We once thought of dinosaurs as really big creatures. Some were, while others were not so big. But you've never seen a four-inch-tall dino before! Scientists have described a new species found in Madagascar as a teacup-sized example of Ornithodira, a group of the last common ancestors of dinosaurs and pterosaurs. The 237-million-year-old fossil was named Kongonaphon kely, which means "tiny bug slayer."

K. kely is the smallest known species in a family of early dinosauromorphs called Lagerpetidae. These early examples of Ornithodira are known to be small, but with recent discoveries such as the tiny bug slayer, researchers are coming round to the idea that the smallness of discovered specimens is no accident.

"Although dinosaurs and gigantism are practically synonymous, an analysis of body size evolution in dinosaurs and other archosaurs in the context of this taxon and related forms demonstrates that the earliest-diverging members of the group may have been smaller than previously thought, and that a profound miniaturisation event occurred near the base of the avian stem lineage," the team writes in a new paper.

This little dino no doubt struck terror into the hearts of nearby insects. Read more about it at Science Alert. -via Damn Interesting

(Image credit: Frank Ippolito/AMNH)

We know that Woody Guthrie and Arlo Guthrie, both famous American folk singers, are father and son. However, you probably never envisioned Arlo as an infant, and Woody Guthrie as a proud new father bursting to tell the world about his newborn. He designed the announcement you see here.

The Arlo Guthrie birth announcement was sent by Woody to his friend Alan Lomax in 1947. Typed and embellished with finger-painted lettering, the announcement is in the form of a handmade greeting card, a single sheet folded in half to form a front and back cover and a center spread. The front consists of stylized line art representing a mother and baby, a greeting to the Lomax family, and the name “Arlo Guthrie,” painted in several different styles and colors. The back consists of the words “Here I Am” in large painted letters. Both sides bear the date, and the name “Arlo Guthrie” written in Woody’s handwriting.

Inside he wrote the story of Arlo's birth from the baby's point of view, which is quite funny, whether or not any of it is true. Read it at No Depression.  -via Nag on the Lake

YouTuber The Unusual Suspect went to an awful lot of trouble to edit clips from movies you know and love to make them sing "Mambo No. 5." This works a whole lot better than you'd expect, and the rhythm is smooth and natural. The song itself is only two-and-a-half minutes long; the rest is an ad.  -via Blame It On The Voices

Swedish bed makers Hästens created this very expensive bed called the Vividus. Vividus costs $200,000 (yes, you read that right) and is made from layers of horse-tail hair. Check out this video as Insider inspects the luxurious bed. Would you buy this bed?

A Siberian tiger has killed a 55-year-old keeper at Zurich’s zoo. The tiger attacked the female keeper inside the big cat enclosure in front of visitors. Horrified, the visitors raised the alarm right after, prompting staff members to rush to her aid. Tragically, the help came too late, as the woman died at the scene. 

image via CBS News

We live in such a time when a lot of speaking happens more than listening and reflecting. That's why it's a breath of fresh air to watch CosmicSkeptic be an example of how we should live our lives -- always reflecting whether we said or did the same things, so we can move forward as better people with better understanding of the things we disagree with.

In his latest video, Alex took some time to debunk himself regarding some things that he said about Kalam Cosmological Argument, while being open that he still hasn't changed his mind about Kalam entirely. This time, however, he sees it as posing a much stronger challenge than he once thought. He wrote in his caption:

Three years ago I made a video supposedly 'debunking' the kalam cosmological argument. Since then, I've done a lot more investigating, and even spoken to the man who gave that argument its name, and concluded that my old video is a bit of an embarrassment.

It's always exciting to change your mind, and I try to record whenever that happens to me on my channel. I haven't changed my mind about the kalam entirely, but now see it as posing a much stronger challenge than I once thought.

Video Credit: CosmicSkeptic via Youtube

Mystical -- that's one word to summarize what Dior would like their clients to feel, based on its Autumn-Winter 2020-2021 Haute Couture Collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri. The collection was showcased in an exclusive film directed by Matteo Garrone.

Dior used mythical characters to represent their clients, showing that they are special, rare, and having a unique lifestyle. Having everything delivered to them, it shows how Dior is willing to travel the distance just to present the luxurious garments to their clients. Truly, it's never just about the clothes (which are in themselves amazing) but also about the unique Haute Couture experience that they offer.

See the behind the scenes video here:

Video Credits: Christian Dior via Youtube and Business of Fashion via Facebook

Everyone wants to be successful in their own respective careers, whether it be sports, business, or life in general. In desiring so, we exert every effort to try to win at every game, competition, or transaction. But is trying to win every time the only way to succeed? Turns out, there’s a better alternative, and it is a much more modest mindset. And of all places where you can find this principle, you’d find it in a book about lawn tennis, written by an American engineer named Simon Ramo.

“The principle is easy. If you want to improve your score in ordinary tennis, start giving attention to stopping these errors, particularly the large fraction of imbecilic ones,” Ramo writes in his book titled Extraordinary Tennis For The Ordinary Player. The same principle can be applied to life in general.

