Fun Facts We Didn't Need To Know

[WhistlingBadger]

Changing topics

Fish are Adapting to Weightlessness on the Chinese Space Station

Four zebrafish are alive and well after nearly a month in space aboard China’s Tiangong space station. As part of an experiment testing the development of vertebrates in microgravity, the fish live and swim within a small habitat aboard the station. While the zebrafish have thus far survived...

www.universetoday.com

My first thought was "Only four??? They need a bigger group than that! I wonder what their water parameters are..." I never really thought of "gravity" as a water parameter.

 

[gwand]

Cook your game thoroughly.

Family infected with parasitic worms in US after eating bear meat, CDC says

Six people who ate a meal in South Dakota in 2022 with black bear meat diagnosed with trichinellosis, a parasitic zoonotic disease

www.theguardian.com

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Cook your game thoroughly.

Family infected with parasitic worms in US after eating bear meat, CDC says

Six people who ate a meal in South Dakota in 2022 with black bear meat diagnosed with trichinellosis, a parasitic zoonotic disease

www.theguardian.com

I'm not against leaving hoofed game at medium rare, but bear meat is basically pork, as far as the potential for parasites and such. Likewise any critter of the rabbit-hare clan. Always cook to well-done.

 

[gwand]

Another unforeseen consequence of fish farms.

Novel virus identified in zebrafish from the pet trade causes disease in laboratory fish

Zebrafish in the pet trade are asymptomatic carriers of previously undescribed microbes, including a novel virus that causes hemorrhaging in infected laboratory fish, Marlen Rice from the University of Utah, US, and colleagues report in the open-access journal PLOS Biology.

phys.org

 

[gwand]

Killifish help science

These Tiny Fish 'Unlocked' Ancient Genes to Survive Months-Long Droughts

Living in a semi-arid region, the African turquoise killifish has developed a handy biological hack to survive months-long droughts that parch its muddy ponds each year.

www.sciencealert.com

 

[gwand]

We finally know why male anglerfish evolved into sex parasites

Sexual parasitism is wild. Here is how it works for anglerfish.

www.zmescience.com

 

[gwand]

Not so fun facts for the USA

How Homicide Rates by U.S. State Have Changed Since 2012

See how homicide rates by state have increased across most of the United States from 2012 to 2022, with only a few exceptions.

www.visualcapitalist.com

 

[GaryE]

Killifish help science

These Tiny Fish 'Unlocked' Ancient Genes to Survive Months-Long Droughts

Living in a semi-arid region, the African turquoise killifish has developed a handy biological hack to survive months-long droughts that parch its muddy ponds each year.

www.sciencealert.com

This deals with one species, but there are many with this ability, in both eastern Africa and South America. There's still a lot to learn there. although looking at the rate of extinction of these fish, there is less to learn with as we go along.

 

[gwand]

Reported birth of rare white buffalo calf in Yellowstone park fulfills Lakota prophecy

The reported birth of a rare white buffalo calf in Yellowstone National Park fulfills a Lakota prophecy that portends better times.

apnews.com

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Reported birth of rare white buffalo calf in Yellowstone park fulfills Lakota prophecy

The reported birth of a rare white buffalo calf in Yellowstone National Park fulfills a Lakota prophecy that portends better times.

apnews.com

Well, it's always good to hear that good times are on the way. As long as some touron doesn't try to put the calf in their car because it looks cold...

 

[Magnum Man]

or try to get too close & touch it and get flipped into the air, so they can put the "over protective" mother down

 

[GaryE]

A fun fact no one needs is that when we were in North Dakota and an old bull buffalo decided to charge our car (we were just driving along a dirt road), escaping by driving up a dead end road means you have to go back and pass the ornery old guys again. The second time we met he just gave us a look of withering contempt.

Hopefully, this calf can grow far from human interference, which would be better times for any buffalo.

 

[gwand]

Lord of the Rings fans take note

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/13/science/new-piranha-pacu-species-sauron-amazon-scn/index.html

 

[gwand]

Are our fish conscious?

Are animals conscious? Some scientists now think they are

A series of experiments have led a number of scientists to say animals may be conscious.

www.bbc.com

 

[GaryE]

Are our fish conscious?

Are animals conscious? Some scientists now think they are

A series of experiments have led a number of scientists to say animals may be conscious.

www.bbc.com

These are fun facts I think we need to know.

Our species has told ourselves we're special for a very long time, and we've been scared of the implications of our not being as special as we'd like.