bleimanb

User Image

Posts by this author

October 22, 2007
Scientists were startled last month when they discovered that mangrove killifish, a fish native to Florida, Central America and the Caribbean, spend weeks of the year living in the rotten branches of trees, fully out of the water. The fish typically live in pools of water made by the roots of…
October 18, 2007
Scientists at the University of Puerto Rico have discovered that sea cucumbers heal better than most animals in the world by directing their healing abilities toward their organs first. Scientists have long known that sea cucumbers belong to an exclusive group of creatures that is capable of both…
October 12, 2007
A UK-based company recently unveiled a new mousetrap that utilizes technology rather than Monterey jack to capture and then slaughter adorable mice. The company, Rentokil (nope, not kidding), has developed a contraption that looks like the opening to a tunnel, preying on mice's natural curiosity…
October 10, 2007
Scientists working in Yellowstone National Park have shown how pregnant and new mother moose use humans to help ward off potential predators. Why did the moose cross the road? The scientists tracked a number of moose starting in the year 1995 to study their movements over time. They found, to…
October 5, 2007
In a breakthrough heralded by some as "a major advancement toward the annihilation of the human species," a military contractor known as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) is utilizing robotic hybrid insects for surveillance and intel gathering. Using microelectromechanical…
October 2, 2007
Big Major Cay, an island in the Exuma Chain of the Bahamas is home to some very determined pigs. There are various theories about the origins of these once domestic pigs, but whether abandoned there by a farmer or dumped overboard during a storm, there they remain, alone in piggy paradise. The…
October 1, 2007
Have you ever noticed that your friends who make out with giant poisonous lizards never have diabetes? Now we know why! As it turns out, gila monsters, a type of large, carnivorous, poisonous lizard native to the Southern U.S. and Northern Mexico have a kind of hormone in their salivary glands…
September 28, 2007
Birds have the ability to sense the Earth's magnetic field, and now scientists believe that they may actually "see" it with their eyes. According to a study posted on PLoS, a molecule known to be in birds' eyes that is sensitive to magnetic fields is directly linked to a part of birds' brains where…
September 26, 2007
Researchers have discovered that bat bugs, an African insect, have developed an interesting evolutionary trait to protect themselves from....themselves. According to this article on nationalgeographic.com, bat bugs--a relative and fellow blood sucker to bed bugs--have a pretty gruesome mating…
September 25, 2007
Ok, so there isn't much scientific merit to this, but who cares? Bats are my (Benny's) favorite animals! This shot of an insectivorous bat won the prestigious British Visions of Science and Technology award. Keep reading for some more sweet zoological shots from the competition's "Short List," and…
September 20, 2007
Tired of sneezing all the time? Just inject a bunch of parasitic worms into your system and say goodbye to those pesky allergies. How can you stay mad at this face? Scientists are looking at the possibility of using hookworms to combat hay fever, asthma and even Crohn's disease. The worms grow to…
September 12, 2007
Deep in a cave off the coast of South Kona, Hawaii, marine biologist Marc Hughes discovered what he'd been seeking for years, a totally unspectacular new species of fish. Hughes was diving in the cave when he noticed a brown fish about 6 inches long swimming nearby. According to Hughes he…
September 10, 2007
Aye-ayes do not respond well to light, and you must never, ever feed them after midnight. According to a new study conducted by Brian Verrelli a researcher at the Biodesign Institute, aye-ayes, a rare primate found only in Madagascar have the genes to see in color, even though they are completely…
September 5, 2007
Northern Finland is experiencing its largest lemming migration in 20 years, according to this article in Helsingin Sanomat's "International Edition" (we never miss an issue!). Though the little rodents (Norway lemmings, Lemus lemus) have not yet begun swarming in a locust-like frenzy, they have…
September 4, 2007
Hey, gentlemen. Have you ever been throwing down some mean game, only to have your voluptuous prospect stolen from right under your nose by some guy with greasy hair who doesn't speak a word of your native tongue and is dressed like an extra in Saturday Night Fever? Well, you're not alone, and…
August 22, 2007
Peter's elephantnose fish has long been a laughing stock of scientists. But now, due to a new study by researchers at the University of Bonn, Germany, the hilarious looking creature's reputation might improve due to an astonishing attribute. He's got the whole world....in his nose! According to…
August 21, 2007
Squirrels in California have developed a clever method of intimidating rattlesnakes. According to a recent article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, when confronting rattlesnakes, California ground squirrels heat their tails and shake them vigorously. The process works like…