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Any of you who didn’t believe me about the dangers of jellyfish may now apologize. (Repent, unbelievers!) This news story about a jellyfish stinging as many as 150 people on a New Hampshire beach should be evidence enough. One hundred and fifty people taken out by a single jellyfish. And you know what? It was a single dead jellyfish. When an invading army’s greatest weapon is the bodies of its own dead, you are so screwed.
In other news, scientists have discovered a second “henge" at Stonehenge. I guess. I didn’t really understand this article at all, because it’s archaeologists and frankly, I think half the time they’re just making it up. They’re all, “Here’s a hole in the ground, and from that we can infer that this used to be the site of a pre-stone-age library and discotheque!"
For the athletes in the crowd, here’s a really interesting article about why carbs kick in instantly and how you can use this to your advantage. Exercise is a science, man. I just want to run around in my glorious new bright red KSOs. Yes, that’s right... my feet are bright red right now.
Japan has successfully launched a spacecraft powered by solar sails. Not only do the solar sails provide direction and propulsion, but they’re also solar collectors, so they can help power the craft itself. If my amazement could be properly expressed by an emoticon, it would look something like this: o.O
This article claims that there wouldn’t be significant consequences if we were to somehow completely eradicate mosquitoes. I’m not sure we have a thorough enough understanding of any species to make a claim like that, but what the hell. I hate mosquitoes too.
Meanwhile, genetically-modified crops have escaped into the wild, which I sort of saw coming. Between this and the bees and monocultures and terrifyingly big agri-business, I’m pretty sure our food security future at this point can just be labeled “screwed."
But hey, no matter how bad things get in your life, at least you’re not a female water strider. (Or ARE YOU!?) Apparently the male water striders blackmail females into submitting to sex by threatening to attract predators. That’s low, male water striders. YOU ARE OFF MY CHRISTMAS CARD LIST.
In exciting news-from-the-future, scientists are now using a “bioprinter" to create artificial body parts. They’re only doing veins right now, but seriously wtf... they can take your cells and print out NEW PIECES OF YOU. They’re hoping to eventually be able to synthesize entire organs this way, from the patient’s own stem cells, but obviously that’s a long way off. Still, they’re creating new vascular tissue. Holy shit.
Speaking of holy shit, this fungus not only inhabits its hosts, it takes them over. It turns ants into zombies and then it like... sprouts from their heads. Kind of sounds like a few zombie-apocalypse movies I’ve seen and enjoyed, as well as a few I’ve not seen because I knew I wouldn’t enjoy them. (I know, how could I possibly not enjoy a zombie movie? But some of them just aren’t worth it. I just watch Shaun of the Dead again instead of subjecting myself to them.)
If you live in New Zealand, there’s really no way for you to keep your shit safe from kea parrots, because they are total bad-asses at breaking in and stealing your stuff. Even if you put locks on it. Even if you put three locks on it. Speaking of parrots, I will never get tired of this video of a kakapo shagging Mark Carwardine’s head. I’m sorry to laugh at your violation, Mark Carwardine, but it’s just funny. Stephen Fry clearly agrees with me. (Dear Last Chance to See: ILU. Call me.)
In other news, scientists have discovered a second “henge" at Stonehenge. I guess. I didn’t really understand this article at all, because it’s archaeologists and frankly, I think half the time they’re just making it up. They’re all, “Here’s a hole in the ground, and from that we can infer that this used to be the site of a pre-stone-age library and discotheque!"
For the athletes in the crowd, here’s a really interesting article about why carbs kick in instantly and how you can use this to your advantage. Exercise is a science, man. I just want to run around in my glorious new bright red KSOs. Yes, that’s right... my feet are bright red right now.
Japan has successfully launched a spacecraft powered by solar sails. Not only do the solar sails provide direction and propulsion, but they’re also solar collectors, so they can help power the craft itself. If my amazement could be properly expressed by an emoticon, it would look something like this: o.O
This article claims that there wouldn’t be significant consequences if we were to somehow completely eradicate mosquitoes. I’m not sure we have a thorough enough understanding of any species to make a claim like that, but what the hell. I hate mosquitoes too.
Meanwhile, genetically-modified crops have escaped into the wild, which I sort of saw coming. Between this and the bees and monocultures and terrifyingly big agri-business, I’m pretty sure our food security future at this point can just be labeled “screwed."
But hey, no matter how bad things get in your life, at least you’re not a female water strider. (Or ARE YOU!?) Apparently the male water striders blackmail females into submitting to sex by threatening to attract predators. That’s low, male water striders. YOU ARE OFF MY CHRISTMAS CARD LIST.
In exciting news-from-the-future, scientists are now using a “bioprinter" to create artificial body parts. They’re only doing veins right now, but seriously wtf... they can take your cells and print out NEW PIECES OF YOU. They’re hoping to eventually be able to synthesize entire organs this way, from the patient’s own stem cells, but obviously that’s a long way off. Still, they’re creating new vascular tissue. Holy shit.
Speaking of holy shit, this fungus not only inhabits its hosts, it takes them over. It turns ants into zombies and then it like... sprouts from their heads. Kind of sounds like a few zombie-apocalypse movies I’ve seen and enjoyed, as well as a few I’ve not seen because I knew I wouldn’t enjoy them. (I know, how could I possibly not enjoy a zombie movie? But some of them just aren’t worth it. I just watch Shaun of the Dead again instead of subjecting myself to them.)
If you live in New Zealand, there’s really no way for you to keep your shit safe from kea parrots, because they are total bad-asses at breaking in and stealing your stuff. Even if you put locks on it. Even if you put three locks on it. Speaking of parrots, I will never get tired of this video of a kakapo shagging Mark Carwardine’s head. I’m sorry to laugh at your violation, Mark Carwardine, but it’s just funny. Stephen Fry clearly agrees with me. (Dear Last Chance to See: ILU. Call me.)