Butterfly Wings Inspire Scientists to Come Up With Amazing Technologies

The blue iridescent wings of the tropical Morpho butterfly are inspiring a wide array of technologies, according to a recent international research. Several important findings are based on studies of this beautiful butterfly. Designs of modern fabrics, make-up and even displays are influenced by the research of these creatures.

A scientist team from the University of Exeter together with researchers from General Electric Global Research Center, University at Albany and Air Force Research Laboratory found out that the physical structure and the chemistry of the Morho butterfly’s wings have interesting properties, which could be used in a variety of useful ways. The design could be useful for protective fabrics, self-cleaning surfaces, photonic security tags and even industrial sensors.

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The scales of these butterfly species’ wings absorb and reflect certain light rays the same as pigments and dyes do. This allows them to create color and dynamically control the light flow, which is great for regulating temperature as well as camouflage. The iridescent coloring is created by tiny tree-like microstructures instead of chemical pigmentation, which is the way we usually perceive colors. The nanostructures from which the wing scales are made, respond to gases differently on the top of the scales than the bottom, making them versatile even on nanoscale, while before it was believed, that such structures were possible only on microcsale.

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The team of interdisciplinary scientists such as physicists, chemists, biologists and materials scientists unveiled the existence of surface polarity gradient which makes the Morpho butterfly scales so unique. This discovery creates a lot of possibilities when designing sensors or multicolored fabrics and similar materials. Usually sensors and multicolored fabrics are made out of a variety of separate sensors, but this finding can create sensors which work within a single chemically graded nanostructured sensing unit.

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The understanding of iridescence in flying insects such as butterflies or moths, has revolutionized the understanding of natural photonics. Now scientists can work on applying these exceptionally small photonic sensors in a wide range of different technologies.

Prehistoric Creatures still Walking the Earth

From a 220-million year old shrimp to a 130 million year old frog find out which modern species have a gift for survival. These prehistoric creatures still exist and walk the earth.

Purple Frog

                                                                                                 Photo via Impact Lab

Purple frogs live underground, getting out just to mate during monsoon season, and they eat termites, ants, and and worms, but experts believe the frogs have been around for about 130 million years, since the days of the dinosaurs and that they evolved into their current state before humans existed.

Tuatara

                                                                                                 Photo via Auckland Zoo

Tuatara comes from New Zeland and based on the country’s website: The tuatara is part of the Sphenodontia order, which witnessed all of its other members go extinct more than 60 million years ago. Although they look like modern-day reptiles and lizards, they have body structure that experts believe has remained basically the same for 220 million years.

Tadpole Shrimp

                                                                                                         Photo via Computer Scotland

Two years ago, researchers in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, discovered the tadpole shrimp (Triops cancriformis) that have uniquely adapted reproductive methods that have allowed them to survive pretty much entirely unchanged for more than 220 million years.

Coelacanth

                                                                                                 Photo via Wired

The coelacanth that some experts believe symbolizes the evolutionary step between ancient fish and reptiles, had dinosaurs for its neighbors when it wondered the oceans more than 65 million years ago, and though it was believed to have gone extinct alongside the dinos, a coelacanth caught in 1938 put the fish back on the world stage.

Sandhill Crane

                                                                                                              Photo via Carolina Nature

Recent discoveries are showing that the sandhill crane has survived plenty of previous threats. According to The Nature Conservancy, a fossil found in Nebraska, “estimated to be about 10 million years old, is identical in structure to the modern sandhill crane.”

Horseshoe Crab

                                                                                                      Photo via Rollins.edu

Horseshoe crabs could share their name with the other crabs you see at the seaside, but they’re not crustaceans — they are part of their own Arthropod class called Merostomata, and, according to The Horseshoe Crab, they are most similar to trilobites, creatures that lived 544 million years ago.

Sturgeon

                                                                                                                 Photo via The Shadowlands  

When sturgeon  (which date back as far as 70 million years)  first arrived on the scene, they were yet another fish in the sea. Now, they’re valued for their caviar stocks and facing extinction because of overfishing. Sturgeon live in saltwater and can grow as long as 15 feet  but their fins, skeleton, and lifestyle are nearly the same as they were millions of years ago.

Amazing Macro Photography of Insects

Point of view is everything. And that is particularly true when considering these amazing macro photography by Ondrej Pakan. He takes scary crawlies that you’d normally steer clear of and turns them into something stunning.

Blue Damselfly

                                                                                                         credit: Ondrej Pakan

Red Sonya

                                                                                                  credit: Ondrej Pakan

Dew Covered Bug Eyes

                                                                                                     credit: Ondrej Pakan

Red Sonya

                                                                                          credit: Ondrej Pakan

Just a Fly

                                                                                              credit: Ondrej Pakan

Can you guess what this insect is?

