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This flower stinks
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The corpse flower ( Amorphophallus titanium) is one of the world's stinkiest plants. What makes it smell so bad? Analyses of chemicals released by the plant show the "stench" includes dimethyl trisulfide, dimethyl disulfide, trimethylamine (rotting fish), isovaleric acid (sweaty socks), benzyl alcohol (sweet floral scent), phenol (like Chloraseptic), and indole (like mothballs). While this may be foul smelling to humans, to dung beetles and flies, it smells like opportunity. Insects which feed on dead animals or lay their eggs in rotting meat are attracted to the sent, therefore the smell invite pollinators and scares away humans at the same time. ...
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15587 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
The science of fireworks
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Many of us around the world will enjoy a firework display tonight (or have already); but what are the mechanisms behind the magnificent spectacle?The story behind fireworks begins about 2000 years ago in China. Alchemists at the time were in search for an elixir which made them immortal. Obviously, they did not find this- what they did find however was a substance consisting of potassium nitrate, charcoal and suphur; or gunpowder,as we know it. The evolution of fireworks from gunpowder took another 1000 years until a monk named Li Tian realised that if you placed gunpowder into a bamboo tube and ignited it, an impressive explosion on sound and light ensued. Fireworks were born! The gunpowder is responsible for the trajectory of the firework, ...
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15900 |
bio_man |
11 years ago |
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16199 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
This carnivorous plant counts to avoid being tricked
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Unlike conventional plants, the Venus flytrap copes with poor soil by eating bugs! But the cost of insect hunting is high. Catching prey requires Dionaea muscipula to snap down quickly and then carry out the energy-intensive process of digestion. To balance the costs and benefits of eating meat, the plants have developed a counting system to identify real prey from false alarms, according to a new study. To understand how the flytrap distinguishes a potential food source from a false alarm like a raindrop, researchers observed the electrical and chemical response of the plant to touch stimulation. In order to mimic insect prey, the scientists stimulated the hairlike sensors located on the plant’s trap. Touching the sensors two times quick ...
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16812 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
This baby fish will grow up to be one of the fastest fish in the sea
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While it may look small now, this baby swordfish ( Xiphias gladius) grows fast and can reach 14 feet in length and weigh up to 1,200 pounds as an adult. They are found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans and sometimes cold waters, including the Mediterranean Sea, the Sea of Marmara, the Black Sea, and the Sea of Azov. They are highly migratory, moving to warmer waters in the winter and cooler waters in the summer. While they are not at the top of the food chain, it is not a fish to be messed with; apparently, even sharks are wary of them! ...
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17635 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
Most intelligent bird species
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Birds are very clever animals. They exhibit a wide range of smart behaviors, including good memories, extensive communication, planning for the future, and remembering the past. Some birds can solve problems, and others are capable of adapting to new environments and conditions. Experts often think of intelligence in terms of creative abilities used to solve problems. Some scientists believe that tool-using birds show such abilities. The woodpecker finch (first from left) of the Galapagos Islands, for example, has learned to use a cactus spine or small twig as a probe to remove carpenter bee larvae from their tunnels. The Egyptian vulture (second from left) uses rocks to break open ostrich eggs. Gulls learn to drop clams and turtles onto roc ...
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18204 |
bio_man |
3 years ago |
Last but not least chipmunk
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Not one to be outdone by the dynamic trio of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore of Alvin and the Chipmunks, the least chipmunk ( Eutamias Minimus) is the smallest of all chipmunk species (shown above). Least chipmunks range over most of western North America occupying the widest geographic and altitudinal range of any chipmunk. These tiny rodents possess a long, narrow but fairly bushy tail, and have soft, dense fur which is moulted twice a year - the summer coat being brighter in color than the more greyish winter coat. Like other chipmunks, this species has relatively short ears which are covered in short hairs and pouches inside the cheeks which are used to carry food. Interestingly, the female least chipmunk may be slightly larger than the male ...
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19638 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
Canada's only desert
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You probably wouldn't associate Canada with having any deserts, since the country is typically attributed with winters that are long and harsh. However, that's not entirely true if you visit the southern region of Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada, known as the Okanagan Desert. In this area, summer temperatures regularly exceed 38˚C (100 °F), and portions of the area receive roughly 250 to 300 mm (10 to 12 inches) of rain per year – compare that to Vancouver, which receives approximately 1120 mm (43 inches) of rain per year. While some areas in British Columbia experience hotter summer temperatures and are at least as arid, the South Okanagan area is home to several species of plants and animals that are not found elsewhere in Canada. For e ...
