Random thoughts

[rbkwp]

3 things you need to know about life so far, courtesy of NG

| 2:34 | NEWS |
Self-Sacrificing Ants Refuse Treatment of Their Wounds
In this case, it’s “no ant left behind.” A new study investigated the carnage after an army of ants raids a termite nest, and found that ants systematically nurse their wounded comrades back to health. If an injured ant puts out a signal letting others know it’s hurt, its fellow ants will come running and tend to its wounds. But if the injured ant doesn’t signal, help is less likely to come. Interestingly enough, the wounded ants decide for themselves whether or not they should be treated. Call it “ant triage.”

| 1:48 | NEWS |
Cuttlefish Look Like Squid—and Like Crabs, Algae, or Rocks
Cuttlefish—a relative of octopuses and squids—share their cousins’ talent for mimicry. Using two different types of muscles, these marine creatures can raise bumps all over their skin in certain patterns to camouflage themselves against the seafloor, or to trick their prey by taking on a harmless shape. It’s amazing that such a simple mechanism can result in such a complete makeover.
—Rachel Brown, associate producer

| 0:56 | NEWS |
Nearly 150,000 Orangutans Lost to Logging, Palm Oil, and Human Conflict
In just this year alone, local Borneo press has surfaced two different stories about orangutans being shot and killed in self-defense. What may sound like a low number has devastating consequences for this critically endangered species. A recent study found over 148,000 have been killed since 1999. The shocking twist? More were lost from forested areas than areas that had been cleared. One conservationist I spoke to says hunting, not just habitat loss, is the biggest existential threat to this species.

 

[rbkwp]

and a 4th, our ancestors when we dident know we would be as BAD as we have turnedut to be
of curse there will be deniers withthe last statement?

| 1:38 | SHORT FILM SHOWCASE |
Watch Face Paint Tell the Story of Human Evolution in One Minute

In less than two minutes, artist Emma Allen uses face paint to depict her interpretation of evolution to span past, present, and future. She painted her face approximately 1,250 times over 12 days to create this astonishing animation, which starts out with a single-celled organism and ends with a single digital supercell. I was in shock and awe for the last 30 seconds of the piece as it predicts a cyborg future. Predictions aside, Allen's piece is so beautifully detailed you'll want to watch it multiple times.

 

[rbkwp]

pesonally not at all keen om this
sounds vey suspect??
would object and jump up and down if similarthought happened here withthe useless unedible Golden Capmor the even worse species the KOI carp

Doubts raised over Australia’s plan to release herpes to wipe out carp
Warm water may

An Australian plan to kill invasive carp by releasing a virus into waterways has come under fire from researchers who argue that the tactic will not eradicate enough fish.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41...mp;utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20180223

interesting long read alight, i thought abyway, so infomative?
and we like to think theyre only good fo spot
depends on your/our interpetation i geuss
just as much ight for earths space as us?

long read
‘People think the deer are lovely. Then they learn more about it’: the deer cull dilemma
The Scottish Highlands have a deer problem. Is shooting tens of thousands of them the only solution? By Cal Flyn

https://www.theguardian.com/news/20...265391&subid=11016793&CMP=longread_collection

 

[rbkwp]

am sure they will carry on with there chemicals insecticides/pesticudes
then eventually bitch and moan, when its much much later to be taking care with such

humnan nature with some to be totally ignorant as well as selfish for themselves only and money hungry as well
what a life huh?

Insect population decline leaves Australian scientists scratching for solutions
ABC Far North
By Mark Rigby

Updated February 24, 2018 15:50:30

PHOTO: Entomologists are concerned Australia's insect populations are in decline. (ABC News: Penny McLintock)
RELATED STORY: Put down the bug spray and embrace the creepy crawlies
RELATED STORY: Here's why you should keep spiders and insects onside

MAP: Cairns 4870
A global crash in insect populations has found its way to Australia, with entomologists across the country reporting lower than average numbers of wild insects.

University of Sydney entomologist Dr Cameron Webb said researchers around the world widely acknowledge that insect populations are in decline, but are at a loss to determine the cause.

"On one hand it might be the widespread use of insecticides, on the other hand it might be urbanisation and the fact that we're eliminating some of the plants where it's really critical that these insects complete their development," Dr Webb said.

"Add in to the mix climate change and sea level rise and it's incredibly difficult to predict exactly what it is."

'It's left me dumbfounded'
Entomologist and owner of the Australian Insect Farm, near Innisfail in far north Queensland, Jack Hasenpusch is usually able to collect swarms of wild insects at this time of year.

