A new species of lemur has been discovered in Madagascar — via jameszaworski.newsvine.com
Caterpillars apparently can whistle, letting out squeaks that can fend off attacking birds, scientists have now found — via redwolf.newsvine.com
Biomimicry, or the emulation of nature to solve human problems, inspires some fascinating scientific research. Marine animals in particular are useful sources of information; last year, for example, MIT researchers began work on electronic screens and ink that use less than one hundredth the energy of traditional screens–and are based on the color-changing abilities of cuttlefish. Now the U.S. Department of Defense is giving a $6 million grant to researchers at Rice University and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole for metamaterials
that mimic skin colors and patterns seen in sea creatures — via redwolf.newsvine.com
Cincinnati police are investigating three cases in which the butchered head of a goat was left on doorsteps of Hyde Park homes — via redwolf.newsvine.com
Pewter candelabra — via Bonanza
Imagine some buckshot from a shotgun got stuck in your chest or you had a radio transmitter stuck in your side. If you were a frog, your body might be pristine a few weeks afterward — they apparently have the remarkable ability to pee out foreign objects, with their bladders engulfing the intrusions to help get rid of such junk, scientists now find — via redwolf.newsvine.com
The Oriental hornet has a unique ability to harvest solar energy, scientists have discovered.
The large wasp species has a special structure in its abdomen that traps the sun’s rays, and a special pigment that harvests the energy they contain.
The discovery helps explain why these hornets have a large yellow stripe across their body and why they become more active as the day gets hotter.
It also changes our understanding of how insect metabolism can work — via jcatom.newsvine.com
Wildlife carers in far north Queensland say they have uncovered what is believed to be a world first – a pair of albino blue-winged kookaburras — via redwolf.newsvine.com
When an aquarium in Japan planned their holiday displays for Christmas, they decided to harness the natural talents of one resident: the electric eel. The lights on one small Christmas tree are powered by the eel’s natural electricity, which is picked up by two aluminum panels in the tank that act as electrodes — via redwolf.newsvine.com
A beautiful antique replica of cabinet hardware. This unique line of Schaub & Company is much more than mass-produced standard hardware and has special features that are crafted individually for an original style — via Rustica Hardware
A group of twitchers in Peru have caught a rare glimpse of a bizarre-looking bird not seen for 26 years.
The bird-watchers spotted a long-whiskered owlet, a species first discovered in 1976 that has remained largely out of sight since.
The tiny species, Xenoglaux loweryi, has long bristles around its beak, and delicate feathers that extend into whiskers.
Its formal Latin name actually means strange owl
— via redwolf.newsvine.com
Australia’s live sheep exports are facing renewed scrutiny, after animal welfare activists filmed graphic footage of the cruel treatment of sheep during an Islamic festival in Kuwait — via redwolf.newsvine.com
It’s not every day that you would want to invite the star-spawn of the high priest to the Great Old Ones into your home, but you may want to make an exception to that rule when you see how many dice this dreaded cosmic entity can hold. Unlike the real Cthulhu, this one has an ample pouch in its back for carrying all of your multi-sided dice, car keys or maybe just some tokens of your life before you started following the many-tentacled one. Plus, your valuables will remain safe because – unlike those lesser, drawstring-ensconced bags, Cthulhu’s pouch is protected with a zipper that’ll make losing dice tougher than finding R’lyeh — via Wired
The Australian director of the anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd says its new vessel has the potential to stop Japanese whaling.
The fast interceptor vessel, which is registered in Fremantle and cost $4 million, is called Gojira.
It is the first Sea Shepherd vessel to be registered in Australia — via redwolf.newsvine.com
Sometimes it gets so busy around Santa’s workshop that the new guy scarcely gets noticed. A quick background check would have found this new elf on a list of the VERY naughty. Woe be to his supervisor when he summons him once too often for menial chores. A coworker thinks she overheard him softly singing, It’s beginning to look a lot like End Times…
The Cthulhu Elf is an original work of art, a one-of-a-kind figure sculpted from epoxy clay over a wire armature and then painted with acrylics. He stands about 6 1/2 inches tall — via Etsy
The octopus represents wisdom, creativity, will, strength, and focus. This beautiful golden octopus circle pendant hangs from a strong chain and creates a unique necklace-perfect for any age — via Etsy
Nor is Duxbury free of its own oddities. Duxbury does not feature in any of Lovecraft’s fiction; Arkham
is based on Salem, Innsmouth
is based on a combination of Ipswich and Gloucester, and Dunwich
is based on Athol. But Duxbury was no stranger to sea serpents, even in Wiswall’s day. The English writer John Josselyn’s An Account of Two Voyages to New-England (1674) described the 1639 sighting of a sea serpent off Cape Anne, north of Duxbury, which sparked a rash of sea-serpent sightings along the Massachusetts coast, including Duxbury. And in 1857 Henry Thoreau wrote in his journal that Daniel Webster had seen a sea-serpent off the coast of Duxbury — via io9
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