More details about this over at BBC Reel.

What are your thoughts about this one?

(Image Credit: Pixabay)

Flying dandelion seeds, swaying branches, rustling leaves, and the cool blowing wind. While we might see these kinds of scenery as peaceful and relaxing, it isn’t the case for bees.

For a small creature with delicate wings, airborne seeds, shifting leaves and lurching flowers are basically projectiles, trap doors and Godzilla-tipped skyscrapers.

But despite the odds being stacked against them like this, how do these bees thrive in a hostile environment? It seems that they quickly analyze the environment before cutting through the wind and passing through the obstacles they see.

In a study published this month in the Journal of Experimental Biology, Dr. Burnett and colleagues addressed this gap — and found that when the going is tough, honeybees appear to high-tail it and hope for the best.

[...]

…the researchers found that the bees’ flight strategy changed depending on the conditions they faced. When confronted with moving rods in still air, they flew more slowly than when they encountered stationary obstacles.

[...]

But when the wind kicked up — in either direction — the honeybees would “actually speed up how fast they’re flying” by about 50 percent when the rods were moving compared with when they were still, he said.

When faced with complex airspace, the bees seemed to act “cautious in still air and courageous in wind,” he said.

More details about this over at The New York Times.

(Image Credit: Goumbik/ Pixabay)

Thanks to recent research, we now know that there is some sort of relation between the gut and the brain. And since we now know about this relationship, it would only be logical to think that what benefits one of them also benefits the other. New research suggests that foods and supplements that contain microbes could help us in our battle against depression.

"This is good quality research but it is a review of relatively preliminary data," Allan Young, a professor of mood disorders at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, told the Science Media Centre in London.

"So while this systematic review of the research literature supports the notion that pre and probiotics may be helpful for people with anxiety and depression, more research is needed. These data do make a case for larger trials to be carried out," said Young, who wasn't involved in the review.

[...]

The researchers said their review had several caveats: None of the included studies lasted very long; and the number of participants in each was small.

More details about this over at CNN.

What are your thoughts about this one?

(Image Credit: Pixabay)

At first glance, peanut butter may just be a simple spread that you put on your bread. But on a closer look, it is more than that: it is a versatile ingredient, which you can use in many ways, such as in making tasty treats, breakfast food, and even in savory dishes that will surely make your mouth water.

The Guardian lists many peanut butter recipes that you could try making at the comfort of your own home. See them all over at the site.

(Image Credit: Shutterbug75/ Pixabay)

Despite still holding a baby bottle in hand, this kid already is aware of his surroundings as well as the traffic laws of the land. When he noticed that the light was red, he immediately ordered his dad to stop. “It’s red, Daddy” he reminded his father, and so the father stopped. When it was green again, the father moved again, but he accelerated rather quickly, causing his son to say “oh my god! That’s so much!”

The father can’t help but laugh.

What are your thoughts about this one?

(Image Credit: NN Games/ YouTube)

Is there anything more adorable than a baby animal? A kid, yes! Combining those two, nothing can compare. Thanks to Andrea Martin, a photographer, who brought us joy by capturing precious moments of children with baby animals who are just about their size.

As the mom of four children who also helps to raise animals, Martin sees the magic that comes from children interacting with ducks, goats, puppies, and kitties. With this intimate knowledge, she understands how to embrace the playfulness of the kid’s age by allowing her subjects to play in giant puddles and roll around on the ground. The images, while masterfully composed, don’t take themselves too seriously; in doing so, they show how Martin is adept at knowing the perfect moment to hit the shutter. These sweet pictures effortlessly convey fun, innocence, and the beauty of nature, children, and animals—all at once.

This is the cutest series of photos I've seen this week!

Photo Credits: Andrea Martin via My Modern Met

We've heard about internet deepfakes which can be used to deceive people, but the photo above is the kind of deepfake we want.

Yep. That dolphin above is not a living dolphin. It is a hyper-real robotic creation by Edge Innovations, a "San Francisco-based design, development, and production studio."

the team, led by former walt disney imagineering creatives, has been working on a hyper-real robotic dolphin intended on reimagining the entertainment, educational, and business potential of the marine animal industry. these real-time animatronics (or mechatronic puppets) bring together live puppeteering, programmed behavior, and artificial intelligence to create a totally unique experience.

edge innovations says that the hyper-real creatures could be a way to reinvent the marine entertainment industry with a sustainable, safe, and profitable future. ‘as captive marine mammal shows have fallen from favor; and the catching, transporting and breeding of marine animals has become more restricted, the marine park industry as a viable business has become more challenging – yet the audience appetite for this type of entertainment and education has remained constant,’ explains the team at edge innovations.

Images taken from Design Boom's Website.

This photography contest is for the birds! The winners of the annual Audubon Photography Awards have been selected, and the top prize went to Joanna Lentini for the image above. It's an underwater view of a cormorant diving for sardines. Below you'll see a magnificent frigatebird puffing up his throat pouch at sunset, by Sue Dougherty, which won the Professional category.  



See all ten winning photographs and read the stories behind them at Audubon magazine. -via Digg