08 Thursday Oct 2015
Posted in Fun
24 Thursday Sep 2015
Posted in Fun
Tags
after school, animal, animals, author, Bubba, cat, cats, class, cute, fun, high school, inspiration, life, lol, nature, pet, pets, Stephanie Beavers, student id, writer
Bubba the Cat Has Become a California High School’s Star Pupil
Bubba lives near Leland High School in San Jose, California and he loves going to school. Every day he’ll venture out, get treats from his favorite teachers and hang out with friends until the school day is over and everyone has gone home. He started by following his owner Matthew to the nearby Bret Harte Middle School and graduated to Leland High School with him. He has since dedicated himself to getting a good education.
16 Thursday Jul 2015
Posted in Fun
Tags
adorable, animal, animal rescue, animals, author, bird, birds, hummingbird, nature, Stephanie Beavers, writer
Here’s a feel-good video of a hummingbird being rescued:
11 Monday May 2015
Tags
animals, author, cats, cats and dogs, dog, dogs, entertainment, fun, humor, men and women, nature, pet, pets, Stephanie Beavers
Sometimes I wonder if the relationships between cats and dogs is somewhat analogous to the relationships between men and women. Granted, virtually all men and women have to coexist on a daily basis, so I imagine we (kind of) cooperate more, but at the same time…might there be some truth in that? It’s an amusing thought.
I always imagine men as dogs and women as cats. But how do you see it? Or do you think I’m crazy?
23 Thursday Apr 2015
Posted in Fun
Tags
animal, animals, author, cute, entertainment, fun, nature, pet, pets, play, Stephanie Beavers, weasel, writer
This weasel is waging “war” on a thumb. Prepare to squee.
As noted in the video’s description, weasels typically do NOT make good pets. Still, that doesn’t stop them from being frickin’ adorable.
29 Monday Dec 2014
Posted in News
Tags
animals, author, bullets, cat, DARPA, eels, electricity, entertainment, guns, hover cat, nature, predator, prey, R&D, remote control, Science, science fiction, science news, snipers, Stephanie Beavers, writer
Electric Eels Remotely Control the Movements of Their Prey
DARPA Has Created Self-Guided, Mid-Flight Changing Bullets
Today, in creepy science news, we have electric eels and the latest from DARPA. Turns humans aren’t so clever for creating remote-controlled stuff.
(Some people are less creepy about it. DARPA’s new stuff is at least as unnerving as this. Keep reading.)
Electric eels, it turns out, can create electric currents to locate and then immobilize prey. It goes like this: the eel swims along, looking for food. Every so often it sends out a little pulse. When the pulse hits a fish all silent and hiding, the fish involuntarily jerks. The eels senses the movement. Before the fish can escape, the eel sends out a bigger jolt that freezes the fish’s muscles so it can’t swim away.
I can think of some uses for an ability like that… mostly the second one. Check out the link at the top for more details and a cool video.
In more human news, DARPA has finally created target-seeking bullets. These bullets can literally change direction mid-flight to adjust its course and hit its target. Not intimidating at all. For all the paranoid folk out there: you can no longer count on inclement conditions or long distances to keep you safe from sniper bullets. These bullets will find you. They will find you.
Ahem.
So hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, without to much stress and at least one cool present.
So what do you think is creepier? Natures version or ours? Or are you super awesome and know about these things already?
01 Monday Dec 2014
Posted in News
Tags
apocalypse, author, end times, energy, future, innovation, nature, park, parks, post-apocalypse, Science, science fiction, solar power, solutions, Stephanie Beavers, trees, writer
Solar Technology Could Make Underground Parks In Cramped Cities Possible
Good news, everybody! After the surface of the earth has been reduced to a toxic wasteland, these guys will have a way to create scenic nature areas underground. (For those of us who hate how blah and dirty post-apocalyptic refuges are in movies and whatnot, this is excellent news.) The Lowline project seeks to redirect solar energy from the sunlight above on the streets to their underground park, a former trolley terminal. They’re also going to keep some of the terminal’s history alive, adding a little culture to complement the nature they plan to cultivate.
