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One ugly fish
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The coelacanth is known as a “living fossil” because it looks very much like its ancestors from 300 million years ago. Its genome has been sequenced, and it, in fact, has been found to be evolving at a very slow rate. The genetic sequence also might help give some insight into the transition from fins to limbs.
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2782 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Feeding ducks bread could actually be harmful
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Feeding bread to wild ducks is incredibly harmful. Bread has almost no nutrients that are useful for the duck, so they become malnourished and more susceptible to disease. Compounding the problem is excessive bread in the water, which leads to high levels of E. coli and even botulism outbreaks. Wild ducks need to stay wild, and artificially feeding them causes them to lose their natural instincts for acquiring food. If you want to feed captive waterfowl, consider chopped vegetables, whole grains, or fruit instead. ...
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3015 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Dwarf planets
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Not much of a believer in dwarf planets, but here's a cool schematic of some. In 2006 the organization responsible for classifying celestial bodies, the International Astronomical Union, decided that a new class of objects was needed. The solar system's erratic ninth planet, Pluto, was assigned to the new “dwarf planet” category along with four other bodies, all tinier than Earth’s moon. Some astronomers expect there may be as many as 50 dwarf planets in the solar system. Eris, the largest dwarf planet, is only slightly bigger than Pluto, at 1,445 miles in diameter (2,326 km). Discovered in 2003, Eris orbits at an average distance of 68 AU (that is, 68 times the Earth’s distance from the sun) and takes 561.4 Earth years to circle the sun. E ...
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3348 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
A bird with a moustache
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Inca terns are unique and beautiful birds—slender with white-tipped gray feathers, a white curly moustache, yellow lips and a bright orange-red bill. They have a distinctive call that sounds like a high pitched laugh, which is often accompanied by bowing gestures. Inca terns are natives of the western shoreline of South America and the islands located offshore. They are especially abundant in northern Chile and Peru in the summer. They migrate in winter, venturing to Ecuador and central Chile. Inca terns swoop down and pluck fish from near the water’s surface. They also sometimes get scraps left behind by whales, or flock to where sea lions are eating on rocks, to steal stray bits of food. A male who is interested in a female will perform aer ...
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2950 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
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2350 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
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5204 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
A shrimp is the world's loudest animal?
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Meet the pistol shrimp. It is known to be the loudest animal and can emit a sound up to 200 decibels which it uses to stun its prey using its pincers. Check out the video below:
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3274 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
How Far Can Biotechnology Take Us?
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Throughout conservations on a daily basis, I often get asked ‘Will there ever be a cure for…?’ or ‘Do you think there will ever be…?’ and those questions are quite a stumbling block. Having discussed various aspects of current biochemical and biotechnical research of late I suppose it has prompted me to ask a similar question myself. The question being, how far can biotechnology take us? How much can we cure, eradicate or produce through further research in the biosciences? It’s a stimulating question and one that is impossible to answer definitively. We never know what exactly lies around the corner, but we can extrapolate on from current trends and ideas. Obviously, the areas of gene therapy, synthetic biology and pharmacoge ...
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3414 |
Chapman333 |
10 years ago |
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3854 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Cheat like a pro
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Here's a fun way to cheat on your next biochemistry exam
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2841 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Stealth bomber
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This is the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit (stealth bomber). This machine is capable of pin-point strikes on most any hardened target available such as underground bunkers. Needless to say, it is also capable of delivering nuclear weapons. This stealthy aircraft was designed in a way that enemies could not anticipate its arrival, but its 22,600 Kg bomb load and a multitude of nuclear missiles would ensure they'd know when it had arrived. Named the B-2 Spirit, its advantage in battle is derived from its designation spirit; it operates like a ghost. Engines: Four General Electric F118-GE-100 turbofans of 17,300 lbs. thrust each Wingspan: 172 ft. Length: 69 ft. Height: 17 ft. Speed: High subsonic Takeoff weight: 336,500 lbs. ...
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3822 |
bio_man |
10 years ago |
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2732 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
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5547 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Do certain foods actually increase/decrease blood pH?
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Many people believe that if you eat certain foods, it can cause your blood to become more alkaline or acidic. Medical research studies have clearly shown that breathing and blood carbon dioxide and bicarbonate ions levels are more significant factors in blood-pH control. Alveolar hyperventilation that is common in the sick reduces cell oxygenation, increases resting blood lactate levels, intensifies production of free radicals due to tissue hypoxia (cells are deprived of oxygen), causes diabetic ketoacidosis in the genetically predisposed patients, and suppresses the immune system and main blood-pH buffer systems of the human organism. ...
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4183 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
The power of 1
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A little over 30 years ago, a teenager named Jadav “Molai” Payeng began burying seeds along a barren sandbar near his birthplace in northern India’s Assam region to grow a refuge for wildlife. Not long after, he decided to dedicate his life to this endeavor, so he moved to the site where he could work full-time creating a lush new forest ecosystem. Incredibly, the spot today hosts a sprawling 1,360 acre of jungle that Payeng planted single-handedly.
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2459 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
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