Wiki World

Ants Know Friend or Foe by Scent

If you are human, knowing one's enemies is easy. The brain evaluates another person as to whether he/she is friendly or not. It may be necessary to work alongside an enemy but the enemy tag still remains. Insects do not have have such advanced brain power to discriminate friend or foe.

Ants need a frame of reference to identify who they have to attack. When an ant from a colony meets an ant from another and they fight, the ants keep a memory of the enemies' odor. This occurs even though they may be of the same species. The "smell of fear" is passed on to fellow ants in the same colony. Ants also use scent to know other ants in their colony.

In tests individual ants were familiarized with individuals from another colony. They could see each other. Actual contact was prevented. When 20 intruders were placed near to the other colony they were attacked despite attackers knowing the other ants.

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Entomology

Box Car Cat

"Where's the steering wheel?"

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Funny Animal Photos

Handwriting Shows Whether a Person Has Heart Problems

Just as jerky handwriting can indicate that a person has cancer, so handwriting shows if a person has heart disease. Christina Strang gave a presentation at the International Graphonomics Society in Melbourne stating that she examined the handwriting of over 1,000 people in their 60s.

The handwriting expert magnified handwriting looking for traits such as momentary stop-starts, location of dots, odd shaped 'o's, etc. She found that people with cardiac problems had more "resting dots" in the upper parts of 'a', 'e' and 'o's, vis-a-vis the control group.

Doctors have dismissed the findings as being too general and unscientific, in much the same way as they did with similar research into Alzheimer's, Huntington's and Parkinson's diseases.

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Health

Kitten Sleeps

"Stop laughing. I can't sleep."

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Funny Animal Photos

Gene Therapy on the Brain Dangerously Changes Neuron Structure

Gene therapy for brain injuries and illnesses may be a good thing, but this treatment changes the shape of brain cells. Researchers in Western Australia say there is nothing to worry about because damaged brain cells regenerate or live longer. They say this when there is no proof that in the long term everything will be alright.

They say it is wonderful how brains cells function better after nine months of treatment. Apparently, the neurons become round due to new growth-promoting genes that stimulate them. The fact that surrounding genes away from the treatment area also change is in my opinion something to worry about. Obviously, when this occurs it cannot be reversed.

Doctors admit that the way neurons deal with information after treatment is never the same again. Furthermore, they suspect that the long-term effects may not be beneficial to the patient. It is a good thing that researchers are looking for a way to stop gene therapy in its tracks if anything goes wrong.

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Health

Dog Flies

"Who says I can't fly?"

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Funny Animal Photos

Australian Fisheries Management Authority in League With Greenies

If you are a business the Greenies can close you down. It's no good protesting about it. Just accept it, sack your staff, and close. That's the message that comes across in the case of a shark fishery in South Australia.

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority has introduced draconian new rules in its protected zones. It is spelled out that when a "trigger point" is reached everything must stop. The authority took the advice of environmentalists and reduced the number of deaths of protected species from 15 down to one as the trigger point.

Because a sea lion was killed the shark fishery must close and apply to reopen in May of 2013. An environmental spokesperson said, "We're pleased that there's now a process in place so that when there are animals killed that steps can be taken in the management of the fishery to make sure that the deaths are limited."

This is shortsighted. Businesses cannot operate in this way. When May 2013 comes around it will not open again. Ex-workers will probably be on unemployment benefits and what little capital that can be gained from a company compulsorily closed will be invested elsewhere.

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Marine

Cats in a Tough World

"It's a tough world out there."

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Funny Animal Photos

Believe it - X-ray with Cellotape

It is possible to see through sticky tape. But such tape can also help you see through things! The action of peeling tape off a roll actually produces x-rays.If the tape is quickly stuck to a finger bones become visible. This was not discovered by someone actually seeing that this happens, even though it has been obvious for anyone to see for years. People are funny that way - put something under their nose and they won't see it. Actually, it was discovered by Russian scientists who noticed that peeling tape from a roll created bursts of x-rays seen on a meter.

The Russians increased x-ray emissions by peeling the tape off in a vacuum. The scientists were shocked to make the discovery. They could not believe that no one had actually observed this occurring by trial and error.

It works by triboluminescence. When tape is pulled from the roll the sticky acrylic becomes positively charged, while the roll remains negatively charged. For a billionth of a second the negative ions on the tape "bang" into the roll, i.e., electricity flows. This creates x-rays.

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Science

Cat Thinks

"Let me give it some thought - I'll get back to you."

