Science

WTF Fun Fact 13208 – A Flamboyance of Flamingos

A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance. It is also called a “colony” or a “stand,” but as you can imagine, flamboyance is far more popular.

How did it get named a flamboyance of flamingos?

The word “flamboyance” is derived from the French word “flamboyant,” which means “flaming” or “blazing.” It was originally used to describe the flamelike shapes found in the tracery of Gothic architecture, particularly in the late Middle Ages. The term was later used to describe a style of architecture characterized by elaborate and ornate decoration, as well as a flamelike appearance.

In the 19th century, the word began to be used to describe people and things that were showy, flashy, or ostentatious.

What makes flamingos so “fiery”?

Flamingos are social birds, and they tend to live in large groups (or colonies). Their bright pink or orange plumage is caused by pigments in the algae and crustaceans they eat.

The term “flamboyance” was first used to describe groups of flamingos in the 1930s, likely because of the birds’ striking coloration and the way they move in large, coordinated groups.

Their colonies can range in size from a few hundred to several thousand birds. Flamingos also establish a hierarchical social structure. Dominant birds are at the top and are typically larger and stronger. They get the best access to food and breeding sites.

Flamingos are also known for their synchronized behavior. They take off and land together and perform group displays such as head-flagging or wing-saluting during the breeding season. This synchronized behavior is thought to be used for communication and for predator detection.

While the term “flamboyance” has come to refer to any group of flamingos, it can also be used to describe any large, brightly colored group of birds or other animals that move and behave in a coordinated, showy manner. — WTF fun facts

Source: “What is a Group of Flamingos Called? (Complete Guide)” — Birdfact

WTF Fun Fact 13207 – The Headless Chicken Monster

Have you heard of the headless chicken monster of the sea? Well, it’s slightly less exciting than it sounds, but we’re going to tell you about it anyway.

What is the headless chicken monster?

The headless chicken monster is actually a type of sea cucumber. And as you may have guessed, “headless chicken monster” isn’t its real name.

The sea cucumber was discovered in the Southern Ocean near East Antarctica in 2017 and made headlines in 2018. It is called the “headless chicken monster” because it has long, feathery appendages that resemble a chicken’s legs. Oh, and it doesn’t have a head. It uses appendages to move along the seafloor and filter feed on plankton. It has a mouth on the underside of its body.

The scientific name of this species is Enypniastes eximia.

Discovering a “monster”

The creature was seen using an underwater camera system. It’s thought to be the first sea cucumber of its kind to be observed in the Southern Ocean and has yet to be fully studied by scientists.

According to Smithsonian Magazine (cited below):

“While conducting a video survey of the deep, dark waters of the Southern Ocean, Australian researchers recently captured footage of a host of funky creatures that swim about near the sea floor. But the team was particularly surprised when a pink, blob-like animal fluttered into shot, propelled by a little pair of fins. It looked “a bit like a chicken just before you put it in the oven,” Dirk Welsford, the program leader for the Australian Antarctic Division, tells Livia Albeck-Ripka of the New York Times. The researchers had no idea what it was.”

Interestingly, scientists seem to have known about the creature since the 19th century, it’s just rarely sighted. It wasn’t named its own species until the recent footage.

The future of E. eximia

The Southern Ocean is a remote and inhospitable environment, and scientists know very little about the sea creatures that live in this region. The discovery of E. eximia is important because it highlights the diversity of life in the Southern Ocean and the need for further research in this region.

Due to its remote habitat and deep waters where it lives, wildlife officials don’t consider the species endangered. CNN reported that the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) proposed creating three large protected areas along East Antarctica to study the unique marine life there. However, Russia and China have blocked the proposal. — WTF fun facts

Source: “A Rare Sighting of the ‘Headless Chicken Monster‘ of the Sea” — Smithsonian Magazine

WTF Fun Fact 13206 – The Bombardier Beetle

You may have heard of the Bombardier beetle since they have a rather interesting ability. Or as National Geographic (cited below) puts it, “the infamous ability to synthesize and release rapid bursts of stinky, burning-hot liquid from their rear ends.”

