Whale
hunting is a "national heritage" in Japan. And whale meat business has rapidly
increased over the years. Japan now kills more of the giant mammals than its consumers
care to eat! In a bid to stem oversupply, the government not only cut meat price, but is
tempting children with whale burger school lunches!
Rarity so rare,
second in 116 years!
An endangered North Island brown kiwi was recently hatched at the
Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, DC. The National Zoo is one of the four zoos in
the world to breed kiwis outside of New Zealand. This little kiwi was only the second of
these rare birds to be born during the zoo's 116-year history. Welcome to the world
birdie!
Ground-shaking Fact
Elephants stomp and trumpet not to scare other animals, but to warn other
elephant herds of an approaching danger. They pick up the signal from the rumbling ground!
A team of scientists recently confirmed this idea. Elephants can detect the vocalisations
and foot stomps that resonate at a particular frequency in the ground. They bunch into a
tighter group and quickly evacuate the area.
Thunderstruck!
The 'Storm Alley' region of Saturn is known for its high
atmospheric activity. It is now in the throes of a stupendous thunderstorm stretching
3,500 kilometres from north to south. Its lightning bolts are more powerful than any earth
storm, says NASA .
The Ape Culture
We all know that all apes behave differently from others. The reason is not
genes or environment, but its social conditions. The behavioural surveys of roughly 370
gorillas in the US zoos showed 48 variations in how individual groups of the apes make
signals, use tools and seek comfort. The distinct patterns, according to the researchers,
were not passed along genetically, but socially. It is a trait of culture. Ape culture!
Creepy Remedy
Ever thought of curing your allergy by infecting your body with a worm? A
team of British scientists is exploring whether a tiny tropical hookworm 'Ancylostoma
duodenale' could provide a cure for Asthma and Hay Fever. The worm will wriggle through
the skin into the lung, through the bloodstream, into the intestine and suck blood from
its walls. This infection will trigger an immune response. Eerie, isn't it?
Micro-ancestor
Guess who is the ancestor of all living things? Not some
giant mammal, but Virus! A new research has revealed that viruses, always regarded as
lowly evolutionary latecomers, may be the precursors of all life on Earth.
Whale
hunting is a "national heritage" in Japan. And whale meat business has rapidly
increased over the years. Japan now kills more of the giant mammals than its consumers
care to eat! In a bid to stem oversupply, the government not only cut meat price, but is
tempting children with whale burger school lunches!
An endangered North Island brown kiwi was recently hatched at the
Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, DC. The National Zoo is one of the four zoos in
the world to breed kiwis outside of New Zealand. This little kiwi was only the second of
these rare birds to be born during the zoo's 116-year history. Welcome to the world
birdie!
Elephants stomp and trumpet not to scare other animals, but to warn other
elephant herds of an approaching danger. They pick up the signal from the rumbling ground!
A team of scientists recently confirmed this idea. Elephants can detect the vocalisations
and foot stomps that resonate at a particular frequency in the ground. They bunch into a
tighter group and quickly evacuate the area.
We all know that all apes behave differently from others. The reason is not
genes or environment, but its social conditions. The behavioural surveys of roughly 370
gorillas in the US zoos showed 48 variations in how individual groups of the apes make
signals, use tools and seek comfort. The distinct patterns, according to the researchers,
were not passed along genetically, but socially. It is a trait of culture. Ape culture!
Ever thought of curing your allergy by infecting your body with a worm? A
team of British scientists is exploring whether a tiny tropical hookworm 'Ancylostoma
duodenale' could provide a cure for Asthma and Hay Fever. The worm will wriggle through
the skin into the lung, through the bloodstream, into the intestine and suck blood from
its walls. This infection will trigger an immune response. Eerie, isn't it?