Animals »
The Eleven Thousand Year Old Contagious Cancer Still Multiplying Today
Eleven thousand years ago, one saucy canine got busy and, as can happen with unprotected sex, gave its partner a venereal disease, although uniquely, this VD was cancerous. Over the course of the intervening
Read More »
Where Do Insects Go in Winter?
Michael asks: Where do insects disappear to in the winter time? As cold-blooded creatures, insects are particularly susceptible to winter’s freezing temperatures. To survive, this class of animals has developed a wide variety of
Read More »
Frogs and Milk- How to Keep Milk from Spoiling Without Refrigeration
For centuries, before refrigeration, an old Russian practice was to drop a frog into a bucket of milk to keep the milk from spoiling. In modern times, many believed that this was nothing more
Read More »
All About Bees, Wasps, and Hornets
Mike A. asks: What is the difference between bees, wasps, and hornets? There are many similarities and differences between our little wing-whipping friends. For starters, all can sting you. That said, you may derive
Read More »
Do Cow Farts Really Significantly Contribute to Global Warming?
Shawn asks: Do cow farts really significantly contribute to global warming? There are currently approximately 1.3 to 1.5 billion cows grazing, sleeping, and chewing their cud at any given time on planet Earth. And
Read More »
When a New York Yankee Beat an Ostrich in a Spaghetti-Eating Contest
The date was April 3, 1919. The location was the South Side Pavilion in sunny Jacksonville, Florida. The occasion was a much-hyped competition of gastronomical strength between Ping Bodie, the five foot eight and
Read More »
Disordered Hyperuniformity – The State of Matter Found in a Chicken’s Eye
Despite what you learned in grammar school, there are way more than four states of matter. One possible new one, disordered hyperuniformity, was recently found in the weirdest place – the eyes of chickens.
Read More »
The Differences Between Rabbits and Hares
Scott asks: What’s the difference between hares and rabbits? Is it just two names for the same thing? Rabbits and hares are often confused for one another, so much so that to many the
Read More »
The Horses of World War I
When you think of World War I, you probably think of the technology that made this war so deadly: tanks, machine guns, gas attacks, and bombs. With so many deadly weapons at their disposal,
Read More »
Sergeant Stubby: The Most Decorated Dog of WWI
Today I found out about Sergeant Stubby, the most decorated war dog of WWI. When he was a puppy in 1917, Stubby was wandering around the fields of Yale University. Private Robert J. Conroy
Read More »
From Billions to Zero in 50 Years: The Extinction of the Passenger Pigeon
Martha was a very lonely bird. She had once been part of a pair, with her male counterpart George, but he had died several years before. So, for the final years of her life,
Read More »
The Creepy Scolopendra Gigantea Centipede
Skittering along at about an inch off the ground, one of the most vicious predators on the planet is often smaller than its prey, blind as a bat and utterly freaking creepy. Giant Centipede
Read More »
There Is Technically No Such Thing as an Electric Eel
Myth: Electric “eels” exist. There are, however, electric fish: eight-foot long, 600 volt, mouth breathing, alligator-killing fish. Electrophorus electricus Although there are a number of fish that produce an electric charge, the species that
Read More »
The World’s Most Expensive Cup of Coffee
According to a 2013 survey, over eighty three percent of Americans drink coffee in the morning and the average citizen drinks multiple cups per day. Between the dark brew, the flavored lattes, the frozen
Read More »
Why Dalmatians are Associated with Fire Fighters
Today I found out why Dalmatians are commonly firehouse dogs. Dalmatians as firehouse dogs have become so common in books and movies that it’s practically a stereotype. It turns out that Dalmatians actually really
Read More »
The Man-Eating Lions of Tsavo
Today I found out about the man-eaters of Tsavo. In 1898, the British were in the process of building a railway bridge over the Tsavo River in Tsavo, Kenya. Over the next nine to
Read More »
Emus vs. Humans: The Great Emu War of 1932
Today I found out about the Great Emu War of 1932. Emus are native to Australia, and as everyone knows, nearly everything in Australia seems capable of killing you. If the sun doesn’t do
Read More »
Did Unicorns Ever Exist?
Kara asks: Did unicorns ever exist? On November 30, 2012, the Korean Central News Agency, North Korea’s government “news” agency, reported that scientists had “reconfirmed” the existence and location of the final resting place
Read More »