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19686 |
bio_man |
4 years ago |
Stay away from the castor bean
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Some organisms, such as the castor bean plant ( Ricinus communis), produce substances that inhibit the synthesis of proteins (called translation) within a cell. (The plant, which is native to Africa, is not related to the species of bean plants with which you are likely more familiar.) A protein called ricin, produced within the castor seeds is an extremely potent inhibitor of protein synthesis. In fact, it is one of the strongest natural toxins produced. A single chewed seed can kill child! If the ricin were purified, it would take an amount equivalent to only a few grains of salt to kill an adult. Ricin kills cells by enzymatically cleaving covalent bonds within the large and small ribosomal subunits, rendering the protein-building factori ...
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20189 |
savio |
8 years ago |
She developed the building blocks for modern 'software engineering'
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Margaret Hamilton was the leader of the team that developed the flight software for the agency's Apollo missions. The concepts she and her team created became the building blocks for modern 'software engineering.' One example of the value of Hamilton's software work occurred during the Apollo 11 mission. Approximately three minutes before Eagle's touchdown on the moon, the software over rode a command to switch the flight computer's priority processing to a radar system whose 'on' switch had been manually activated due to a faulty written operations script provided to the crew. The action by the software permitted the mission to safely continue. Source: http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11Hamilton.html ...
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20990 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
Tiny bird packs a big punch
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This blackpoll warbler ( Setophaga striata), weighing no more than 12 grams can migrate over the Atlantic Ocean from New England and eastern Canada to the Caribbean islands - a 2500 kilometer flight - nonstop! These finding were discovered after researchers tagged these little birds with miniature geolocators on their backs. They concluded that no other "bird this size migrates for this long in one go... it is truly one of the most amazing migratory feats ever recorded." ...
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21798 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
Developing immunity to the common cold
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Summer is officially over, and fall has arrived. With this season comes runny noses and doctor visits. Save yourself the time and money, because it's either the common cold or the flu, both of which have no cure other than to rest and endure the discomfort. Luckily, you can be immunized for the flu, but not the cold. In fact, many people battle the cold several times a year, rather than developing a natural immunity towards it, why is that? The primary reason that immunity generally does not develop against the common cold is that there is not a single cause of the disease. Over 200 serotypes of viruses, including enteroviruses (previously called rhinoviruses), coronaviruses, and adenoviruses, can cause the symptoms of the common cold. Ther ...
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22556 |
bio_man |
4 years ago |
A mammoth of a fly
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The Mydas fly ( Gauromydas heros) is the world's largest fly. It can reach body lengths of 2.8 inches (7 centimeters) and a wingspan of 4 inches (10 centimeters). Mydas fly are found in arid and semiarid regions of the world, but are infrequently encountered as the adult lifespan can be quite short.
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23192 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
This beautiful white coat serves as a perfect camouflage
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The arctic fox is an incredibly hardy animal that can survive frigid Arctic temperatures as low as –58°F (-50°C) in the treeless lands where it makes its home. It has furry soles, short ears, and a short muzzle - all-important adaptations to the chilly clime. Arctic foxes live in burrows, and in a blizzard they may tunnel into the snow to create shelter. Arctic foxes have beautiful white (sometimes blue-gray) coats that act as very effective winter camouflage. The natural hues allow the animal to blend into the tundra's ubiquitous snow and ice. When the seasons change, the fox's coat turns as well, adopting a brown or gray appearance that provides cover among the summer tundra's rocks and plants. Source: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/ ...
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23523 |
duddy |
8 years ago |
If you thought being left-handed was odd, read this
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A rare condition, known as situs inversus, is when a person has their major organs mirrored from their normal positions. So, for example, the heart would be on the right side of the body, or the liver and gall bladder are on the left side. It is a congenital condition (meaning it's tied to your genetics) that affects 1 in 20,000 people - including Spanish-born singer Enrique Iglesias. Situs inversus is generally an autosomal recessive genetic condition, although it can be X-linked or found in identical "mirror image" twins. ...
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25449 |
duddy |
9 years ago |
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