Really though, I think this is an awesome idea. One of the problems with cities is their impact on nature. Parks take up space, precious real estate that people want to capitalize on. “Building up” doesn’t work great with parks… but what about down? I hope these guys get the funding they need to make this underground park a reality. Let’s hear it for a little more nature!
What do you think, readers? Cool and innovative or impractical and silly?
13 Thursday Nov 2014
Posted in Fun
10 Monday Nov 2014
Tags
adorable, animals, author, babies, birds, cats, fun, kittens, motherhood, mothers, nature, parenthood, Science, science news, Stephanie Beavers, wildlife, writer
A Baby’s Cry Transcends Species
Baby Wrens Learn While They’re Still in the Egg
Some things we have in common with our animal buddies.
Y’know, I’ve never actually looked into all that prenatal learning stuff, but I’ve always idly wondered about those mothers who press earphones playing Mozart against their swollen bellies… are they crazy, or is there something to it?
Well, for wrens, the babies definitely learn in the egg. Scientists played various sounds and calls and reached the conclusion that yes, baby birds learn in their eggs. Cue the rounds of aaaaaaw. (I have a mental picture of a little baby bird rocking out to earphones inside his egg.)
(And did you know that songbirds also share our musical scales? Whaaaat?
As it turns out, baby cries both animal and human have a lot in common, too. Mothers of various animal species would attempt to locate the source of distressed baby cries regardless of the species making the cry. Turns out parenthood unites mothers of all species.
Although really… scientists needed to do a study to verify this? I think most of us have felt our heartstrings tugged by the cries of distressed baby animals before. There are too many adorable internet videos for that not to be the case. INTERNET, PROVE ME RIGHT FOR SCIENCE!
See? Aaaaaaw!
06 Thursday Nov 2014
Posted in News
Tags
animals, author, birdcalls, birds, fun, hummingbird, hummingbirds, nature, Stephanie Beavers, wildlife, writer
Hummingbirds. Beautiful. Tiny. Surely these are the sweetest of all birds.
Spoiler alert: no.
I once heard hummingbirds described as miniature fighter pilots with pit bull personalities. From what I’ve seen, this is entirely accurate.
Throughout my childhood, my mom had a single hummingbird feeder hanging over our deck, and let me tell you, hummingbirds are a scrappy lot. They’re territorial and constantly dive-bombing one another. When two males challenge each other, I’ve seen them fly around in tight circles, feathers spread in challenge displays. They get so focused on each other that I’ve seen them bounce off branches, windows, and even the side of our house!
Don’t believe me? Check out this article: Male Hummingbirds Use Beaks As Daggers To Stab Opponents’ Throats
Here’s a really good quality video of normal hummingbird footage, including what they sound like. Hummingbirds don’t just make sound by “tweeting” (or squeaking), they also make sounds with their wings. Their “humming” (created with their feathers) will vary depending on what they’re trying to communicate. An angry hummingbird is a loud, buzzing hummingbird (it’s usually very vocal, too). Individual hums also vary.
At one point in the above video, you can actually hear them whack into each other.
After 0:27 the dive-bombing starts.
Around the 1:56 mark, you can see one hummingbird poke his tongue out the end of his beak. They actually do it quite a few times over the course of the video. It always reminds me of the Road Runner sticking his tongue out at Wile E. Coyote.
Hummingbird mating dances are really cute though. I remember seeing one kind at home. The male would fly straight up in the sky with a little “zoop zoop zoop” sound, and then dive back down with a high-pitched “pew” sound. I tried to find footage of it for you guys, but apparently given how tiny they are and how fast they’re moving over a large space, it’s really hard to catch on video. I did find this cute, puffy hummingbird “singing” a courtship song:
But I think this might be my new favorite kind of hummingbird. Look! Kite tails and fluffy legs!
Remember folks, they’re only cute because they’re squeaky.
So, readers? Did you know that hummingbirds were really mean little fighting machines? Or did this come as a surprise? I’d love to read your hummingbird stories!
Stephanie Beavers 