them.

In just one example, Discovery's STS-124 astronauts represented a mixed bag of team allegiances. Among the items flown on Discovery, which launched on May 31, 2008, was the last game-worn jersey from Craig Biggio, a former second baseman, catcher and outfielder for the Houston Astros. Biggio played his entire 20-year career for the Astros and made his final Major League Baseball appearance on Sept. 30, 2007 before retiring from the sport.

A back-up Super Bowl XLII jersey belonging to New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning also made the journey aboard Discovery. Manning and the Giants defeated the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLII in 2008, and Manning was named the game's Most Valuable Player.

Four of Discovery's STS-124 astronauts hail from the New York/New Jersey area, which is home to the Giants, and NASA's astronauts all live and train for their missions at Johnson Space Center in Houston, located south of the Astros' home, Minute Maid Park.

“Not all flown jerseys came from ball-involved sports. STS-124 astronaut Karen Nyberg took with her one of cyclist Lance Armstrong's yellow Tour de France jerseys,” said Pearlman.

(7) Jamestown Colony Cargo Tag

This lead cargo tag -- which reads "Yames Towne" -- is believed to have been discarded from a shipping crate or trunk arriving at Jamestown, the site of the first permanent English settlement in the Americas, from England in about 1611. NASA will fly this artifact and two sets of Jamestown commemorative coins aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis in March 2007.

A small piece of history, in the form of a metal cargo tag from the Jamestown colony, flew aboard the space shuttle Atlantis on its STS-117 mission in June 2007. The historic tag was unearthed at Jamestown, the location of the first permanent English settlement in the Americas in 1607.

Essentially a colonial version of a modern-day luggage tag, the plaque, which is etched with the name of its destination, "Yames Towne," was likely used to mark merchandise that had been stored in London before being shipped, according to the Historic Jamestowne website.

The marker effectively logged more than four million miles over the course of four centuries, traveling first from England to the early American settlement, and then, 400 years later, to the International Space Station and back.

NASA flew the cargo tag with four commemorative coins on Atlantis to honor early American explorers. The historic metal piece was returned to Historic Jamestowne at the end of the flight for display in a museum.

"The same flight that launched the Jamestown tag also carried notable metal tokens of another type — Monopoly board game pieces," said Pearlman. "The game pieces came from the “Here & Now” edition of the popular real estate game, which featured a property square for NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas."

(8) NASCAR Starter Flags

NASA is taking three green starter's flags from the Daytona 500 into space to mark the 50th anniversary of NASA and NASCAR's premiere race.

As the final minutes ticked down toward Atlantis' launch on its STS-122 mission on Feb. 7, 2008, it may have been more appropriate for NASA's launch director to state, "gentlemen, start your space shuttle main engines." After all, the orbiter was taking three NASCAR starter flags with it on its flight into space.

Three green starter flags were packed on the shuttle in celebration of the agency's 50th anniversary and the 50th year of NASCAR's Daytona 500 race. Atlantis deliver the European science laboratory, Columbus, to the International Space Station.

After an 11-day flight, the flags were returned to Earth. One was presented to Ryan Newman, the winner of the 2008 Daytona 500. The second was placed on public display at the Florida racetrack, and the third was kept by NASA as a special commemorative piece.

"Just one of Atlantis' main gear tires, on which the NASCAR flags landed, could carry the load of the entire starting line-up of a NASCAR race — 40 race cars — all hitting the pavement at 250 miles per hour," Pearlman said.

(9) Dirt from Yankee Stadium

Astronaut Garrett Reisman, Expedition 16/17 flight engineer, poses for a photo after signing the Expedition 16 patch, which was added to the growing collection of insignias representing crews who performed spacewalks from the Quest Airlock of the ISS.

A vial of dirt from the pitcher's mound at Yankee Stadium, the home of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees, flew on the space shuttle Endeavour's STS-123 mission in 2008.

Astronaut Garrett Reisman, a fervent Yankee fan, brought the small container of dirt with him, along with other mementos of his favorite team, including a banner and hat autographed by George Steinbrenner, who was the principal owner of the team for 37 years, from 1973 to his death in July 2010.

In a cosmic first, Reisman threw out the ceremonial first pitch via video from the International Space Station prior to the start of the Yankees' game versus the Boston Red Sox on April 16, 2008. Reisman's pitch in microgravity was the first one from space in Yankee Stadium's history.

"Launching on the space shuttle and living aboard the International Space Station is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Reisman said at the time. "But as a lifelong Yankees fan, throwing out the first pitch at a Yankees-Red Sox game is also a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I am really honored to have this opportunity in such a historic season in the House that Ruth Built, and I would like to thank the Yankees for being so supportive of our mission up here in space. From Earth's orbit, but still deep inside the Yankees Universe, let me say, 'Go Yanks!'"