October 28, 2015

Did you know that there is a fish with teeth in its throat? The Atlantic wolfish has 4 to 6 large, conical teeth located on both the upper and lower jaws. Behind those front teeth on the upper jaw are rows of crushing teeth, some of which are molars. Now you might be wondering "why so many teeth?" These guys feed primarily on hard shelled mollusks, crustaceans, and echinoderms. In fact, they help keep crab and urchin populations in check. Oh! Did I mention that they can grow to 5 feet long? Not to worry. They don't attack unless provoked.

October 27, 2015

Did you know that cream is less dense than milk? The fat in cream allows it to float on the surface of unhomogenized milk. That is why skim milk is the most dense. Why did I look this up? Here is a picture of my tea. You can see the water portion and cream portion thanks to the difference in density. (Different substances and different temperatures)

October 22, 2015

Did you know that Pluto is almost the same size of Russia? We all know Pluto is very tiny. But how small is it? Pluto's surface area is about 1.67 x 10^7 square kilometers. That's about 3.3% of the surface area of the Earth, which is about the size of Russia.

October 21, 2015

Did you know there's a spider that lives underwater? The water spider doesn't have gills. Instead it spins a web near the surface of the water and collects air bubbles. It then drags its bubble of air around, using it like an oxygen tank. The spider also mates and lays its eggs in this web.

October 20, 2015

Did you know that cute fuzzy caterpillars can be venomous? The puss caterpillar has spines covering its body and each is connected to a gland that secretes venom. With each molt, it becomes even more hairy. If you decide to pet one of these guys, you might end up with spines embedded into your skin. The venom can cause headaches, nausea, muscle spasms, and even convulsions. As difficult as it is for me to accept, cuddling with these guys can send you to the hospital so resist the urge!

October 19, 2015

Did you know that paper wasps secrete a liquid that makes ants stay away from their nest? Paper wasps build an umbrella-shaped nest that is attached to a surface by a single stalk. In order to protect the eggs and larvae from becoming ant food, workers spread a chemical around the base to ward off the intruders.

October 14, 2015

Did you know children getting the flu vaccine for the first time get 2 doses? The first dose prepares the immune system while the second one provides the immunity. The second dose should be given about 28 days after the first. Luckily for healthy children over the age of two, they can get the nasal spray. Yay no needles!

October 13, 2015

Did you know there was a couple in Korea who let their baby die because of their gaming addiction? The couple would put their child to sleep before leaving for 10 hours gaming sessions at an internet cafe. However this neglect lead to the child dying of malnutrition. Oddly enough, their gaming sessions were spent raising a virtual child.

October 9, 2015

Did you know that baby flying foxes use pacifiers like human babies? In the wild, a baby flying fox latches onto its mother's nipple. Volunteers found that using bottle nipples can help calm the baby bats. One caretaker saw that her baby bat would continually drop its pacifier so someone could pick it up. Kind of like a human baby. No?

October 8, 2015

Did you know that in 2008, three hundred baby grey headed flying foxes were rescued? Young orphans usually end up in rescue centers after falling off their mothers during flight. In many cases, older orphans are brought in because their mothers died from either power line electrocution or barb wire entanglement. Because the grey headed flying tends to only have one young each year and the population has been declining, volunteers give up months to raise the little guys. Keep up the good work guys!

October 4, 2015

Did you know it's illegal to collect rainwater in several states? (In all states, it's illegal to collect and distribute rainwater as drinking water without treating it.) However since many of these laws apply to areas where water is scarce, they're actually starting to loosen these restrictions. They hope that this would encourage people to use rainwater instead of tap for things like watering plants.