Plants have a mission to grow and reproduce, but in order to survive, they must also defend themselves against destruction from insects. But plants only have the resources nearby, so they must perform a balancing act between using resources to grow and resources for defense. Many plants therefore have developed defense mechanisms that only go into operation when the plant is attacked.

Rather than pump out chemical defenses 24-7 (a waste of resources), plants hold off production until an attack is underway. As soon as an insect bites a leaf, the leaf sounds the alarm by emitting volatiles—chemical flares that tell other parts of the plant, as well as its neighbors, to start manning the barricades.

This early warning system works via a cascade of molecular events. First, it triggers the release of “jasmonate” hormones, which in turn break down proteins known as JAZ. These proteins silence genes that direct the manufacture of various toxic and protective chemicals. By eliminating JAZ, jasmonate hormones free these genes to express themselves, thus powering up a plant’s weapons assembly line.

You'll never know when the war begins, because this is chemical warfare, marshaling the plant's own chemistry, its neighbors, and underground networks. Read how various plants use toxins, weapons, communication, and trauma repair in the fight for survival against insects at Nautilus. -via Damn Interesting

(Image credit: Seth Williams)

Twelve-year-old Emma Pickles carefully performs surgery on fruits and vegetables. Watch her do a cesarian on a squash, transplant a heart into a pepper, and remove tumors from all kind of produce. She also does a living-donor transplant, and separates conjoined twins. The operations are not always successful, but they are done with the utmost care. -via Laughing Squid

The house is only 5.5 feet wide, yet the asking price is £950,000. That 's $1.3 million! The five-story home has two (or possibly three) bedrooms, a garden, a roof terrace, and a bathroom that covers en entire floor. It also has some strange features, such as an opening looking into the bathtub from the floor above, a closet in a bedroom floor, a kitchen in the basement, and a hat-shaped lamp in front (it used to be a hat shop). Read about this unique home in London and see pictures at Bored Panda.

(Image credit: Winkworth)

The person who has enough sleep typically feels happy when they receive a hug or when they spend time in nature. The person who sleeps less, however, doesn’t get that much of a boost of positive emotions from positive events such as the ones mentioned above. What’s more, people deprived of sleep become more stressed as they respond to stressful events. These are the findings of the research led by health psychologist Nancy Sin.

Using daily diary data from a national U.S. sample of almost 2,000 people, Sin analyzed sleep duration and how people responded to negative and positive situations the next day. The participants reported on their experiences and the amount of sleep they had the previous night in daily telephone interviews over eight days.

“The recommended guideline for a good night’s sleep is at least seven hours, yet one in three adults don’t meet this standard,” says Sin. “A large body of research has shown that inadequate sleep increases the risk for mental disorders, chronic health conditions, and premature death. My study adds to this evidence by showing that even minor night-to-night fluctuations in sleep duration can have consequences in how people respond to events in their daily lives.”

More details about this study over at Neuroscience News.

(Image Credit: congerdesign/ Pixabay)

When it comes to sending great waves of carbon into the ocean, ancient volcanoes get the job done. For thousands of years, they have contributed most carbon emissions. But if you want someone who can do more than these volcanoes, and at a much faster pace, then call in the humans, who can introduce the material 3-8 times faster than these landforms.

The consequences for life both in the water and on land are potentially catastrophic. The findings appear this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Researchers at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory examined ocean conditions 55.6 million years ago, a time known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Before this, the planet was already considerably warmer than it is today, and the soaring CO2 levels of the PETM drove temperatures up another 5 to 8 degrees C (9 to 14 degrees F). The oceans absorbed large amounts of carbon, spurring chemical reactions that caused waters to become highly acidic, and killing or impairing many marine species.

[...]

The research is directly relevant to today, said lead author Laura Haynes, who did the research as a graduate student at Lamont-Doherty. "We want to understand how the earth system is going to respond to rapid CO2 emissions now," she said. "The PETM is not the perfect analog, but it's the closest thing we have. Today, things are moving much faster."

Head over to ScienceDaily to know more about the study.

(Image Credit: skeeze/ Pixabay)

As part of an “ad experiment” which started this month, streaming website Twitch stated that some viewers might experience ads during streams in the near future. “Like pre-rolls, these are ads triggered by Twitch, not by the creator,” the company stated at their website. Unsurprisingly, streamers of the site are not happy with this development.

