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Why can't we remember anything from when we were babies?
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While a baby's experiences and memories are vital to his/her development, most of us can't remember what we did before our third birthday. Why is that?It may be that as babies we just don't have the necessary mental equipment to store and organize memories properly, a hypothesis strengthened by the famous case of Henry Molaison. Molaison was unable to remember any new events that happened to him after a faulty brain operation. Though he still had temporary short-term memory and could learn new skills, he couldn't retain information for long. We know that neurons continue to be added to our brains in our early years, and it's possible that when this building process has finished, memories can start to form. Another hypothesis is that our sense ...
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3079 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
Python cruches and swallows crocodile whole
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In an epic battle in northern Queensland, Australia, a 10-foot olive python got the best of a Johnson's crocodile. While this is a very natural event for two monstrous animals battling, both the python and the crocodile are apex predators in their environment, so the snake wouldn't always win in this scenario. Big Johnson's crocs eat little pythons too, though olive snakes are known for being phenomenally powerful, pound for pound, and for feeding on large food items. The python would take around ten days to digest its meal and become relatively dormant. Over the next three weeks it would take what it could get, but since the caloric needs of this type of snake is pretty low, it could certainly go the rest of the season without a meal. While ...
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3187 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
The ghost fish has been captured on video for the first time
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A living, swimming ghost fish has been seen live for the first time ever. The fish, part of the family Aphyonidae, was caught on camera during an ongoing National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) exploration by the ship Okeanos Explorer. The exploration centers on the deep ocean at Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, a protected area spanning 95,216 square miles (246,608 square kilometers) east of the Philippines. The secretive fish was swimming along a ridge 8,202 feet (2,500 meters) down, according to NOAA. The animal is about 4 inches (10 centimeters) long, with translucent, scale-less skin and eerie, colorless eyes. No fish in the family Aphyonidae has ever been seen alive before. ...
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4988 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
Never trust a mirror
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Can you figure out this optical illusion? Squares are magically turned into circles, then vice versa. But interestingly, it's not strictly the mirror that is fooling you - it's a combination of the shapes used and your fickle perspective. The trick was designed by Kokichi Sugihara from Meiji University in Japan for the "Illusion Of The Year" competition. You can see the other top 10 finalists from the competition right here. ...
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5486 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
The possible cause for heavy periods explained
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Nearly one-third of women experience heavy periods each month. This means that unlike normal periods where women lose up to 40 mL of blood per cycle, some women lose as much as 80 mL (more than a quarter of a cup) in at least one cycle throughout their life. Scientists think they might have found the answer as to why this happens, and they are blaming it on a non-hormonal protein. A new small study suggests that low levels of a specific protein known as hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1, right) might be to blame. HIF1 is a pretty handy healing molecule. When oxygen levels drop in parts of the body, a condition known as hypoxia, HIF1 activates more than 60 genes linked to tissue regeneration, and has already been shown to play a role in repai ...
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4311 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
World's rarest bird
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The northern bald ibis ( Geronticus eremita) was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in the Syrian desert near Palmyra in 2002. Habitat disturbance and hunting are the main drivers behind the bird's decline in its Middle Eastern habitat. This glossy black ibis ranges in size from 70 to 80 cm (28 to 31 inches) glossy black ibis, has an unfeathered red face and head, and a long, curved red bill. It breeds colonially on coastal or mountain cliff ledges, where it typically lays two to three eggs in a stick nest, and feeds on lizards, insects, and other small animals. According to a Turkish legend, the northern bald ibis was one of the first birds that Noah released from the ark, as a symbol of fertility. ...
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4343 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
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