Greatest, most amazing thing you've ever witnessed?

[Tom McGregor]

What is the most amazing, most greatest thing you have ever witnessed: in real life, TV or whatever?

[sft42]

My fiancee saying yes when I asked her to marry me....unfortunately the worst thing was when she decided not to later on...hey ho!

[Cetti]

When I was about 8 years old I watched a Poodle give birth to 4 pups - the surprise was that the babies were born with quite long tails. Another surprise I didn't faint - but my friend did!

[RCP]

I know it's a clich� but watching my son & daughter being born. Everyone says it will be amazing but nothing can prepare you for the emotional impact as well..

[woofgang]

On Tv, the first moon landing and moon walk. In real life, whales off the coast of North America

[Quizmonster]

Two of the earlier answers referred to the process of giving birth, but the most awesome thing I have seen in my 6� decades was, without doubt, giant turtles laying their eggs on a remote Indian Ocean island. Despite the utter laboriousness of each of the elements of the process, it was clear that this was raw, unstoppable Nature in action. More inspiring than any cathedral, in my view.

I was also present some time later, when the hatchlings began to claw their way to the open air and the sea. They were expected, of course...by marauding seabirds and large fish. Goodness knows what damage I may have done to the local ecology, but I scooped up a shirtful of them and swam out to beyond the immediate dangers, before releasing them. I like to think some of them might still be returning to that same beach to play their own parts in the life-cycle.

[sft42]

Quizmonster I must say I have the utmost respect for you and you have always proved to be one of the most informed and erudite people on the site but Doesn't your actions show the arrogance of human beings on this planet? What gives us the right to deprive any of those presitor a meal? Your actions could have lead to the death of other animals...the very reason that the turtle hatch so many youngsters is to combat this....sorry if i offend I've just had a at length discussion about the Hand of Man mucking about with the planet.

[brawburd]

In one sense, the logical one, I agree sft. However, reading quizmonster's description indicates he was affected by the raw emotions created at the time (and still is!) - and what are we human beings without our emotions? Obviously it might be best if there are not too mnay qm's out there saving baby turtles!

[Quizmonster]

You're right in a way, Sft, as I partially confessed with my reference to 'damage'. However, I just could not watch the slaughter of creatures I'd seen earlier being so apparently 'devotedly' started on life's journey.

I think visibility is the key here. In other words, I did not see any skua-type nestling dying for want of a baby turtle to eat. (Like foxes zapping the entire hen-coop rather than satisfying an immediate hunger, it is known that skuas seem to overkill, too.)

The same visibility thing probably applies within the human food-chain. If we were all compelled to witness battery-farming techniques and abattoir processes close up, for example, how many of us could resist vegetarianism? The plain fact is, though, that the 'hand of man' always has mucked and always will muck about with the planet.

I take no offence whatever - indeed, I thank you for your kind introductory comments - at what you say. However, in reference to my own little 'crime', I have to say that (like Edith Piaf) "je ne regrette rien". Cheers

[stephen.hove]

interesting discussion going on here. reminds me of something i was talking about the other day. a while ago i saw a nature programme with david attenborough, but i cant remember what animal it was about. nor can i remember the exact circumstances, but at the end the animal in question was either injured or starving and it was sure to die. we wondered if david attenborough was going to do anything for it, even though we knew it was natures way. then the credits rolled, and he came back on and said that they did help the animal in question. heartwarming.

[Hellion]

Aside from the obvious birth of my son - A Rainbow!

[answerbok]

That [French?] woman who rock-climbs with no rope; yogi types who can slow their heart right down, suspend themselves from meat-hooks and disappear off the end of a rope; people who can do Rubik's cube in under five seconds; the wowscaryness of first love; the internet. :-)

[darth vader]

birth of a child. 1st sexual encounter (well, doing not witnessing). Leeds playing real Madrid

[Gef]

Ignoring emotions about birth, death etc. the most amazing thing I have seen is the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). In the early 90s we were treated to a magnificent display on the West coast of Scotland in which the sky changed from greens to pinks, and a whole host of other colours, every few seconds for about half an hour. Magnificent.

[LordAlmighty]

I saw a skeleton of a blue whale and I was blown away, they are huge!!! I know it may not sound very amazing to some people, but I couldnt believe my eyes.

[pezza.......]

The most memorable sights that I have seen are. 1. The views from an aircraft over the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam and 2. The scenery in the Loch Ness area while taking part in an 86 mile charity walk. Both breathtaking!

[SRobb]

Definitely not the greatest but in a weird way probably the most amazing was watching the first WTC tower collapse live in TV whilst on holiday in Greece. I was dragged into a beach bar to look at the news and before I could figure out why there was smoke coming out of the twin towers the first one went. It overwhelmed me to a point that I genuinely believed I must be dreaming.

[bagel]

I wouldn't say it was the greatest but teh most shocking was watching someone get shot at close range and then seeing them on teh ground, dead, with his eyeball out of his socket.