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Funny Animal Photos

Venus Orbit Not Constant

It is presumed that planets are changing orbital speed at exceedingly slow rates and it will take millions of years for any significant alteration in the "balance" of orbits in the solar system. This theory has recently been confounded.

Venus was thought to be in a fixed orbit of 243.0185 days, but when astronomers went looking for it, it was found 20 kilometers further back than it should have been. Calculations showed the orbit had slowed by 6.5 minutes.

This will mean that computer computations will have to be altered for future planetary probes to Venus. This is a drastic rethink for scientists. For some reason Venus is affected more by fierce weather conditions and planetary gravitational interaction than other planets.

There could be a simpler explanation. Venus could be travelling at different rates in its orbit due to getting close to other planets. It could be a normal slow down period.

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Astronomy

Bear Boy

"This is my boy, see. Look after him will yuh."

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Funny Animal Photos

Sugar is Killing People

We are consuming sugar in increasingly greater amounts as more of it is being added to processed food. Some blame the obesity epidemic on sugar intake alone because people on high-fat, low-carb diets lose weight. There is an unclear link between high sugar intake on levels of heart disease and diabetes. Whether high-carb causes cancer is even less clear.

Half of table sugar is fructose which causes fat to build up on the liver. The liver is put out of balance so the body's insulin level is raised. More palmate is also created by the liver which leads to heart disease. Hypertension is believed to increase breast cancer and cancer of the colon.

The combination of high blood sugar, excess body fat and high blood pressure in a patient is called metabolic syndrome. Sufferers ultimately get very sick.

Mankind in the natural state has relied on tubers, fruit and meat for sustenance. Sugar is a new substance and human beings do not have natural resistance to cope with it. Considering sugar intake has increased three fold in the last 50 years, it it not surprising that calls are being made to ban or limit the availability of sugar.

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Society

Cat Serves Time

"They say I've got to serve my time."

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Funny Animal Photos

Whales Sing a Different Song

It was believed that all whales spoke the same language like a bird species, for example, where all the birds have the same song. New observations show that whales sing different songs depending on where they live in the world.

Humpbacks on either side of the Indian Ocean do not sing the same song. Western Australian whales would not be able to "understand" whales in Madagascar. The two groups have been isolated from each other for a long time.

It would be expected that whales in the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere would differ, but the Indian Ocean whales are quite close to each other. The southern whales only have one similar song theme. A song is a series of themes.

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Biology

Wild Cat

"Be afraid. Be very afraid!"

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Funny Animal Photos

Man Fined for Drink Driving, a Horse!

You may think that having a drink and riding a horse is perfectly alright, but you would be wrong! If you are over the alcohol limit (the level for drivers of motor vehicles) then you will be charged for "drink driving".

A hydraulic-hose fitter in Mount Isa has been fined $900 for riding a horse after drinking. He thought he could get around being disqualified for three years for driving his car while intoxicated.

He had already gone home. Yet he chose to go back for more drink. That is when he was caught by police. The man has now got the message and will not ride the horse while intoxicated again.

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Society

Sheep Kid

"I know your only a sheep, but I still love you."

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Funny Animal Photos

Magic Mushrooms Could Be Beneficial for Mental Health

Shamans of Central and South America used "magic" mushrooms when they supposedly took a journey into the life beyond. In this zone they made claims of being able to forecast the future. A test was done by the American Dr Andrija Puharich who held hands with a shaman as they took the mushroom together. Puharich reported that he and the shaman went down spiral stairs into the underworld. In other words they actually shared a mystical trance state. If this really occurred it means that people do not lead separate lives from each other. One person can drift into ecstasy when they take a drug, but two people? That puts a different perspective on things.

Psilocybin, the chemical in magic mushrooms, was thought to excite the brain but new findings show the chemical reduces brain activity by suppressing neural firing in communication hubs, while at the same time stimulating the frontal cortex. Shamans and witchdoctors have taken drugs from plants they collected to give them spiritual powers for centuries. These drugs are now being tested to find out if they can be used to treat depression, anxiety and mental health in general.

The brains of a group of people were scanned with fMRI while they were under the influence of Psilocybin. Results showed that blood flow was reduced to communication centres. With these centres desensitized there would be a tendency for the mind to wander. The sense of self would also be reduced. Users of the drug say their ability to recall events that happened in the distant past was improved. There are plans for tests on cancer sufferers to determine if taking psilocybin can lessen anxiety in patients.

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Health

Dog Not Listening

"I am not listening!"

