I am sorry to keep plaguing you all with more of the same ole posts. When it turns out no matter what products we use or buy, it seems to be a choice about not really having much choice. We are at the mercy of the manufacturers, and don’t have any say as to how products are made, packaged or sold. Someday we may be able to uninvent some of the things that have both, improved and hurt our lives and environment.
Category Archives: biology
Giant Amphibian Ruled Ancient Rivers
Giant Amphibian Ruled Ancient Rivers
by Jeanna Bryner, Live Science Managing Editor | March 23, 2015 08:01pm ET
Researchers have discovered a mass graveyard filled with the bones of a giant amphibian that lived between 220 million and 230 million years ago in what is today southern Portugal. Here’s a look at the dig site, bones and what the creature would have looked like so long ago. Images are courtesy of Steve Brusatte/Richard Butler/Octavio Mateus/Seb Steyer. [Read the full story on the super salamander]
Digging for treasure
The team uncovers fossils of the new amphibian, now called Metoposaurus algarvensis, from the Algarve region in southern Portugal, where a gradulate student, Thomas Schroeter, in the late 1970s to early 1980s found speciments possibly from the same group of amphibians. The researchers relocated this bonebed in 2009, where they have found nearly 10 different skulls and several other bones from this newfound species.
From beyond the grave
Here, a model of the Metoposaurus algarvensis amphibian, a member of the metoposaurids, which had yet to be found on the Iberian Peninsula. The creature, which was equipped with hundreds of sharp teeth and a big, broad head (like other metoposaurids) would have filled crocodile-like predator niches when alive.
A peak into the past
This artist’s conception highlights the flat “toilet-seat-shaped” head ofMetoposaurus algarvensis, as co-researcher Steve Brusatte of the University of Edinburgh describes it. The beast would have swung its flat head around to snag fish in the rift valleys on the supercontinent Pangaea.
Digging for history
Brusatte uncovers some of the bones of Metoposaurus algarvensis at their dig site. Hundreds of these creatures may have died at once when their lakebed dried up, leaving behind a jackpot of bones for paleontologists to discover. The rest of their kin, along with most metoposaurids and half of the planet’s species, went extinct around 201 million years ago. That mass extinction at the end of the Triassic is thought to have paved the way for the rise of dinosaurs.
A strange sight
Here, the clavicle of a Metoposaurus algarvensis. The creature would have grown to about 6.5 feet (2 meters) in length, ruling the waterways where it lived. “This new amphibian looks like something out of a bad monster movie,” Brusatte said in a statement. “It was the type of fierce predator that the very first dinosaurs had to put up with if they strayed too close to the water, long before the glory days of T. rex andBrachiosaurus.”
What a large mouth it had…
The lower jawbone of the recently uncovered Metoposaurus algarvensis. Various features distinguished this animal from other metoposaurids, including some differences in the brain region, the lower jaw and openings for nerves and the spinal cord. Though it would not have been any match for the larger dinosaurs and mammals, some of the smaller land dwellers likely stayed clear of the giant amphibian, the researchers speculated.
More fossils
The shoulder girdle bones of the newly discovered Metoposaurus algarvensis. The animal’s puny limbs suggest that while it was a good swimmer, it was likely pretty awkward on land, Brusatte said.
A huge find
The skull of the newfound amphibian Metoposaurus algarvensis. The researchers have excavated just a small portion of the bonebed and hope to continue digging there, where they expect to find even more bones like this one.
Unusual bones
Part of the Metoposaurus algarvensis amphibian’s palate and skull.
Evidence uncovered
Skulls of the Metoposaurus algarvensis discovered together at the site in Portugal.
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MORE EFFING SPIDERS?
So what is it with this guy and his damn spider fancy? Didn’t I say ” I hate those f***&%g things? ” Sorry y’all, but these things were running all over the place, so I caught them and put them in here. Even though you don’t like them, if you are able to recognize them, you won’t smash the good ones.
Oh crap, look out, that big one’s a nasty one, quick smash it before it it bites us all!
Shake Your Silk-Maker: The Dance of the Peacock Spider
25 Adorable Spiders That Are Not As Scary As You Think
Published on Sep 4, 2014
Few people say they like spiders. These little creatures are usually characterized by terms like “disgusting”, “detestable” or “revolting” but in fact, the bad reputation is entirely undeserved. Most spiders are not dangerous to humans at all. Indeed, many are beneficial because they eat other pests in our homes and gardens. If we still have not succeeded in convincing you to stop hating these little guys, these 25 adorable guys might help you to change your mind.
Top 10 Most Venomous Spiders
Looking into our 8 legged friends from around the world. We’re looking into the most dangerous/deadliest and most venomous spiders.
World’s Most Deadly Spider – Brazilian Wandering Spider
The deadly Brazilian wandering spider, aka banana or armed spider, is considered the world’s most venomous & deadliest spider by the Guinness Book of World records. They are found in the tropical regions of Central & South America and are called wandering spiders because they roam the jungle floor at night.
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The Sickness
The Sickness
It started in October, 2011, when I peed a blood clot. It happened two or three times over the course of a few days. Peeing a blood clot when you are a guy feels weird. It feels like an obstruction, and the dam suddenly breaks open. I don’t know what a woman feels when she pees, or if she would notice it.
Actually I’m sure she would notice it, but would probably figure it was getting close to ” that time of the month “. Guys don’t have that to deal with, usually. So I felt a mild obstruction, then the dam broke loose and I was looking at a dark, nearly black blood clot. It slowly sank into the toilet bowl without breaking up, or changing the color of the urine.
I considered what I saw for a moment with a hint of mild panic, and made a mental note of the strange occurrence. It happened again a couple of days later, almost in the same way, and I knew something wasn’t quite right. I tried to do a self diagnosis, without enough facts, and the only thing I found on the web was maybe I had bruised my kidney or some such.
I had been eating aspirin for about 10 years, at the rate of no more than 10 a day at 500 milligrams each, so I decided to quit the aspirin regimen for a few days. The aspirin was for chronic pain in my joints ( knees mostly ). I don’t do pharmaceuticals, as I believe they’re bad for us, so aspirin was to take the place of an anti-inflammatory, and to help keep pain down to a minimum.
I didn’t have another episode like that for about three months. I was taking the aspirin again, and had been for quite some time. I had only quit the aspirin for a few days, and not having that blood clot in the pee problem happen again immediately, I had thought it was just a fluke. I guess it wasn’t, in hindsight.
So it had happened again in January of 2012, only a brief episode and mysteriously vanished again. I figured it must have been because I had started eating aspirin at my usual doses again. So once again I quit taking aspirin for a few weeks, and everything seemed to go back to normal.
In March it happened again. Just as before, and I repeated the steps I had taken previously, so the symptoms abated, again. I knew aspirin was a thinning agent in the blood stream, so I lived with the pain in my joints for about 6 months, before resorting to aspirin again. The pain in my joints was constant, and every heartbeat could be felt in my knees. Even now I can’t really describe it.
Because of massive cartilage and ligament damage, my knees ached constantly. Every step is an agonizing ordeal, as the joints separate when I lift my feet to walk, and don’t always reconnect properly as I step upon them again. That happens about every third step, and the pain is excruciating. It always feels like bone hitting bone, with no cushion between them.
So once again I resorted to the aspirin, and around November, I peed a couple of blood clots again. That time they were even bigger, and more frequent. I knew If I stopped taking aspirin, the problem would go away. So I pretended everything was fine and endured the constant pain for a while longer.
By January I was getting tired of the throbbing in my knees, so I started taking aspirin again. I kept my dosage down to three, or maybe six aspirin a day, and it helped with the pain. I thought such a small dosage would be okay, and it seemed to be fine.
About mid February the symptoms returned with a fierceness, I would never have thought possible. This time it wasn’t only a blood clot or two. It was as though a log jam had given way. I peed blood. At first it was a purple black color, but as days passed, my pee was starting to be a bright crimson in color, and it happened every time I peed.
I mostly kept this information to my self, as I didn’t want to worry my wife. I also realized it wasn’t just a bruised kidney or some other lame thing. I put up with that for about a month, but found myself getting weaker and having trouble doing the simplest chores. I would have to kneel down, to get more blood flow up to my head.
I could hear my heart beating in my ears, and it sounded just like a train running across the trestle, near where we lived. A chore that usually took ten minutes to do, was taking a half hour, and I had to get low often. I knew I was in trouble, and was going to have to see a doctor.
Near the end of March, I knew I was in trouble so I mentioned to my wife I needed to go see a doctor. She knew I wasn’t kidding. A man doesn’t say he has to go see a doctor, unless something is seriously wrong. We found my old doctor was still practicing in town, and I made an appointment.
He did a quick exam, and we discussed what my symptoms were, and I gave him a blood sample, and a bright red urine sample. Those were sent off to the lab at the local hospital that morning. That was a Friday morning. Apparently, he was called before the end of the day, and told I needed to get in there for a blood transfusion. His receptionist tried to call, maybe, but I never got the message.
A week later I called him to see if he had received any information on my problem. He was shocked that I hadn’t been notified, as it was urgent for me to get to the hospital immediately for a transfusion. I called the hospital, and they set it up for me to be there at seven the next morning. That took all day, Saturday, and I was given three units of fresh blood.
The new blood was so I could endure a month of testing and diagnosis, to determine what my problem was. The tests included x-rays, ultra-sound, a complete physical, and a trip to Coeur D’Alane Idaho to the urologist. I was informed I was at an age, that this doctor would be my new best friend. I had thought I was being kidded, but even the urologist assured me that this would be the case, as I would be seeing him lots.
By mid May I received my prognosis, cancer! Cancer of the bladder, and it was probably caused by tobacco use. After smoking pretty much non-stop for over 40 years, bladder cancer was probably be the primary cause. And a word to all, I was told once something like this happened, it generally continues. Even after surgery, and a year and a half of being cancer free, I will have to be concerned with this as cancer cells would still be present in my system.
The tumor had attached itself to the bladder wall, feeding on a blood vessel. It was slowly dripping blood into the bladder. I saw that on the ultra-sound, and every time it dripped, it would pulse red, keeping time with my heartbeat, as though my heart was a metronome. The picture of it was truly impressive. It looked like a miniature coral garden, like you see on a National Geographic special.
This is a picture of that type of cancer cells / tumor I was shown via a scope put up my manly parts. This image is from Google Images via biome.biomedcentral.com
The Sickness – Jarte
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Baby Eating! – WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT! – PLEASE TAKE NOTE!
http://www.vice.com/video/issei-sagawa-part-1
DeadWAWIn China Shocking Footage
http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Baby_farming
Mankind has been eating babies since before the dawn of civilization. The trading of infants as a food also dates back to before written records; however, it is generally believed that primitive man did not intentionally produce babies to eat, outside of a few isolated incidents.
Baby 20burger
A baby-burger for the fans of junk food.
The first records of actual baby farming appear in China in the 2rd century B.C.E. The baby farms are described as a relatively new concept, created in order to satisfy the demand for human flesh among the upper classes of Chinese society. Historically, Asiatic people have tended to eat more human flesh than other races. Older sources claim that Asians are biologically pre-desposed to cannibalism; however, most modern researchers have suggested the difference is mostly cultural.
Asian Baby Farming
You can also buy a baby marmelade, spread the marmelade on the bread and then enjoy eating it with the company of your friends
Baby farming quickly became common across all of China, particularly in the north-western areas, and remained so into the 20th century. In some periods, it is estimated that up to half of the babies born in China were consumed in some fashion.
Jonathan Swift is generally regarded as the inventor of baby farming in the West. For centuries, babies have been eaten in Europe, chiefly by Witches. However, like most baby eating, these acts should be classified as baby harvesting, if not baby stealing.
In his now famous Essay “A Modest Proposal: For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick”, written in 1729, Swift merely suggested baby harvesting to rid Ireland of its overpopulation, not setting up baby farms. Initially, many people were shocked by the suggestion of Swift, but his arguments in favor of baby eating won the day, and in 1733, the eating of Irish catholic infants under 1 year of age was legalized by Parliament.
For several years, baby eating remained a taboo activity; known baby eaters would often be shunned by polite society. In 1737, Swift wrote a letter to the then Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole informing him of the sad state of affairs. Walpole was apparently moved by the letter, and convinced King George II to serve Irish baby at the Royal Christmas dinner that year. Within months, the Great English Baby-Eating Craze, as it would later be called, was in full swing. For the next 95 years, tens of thousands of Irish babies were devoured by the English Gentry every year, holding down the cost of land rental in Ireland and preventing widespread famine in that impoverished land.
In 1740, the first of many baby plantations was founded near Dublin with Jonathan Swift as the director. Despite the economic success of these baby farms, they only produced about 15% of the total infants consumed in Britain. The remaining 85% were mostly harvested unwanted infants, although a few Irish women did independently produce infants commercially. Baby farming remained restricted the Irish Catholics – selling a baby for the purpose of human consumption which was not both Catholic and Irish was punishable by death. Despite this restriction, some baby farming was introduced into Canada and South Africa.
Today, baby farming is limited to South-East Asia and North Korea. It was practiced in most of eastern Asia until the 20th century, but was either outlawed or rendered economically unfeasible by rising labor costs [no pun intended] and reduced demand for human flesh.
Gourmet babies are specially bred and raised infants, produced mainly in Laos, but formerly mostly in China.
Gourmet babies are often confused with celebrity babies, as both are far more expensive than regular babies. A celebrity baby is defined as the infant of a famous person sold for human consumption, whereas a gourmet baby is a specially bred infants who parents are, in all likelihood, not well known.