                                                                                                        credit: Ondrej Pakan

Rhyno

                                                                                          credit: Ondrej Pakan

Hippie

                                                                                                    credit: Ondrej Pakan

Red Head

                                                                                             credit: Ondrej Pakan

Abracadabra

                                                                                    credit: Ondrej Pakan

If you haven’t had enough , you can see more macro photography over at Ondrej’s website.

10 Most Unusual Cat Breeds in the World

Everyone knows just how affectionate folks can be about cats. And those emotions might be twice as powerful when it comes to exotic breeds, even (or especially!) if the cats are a little… well… different looking! The kitties on this list certainly stand out from your average neighborhood tabby, whether because of their hair (or lack of it), the size of their limbs, their ears, or simply because they look a little… weird. Yes, the following 10 cats are all rather bizarre – but we think you’ll agree that they’re still totally lovable in their own unique ways.

10. Sphynx

                                                                                                        Photo: Nicolaas Hamid

The Sphynx is probably the best-known bizarre cat there is. And depending on your point of view, it’s either a charmingly exotic or a slightly creepy looking breed. That said, even if you’re not a huge fan, you have to admit that there’s something hypnotic about these felines’ lovely big eyes, which are made even more prominent by the lack of any surrounding fur or eyebrows.

                                                                                                  Photo: The Pug Father

9. Ukrainian Levkoy

                                                                                                             Photo: Nickolas Titkov

The Ukrainian Levkoy is similar to the Sphynx in some ways (the most obvious being its lack of fur), but it’s also very different, with folded-over ears and large but narrow eyes. The Ukrainian Levkoy’s profile is angular, and the breed is described as ‘dog-faced’. The smooth-skinned specimen pictured is hairless, but some Levkoys may have patches of hair or be covered in short downy fur.

                                                                                                     Photo: Alena Ivanchuk

8. Cornish Rex

                                                                                                           Photo: Lisa

This elegant lady has been rather fabulously named ‘Quails Nest Kissing Time of Boska’, or Kissy III for short. The regal moniker is quite appropriate, really, for a kitty with such a beautiful, wavy fur coat – or, to be precise, undercoat. Unlike other cats, the Cornish Rex (for this is our next breed) lacks the two outer layers of hair, known as guard hair and awn hair, respectively. Instead, it’s only protected by a silky down layer. And the Cornish Rex, along with the Devon Rex, has much softer fur than other cats.

7. Scottish Fold

                                                                                                 Photo: Psihopat

Instead of flaunting large upright ears like the Cornish Rex, the Scottish Fold hardly has any ears at all! Well, that’s how it looks anyway. The real story is that the cartilage in this cute breed’s ears is creased, or folded, causing the ear to bend downwards and appear tiny. Some people think this gives the breed an owlish look, which is intensified by the Scottish Fold’s large, round eyes.

                                                                                                              Photo: Kostj

6. Exotic Shorthair

                                                                                                      Photo: Charlyn Wee

This precious little kitten also has a pretty cute name: Fig Newton. She’s an Exotic Shorthair, which is very similar to the Persian breed, except for its short, dense fur. Exotic Shorthairs have round heads with flattened looking faces and small ears. Like their heads, their bodies are also rounded, giving them the appearance of cuddly teddy bears.

                                                                                                            Photo: Captain Pancakes

5. Munchkin

                                                                                                               Photo: Jimmy Leo

When the Munchkin breed first arrived on the scene in 1994, it was met with controversy. One veteran show judge resigned in disgust, and several cat registries still refuse to recognize the breed. The problem is the Munchkin’s short little legs. Many were concerned that the mutant gene responsible would leave the cats with the kind of crippling problems that affect short-legged dogs like Corgis and Dachshunds.

                                                                                                             Photo: Jimmy Leo

4. Peterbald

                                                                                                         Photo: Atlantiscats

The Peterbald is another often – but not always – hairless breed of cat. These cats are known for their long, lean bodies, large pointed ears, and big, almond-shaped eyes. And as you can see from this photo, they also have a rather unusual characteristic for cats: webbed feet! Very bizarre… Although they are able to use those flexible-looking toes to grasp objects and even open door latches.

                                                                                                    Photo: Atlantiscats

3. Savannah Cat

                                                                                              Photo: Jason Douglas

With its exotic stripes, this cat looks like it belongs in the wild rather than a family home. Actually, the Savannah cat is a hybrid of a domestic cat and an African wild cat known as the Serval. Traces of their wild heritage include the ‘ocelli’, or eye-like spots, on the backs of their ears, and the ‘cheetah tear’ markings next to their noses.

2. LaPerm

                                                                                                                      Photo: Jane Gianoutsos

Looking at this cat’s long, wavy hair, it may come as no surprise to learn that the breed is known as LaPerm. The fur of these cats is made up of short, tight curls, long, corkscrew ringlets, and even straight hair. Curiously, many LaPerms are born bald, while others lose their hair and replace it – sometimes several times over the course of their lives.