Crucially, these ads utilize Twitch’s “picture-by-picture” functionality, which basically means that the stream you’re watching pops out into a smaller window while the ad rolls in the main window. However, ads will still steal the show from some viewers, with streamers none the wiser as to who can hear what they’re saying (picture-by-picture mutes streams) and, therefore, understand what’s happening on stream while ads are playing.

[...]

On a platform where amassing viewers is everything—a statement Twitch has definitively made through the way the site tracks metrics and, therefore, success—the last thing streamers want is for prospective fans to get fed up and depart in the middle of an ad. Streamers are, predictably, furious about Twitch’s new initiative, even if it’s just an “experiment” for now.

“You’re not YouTube,” said Twitch partner ThatBronzeGirl on Twitter in response to Twitch’s announcement. “When ads play in the middle of the stream, viewers actively miss out on content (muted or not). Add this to the fact that viewers are hit with an ad as soon as they enter a stream, so channel surfing is cumbersome. Idk why y’all hate viewer retention.”

The problem is, streamers earn most of their money from subscriptions, donations, and brand deals, while the site earns from ads.

More details about this over at Kotaku.

What are your thoughts about this one?

(Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Last Monday, deputies from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle in Canton, Georgia. Unfortunately, the unidentified driver immediately left his vehicle and fled on foot. Upon doing so, however, he left something very important behind — his lottery ticket, which happened to be a winning one.

Deputies investigated the vehicle and discovered a winning scratch-off lottery ticket worth $100.

The sheriff's office posted a photo of the ticket on Facebook.

"To the suspect who ran on foot from our deputies on a traffic stop this morning on I-75, you left a winning $100 lottery ticket in your vehicle," the post said. "You can claim your ticket at 498 Chattin Dr. in Canton. It will be here waiting for you. Congratulations by the way."

Will the suspect claim it? What do you think?

(Image Credit: Cherokee Sheriff’s Office — Georgia/ Facebook)

One of the most fascinating things about stars is how they create their finest work of art as they die. The M2-9, also known as the Butterfly Nebula, is a good example of this phenomenon.

As stars die, they “transform themselves from normal stars to white dwarfs by casting off their outer gaseous envelopes.”

The expended gas frequently forms an impressive display called a planetary nebula that fades gradually over thousands of years.

How lucky we are to see such a spectacle.

(Image Credit: Hubble Legacy Archive, NASA, ESA - Processing: Judy Schmidt)

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The hazards of working in northern Australia, Tommy’s at it again 😂😂 @australia @bisleyworkwear @topendsafaricamp #wildlife @sandpalmsatbynoe

A post shared by Matt Wright (@mattwright) on Sep 14, 2020 at 1:24pm PDT

Matt Wright and his friend, Tommy, are trying to clear some logs out of a stream in the Northern Territory in Australia. A nosy crocodile named Bonecruncher gets into their business and won't leave them alone, despite Wright's commands to "sit" and "stay."

This is nothing new for Wright, who is the star of a reality TV show called Outback Wrangler. And Bonecruncher is and old friend. The Guardian quotes him:

Wright explained why he felt so comfortable around Bonecruncher.

“He’s a croc with poor self-esteem and he hangs out where the big crocs don’t,” Wright told NT News.

Poor croc. I hope he gains some confidence in himself.

-via Althouse

A great diversity of dinosaurs roamed the earth until 66 million years ago, when an asteroid impact changed the global ecosystem so much that they died out ...with the exception of a few kinds of avian dinosaurs that eventually became birds. What made those survivors so special? How were they different from all those dinos that died out in the aftermath of the impact? One theory holds that it was the beaks. 

When the extinction struck, the traits birds had been evolving for millions of years made the difference between life and death. While some birds survived the impact and its aftermath, not all of them did. “When we think about hypotheses of traits that let birds survive, we need to take into account that it was only a small sliver of diversity that made it to the other side,” Felice says. Entire groups of birds, such as toothed birds called enantiornithes, went extinct. It’s unlikely that one single trait determined the fate of all these species. Still, surviving extinction often comes down to luck, and beaks may have been some birds’ ace.

By the end of the Cretaceous, beaked birds were already eating a much more varied diet than their toothed relatives. These birds weren’t specialized on insects or other animal food, and so they were able to pluck up hard food items like seeds and nuts. And in the aftermath of the extinction, when animal life was severely cut back, those hard, persistent little morsels got beaked birds through the hard times. Beaked birds were able to feed on the seeds of the destroyed forests and wait out the decades until vegetation began to return.

There's a lot more to the story, which you can read at Smithsonian.

