Tag: gift-for-geeks

Who Needs to Dissect Frogs When You Can See Right Through Them?

The glassfrog couldn’t be more aptly named. After all, his entire underbelly is translucent like glass. Amazingly, that’s not the only unique thing about these beautiful creatures. They’re also one of the handful of critters where the father actually handles all aspects of parental care. “Females flee as soon as they have delivered the eggs. Then males stay during weeks in close proximity of the egg clutch, improving its survival probability by maintaining it wet and, sometimes, scaring away predators,” says evolutionary biologist Juan Manuel Guayasamin. As a result, the males are also highly aggressive with one another, often fighting for hours. Link

Link:
Who Needs to Dissect Frogs When You Can See Right Through Them?

Heartbeat-Powered Pacemaker

The idea proposed by reseachers at the University of Michigan is to harvest the energy released by a heartbeat to power the pacemaker regulating the same heart: Piezoelectric materials generate an electric charge when their shape is changed. They are used in some microphones to convert vibrations into an electrical signal. Researchers at the University of Michigan are trying to use the movement of the heart as a source of electricity. In tests designed to simulate a range of heartbeats, enough electricity was generated to power a pacemaker. The designers now want to test the device on a real heart and build it into a commercial pacemaker. Link -via Glenn Reynolds  | Photo: Heart Pencil Holder on sale at the NeatoShop

More:
Heartbeat-Powered Pacemaker

The Japanese Invasion of Alaska

The Japanese military invaded American soil in 1942 when a force of 500 men overtook the Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska in Alaska. They captured a Navy weather crew stationed there and occupied the islands, which are the westernmost parts of the USA. It is now known as The Forgotten Battle but the invasion caused widespread outrage in 1942.  Pearl Harbor was still a fresh memory, having been attacked on December 7 of the previous year. Now, a Japanese military force had stepped foot on American soil – and the 500 had grown to over 5,000 men.  Although Kiska and neighboring Attu (which had been overrun two days previously) were part of the distant Aleutian Islands they were, nevertheless, American. Plans were immediately drawn up to retake the island, known as the Aleutian Campaign. The campaign would not succeed for over a year and would claim many American lives. Today, Kiska is a National Historic Landmark, and abandoned vehicles, weapons, and ordnance still litter the island. Signs warn of unexploded bombs and other hazards. Read about the Aleutian Campaign and see pictures of Kiska from both World War II and today at Kuriositas. Link -via the Presurfer (Image credit: Flickr user Buzz Hoffman )

Continued here:
The Japanese Invasion of Alaska

America’s New Fastest Road

I thought I liked driving fast but a speed limit set at 85mph? What are you crazy? This new toll road in Texas links Austin to San Antonio. A private company has shelled out the cash personally for the road, they get to maintain and operate the road for the next 50 years and in return they keep most of the money from the toll. Here is the catch, they are charging $6.17 to use the road. The video does some interesting number crunching and it turns out, at 41 miles, that $6.17 compares pretty favorably to other toll roads across the country if you go by the dollar per mile. Sounds great but I think you have to remember that the rate only holds its value if you are using the whole 41 miles. Either way wherever you are going on the toll, you will be going their fast. Link Unique Daily

Read More:
America’s New Fastest Road