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Funny Animal Photos

The Month in Which You Are Born Affects Later Life

Horoscopes may be the formulation of words that can mean just about anything, but the month you are born in does affect your behavior. This can be taken further - the season in which you are born dictates temperament, longevity and susceptibility to disease.

Obviously a baby born in winter is liable to catch a cold. This can sometimes be life threatening. A summer baby will probably be happier and more active. Research in England shows that 17 per cent of men are obese if born from January to March. This falls to 9.4 per cent for those born from October to December. It is because winter babies lay on more fat which stays on for life.

Age does affect how we turn out, however. American tests show women under 45 who were winter babies were risk takers and became bored quickly. On the other hand Women over 45 lost their curiosity and were no longer bored, a reversal of behavior. Serotonin and dopamine level are believed to be the cause of this. These fluctuate over time.

Summer babies have a greater chance of being schizophrenic. Spring babies are generally taller. Apparently, more sunshine increases the level of melatonin in mothers which stimulates production of the growth hormone. There is a downer for spring babies: they are more likely to get multiple sclerosis. Autumn babies live longer. Furthermore, autumn and winter babies are prone to allergies.

Don't worry if you were born in winter: data is (are) just data anyway. And as many scientist will tell you - lying with statistics is common practice.

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Society

Cats Play Piano

"You play low. I'll play high."

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Funny Animal Photos

Tasmanian Glow Worms Can Tell the Time

Glow worms can tell the time. Yes it's true! An Australian researcher has found that glow worms "light up" during daylight hours, even though they are in total darkness 24 hours a day.

It is only a Tasmanian species of glow worm, however. Mainland species glow day and night. It is not known how they detect that it is daylight outside the cave.

It is thought that a chimney effect occurs in a cave, whereby air is "breathed" in and out from outside. This probably causes a change in temperature. Glow worms possibly use the temperature stimulus to choose when to glow and when not to glow.

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Biology

Birthday Dog

"You know I'm three mum!."

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Funny Animal Photos

Japanese Whalers Break International Law

The Japanese whaling ship Yushin Maru No.3 has broken international law. While chasing the Greenpeace vessel Sea Shepherd the Japanese whaler crossed into an Australian Antarctic zone. It was within the 12-mile limit of Macquarie Island. The Sea Shepherd has an image of its radar showing the position of the Japanese ship.

In 2008 the Australian Federal Court prohibited the Japanese company carry out whaling in the Antarctic from entering the Australian whale sanctuary. Management of Kyodo Senpaku Kaishu clearly know this, but have their captains been told? The Yushin Maru N0.3 was so busy chasing the Sea Shepherd that it lost contact with the factory ship Nisshin Maru. This is no excuse, however.

Another Japanese whaler Shonan Maru No.2 was tailing the Steve Irwin. What this cat and mouse game is trying to achieve is anyone's guess. After all, it is the Greenpeace ships that are trying to find the chasers. They are doing Greenpeace a favor by staying within view. The Japanese ships can hardly attack Greenpeace vessels to prevent them from locating the factory ship. They could throw some rotten fruit for all the good that would do.

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Law

Carpet Cat

"You did get the right carpet."

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Funny Animal Photos

Pharmaceutical Medicines in Short Supply

People are taking more prescription drugs. Western countries including Australia make them easy to obtain because they are heavily subsidized. As developing countries move forward they too are inclined to make medications available to everyone. We take it for granted that all medicines will be "out there" ready to buy.

Last year in the US 196 common drugs were in short supply. Less than 100 ran short in 2006. Most of the medications were for anaesthetic, cancer or anti-infection use. Recently, shortages became apparent in Australia. Use of alternative drugs is not ideal. Side effects and less effective treatment occur.

It seems pharmaceutical manufacturers are only interested in producing products with safe patents that have high profit margins. When patents expire and governments want cheap generic drugs they are becoming harder to obtain. Governments are economically inelastic when it comes to what they will pay. They offer drug companies a fixed amount - take it or leave it. If there is no profit margin, in the future there will be no drugs.

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Health

Dog Fight

"Whoa! That was sudden."

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Funny Animal Photos

Dolphins Practice Whale-Talk at Night

Dolphins and whales are related. When dolphins are sleeping they show this. In the day they are quite unlike whales. Dolphins show off by jumping, swimming and catching balls. At night, however, they appear to "speak" a whale language.

The sounds they express closely resemble the humpback whale song. They only do this after they have heard the song. The song was in a soundtrack played during a performance for the public. This is an indication how all mammals deal with new things. The brain works on new things below the level of consciousness.