Tell me more about the bombardier beetle!

There are actually over 500 species of bombardier beetle (and about 40 in the US alone). These creatures live in many different types of ecosystems. The boiling hot chemicals they can shoot out of their rears as a defense mechanism can reach temperatures up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit. And the beetle can shoot the spray multiple times in quick succession. The spray can also produce a loud popping noise as it is released, adding an extra deterrent.

The details are even more fascinating.

In the bombardier beetle, special cells produce hydroquinones and hydrogen peroxide which then collect in a reservoir. In order to spray, the beetle has to open a valve controlled by a muscle in order to release the chemicals into a separate “reaction chamber.” This chamber is lined with cells that catalyze the chemical reaction that makes the compounds hazardous to the beetle’s predators.

The catalases and peroxidases lining the chamber also aid in the reaction that generates enough heat to bring the mixture to the boiling point (though some of it becomes vapor). The pressure created by the gases closes the valve and expels the chemicals at high speed. Amazing, right?!

Should I be afraid of this creature?

People don’t need to be afraid of the bombardier beetle. They’re too small to hurt humans (about the size of a fingernail), and they don’t go around indiscriminately spraying. They use that function only as a defense mechanism against predators.

Bombardier beetles usually keep to wooded areas and fields and don’t roam around places with lots of humans. They typically have dark abdomens and reddish legs, antennae, and heads, in case you want to keep an eye out.

How on Earth did this beetle feature evolve?

Funny you should ask. Some creationists like to use the bombardier beetle’s two-chamber system as an example of their theory of irreducible complexity. They insist that since the beetle’s defense mechanism wouldn’t operate without two complex parts, they could not have evolved via small modifications and are therefore a product of “intelligent design.”

Most of the creationist rhetoric masquerading as science gives an incomplete or sloppy description of the beetle’s inner workings.

In fact, a step-by-step evolution of the beetle is pretty straightforward (even if it does seem weird to us). The beetle likely developed its ability to secrete chemicals as a defense mechanism that was released via the epidermis to make it distasteful to predators. While the steps in between are all hypothetical since we didn’t see the creature evolve, the development of the beetle we know now is easily broken down into tiny evolutionary steps we’ve seen in other species.

You’ve got to wonder why a creationist would assume God created this beetle specifically to shoot chemicals out its rear end. — WTF fun facts

Source: “Bombardier beetles” — National Geographic

WTF Fun Fact 13205 – The Immortal Jellyfish

The immortal jellyfish (Turritopsis dohrnii) is a specific species of jellyfish that has the ability to revert back to its youthful, immature state after it reaches maturity. It’s a very small species that reaches a diameter of about 0.18 inches. It’s found in the Mediterranean Sea and in the waters around Japan.

This creature gets its nickname from its ability to undergo a process called transdifferentiation. This allows it to revert back into a polyp and start its life cycle over again.

Wait, seriously? There’s a jellyfish that can reincarnate itself and live forever?

Ehhh, kind of. But jellyfish don’t live their lives by the same rules that we do. Their brains and community structures don’t operate in the same ways. It’s not like their memories live on forever (that we know of).

The process of transdifferentiation in this jellyfish acts kind of like a reset button.

Turritopsis dohrnii begins life as a fertilized egg that then hatches a larva (or planula). According to the American Museum of Natural History (cited below):

“A planula swims at first, then settles on the sea floor and grows into a cylindrical colony of polyps. These ultimately spawn free-swimming, genetically identical medusae—the animals we recognize as jellyfish—which grow to adulthood in a matter of weeks.”

Anyway, during the medusa stage, the jellyfish will reproduce sexually, releasing eggs and sperm into the water. There, they will fertilize and develop into the next stage, known as a polyp. Some jellyfish species will alternate between a medusa stage and a polyp stage in their life cycle, while others will only have a medusa stage.

