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Pellagra
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In the early 1900s, the disease pellagra was widespread in the United States, especially in southern states. Individuals with pellagra were weak, and they developed diarrhea, a skin rash, and mental confusion. Each year, thousands of Americans died from this dreaded illness. In 1914 the U.S. surgeon general assigned Joseph Goldberger, a physician who worked in a federal government laboratory, to study pellagra. Most medical experts thought pellagra was an infectious disease because it often occurred where people lived in close quarters, such as prisons, orphanages, and mental health institutions. Goldberger knew from his previous research that infectious diseases usually spread through a population by close physical contact. While investiga ...
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2811 |
savio |
10 years ago |
This is not an optical illusion
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See anything peculiar? If you look closely, you'll see an Eastern screech owl hiding in plain sight. These owls are nocturnal and their amazing camouflage allows them to go largely unnoticed in the daytime. These owls only grow to about 22 cm (8.5 in) tall and weigh about 244 grams (8.6 oz), but they have been observed hunting squirrels and rats who rival them in length and weight. Eastern screech owls are found in North America from Canada all the way down to Mexico. ...
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3178 |
savio |
10 years ago |
Do babies learn while they are still in the womb?
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The researchers gave pregnant women a recording of several spoken variations of the made-up word "tatata" to play daily during their last trimester. When tested using EEG sensors after birth, their infants' brains recognised the words and its variations, while the control group did not.
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3522 |
savio |
10 years ago |
Who needs supplements when you have kiwis?
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Researchers from University of Otago have found that a natural fruit source of vitamin C – kiwifruit – is vastly superior to a purified supplement form. The researchers are studying kiwifruit as a source of dietary vitamin C and found that in mice eating kiwifruit, vitamin C uptake was five times as effective as taking a purified supplement form. The study was recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the highest ranking journal for human nutrition research. ...
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4079 |
savio |
10 years ago |
Here's what low levels of melanin leads to
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This is a rare baby Golden Brushtail Possum that was born at Wild Life Sydney last year. Golden Brushtail Possums are one of Australia’s largest tree-dwelling marsupials but they're rarely seen in the wild, being found mostly in small pockets of Tasmania. Their unique appearance is the result of low levels of melanin in their skin.
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3679 |
savio |
10 years ago |
An animal we'll never see again
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Australia's iconic Tasmanian Tiger was hunted to extinction in the 1930s - but it may have already been doomed by an extremely small gene pool, according to a new study that stresses the fragility of isolated species.
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3809 |
savio |
10 years ago |
Blue eggs
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Scientists have identified the genetic mutation responsible for the first blue chicken eggs in South American Mapuche fowl and their European descendants, Araucana, 200 to 500 years ago. They used the unique genetic resources conserved by heritage or “fancy” poultry breeders to identify the exact location of the mutation in the genome in blue egg laying chickens and an additional genomic study to reveal the genetic cause of the blue colored eggshell is a harmless ancient retrovirus in the domestic chicken. ...
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3430 |
savio |
10 years ago |
If Squidward were real
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The Banded Piglet squid is proof that not all deep sea creatures are nightmare-inducing. They swim "upside down" compared to other squid, leaving him resembling a Muppet with his tentacles as the hair, the syphon as the nose, and his patterning appearing to be a smile. These guys live at least 100 m below the surface. Because of those incredible depths, it has to create its own light from the photophores underneath its eyes. Unfortunately, because it lives so far down, not much is known about its life cycle or eating habits. ...
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3236 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Fish with human-like teeth
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Say hello to the sheepshead fish; those aren't artifical dentures if you're wondering - they are its actual teeth.
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1 |
3830 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Global warming, a cause for hunger
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A lack of sea ice caused by global warming meant this polar bear was unable to hunt seals and died of starvation. The carcass was found in northern Svalbard, Norway, far from its normal range, where he probably was looking for food.
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3162 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Personal drones – another step to absolute laziness
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Engineers are building special drones that will deliver food to your table – or home. Besides the iTray, which brings customers sushi at a Japanese restaurant in London (above), researchers have developed a 'tacocopter' and 'pizzacopter' that can traverse six kilometers in ten minutes. But don’t get your hopes up yet, there are plenty of technological barriers to overcome before drones deliver pizzas to our homes.
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3568 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
Quench your thirst with tears
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This pretty little moth from Madagascar, Hemiceratoides hieroglyphica, frequents birds at night and drinks their tears using a specialised harpoon-like proboscis. In the image, H. hieroglyphica prepares to drink tears from a sleeping common Newtonia ( Newtonia brunneicauda).
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3499 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
World's largest fish species
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This photo shows a diver almost being eaten by a whale shark, the world's largest fish species. Marine photographer Mauricio Handler captured the intense moment during a dive in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, when more than 600 of the 12-metre-long animals gathered to feed on tuna spawn.
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3098 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
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3108 |
duddy |
10 years ago |
The Wobbegong shark
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Not all sharks are built for speed. This bottom-dwelling wobbegong shark stays near the ocean floor. Its camouflage allows it to go largely unnoticed, until its prey wanders too close or thinks the tassels are something to eat. Then, the wobbegong leaps into action, devouring the unlucky fish, squid, or crustacean. They’ve even been seen swallowing other sharks whole!
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2 |
3101 |
duddy |
10 years ago |