"I've been wondering for the last few years why some of the insects have been dropping off and put it down to lack of rainfall," Mr Hasenpusch said.

PHOTO: Jack Hasenpusch says he usually collects thousands of insects at this time of year, but this summer is particularly quiet.(ABC South East: Cassie Steeth)


"This year has really taken the cake with the lack of insects, it's left me dumbfounded, I can't figure out what's going on."

Mr Hasenpusch said entomologists he had spoken to from Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and even as far away as New Caledonia and Italy all had similar stories.

The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary in Kuranda, west of Cairns, has had difficulty breeding the far north's iconic Ulysses butterfly for more than two years.

"We've had [the problem] checked by scientists, the University of Queensland was involved, Biosecurity Queensland was involved but so far we haven't found anything unusual in the bodies [of caterpillars] that didn't survive," said breeding laboratory supervisor Tina Kupke.

PHOTO: There are concerns far north Queensland's iconic Ulysses butterfly species is also disappearing from the wild.(Supplied: Australian Butterfly Sanctuary)


"We've had some short successes but always failed in the second generation."

Ms Lupke said the problem was not confined to far north Queensland, or even Australia.

"Some of our pupae go overseas from some of our breeders here and they've all had the same problem," she said.

"And the Melbourne Zoo has been trying for quite a while with the same problems."

Limited lifecycle prefaces population plummet
Dr Webb, who primarily researches mosquitoes, said numbers were also in decline across New South Wales this year, which was indicative of the situation in other insect populations.

"We've had a really strange summer; it's been very dry, sometimes it's been brutally hot but sometimes it's been cooler than average," he said.

PHOTO: Entomologist Dr Cameron Webb says dry conditions can affect the lifecycle of many insects, which in turn affects entire populations. (ABC: Nicola Gage)"

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-...tm_content=ABCNewsmail_topstories_articlelink

 

[MickeyLee]

Sarah Connor, in all her incarnations, remains bad-ass and fine as hell.

 

[rbkwp]

of course it 'means' nothing,but WTF huh
natures better than nothing

BOOO
the Trump influence motivated Francis mebeee re DEMONIC POSSESSION
oh dont be mean duh
rather harmless vampires and zombies huh ha

THE VATICAN IS TRAINING MORE EXORCISTS, WITH REPORTS OF DEMONIC POSSESSION SOARING

http://www.newsweek.com/vatican-tra...1&spJobID=971170405&spReportId=OTcxMTcwNDA1S0

 

[rbkwp]

nothing werid ever happens in NZ duh'

Thousands of balls in Waikanae River 'stupid and irresponsible'

Mysterious balls in river
Residents have spent hours fishing colourful ball-pit balls out of the Waikanae River.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment...le?cid=edm:stuff:dailyheadlines&bid=618594263

 

[rbkwp]

beautiful rugged
whats needed not wars


The Forest That Blooms Brilliantly for Just a Few Days a Year
In southern Ecuador, flowering guayacán trees paint the landscape yellow—but not for long.
BY SARAH FOSTER
FEBRUARY 22, 2018

This desert-like landscape is covered with yellow flowers for only a few days a year. ALL PHOTOS: NICOLAS VAN DRUNEN
946
Found: A Hammerhead Shark NurseryFound: Two New Species of Dog-Faced BatsHow a Flipped-Over Giant Tortoise Gets Its Feet Back on the Ground
After a few days, the trees reach their maximum flowering point and the blossoms begin to fall to the ground shortly after. The fallen flowers form a yellow carpet around the base of each tree—but many are quickly eaten by the hungry goats that wander around the area grazing.

Luis Manuel Aponte Castillo, 88, has lived in Mangahurco all his life.
To outside visitors, the blossoming of the guayacán forest in Mangahurco is a stunning event, but the people who live there thought nothing of it until campaigns by Ecuador’s Ministry of Tourism started attracting tourists over the past 10 years. Most families who live in the area make their living by tending herds of goats and cows that they harvest for meat, and planting crops of corn and sweet potatoes. “The goats would eat the flowers,” explains Horley Ruíz, who lives just outside the town’s entrance, “and that was that.”
When the first rains of the season are constant and strong, the whole forest blossoms at the same time.
Fabián Altamirano, the Zonal Coordinator for Ecuador’s Ministry of Tourism in Loja and the surrounding areas, is the person responsible for the thousands of tourists who have flocked to the area in the last five years. In 2009, Altamirano assembled a small team, including a photographer and videographer, to put together a pilot project to promote the area as a tourist destination. Once the images of flowering guayacán trees began to circulate, people from Quito and Guayaquil started to come see for themselves.