(Image credit: Steveoc 86)

Yohei is living his best life as the sole inhabitant of an abandoned elementary school in the mountains of Japan. There are facilities that spark envy in anyone living in cramped quarters -and even those who have a big house already. A huge kitchen, a band room, a lovely view from the solitude of a mansion-sized home- what else could you ask for? As an American, I immediately had a couple of questions. First, what do the owners of the school think of Yohei living there? It appears that he's good for tourism, so maybe the local authorities have some agreement with him. They may even pay him for keeping the building up. If not, you may wonder how he pays for food and electricity and all that. Yohei roasts his own coffee and sells it online (only in Japan), he takes in guests and probably charges something, and he has a band that might bring in money. Anyhow, here's the second part of the story, in which our reporters stay the night and check for ghosts.  

You have to admit, Yohei has it made in the shade! -via Digg

Acorn woodpeckers are "unusual, socially complex birds," or in other words, they are rather weird. These woodpeckers live in colonies of up to 16 birds, only a few of which are allowed to breed. When one of the breeders dies, a slot opens up and war ensues. The birds battle each other for days until one wins the spot.

These are some of the findings from a study, published in Current Biology, that followed a California population of these unusual, socially complex birds. The immense and arduous effort required to win a key place within a territory’s pecking order is matched by an equally rare prize: a breeding position within a communal group of birds that raises offspring together and shares valuable stores of acorns that help them tough out food shortages. But the toll of a battle can be great.

“You can see birds with eyes gouged out, with blood on their plumage—they fall to the ground holding each other’s legs when they’re fighting,” says Sahas Barve, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. “These birds have spears for mouths so they can do a lot of damage.”

When the fights happen, birds from other colonies come and watch, maybe to learn what's in store for them, or to pick up some fighting tips. Read about the extremely weird lives of acorn woodpeckers at Atlas Obscura.

(Image credit: gailhampshire)

The oldest example of religious graffiti was found at Vindolanda, an ancient Roman fort in Northumberland. Researchers uncovered the shards of a chalice decorated with angels, crosses, and other symbols of Christian iconography. The 1,400-year-old artifact was found in poor condition, but thanks to technology, the researchers were able to discover the dozens of symbols etched on the chalice, as Artnet details: 

“It is genuinely exciting,” David Petts, a post-Roman specialist at Durham University and project researcher, told the Guardian. “When we think of graffiti, we tend to think it’s unauthorized vandalism. But we know from many medieval churches that people would put marks and symbols on buildings. What is unique about this is finding them on a vessel.”

The 14 pieces of the chalice, which was once the size of a modern-day cereal bowl, were discovered by a volunteer who signed on to help with the Vindolanda excavations last year. 

Among those identified were letters in Latin, Greek, and an ancient medieval script, as well as images of a fish, a whale, members of a church congregation, and a “chi-rho,” the monogram representing Jesus Christ.

“This is a really exciting find from a poorly understood period in the history of Britain,” Petts added in a statement. “Its apparent connections with the early Christian church are incredibly important, and this curious vessel is unique in a British context.”

“It is clear that further work on this discovery will tell us much about the development of early Christianity in the beginning of the medieval period,” he said.

Image via Artnet 

Australian artist Jasper St Aubyn West (aka Tailjar), hilariously inserted fun cartoon monsters into historical works of art and old photos. The colorful yet slightly creepy illustrations add a sense of discomfort (or if you’re being positive, shines a new light to the original piece) as it alters the context of the original. From his modern flair to “The Creation of Adam” by Michaelangelo  and other old reinterpreted pieces, check Laughing Squid’s full piece here. 

Image via Laughing Squid 

Yes, the rapper and the famous fast-food chain collaborated on a meal that was sold in the USA. The high demand for the Travis Scott Meal, which consists of a Quarter Pounder with cheese, bacon and lettuce, a medium order of fries with BBQ sauce and a Sprite, caused some restaurants to run out of the ingredients needed for the meal! USA Today has more details: 

"We’ve created a program that’s so compelling to our customers that it’s stretching our world-class supply chain; and if demand continues at these levels, more restaurants will break supply," McDonald's said in the memo sent to employees, owners and operators across the country.

The promotion will continue but, starting Sept. 22, to get the Travis Scott Meal for $6 it will have to be ordered through the McDonald's app.

McDonald's confirmed the supply shortages were due to overwhelming demand, the upcoming promotion shift to app-only and other details outlined in the memo to USA TODAY.

Image via USA Today