1. Elf Cat

                                                                                     Photo: © Kristen Leedom, Sphynx-cattery.com

If this isn’t a bizarre cat breed, we don’t know what is. The creation of American breeders Karen Nelson and Kristen Leedom, Elf cats are a very new addition to the cat world. These strange looking kitties are the result of a cross between the Sphynx and the American Curl (that’s where they get those amazing ears from!).

                                                                                         Photo: © Kristen Leedom, Sphynx-cattery.com

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

5 Almost Immortal Animals

The idea of immortality is almost as old as mankind itself. There are countless myths of fountains of youth, mystical elixirs that increase lifespan as well as attempts to create lifestyles that would make one live long, if not forever, but all this is just fantasy, right? It turns out that immortality is possible in the world that we live in now. The nature holds secrets to unusually long lives and even ways how to live forever. Let’s take a look at 5 of the most impressive immortal creatures and learn their secrets.

5. Turtles

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

All species that can live longer than humans are doing better than us. The fact that turtles can live for a couple of centuries might not be news to you. However, you might not know that biologically there is almost no difference between a young turtle and a turtle that is far into its second century of life. That means that the way how turtles age is different than humans. It’s like as soon turtles reach their puberty, their organs stop aging. Teenage mutant ninja turtles might not be that mutant after all because of this. Also it seems that turtle hearts don’t always beat in response to nerve impulses, and sometimes they don’t even beat at all. It is as if they could turn it off when it is not needed. So, living well over hundred years is impressive, yet that is still far from immortality. How come that oceans aren’t overcrowded with turtles? Turtles can die, but that is never from old age. They die from diseases or predators.

4. Bdelloids

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

These little fellows are microscopic animals that can survive for ten years outside of fresh water, which is their their natural habitat, and surprisingly, can even withstand powerful blasts of radiation before becoming infertile. These creatures haven’t reproduced sexually for almost hundred million years. This is an interesting fact, since most of animal species in nature survive much better if they reproduce sexually, because this adds diversity in their genes. Bdelloids do take care of mixing genes, but they do that in a unique way. They steal them from other species. A single bdelloid specimen could have genetic material from hundreds of different species. This is possible because their DNA chain has breaks, allowing to add genomes from nearby dead animals, for example. This genetic versatility makes them much more likely to survive in environments that would be deadly to most species.

3. Jellyfish Turritopsis-Nutricula

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Turritopsis nutricula is a tiny jellyfish, only 4 to 5 mm long, but their lives can potentially be infinite. These creatures have an ability to regenerate. When a mature jellyfish is in obstacles that can threaten its life, for example, when it is starving or injured, it can attach itself to the ocean surface where it was born and turn into a polyp. Its cells then undergo a very strange transformation. They are literally reverting back to their baby-state. Muscle cells can transform into sperm or egg cells, nerve cells can turn into muscle cells. In whole animal kingdom there is nothing even remotely close to this. Surprisingly, this animal reproduces asexually so all specimens are genetically identical.

2. Clams

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Clams can live up to half of millennium years old.  That means, there might be some clams out there in the ocean that are even older than the United States of America. That’s quite impressive. The oldest known clam  is currently 410 years old, but who knows what the ocean depths are hiding. The reason why they live so long is because of their incredibly slow aging process. Clam cells are replaced on much, much slower rate than humans. They just slowly grow bigger and bigger. Once clams reach sexual maturity the growth enzymes remain stable for 150 or even more years. Sadly, the scientists don’t know yet how exactly clams can age so slowly.

1. Glass Sponges

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Living for 400-500 years sounds good, doesn’t it? How about living for a thousand? No, how about living more than ten thousand years? Yes, that’s exactly how long can this humble looking little glass sponge live for.The specimens you see in the picture can be older than modern humans. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors could be walking this same old Earth when these creatures became alive. Glass sponges can live up to impressive 15,000 years. They surely are the oldest living animals on this planet. Also they grow very slowly, glass sponges can be two meters long and weigh 10kgs. Scientists take great interest in researching these animals. Thanks to measuring the concentrations of manganese, calcium and oxygen inside some glass sponges, it is now known how the sea temperatures have changed over thousands of years. Who knows what else will we learn from these natural sea archives?

