› added 7 years ago

368

The tiny bugs are marketed as a quick fix, but the body of evidence is miniscule.

Read more popsci.com

jN6KR You probably know that your visual perception of the world is a bit different than your pets’. Dogs see things with less color than humans, snakes can see infrared, and if you have a pet bull, it lives in a world where red and green are the same color. This brings up a good question. Why do you have a pet bull? You should get a cat instead, and when you do, it is important to know that your new friend can’t focus on objects farther than 20 feet away. The point is, animals have evolved to see in a variety of ways. But how can we see things through their eyes? Marine biologist and National Geographic Emerging Explorer David Gruber collaborated with a research team to develop lights and camera filters that allowed him to do just that, underwater. Through their work, the team discovered biofluorescence in an abundance of aquatic species. This “glowing” trait has to do with how an organism absorbs and emits light. Research has indicated that this radiance is possibly used for communication and camouflage. One caveat: You need a certain species of eyes (or David’s camera) to see it. Swell sharks (Cephaloscyllium ventriosum) have fluorescent proteins inside their skin, which are triggered by the ocean’s blue light, becoming visible to other swell sharks. David’s camera has special yellow filters that allow the simulation of a swell shark’s vision. It turns out there is a massive rave going on 500 meters below the ocean’s surface, and one of the glowing guests is a type of cat shark!
LkLPQ TIL that Ivory Coast built a church copied from the St. Peter's Basilica to surpass it as the highest church in the world. Upon completion the pope only agreed to consecrate it, if the overall height was lower than the Vatican Basilica and if there would be built a hospital next to it.
Wkny8 TIL of the Turnspit Dog, a breed used to run in wheels in kitchens to roast food but now completely extinct.
ZpvjR TIL that there was an elector dispute in Hawaii during the 1960 presidential election (the first since Hawaii joined the U.S. as a state). One set of electors was certified for Nixon, but a recount determined a different set of electors for Kennedy. VP Nixon asked Congress to accept Kennedy's.
x6lEB TIL the American taxpayer helped pay for Coca Cola's bottling plants worldwide so they could expand internationally during WW2