For 62 years, the only proof that Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna ever existed was a single specimen, recovered in 1961 from the Cyclops Mountains of New Guinea. In the interim, this quill-covered, egg-laying mammal (named for the British naturalist David Attenborough) vanished from the scientific radar. After all that time, you might think, it would’ve been perfectly reasonable to presume the creature extinct. But then, in 2007, an expedition stumbled upon evidence of its survival: “no ...read more
When April 8’s solar eclipse arrives, more than 42 million North Americans living under the path of totality, as well as uncounted millions nearby, will be watching the weather forecast for the prospects of a cloud-free sky. However, those skies could pose a challenge: April is a month that struggles to get out from under the clouds as winter reluctantly gives way to spring.Useful forecasts can’t be made much more than a week ahead, but satellite-based observations of cloud coverage beginnin ...read more
In the 1980s, Koko had a clear message for the humans at The Gorilla Foundation in California. Koko, a western lowland gorilla, was the first gorilla to communicate through sign language. She used her newly acquired skills to let her people know she wanted a pet cat.Koko was soon given a kitten, whom she named All Ball, and cuddled closely. Photos of Koko squeezing her little cat were published around the world. The little grey kitty’s head was barely visible in Koko’s loving arms.Koko wasn ...read more
Sprinkling nature’s dust, or bee pollen, on food as a supplement is a recent hot topic for ‘superfoods.’ The mixture of flower pollen, nectar, bee secretions, honey, and enzymes is thought to provide a source of amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and other health compounds.Historically, various ancient civilizations used bee pollen medicinally worldwide. Starting in 13,000 B.C., Ancient Romans and then Native Americans used bee pollen for energy and food on long trips. The Māori in New ...read more
If you’ve ever watched a gymnast effortlessly sink into splits, or seen a prostrate yogi arch their back forward until they feet land inexplicably on either side of their head, then you’ve witnessed a painful truth: Flexibility is not distributed equally.That’s not to say rigidity is a life sentence — just because you can’t touch your toes today doesn’t mean you never will. There are indeed reasons behind the huge variation in suppleness, but they are (at least to some degree) under ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine