Zombie Deer Disease, Mad Cow Disease and the Jump to Humans

Mad Cow Disease or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, has been around for years.  It jumped to humans in the '90's and people still die from it. Basically, their brains are eaten away and there is no cure.  Now researchers have found a similar disease in deer.  The disease causes their brains to become like swiss cheese as prions wreak havoc inside their heads.  The jump to humans is not fiction.  It is feared that this could happen soon.  The whole article can be found here.

Cube-Shaped Poo

Wombats produce cube-shaped poo to attract mates and mark their territory.  But how in the world do they produce poo that's not round!  This article explains it.

Check out this post from last year. 

16 Billion Units on the Scoville Scale!

The Carolina Reaper is the world's hottest pepper coming in at 1.6 million on the Scoville scale of hotness.  Now, a cactus from Morroco has obliterated that with heat on the Scoville scale of 16 billion units!  The active ingredient is resiniferatoxin. What possible use could that kind of heat be used for?  How about killing pain receptors in bad knees? Or killing pain associated with cancer?  The article found in wired.com has much more information on this unique and mind-searing level of heat!

Atoms, Empty Space and Density

If atoms are mostly empty space, many wonder why matter is not transparent.  Here's a simple answer from sciencefocus.com. 

While atoms are indeed mostly empty space, the void is filled with the electromagnetic fields generated by the electrons within the atom. These affect light waves as they move through materials, preventing them from passing straight through unimpeded. Switching to radiation of shorter wavelength, like X-rays or gamma rays, allows even relatively dense materials to become transparent.

Rotting Corpses - Homes for Babies

Mothers love their children, even in the insect world. The Burying Beetle is no exception. This beetle uses corpses of dead animals to create a wonderful nursery for her young. Because of the beetles secretions, the carcass does not rot and the children have a warm, dry place to live and eat.  Here's another creative example of the intelligence of design. 

Spray It and Hear It

Antennas have been around for decades and are a necessity for wireless communication of any sort.  The old TV antennas which used to be seen on most homes have given way to cable or satellite dishes.  And many antennas are bulky and large. Now scientists have developed an antenna that is thinner than human hair and that can be sprayed onto any surface and used to capture waves of energy.  Read this fascinating article from newatlas.com about these sprayable antennas.

Four Dimensions, Imaginary Numbers and Algebra

Algebra is used in multiple fields worldwide. But how did the discovery and pursuit of four dimensions and algebra spark a breakthrough in algebra?  This article in Wired has some interesting insights.

Tying Lasers Into Knots

Scientists using formal knot theory mathematics and optic technology have been able to "tie" laser light into knots in the shape of figure 8's and torus knots.  By tuning the up-and-down and side-to-side motion of the beams and using technology that is used in polarized sunglasses, the scientists were able to accomplish this feat.  The article appeared in livescience.com. 

Snapchat Dysmorphia

It's similar to body dysmorphia, a disorder where people ask for plastic surgery and body sculpting to look a certain way, but more disconcerting and of higher concern to doctors as more and more young people and older ones are requesting to be resculpted to look like pictures of themselves on Snapchat when enhanced by filters such as the butterfly filter.  Pictures of the difference this makes can be found in the in-depth article that appeared on inverse.com. The article explains some of the psychology behind this disorder and why it is so unrealistic and dangerous. 

Scutoid - A New Shape

Scientists and mathemeticians have discovered a new shape that surprisingly appears more often in the natural world than realized.  In fact, it shows up quite often in living things, including humans.  This shape found in the formation of cells, streamlines and more efficiently uses energy when replicating.  It's another example of how God never wastes anything but instead does things efficiently and wisely.  Check out the whole in-depth article as found in the New Yorker.