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The sea wasp jellyfish has enough venom to kill 60 adults
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Chironex fleckeri, commonly known as sea wasp, is a species of deadly venomous box jellyfish found in coastal waters from northern Australia to the Philippines. It has been described as the most lethal jellyfish in the world, with at least 63 known deaths in Australia from 1884 to 1996. Notorious for its sting, C. fleckeri has tentacles up to 3 m (9.8 ft) long covered with millions of cnidocytes which, on contact, release microscopic darts delivering an extremely powerful venom. Being stung commonly results in excruciating pain, and if the sting area is significant, an untreated victim may die in two to five minutes! The amount of venom in one animal is said to be enough to kill 60 adult humans (although most stings are mild). ...
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10274 |
bio_man |
7 years ago |
Are human-chimpanzee hybrids possible?
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The idea that a chimpanzee and human can interbreed, forming a hypothetical hybrid species known as a humanzee, is not uncommon. Since chimpanzees and humans are closely related species (sharing 95% of their DNA sequence, and 98% of coding DNA sequences), it has lead to contested speculation that a hybrid is possible, though no specimen has ever been confirmed. While there is a commonality in gene sequence between us and chimpanzees, humans still have one fewer pair of chromosomes (46 chromosomes) than other apes (48 chromosomes). This makes conception between the two species naturally impossible. However, a different numbers of chromosomes is not an absolute barrier to hybridization. Similar mismatches are relatively common in existing spec ...
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1235 |
bio_man |
6 years ago |
Why do we hiccup?
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A hiccup is an involuntary spasm of the diaphragm that typically repeats several times a minute. The sudden rush of air into the lungs that's created by each spasm causes the glottis to close, creating the "hic" noise. A bout of hiccups generally resolves by itself, although many home remedies are in circulation to shorten the duration. The medical term for hiccuping is singultus. While many cases develop spontaneously, hiccups are known to develop often in specific situations, such as eating too quickly, taking a cold drink while eating a hot meal, eating very hot or spicy food, laughing vigorously or coughing, or drinking an excess of an alcoholic beverage. Hiccups may be caused by pressure to the phrenic nerve (located in the neck regi ...
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1164 |
bio_man |
6 years ago |
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14722 |
bio_man |
11 years ago |
Do fish ever get thirsty?
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A student in my class once asked, do fish ever get thirsty? I was 15 at the time, and I remember my science teacher struggling to answer the question. Here's the best possible answer I can give you -- it all depends whether the fish is a saltwater fish or a freshwater fish. Click the image for more details Notice how the fresh water fish actually obtains H 2O via the food it consumes, not through drinking. Whereas the saltwater fish actually drinks the water can hence has highly concentrated urine. ...
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11178 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
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5983 |
bio_man |
11 years ago |
What causes the brown staining of some childrens teeth?
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The brownish staining of a child's tooth enamel is due to excessive ingestion of fluoride. Fluoride is a mineral compound that is useful in preventing dental caries. It is thought to work by strengthening the mineral composition of tooth enamel making it more resistant to acid attacks. It may also reduce the acid-producing ability of microorganisms in dental plaque. The water supply may naturally provide fluoride, or it may be added. Mild fluorosis causes white mottling of the teeth; severe cases show brown staining and usually occur in areas where the level of fluoride in the water is many times greater than the recommended level of 0.7 to 1.2 parts per million. ...
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3736 |
duddy |
11 years ago |
Hair thickness between the blondes and brunettes
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Did you know -- On the average there are over one hundred thousand strands of hair on a young adult. Blondes average about 140,000 strands, brunettes average 108,000 and redheads average 90,000.
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4707 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Roll cloud
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Roll cloud over Uruguay. This low, roll cloud formation occurs when sinking cold air causes warm, moist air on the planet's surface to climb to higher altitudes, where the moisture condenses into cloud form. Roll clouds aren't dangerous in themselves, though, and many roll clouds form in relatively calm weather as a result of sea breezes.
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7441 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Have you ever smelled a butterfly?
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From vanilla to barbecue to fruit loops, many male butterflies have a distinct smell, known to scientists as pheromones, used to attract females. These pheromones are produced in specialized scales on the wings and are often wafted over females during courtship by flapping. The smells are often oddly familiar to humans, and Opsiphanes butterflies (as seen here) can leave you desiring a piece of cake after catching one in the Amazon.
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3359 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Blue blood is quite costly
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Did you know one quart of horseshoe crab blood costs $15,000 dollars? The critter's blue blood is a sort of bacteria killing machine that clots around ‘invaders’, eliminating them and protecting horseshoe crabs from lethal infections. Researchers have been harnessing the power of this blue blood to test medical supplies for contamination.
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3713 |
savio |
10 years ago |
Dental hygiene and the rainforest
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Chewing sticks are used by many people instead of toothbrushes. The neem tree grows in many Asian, African, and Middle Eastern countries. Indigenous people in these areas know that chewing neem twigs is good for their teeth. The epidermal tissues contain chemicals that kill bacteria and reduce inflammation. The study of how indigenous (native) plants are used by different cultures is known as ethnobotany.
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7302 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
A fish that spits
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Besides what we probably have seen while watching The Little Mermaid - fish singing and playing instruments, Finding Nemo, Shark Tale - whale being cleaned at a whale wash! , or even Spongebob Square pants - making hamburgers that is, have you ever seen or heard of a spitting fish? Well, I have not, until today.. Apparently, the archerfish from the family Toxotidea, literally "spit" to catch their prey. It is like a frog, but upgraded, in the sense that it catches insects and land based prey without a weapon, or a physical means. It just teleports its prey from above water, into the water by knocking it out via shooting water droplets. The missile strength of the water droplet is created and altered based on how far and how big their prey is ...
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6249 |
ehd123 |
10 years ago |
Oldest recorded tortoise
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The oldest recorded tortoise was Tu'i Malila, who died in 1965 aged 188. The tortoise in the image was named Harriet, and was the third oldest recorded tortoise.
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5055 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Why do men have bigger noses than women?
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Men’s noses are 10% larger than female's. Males generally have leaner muscles and need more oxygen for muscle growth and maintenance—and larger noses mean more oxygen can be breathed. A new study found that the difference in nose size between males and females of European descent starts showing in early puberty, when 95% of body weight gain in males comes from fat-free mass, compared to 85% in females.
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6487 |
duddy |
10 years ago |