Here’s the key: Once the medusa reaches maturity, it can reproduce and then die, but the immortal jellyfish is able to undergo transdifferentiation, reverting back to its polyp stage, and starting the life cycle again.

The AMNH explains:

“The cellular mechanism behind it—a rare process known as transdifferentiation—is of particular interest to scientists for its potential applications in medicine. By undergoing transdifferentiation, an adult cell, one that is specialized for a particular tissue, can become an entirely different type of specialized cell. It’s an efficient way of cell recycling and an important area of study in stem cell research that could help scientists replace cells that have been damaged by disease.”

Why isn’t this a bigger deal? Can we study jellyfish to become immortal?

Undoubtedly, some billionaire has a tank full of immortal jellyfish and a geneticist at hand to try to discover that particular secret of life. But it’s important to keep in mind – again – just how different a jellyfish’s life cycle is from our own. And there’s A LOT we don’t understand about underwater creatures, which may actually hold a lot of cool secrets about life, the universe, and everything.

So, it’s important to note that it is not completely understood how or why this process of transdifferentiation occurs. It’s only unclear if these jellyfish truly can live forever or not. (I mean, what is “forever” anyway, and how do humans even measure it?)

But it is a pretty cool trick.

The immortal jellyfish is also known to be a hardy species. It can survive in a wide range of conditions, allowing it to spread and colonize new areas. Of course, there’s a downside to being hearty and potentially immortal. It’s also known to be an invasive species in many parts of the world. That means it can cause serious damage to native ecosystems. In that sense, its potential immortality is a bit of a nuisance.

In any case, the immortal jellyfish is a fascinating creature that scientists are still trying to understand.

Now, you may have noticed another fun fact which is that a mature jellyfish is often referred to as a “medusa.” The medusa is the adult, sexually reproducing stage of a jellyfish’s life cycle. The name “medusa” is taken from Greek mythology, and the jellyfish’s trailing tentacles are thought to resemble the head of Medusa.— WTF fun facts

Source: The “Immortal” Jellyfish That Resets When Damaged — American Museum of Natural History

WTF Fun Fact 13202 – Almonds and Peaches Are Related

Almonds and peaches are two great things that go great together. In fact, we feel hungry just thinking about it (with some vanilla ice cream, perhaps). Anyway, it turns out that they’re not just tasty together, but almonds and peaches are related.

How are almonds and peaches related?

Almonds belong to the family Rosaceae, and the genus Prunus, which also includes other stone fruits such as plums, apricots, cherries, and nectarines. Peaches also belong to the family Rosaceae and the genus Prunus, but they are in a different subgenus and species.

The Rosaceae family is a large and diverse group of plants that includes many economically important fruit trees and shrubs. The family is characterized by having flowers with five petals, sepals, and numerous stamens.

So, almonds and peaches are related in the sense that they are both in the same family (Rosaceae). To top it off, they also belong to the same genus (Prunus).

Genetic relatives

While they are both healthy and delicious, the similarities between the two foods seem to end there. They certainly don’t look alike and one is classified as bitter while the other is sweet.

But according to CRAG News (cited below), which comes from the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics:

“The comparison of the genome of the ‘Texas’ almond tree variety…and the peach tree genome places the divergence of both species six million years ago. The results are consistent with the existing hypothesis that places the existence of a common ancestor of these Prunus species in the center of Asia and the subsequent separation of two populations that was brought about when the Himalayas massif was lifted. This geological phenomenon would have left both populations of Prunus exposed to totally different climates in which both species would evolve: the almond tree in the arid steppe of the center and west of Asia and the peach tree in the subtropical climates of the East, in the area that is now South China.”

In other words, these trees are now much more distinct from one another because they adapted to different climates. The genes that changed places on their chromosomes are known as “transposons.” They move around in order to help organisms adapt better to their environments (among other things).

— WTF fun facts

Source: “The sequence of the almond tree and peach tree genomes makes it possible to understand the differences of the fruits and seeds of these closely related species” — CRAG News

WTF Fun Fact 13201 – The Power of Looking at Cute Animals

Have you ever fallen down the rabbit hole (no pun intended) of looking at cute animals on the internet or social media? It’s hard to look away!