Gourmet babies are always raised on licensed baby plantations, while a celebrity baby is almost never grown on a baby farm. Despite the setback to this industry by the outlawing of baby farming in China, the gourmet baby industry has grown rapidly in recent years, while the baby farming industry as a whole has significantly contracted.
http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Baby_farming
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Bizarre Sea Scorpion
Hey! What’s that in your pond? I wouldn’t go in there if I were you. Whatever that thing is, it’s big and scary looking.
Puzzling sea creature caught in pond. I first discovered this strange scorpion looking monster a few weeks ago when it was brought to my attention through FB.
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7 Scariest Insects On Earth
Are you bothered by the look of insects? They do have that alien look about them don’t they? When they invade your home, you get to see them better, and some of them do look scary. Most insects are harmless, even though they don’t look harmless, with big pincers, and what looks like giant stingers on their tail ends.
7 Scariest Insects On Earth
There are a lot of insects on this planet, here are the most scary ones.
Thanks for watching! Subscribe for more amazing videos.
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Ancient Sea Monster Was One of Largest Arthropods
http://www.livescience.com/50111-photos-anomalocaridids-morocco-fossil.html
by Laura Geggel, Staff Writer
Filter feeder
Photos_ Ancient Sea Monster Was One of Largest Arthropods
A remarkably well-preserved fossil of a 480-million-year-old sea monster is helping researchers understand the evolution of arthropods. The creature, an anomalocaridid, has not one but two sets of legs on each of its body segments, showing that it’s an ancestor of modern-day arthropods, which include arachnids, insects and crustaceans. [Read the full story on the ancient anomalocaridid found in modern-day Morocco]
Side view with dorsal fins sticking up
Photos_ Ancient Sea Monster Was One of Largest Arthropods- Fossil
Here’s an illustration of the anomalocaridid (Aegirocassis benmoulae), a giant filter feeder that ate plankton and lived in the Early Ordovician period about 480 million years ago. The animal measured about 7 feet (2 meters) long, and is one of the largest arthropods that ever lived.
http://www.livescience.com/50112-anomalocaridid-detailed-fossil.html
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A worm? a robot? Just what Is This?
http://www.livescience.com/48145-evolution-extreme-oddities.html
A worm? a robot?
Images of Evolution’s Extreme Oddities
Credit: From WTF, Evolution?! – Workman Publishing. Water bear or Tardigrade (Paramacrobiotus craterlaki) in moss. Photo © Eye of Science/Science Source
Paramacrobiotus craterlaki
“Okay, this is it. I just came up with the greatest animal yet.”
“This should be good.”
“It’s called a tardigrade. It’s only half a millimeter long, so it’s basically invisible.”
“I see.”
“It has sharp claws for grabbing onto anything and a suction mouth for feeding.”
“Sounds reasonable.”
“But here’s the cool part: It can survive pretty much anything! Drying out? Freezing? Extreme radiation? It doesn’t care. It just hunkers down and waits it out, then pops back to life later on.”
“Huh. I guess that’s kinda cool.”
“And it can even survive in the vacuum of outer space.”
“What? Why would it possibly need to survive in outer space?”
“You never know.”
Images of Evolution’s Extreme Oddities
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Virtual mouse could make animal experiments a thing of the past
Virtual mouse could make animal experiments a thing of the past
Megan Treacy (@mtreacy)
Technology / Clean Technology
March 16, 2015
Virtual mouse
Medical testing on lab mice is one of those issues that is far from black and white. On the one hand, we’ve gained many medical advances from the practice that have significantly improved our lives, but on the other, innocent creatures are subject to a wide range of experiments that can be cruel and painful.
Luckily, the researchers at the Human Brain Project are working on a way to let us get the results of those experiments without having to harm a living being.They are building a virtual mouse that will be an exact computer model of the real thing so that future medical research can be modeled as accurately as if it were done on an actual mouse.
Right now, the team has been able to map 200,000 neurons in the mouse brain to the corresponding points in the body that would stimulate them. For example, touching the virtual mouse’s whiskers activates the corresponding parts of the mouse sensory cortex.
The mouse brain has 75 million neurons, so there’s still work to be done, but the researchers are gathering data quickly and the first version of the software will be released to collaborators in April.
The scientists are collecting their data points from biological data collected by the Allen Brain Institute in Seattle and the Biomedical Informatics Research Network in San Diego. They are integrating various types of data into this one model to make it richly layered. They expect that as they work, advances in technology will make the model more and more realistic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldXEuUVkDuw&feature=youtu.be
When the model is further along, the software will be available to scientists worldwide.
A Simulated Mouse Brain in a Virtual Mouse Body
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