So well imitated were the whale sounds that tests done on them by volunteers showed people thought they were real whale sound. Dolphins mimic other types of sounds during the day, but they tend to zero in on whale sounds at night showing the evolutionary link.

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Marine

Beaver Looks Down

"What you doin' down there?"

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Funny Animal Photos

Cleanliness Causes Type 1 Diabetes

First we have a clean childhood leading to Crohn's disease. Now we have cleanliness causing type 1 diabetes. Both, apparently, are caused by the same thing - the lack of "bugs" in the stomach.

In the case of Crohn's disease it is the absence of worms. With diabetes it is too few bacteria. Tests on mice showed that a completely germ free environment when young increased the frequency of mice developing type 1 diabetes. Much fewer mice got diabetes when exposed to bacteria.

Future treatment could involve people taking medication containing bacteria. Potential sufferers of diabetes can already be identified by testing their genetic make-up.

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Health

Cat Watches TV

"What rubbish they put on TV during the day."

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Funny Animal Photos

Male Bower Bird Deludes the Female

Human males often lie to female partners to make them bond more and ultimately become a lifelong mate. Whether the female is aware of this doesn't seem to matter. Even when she knows, her affection is stronger than accepting she has been duped.

Male great bower birds also deceive females. He makes an intricate, often beautiful, structure to lure a prospective mate. First a bower is constructed which consists of twigs piled on top of each other. Then a walkway is built with an arch big enough for both birds to walk through. The final sweetener is the cache of rocks, shells, bones and fruit.

The male bird carefully places each piece of the cache either further away or at the front of the display to look better from the perspective of the female. He picks up each article waving it in front of her. The deception is that large objects are place further away and small objects are placed toward the front.

She is transfixed by his display and while "hypnotized" he mates with her. Sometimes she is not impressed and will not go into the swoon state. To prevent this, males will trash the work of rivals. Males of other species such as gray parrots, mistle thrush and pigeons deceive females as well.

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Wildlife

Penguin and Seal Debate

"What do you mean it's your spot?" It ain't your spot!

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Funny Animal Photos

Global Warming Changes Fish Behavior

Animals will not only die if they remain in regions affected by global warning, they will not know what they are doing. Research shows that rising carbon dioxide changes the behavior of fish.

Carbon dioxide makes the acidity of ocean water rise. Like humans, fish rely on nerve cells to "perceive" the environment they live in, like detecting hot and cost, pain or painless. They also have to rely on environmental cues to behave in a particular way. Fish smell predators so they normally move away from them, but high acidity in the water makes the smell attractive. Small fish move too close to predators, so they are easily caught and eaten.

Fish behave this way due to their nerve cells trying to maintain a balance with the environment. With a rise in carbon dioxide and acidity, bicarbonate and chloride levels rise inside nerve cells, so a feeling of security is not turned off by the smell of predators. A switching chemical, GABA, becomes irregular opening nerves which suddenly release all of the bicarbonate and chloride. This causes dramatic changes in fish behavior.

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Biology

Subliminal Advertising Actually Works

For years we have been told that subliminal messages on television and in films has no affect on us. Now we are informed that they do indeed work very well.

It is known that people pick up signals by intuition from other people. For example, poker players seem to know when their opponent has a good or bad hand. They don't know how - they just do.

A study sandwiched a subliminal picture for less than 50 milliseconds between two "normal" images. The subjects could then choose between two symbols, one being the sandwiched picture, to win money. The result was, subjects actually made money. MRI scans done at the time identified the ventral striatum region of the brain being the most active during the intuitive tests.

The research shows that subliminal advertising having a reward system attached can increase sales of a product. We can anticipate an increase in subliminal advertising.

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Society

Ear More

"What?"

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Funny Animal Photos

Saber Tooth Tigers Had Extremely Strong Forelimbs

Long, saberlike teeth could have been a disadvantage for the saber tooth tiger. With a trapped animal struggling with all its strength to escape there is a high probability that the teeth could have been broken. Broken teeth would have significantly reduced the effectiveness of an attack on prey. The tigers would have gone hungry.

Members of the cat family living today have quite short "fangs", too short to break off in a tussle. Fossils show that ancient cats had long canine teeth and very strong forelimbs. The bones of forelimbs were thick. Cross section analysis of their teeth showed they were oval, whereas modern cats are round. Being oval they could More easily snap off. Prey had to be firmly held so they could be dispatched quickly.

The longer the fangs, the sturdier the forelimbs. This is the rule when comparing similar ancient long toothed animals. This highlights convergent evolution, where complimentary traits evolve in different animals filling similar ecological niches.

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Paleonotology

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