Well, it turns out, looking at them could be good for you.

There is evidence to suggest that your cute cat meme fixation can boost both focus and concentration. Studies have also found that looking at pictures of baby animals can improve attention and task performance.

The benefits of looking at cute animals

There is some evidence to suggest that looking at cute animals can boost both focus and concentration.

Researchers published a study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. It found that looking at pictures of baby animals can improve attention and task performance. In fact, participants who viewed images of cute animals performed better on tasks requiring attention and fine motor skills. At least compared to those who viewed images of adult animals or inanimate objects.

Another study conducted by researchers at Hiroshima University in Japan found that looking at pictures of cute animals can increase activity in the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for attention, problem-solving, and decision-making.

According to the Association for Psychological Science (cited below), “Led by researcher Hiroshi Nittono, the team conducted three experiments with 132 university students and concluded that cute images may facilitate improved performance on detail-oriented tasks that require concentration.”

We’ve long known that humans are attracted to looking at things that look juvenile. “Baby schema” includes things like a large head and protruding, large eyes – and they just seem “cuter” to us. Baby humans and baby animals often have these characteristics.

But now there’s proof that cute things might make our brains operate a bit better. Nittono and colleagues wrote in their paper:

“This study shows that viewing cute things improves subsequent performance in tasks that require behavioral carefulness, possibly by narrowing the breadth of attentional focus.”

Puppy power

Additionally, looking at cute animals can also release oxytocin, a hormone that is associated with feelings of love and bonding, which can lead to increased feelings of positive emotion and well-being.

It’s worth noting that these studies are still in the early stages, and more research is needed to understand the full extent of the effects of looking at cute animals on focus and concentration.

Of course, looking at cute animals is great and all, but is not a replacement for getting professional help if you have serious attention and focus issues.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “The Power of Puppies: Looking at Cute Images Can Improve Focus” — Association for Psychological Science

WTF Fun Fact 13194 – Goosebumps Muscle

Did you know you have a goosebumps muscle? We get goosebumps when tiny muscles in our skin’s hair follicles called arrector pili pull our hair upright. Goosebumps evolved when humans had enough body hair for this “hair-raising” action to keep them warm. We still get goosebumps, but they no longer serve a purpose in humans.

How do the goosebumps muscles work?

The arrector pili muscle is a small muscle located at the base of each hair follicle. When this muscle contracts, it causes the hair follicle to stand upright, resulting in the characteristic “goosebumps” or “gooseflesh” that many people experience in response to cold temperatures, emotional arousal, or certain stimuli.

The contraction of the arrector pili muscle can also cause the hair follicle to become more sensitive to the surrounding environment, which may help to protect the skin from cold temperatures or other environmental factors. This contraction is also mediated by the sympathetic nervous system, which is activated in response to certain stimuli such as cold, fear, anger, or pleasure.

Why do we get goosebumps?

Goosebumps occur as a response to a variety of stimuli. The most common trigger is a change in temperature, such as feeling cold. Goosebumps also occur in response to emotional stimuli such as fear, awe, or pleasure. This is because the contraction of the arrector pili muscle is mediated by the sympathetic nervous system. That is activated in response to these stimuli.

Another reason why we get goosebumps is an evolutionary one. When our ancestors had more hair on their bodies, the contraction of arrector pili muscles would make the hair stand up. This created a thicker layer of insulation to help them stay warm in cold temperatures. This response is still present in humans, even though most of us have less body hair.

Goosebumps can also occur when listening to music. This is because the emotional response to music can activate the sympathetic nervous system, which triggers the contraction of the arrector pili muscle.

Overall, goosebumps are a physiological response to a variety of stimuli that can be triggered by both environmental and emotional factors. — WTF fun facts

Source: “What Goosebumps Are For” — National Institutes of Health

WTF Fun Fact 13188 – Geckos Turn Off Sticky Feet

People have long wondered how geckos manage to stick to the sides of structures without falling off. The short answer is that they have sticky feet. But did you know geckos turn off sticky feet when they need to run faster?

