Awesome Science

2022-05-11 10:00:16 Scientists believe that Galápagos tortoises migrated from South America to the archipelago some two to three million years ago. By 1835, when Charles Darwin arrived for the expedition that would ultimately inspire his theory of natural selection, these tortoises had evolved into distinct yet closely related species. The similarities among the animals were so striking that scientists long debated whether they were actually different types of the same species. Open / Comment

2022-05-10 17:07:19 These incredible fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) pave over a sticky surface using glass beads to make the way to food easier to navigate. In the laboratory experiments they would only bother to do this if the food lure was within 20 cm though.

Clever little beastie

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2022-05-10 14:25:30 Experts have found that monkeys can swim and dive like humans. Their movements in water can be more complex than those of other land mammals.

It is known that in the wild, monkeys are afraid of water and almost always die in a body of water. Using this fact, many zoos have long used ditches filled with water around the primate habitat.

Scientists at Wits University taught chimpanzees to swim and let them into the pool. In the water, the chimpanzees made sweeping movements that resembled those of a Brassist swimmer.

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𝙰𝚠𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚂𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 Open / Comment

2022-05-09 22:00:03 This cutie is called the thornback ray or also known as Raja clavata, or thornback skate, and is a species of ray fish in the family Rajidae.

Like all rays, the thornback ray has a flattened body with broad, wing-like pectoral fins. The body is kite-shaped with a long, thorny tail. The back is covered in numerous thorny spines, as is the underside in older females. Adult fish can grow to 1 meter (3.3 ft.) in length, although most are less than 85 centimeters (33 in). This ray can weigh from 4.5 to 8.75 lb. (2 to 4 kg).
Their colors vary from light brown to grey with darker blotches and numerous small darker spots and yellow patches. Sometimes the yellow patches are surrounded by small dark spots. The underside is creamy-white with a greyish margin. When threatened they can appear black.

𝙰𝚠𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚂𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 Open / Comment

2022-05-09 19:00:08 If you think an octopus is the only chameleon in the sea, you might not know about the pufferfish! Pufferfish camouflage by changing their color according to the environment around them.

Puffers change their color to a lighter or darker shade to match with their surroundings. Their left eye and right eye also help them to look in different directions, which means they can look at two things at the same time. These two features act as defense mechanisms to protect them from predators by seeing them from different directions or by puffing themselves up.

They also seem like moody fishes! Puffers have a wide range of color changes, depending on their mood and time of day.

𝙰𝚠𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚂𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 Open / Comment

2022-05-09 14:39:20 This is the catalytic oxidation of ammonia, using chromium III oxide. Don’t try this at home!

The flask contains concentrated ammonia, the chromium III oxide is heated up in a deflagrating spoon and then tipped in the flask.

The reaction is exothermic, and the particles of the oxide become very hot and they will spark, dance, and float in the convection currents that are created in the flask.

𝙰𝚠𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚂𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 Open / Comment

2022-05-09 10:45:19 The camera is stabilized relative to the Milky Way, which shows how our planet rotates

wow I love it! Have you seen this before?

𝙰𝚠𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚂𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 Open / Comment

2022-05-08 19:43:14 WHY DO SEAGULLS DO THE "RAIN DANCE"?

The "rain dance" is the tapping of seagulls' feet on the grass. That is, the birds stomp on the ground, imitating the vibration of the rain.

Seagulls use this "stomp dance" to lure worms and other insects from under the ground upwards. That is, this deceptive way helps birds get food.

𝙰𝚠𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚂𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 Open / Comment

2022-05-08 13:49:20 Blue-spotted stingrays

The stingray spike is a formidable weapon and is used by it for defense. Large reef sharks, which are the main enemies of stingrays, often carry spike fragments on their heads, testifying of past skirmishes.

The spike itself is motionless, but acting with its tail like a whip, the stingray can deliver a very powerful blow. The force of the blow is such that the spike can easily pierce leather shoes or several layers of clothing and enter deeply into the body of a person who accidentally disturbed the stingray lying somewhere near the beach.

The venom penetrating the puncture wound is very toxic and causes severe spasmodic pain. This causes blood pressure to drop, heart palpitations, vomiting, and sometimes muscle paralysis. There have been known cases where stingray stings have been fatal.

𝙰𝚠𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚂𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 Open / Comment

2022-05-07 20:00:10 This marble machine device does not break any laws of thermodynamics, but it sure looks like it! The base contains a power source and very clever mechanism.

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