Since the town only receives visits from tourists for a few days a year, it’s up to the community to adapt and accommodate the needs of their temporary expansion. A municipal organization has built a few community-owned cabins. Some families offer their porches for tourists to set up their tents. Others open up their homes as make-shift restaurants or lend their showers and bathrooms to people who camp in designated areas of the forest

Planning a trip to see the guayacán forest can be difficult to coordinate, because it blossoms with just a few days’ notice. The best way to see it is to be in Ecuador during January, and leave enough flexibility in your plans to set out for Mangahurco—a six-hour drive from Loja, the closest major city—at the last minute.

Most people in the area make their living tending goats, cows, and other livestock.

Camping is a great way to experience the blossoming of the guayacan forest up close.
Houses are traditionally built with bahareque, a wooden structure covered with loam.

During this short season the flowering guayacan is the only chance for shade in the dry forest.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articl..._26_2018)&mc_cid=e9ba8db3fe&mc_eid=d67b59bc0e

 

[rbkwp]

would have thought music is universal myself
this loudmouth is hard to believe, for me anyway?

Why Music Is Not a Universal Language

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smar...pJobID=1223296049&spReportId=MTIyMzI5NjA0OQS2

Flamingo Mystery

In Florida, you see flamingos everywhere, but there’s been little information about their past and present in the state. When and how did they get to the region

 

[rbkwp]

keeping YOU updated on RURAL LIFE Australia
more important than all things warmongering USA huh duh'


West Australian farmers have lost millions one year on from tomato potato psyllid outbreak
One year on from the tomato potato psyllid being discovered in WA, industry and government say the pest is costing them millions.

chemicals WW /NASTY!!!

Spray drift towards SA vineyards prompts calls for crackdown on crop spraying 'recklessness'
A South Australian wine body calls for more direct action in stopping chemical spray drift from broadacre farms.

wilb bogs/feral cats NASTY!!!

Wild dog attacks that leave sheep with guts 'ripped out' increase south of the dingo fence
Photos of a badly wounded sheep are highlight the losing battle against wild dogs in SA. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

wilb bogs/feral cats NASTY!!!
human animals nastier

Wild dog trap and camera thefts harm farmers' containment efforts
Victorian authorities are investigating an increase in the number of wild dog trap and camera thefts as farmers count the cost and call for more trappers.

Beekeepers turn to satellite tracking systems to halt hive theft
Along with the weather, the threat of pesticides and vandals, hive theft is yet another challenge beekeepers face but modern technology could help.

good news
bring back cotton
BAN plastics WW yes!!!

Momentum builds to resurrect a cotton industry in WA's Ord Irrigation Scheme
The first commercial wet season cotton crop is planted in the Ord since the collapse of the industry 40 years ago.

 

[rbkwp]

ALL HELPS
even if only oartial hold
good for them persevering yes
not only the US but elsewgere WW
we are ecomming more aware


BRIEFLY

Stuff that matters

WAIT A MINUTE

Tim Graham / Getty Images News
A federal judge pressed ‘pause’ on construction of the Bayou Bridge pipeline.

That is, until the environmental impacts of the proposed southern extension of the Bakken Pipeline have been determined.

Groups representing local fishermen and environmental interests filed suit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers this January,alleging that the pipeline would have negative repercussions on the health and economic opportunities of the communities that depend on the Atchafalaya Basin. The Corps will now need to revisit its approval of the portion of the project that runs through the Atchafalaya.

Pipeline construction and maintenance leaves behind spoil banks, piles of dirt adjacent to the canals dug by developers. Opponents to the Bayou Bridge project say the canals and spoil banks disrupt water flow and upset the swamp’s ecology, endangering the livelihoods of crawfishing families. They are also concerned that pipeline construction will leave the area more vulnerable to flooding and oil spills.

A majority of the $750 million Bayou Bridge project is owned by Energy Transfer Partners, the same company building the Dakota Access Pipeline that sparked protests at Standing Rock in 2016. Bayou Bridge was slated to start service by the end of the year, with the capacity to transport up to 480,000 barrels of oil each day along a 162-mile pipeline between Lake Charles and St. James Parish, Louisiana — and it would connect the Dakota Access Pipeline to the Gulf of Mexico.

https://grist.org/briefly/a-federal...mail&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=daily

 

[rbkwp]

well all that can be said
wnoever weve evolved from, we win the prize for being the wrost living things on the planet
luckily our life spans only 60/80 years
more than ample time to destroy anything/everything in our way

Lucy vs. Adam and Eve: The theory of evolution in Africa
Did God create mankind, or did we evolve from apes? Many Africans find it difficult to reconcile the theory of evolution with their faith. But what do theologians think?

