Science

Science

An Observation of Human-Like Intellect in Insect Life
An Observation of Human-Like Intellect in Insect Life: The Psychology of Insect Brains The fascination with alien-like appearances of insects has led to my observing various insects in their natural environments since 1960. While entomological-based aspects of insects predominantly focus on insectile physiologies and their biochemical typologies, one area related to insect life that is deficient in the research of insect life is an inquiry into possible common attributes it has with the human life forms occupying the planet.
By Jeyn Johnston5 years ago in FYI
A Beautiful and Deadly Place
Ever since I can remember, I have been an avid movie buff. However, some movies make a person think, whether they want to or not. Some of my favorite movies are, like a lot of guys, from the action genre. Of those, over the past twenty-five years, there's been a string of apocalyptic movies that were, we hope, only loosely based on the real-life possibilities about our extinction. From the movie Armageddon, all the way to 2012, movie fans have gone to pay money for the privilege of enjoying cautionary tales of things to come. Perhaps none of those movies were so startling to watch as the aforementioned 2012.
By Jason Ray Morton 5 years ago in FYI
Don't Look Up
When people think of bats and Texas they typically think of the bats under the Congress Avenue bridge in Austin, but it is a little known fact that Houston has its own bats too. Located under the Waugh Bridge where it passes over Buffalo Bayou Park, the Waugh Bridge Bat Colony consists of an estimated 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats, so named because of the lack of webbing or membrane between their tail and their hind legs.
By Zane Larkin5 years ago in FYI
Where did the Phrase “Bye Felicia!” Originate from?
In today’s society we often hear people using the saying “bye Felicia!” as they storm out the door signifying “get out of my face.” It’s used all the time in the everyday modern world. There are some interesting facts on where the saying originated from as well as its actual meaning.
By Sadie Colucci5 years ago in FYI
Do you have Ophidiophobia???
I visited Hawaii back in the 1980's and I was told there were no snakes living there. This is something that I always kept in the back of my mind...because I am very much afraid of snakes. This is known as ophidiophobia. Actually, the human brain is programmed not to like snakes and I don’t find this surprising at all. But I really don’t like snakes at all and for some strange reason they always seem to end up on my porch. I live in Pennsylvania and there are different kinds of snakes, some even poisonous. Now I can't say I have done much research on the snakes in Pennsylvania other than how to keep them away from my porch. But where I live they are mainly Garter snakes although you can’t rule out other types being in the area. Can you believe there was actually a Copperhead snake at the entrance of a Dollar General store in a small neighboring town? Believe me that was the talk of the county! At least, Garter snakes are pretty much harmless. They do not really bother me, they slither away when they see me but I usually call for help to kill them so they don't return. My grandmother was not afraid of them at all and I will never forget her calmly chopping their heads off. Unfortunately, I did not inherit this talent from her!
By Margie Anderson 5 years ago in FYI
The reasons for the extinction of the dinosaurs from the earth
It is rare to think that someone who doesn’t know about the dinosaurs in his or her lifetime. But overall, you can find someone who already knows about the existence of dinosaurs. From our non-sanguine conviction, we can expect that the dinosaurs have extinct because of the outer space intervention. But in the reality, we not still know what is the genuine cause for the massive extinction from our planet. You never conclude that this enormous giant could not vanish immediately with an outer space influence.
By Manik Roy5 years ago in FYI
Engineers of the forest
I was born in a country where beavers are not a native animal and aren’t given a lot of airtime at school, at home, or in the media. If I remember correctly, my first introduction to anything remotely similar to beavers was through watching The Princess Bride as a child. While making their way through the Fire Swamp, Westley and Princess Buttercup encounter a terrifying R.O.U.S (Rodent of Unusual Size), engage in combat with said R.O.U.S, and eventually defeat him by rolling him onto nearby flames. At the time, this sinister looking creature was described to me as a fictitious mix of a large rat and a beaver, and thus, my (erroneous) perception of the beaver was formed.
By Sa5 years ago in FYI
The Unfortunate Truth about Appetite Suppressants
I have taken it upon myself to shine some light on the social media phenomenon that just completely riles me up yet fascinates me because people still get sucked into the sheer nonsense of it: "fat burning" weight loss drinks and diet pills. Quotation marks are necessary as they are not what they say they are. I do, myself, try to be as optimistic as possible but the old adage, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" seems to have been made for this particular farce.
By Caitlin Fearon5 years ago in FYI
Rainbows
Rainbows have fascinated people for as long as there have been rainbows. But where does the rainbow actually come from? How is light fashioned so that it can create this marvelous display for us to enjoy? And why are the colors always in the same order: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet?
By Denise Brandell Mastrocola5 years ago in FYI
Take the "Apple in the Morning" Challenge
Hold on before you head out to Starbucks first thing before work. The caffeine boost may be desirable, but you might want to pick up a Red Delicious from your fruit bowl as you leave for the day instead. While the old adage "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" has followed us around for generations, in recent years a question has arisen: are apples the way of the future in place of that morning cup of coffee?
By Jillian Spiridon5 years ago in FYI
International Day of Forests
Dr. Jane Goodall started off as a secretary. Good English women were supposed to do secretarial work in the 1960s. They were not supposed to be scientists in an African rainforest back then.
By Emily Viggiani5 years ago in FYI
Talking Trees?
I once read in a biographical essay of J.R.R Tolkien that he was a lover of trees. He would often go on walks and stare at the them for long periods of time, sometimes even talking to them. It's no wonder, then, how the great, talking tree giants, known as Ents, ended up in his stories.
By Rebecca James5 years ago in FYI