How do geckos turn off sticky feet?

Geckos use toe hairs to turn the stickiness of their feet on and off. Oregon State University (OSU) discovered the details of this mechanism in 2014. They published their results in an article that appears in the Journal of Applied Physics.

The researchers noted that the geckos’ “adhesion system mechanism” has long been a curiosity. According to Science Daily (cited below):

“‘Since the time of the ancient Greeks, people have wondered how geckos are able to stick to walls — even Archimedes is known to have pondered this problem,’ said Alex Greaney, co-author and an assistant professor of engineering at OSU. ‘It was only very recently, in 2000, that Kellar Autumn and colleagues proved unequivocally that geckos stick using van der Waals forces.'”

Geckos have a system of hairs called “seta” on their toes. The seta can bend when they come into contact with rough surfaces in order to provide points of contact that keep the sticky surface of the gecko’s toe pads from adhering. Those hairs provide millions of points of contact to allow the creatures to maneuver over terrain without sticking.

Other insects and spiders also have this adhesion system. That’s why they can stick sideways to walls, seeming to defy gravity.

The stickiness system

Greany told Science Direct: “Understanding the subtleties of the process for switching stickiness on and off is groundbreaking. By using mathematical modeling, we’ve found a simple, but ingenious, mechanism allows the gecko to switch back and forth between being sticky or not. Geckos’ feet are by default nonsticky, and this stickiness is activated through application of a small shear force. Gecko adhesion can be thought of as the opposite of friction.”

The stickiness of geckos’ feet has long fascinated scientists seeking to produce material for use in adhesives. The ability of geckos to turn off sticky feet is yet another piece of the materials science puzzle that may come in handy someday in fields like construction and robotics. — WTF fun facts

Source: “Geckos use toe hairs to turn stickiness on and off” — ScienceDaily

WTF Fun Fact 13186 – Medical Term for Ice Cream Headache

Eating ice cream too fast can hurt! In fact, so many people have experienced the phenomenon of these headaches (also called “brain freeze”) that there’s an official name for them. The medical term for ice cream headache is sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia.

Why is there a medical term for ice cream headache?

The world loves ice cream. And sometimes we eat it too fast either because 1) it’s so delicious, or 2) we need to eat it before it melts. But we pay the price.

But what we sometimes call an ice cream headache is also referred to as “brain freeze” and can happen without the delicious ice cream.

According to the Cleveland Clinic (cited below), “Brain freeze is a brief but intense pain in the front part of your head. It occurs when you eat, drink or breathe something extremely cold…” So it can include breathing in freezing air as well as eating slushies, ice cubes, popsicles, etc.

While we have lots of colloquial names for the pain, the scientific/medical term for ice cream headache is sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia.

Who is at risk for getting ice cream headaches?

Anyone can get a brain freeze. Children may be more likely to get brain freeze because they may not have learned to slow down when eating something fun like an ice pop.

Some research has shown that sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia is more common in people who get migraine headaches.

What is sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia?

An ice cream headache comes on quickly, but it also goes away relatively fast. It’s often gone in a few minutes, tops, and doesn’t need to be treated with medicine.

Brain freeze doesn’t cause other symptoms either – no nausea or sensitivity to light, for example. It’s just temporary pain that occurs “When your body senses sudden, extreme cold in the mouth or throat” and “tries to react and warm up.”

The headache sets in as “Blood vessels throughout the head expand to let extra blood into the area for warmth. That quick change in blood vessel size causes sudden pain.”

Of course, you can prevent the pain caused by doing that thing by avoiding that thing. But who wants to avoid ice cream and other cold treats? Instead, try warming up your mouth and throat by drinking room-temperature water or pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth. Or just slow down on the ice cream. — WTF fun facts

Source: “Brain Freeze” — Cleveland Clinic