Lefranc Nguirobel from Cameroon was clearly angry: "Bring a monkey into your home and we'll see if it turns human," he wrote on DW's French Facebook page. He had just watched the first episode of DW's new series, African Roots, which explores the lives of 25 notable African historical figures. The subject of the first episode was Lucy — also known as Dinknesh — whose skeleton was discovered by American researchers in Ethiopia in 1974. According to scientific estimates, Lucy is approximately 3.2 million years old and has been identified by researchers as one of the earliest ancestors of modern-day humans, lending weight to the theory of evolution.

Like Lefranc, many other Facebook commenters did not seem to support this idea. "God created the first man and that was a perfect man, not a monkey!" Sheha Ibrahim wrote on the DW Kiswahili page. Users like Sheba were particularly troubled by the artistic representation of Lucy in the webcomic, where she looks more like a monkey than a hominid. "God created Adam first, then his wife Hawa, and if white people want to teach us that we're apes, then they're wrong," protested Abdirahman Ali from Nairobi.

Many Africans were critical of the theory of evolution on DW's Facebook page

The Catholic Church's struggle with evolution

These kinds of opinions are familiar to Catholic priest Friedrich Stenger. He has lived in Africa for decades — most recently at the Catholic Tangaza College in Kenya's capital, Nairobi. "Once a biology teacher in Ethiopia told me that [evolution] was in conflict with the church because on Sundays the pastor would say that the world was created 4000 years ago," Stenger told DW, "The teacher said to me: As a scientist, I know this cannot be true. How can I bring science and religion together?"

For a long time, the Catholic Church would not budge on the issue. It was not until the 1950s that it slowly began opening up to the theory of evolution. In 1986, Pope John Paul II commented that a belief in evolution and having faith in God need not be mutually exclusive. His successors have taken the same position and an increasing number of theologians have claimed that the Bible's account of the creation of the world in seven days does not have to be taken literally.

Many Christians in Africa find it difficult to accept the theory of evolution.

"What the story of creation means to tell us is that God is at the beginning of creation," says Stenger, "Science is able to tell us this in more detail, which is why the theory of evolution is very important." However not all Christian churches share this view. Stenger says many popular churches in Africa, which combine Christianity and traditional African beliefs, are sometimes hostile towards evolutionary theory.

Evolution 'compromises' idea of creation

Abdulkader Tayoub, a professor of Islamic studies at the University of Cape Town, has also thought a lot about how faith and evolution can be reconciled. "The belief of many Muslims, like many Jews and Christians, is that God created everything out of an absolute will and that man is, so to speak, the pinnacle of creation," he told DW, "Many people believe that this idea is compromised by evolutionary theory."

Individual Islamic scholars have already commented on these issues, but a genuine debate on ways to unite faith and evolution does not yet exist in the Islamic world, says Tayoub. But beyond the religious dimension, he can identify another reason why many Africans reject the theory of evolution; "Many people feel that these theories do not belong to them, that they came from outside of Africa, and so they cannot participate in their development."

British naturalist Charles Darwin was the originator of the theory of evolution

Evolution not taught in schools

In many African countries, the theory of evolution is not even included in the syllabus. The limited amount of resources and training available in many schools means young Africans often do not get the chance to engage with the subject. For example, during the apartheid era in South Africa, training opportunities for aspiring black teachers were severely restricted in comparison to white teachers. A survey carried out at the time showed that many of the teachers who did receive training did not have sufficient knowledge of the theory of evolution. Other studies have ranked the education systems of other African countries at even lower standards.

But how can creation and evolution be reconciled in Islam? Tayoub suggests approaching the creation story found in the Koran from a different perspective. "The history of the Koran when it comes to human origins, when it comes to the history of human society, is told in so many different ways in so many different parts of the Koran," he says, "There is no one definite narrative, and so it raises the question over whether one should really endorse or accept one narrative."

