Why We See Such Beautiful Colors in the Fall
Fall is such a beautiful time of year. It’s a time of transition from summer to winter, and nothing quite embodies that transition like the changing colors of the leaves. According to an Iroquois Native American legend, the leaves change colors in the winter because a group of young hunters slew the Great Bear, and...
A Beaver the Size of a Bear: Meet the Now-Extinct Castoroides
There are times when you’re kind of sad that a certain animal has gone extinct. Then there are times when you hear “a beaver the size of a bear,” and know instinctively that would not be, in any way, shape, or form, adorable. Meet the Castoroides, a giant beaver who surely could have built some...
Some Lucky Duck Will Earn $50K a Year Exploring National Parks
If you’re a certain type of indoorsy person, wandering the nation’s national parks – even if you’re getting paid – does not sound like your idea of a dream job. For someone who lives for exploring, for hiking, for communing with nature and spending your days outdoors instead of in an office would seem like...
How Whale Vomit Could Help You Retire
Y’all, I had no idea that one of the best and move coveted ingredients for high-end perfume came from a whale’s intestines. For real. Whale vomit (or perhaps something like a whale gallstone), also called ambergris, is exactly that – and a raw, waxy glob of it could be worth up to $20,000. Ambergris forms...
Here’s Why People Scratch Their Heads When They’re Thinking
You’ve probably never spent quite so much time thinking about how often you touch your face until recently, but the truth is, most people do it more than we ever realized. We scrub our faces, we play with our hair, we pick at our lips, we rub our eyes, and yes, we scratch our heads all...
Can the Bite of a Black Widow Spider Kill You?
We know Black Widow from the Marvel Cinematic universe is a lethal as she is beautiful, but does the same go for the spider she’s named for? The black widow spider, or Latrodectus hesperus, is one of three venomous spiders in found in the United States. This shiny, black member of the arachnid family is most...
This Seal Celebrated His Birthday With a Giant Fish Cake
Birthdays are milestones to be celebrated, and celebrated with cake and ice cream. Yes, even if you’re a seal – maybe especially if you’re a seal – though then, it would seem that the ice cream and cake are best if combined. Note: the ice cream and cake are best if combined according to by...
5 Parrots Had to Be Separated After Conspiring to Curse at Zoo Visitors
It’s pretty much common knowledge that parrots are not only smart, but can be taught to speak, as well. And not just mimic what they hear, either; you can hold conversations with some of the smarter ones. One of my favorite stories about Andrew Jackson is that he owned a parrot that swore like a...