 

[rbkwp]

Unusual islands you never knew existed

http://www.grunge.com/109330/unusua...&utm_campaign=zergnet_2615589&utm_content=263

real good article
lovethe GLOBAL NDIGENOUS going to be the savious of mother earth
they love the land not the shitty dollar
indigenous WW not just one country

It’s taken thousands of years, but Western science is finally catching up to indigenous knowledge

https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-02...s finally catching up to indigenous knowledge

 

[rbkwp]

love orchids esp wild
so many many varieties ha
lovely having them around
xtra wonderful giving as a gift, many times

Why the Conservation of Orchids Is No Simple Matter
Orchid researchers are racing to store seeds from the threatened plants, but first, they must understand the conditions they need to grow

Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smit...-simple-matter-180968270/#KwCkyiLfjIwm1X30.99
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv
Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter

Calopogon tuberosus, the grass pink orchid, is an orchid native to eastern North America. Endangered in Illinois, Kentucky, and Maryland, and listed as exploitably vulnerable in New York. (Melissa McCormick, SERC)
Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smit...-simple-matter-180968270/#KwCkyiLfjIwm1X30.99
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv
Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smit...pJobID=1240010476&spReportId=MTI0MDAxMDQ3NgS2

 

[rbkwp]

Will a New Mosquito Emoji Create Some Buzz About Insect-borne Diseases?

Available in mid-2018, the emoji could provide a new means for communicating the science and health implications of mosquitoes

Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/inno...borne-diseases-180968277/#sPkri2hrSTpPmLuE.99
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv
Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/inno...pJobID=1240010476&spReportId=MTI0MDAxMDQ3NgS2

As Oceans Warm, King Penguins’ Food Moves Farther Away. That’s a Problem
The already treacherous journey for nourishment will get increasingly challenging for penguins in the years ahead

Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smar...climate-change-180968280/#i3FCSeS0ureBtJ8V.99
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv
Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smar...pJobID=1240010476&spReportId=MTI0MDAxMDQ3NgS2

 

[rbkwp]

smile
yes, wemight too, place them ahead of us hu

Chimps and bonobos speak the same 'language', and we might too

http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/...tm_content=ABCNewsmail_topstories_articlelink


CHIMPANZEE RESCUED FROM DRC POACHERS HELICOPTER PLANE RIDE TO SAFETY

http://www.newsweek.com/chimpanzee-rescued-drc-poachers-takes-helicopter-ride-safety-825281?utm_source=email&utm_medium=morning_brief&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=image&spMailingID=2990790&spUserID=NDk3NTk0MjA2NjAS1&spJobID=990032961&spReportId=OTkwMDMyOTYxS0

 

[rbkwp]

smile
just said somewhere i hate ANTS ha
then this comes out dang??

Can altruism exist without empathy? Lessons from the ant world
PATTERNS OF THOUGHT
New research shows that termite-hunting Matabele ants dress the wounds of injured comrades. It is the first time an insect has been shown to display healing behavior toward others.

Courtesy of Erik T. Frank
|
Caption

Can altruism exist without empathy? Lessons from the ant world
New research shows that termite-hunting Matabele ants dress the wounds of injured comrades. It is the first time an insect has been shown to display healing behavior toward others.

like'
wonder if we smartarse know alls leant off them,bet wedid, they wont admit it? huh

First-responder ants suggest helping may be widespread in nature

SURFACING MODELS OF THOUGHT
A species of African ant has been observed carrying their injured comrades back to the nest so that they may recover, another example of behavior once thought unique to humans.

https://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2...s-suggest-helping-may-be-widespread-in-nature

 

[MickeyLee]

love orchids esp wild
so many many varieties ha
lovely having them around
xtra wonderful giving as a gift, many times

Why the Conservation of Orchids Is No Simple Matter
Orchid researchers are racing to store seeds from the threatened plants, but first, they must understand the conditions they need to grow

Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smit...-simple-matter-180968270/#KwCkyiLfjIwm1X30.99
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv
Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter

Calopogon tuberosus, the grass pink orchid, is an orchid native to eastern North America. Endangered in Illinois, Kentucky, and Maryland, and listed as exploitably vulnerable in New York. (Melissa McCormick, SERC)
Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smit...-simple-matter-180968270/#KwCkyiLfjIwm1X30.99
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv
Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smit...pJobID=1240010476&spReportId=MTI0MDAxMDQ3NgS2

in case @Tight_N_Juicy missed it

 

[185248]

I took a video of a male and female Orchard doing what butterflies do in the backyard the other day. And for he life of me I can not upload it. It's on my desktop, have tried numerous times in sizing etc. Zilch.

Drag, drop, upload. It adheres to the requirements, but it is impossible to load.

Anyway, see ya. Have a great weekend.

 

[TurkeyWithaSunburn]

I want a nice 90 degree day. Or maybe I'm just catching the flu.