Two Gender Chimeras: Bilateral Gynandromorphs

Biologically there are three sexes: female, male and intersex. The sex of a creature is defined by internal and external bodies, sexual anatomy, chromosomes and hormones. Although most of animals fit into either female or male category, intersex in animal kingdom is more common than you might think. It can be represented in many different ways such as ambiguous genitals or DNA chromosomes that are responsible for determining the gender. This time let’s take a look at the strange nature phenomenon known as bilateral gynandromorphs.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

What are bilateral gynandromophs? Gynandromorphs are individuals that have some male and some female characteristics or in other words, they belong to intersex gender. Bilateral gynandromorphs are animals that are half male and half female, divided lengthways. Lepidoptera species that include moths and butterflies have shown a big number of such specimens. For example, in the picture above you can seePolyommatus icarus also known as the Common Blue butterfly that is half male and half female.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

This phenomenon is occasionally spotted among other species such as crustaceans, although the likelihood to see a bilateral gynandromorph specimen outside of lepidoptera species is very, very low. If we take a look at lobsters, for example, the chance of meeting a bilateral gynandromorph  lobster is 1 in 30 million. The odds are a bit higher if you look at the insect world. Fruit flies sometimes look like they have been split right in the middle and glued together – half brown, half yellow. Sometimes one eye is white while other is red. The genitalia of these specimens can be unique such as two full sets of both male and female genitalia. However, most of the time the genitalia is a mix of tissues that don’t look like either male or female reproductive organs.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

The reason why this happens is because of chromosome mutations. Normally sex is determined using the XX/XY system, where females have 2X chromosomes and males have 1X and 1Y chromosome. Occasionally a mutation can happen where one female chromosome is lost during the first mitotic division in a female zygote. In this situation, one of the daughter nucleus  has 2X chromosomes (XX), and the other daughter nucleus contains only 1X chromosome (XO). The XX nucleus will create a female body while XO nucleus will create a male body in spite of the lack of Y chromosome. That means that the “splitting” of the body has happened during the first mitotic division, when the sex of both the left and the right side has been determined.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

When it comes to why the physical features are so different such as the body or eye color, the reason of this is that the eye and body color genes are found within the X chromosome. If the loss of X chromosome happens after the first mitotic division, the animal will become a mosaic gyandromorph. That means it would have patches or regions that are male and female instead of the sharp bilateral contrast between the male and female body halves. These creatures are also known as chimeras, which are essentially the opposite of identical twins, where one embryo turns into two.

The 10 Most Intriguing Ancient Cities

If you think that today’s cities are awesome, you might as well be right, but history can show us that there were truly astonishing cities back in the ancient times. Wouldn’t be great if we can get to know some of these ancient cities? Well, that is exactly what we are going to do. Brace yourself, because this is our selection of 10 most intriguing ancient cities.

• Sanchi, India

Trademark of the city is one of the most beautiful monuments in the world, “Great Stupa”. The monument is in a great condition and it is considered to be one of the best preserved early stupas. The central room is located in this hemispherical dome of excellence, and it is used for placement of the relics that marks Buddhism in all of its glory.

Image source by http://www.manoratravel.com

• Palenque, Mexico

Mayan culture left its marking in Central America to the present day. Palenque is the obvious proof of that fact. Great palace must be seen if you are a tourist, but observatory and a temple pyramid of Pacal Votan are also pure classics of Mayan architecture.

Image source by http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com

• Ephesus, Turkey

It was founded around 1000 years BC. The city itself was an Attic- Ionian colony and the temple of Artemis is one of the seven Ancient Wonders of the World. It is the place of many different cultures and, because of that; many monuments are to be found there. Some of those are: the Temple of Hadrian, the Basilica of St. John, the Roman Library of Celsus, and many more.

Image source by www.bestourism.com

• Petra, Jordan

The city is pretty much carved into mountain, or to say it more precisely, in red stone. As it is the case with the previous city, we can found mixture of cultures and architectures here as well. This time, it is a mixture of eastern traditional architecture with Hellenic culture. The end result is truly amazing.

Image source by http://www.prlog.org

• Persepolis, Iran

The capital of the ancient Persian Empire will never cease to amaze us. The trademarks of the city are those tombs that are positioned very high in the walls. There are many inscriptions here too, and the city itself was built by King Darius high in the mountains.

Image source by www.nationalgeographic.com

• Pompeii, Italy

You might be surprised, but Pompeii was a truly stylish city of old. Everything is so well preserved that we had to put it on our list. Roman architecture at its best is shown in this ancient piece of paradise.

Image source by http://famouswonders.com

• Nimrud, Iraq

Nimrud was Assyrian capital for many years. The first thing to be noticed is that ivory in the throne room. The city is also famous because of tombs of its ancient rulers.

Image source by http://www.atlastours.net

• Stonehenge, England

It is safe to say that this prehistoric monument is the trademark of a prehistoric period. Scientists are puzzled by its existence and they tend to have many debates about this particular topic.

Image source by http://trip.worldtravellist.com

• Machu Picchu, Peru

Incas had a truly great civilization. Their architecture was put to the test here. Machu Pichu is a site to be seen for sure. When combined with the nature at its best, we might even have the prettiest ancient city in the world.

Image source by http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com

• Angkor, Cambodia

Khmer Empire had its best moments around 9^th century. That is exactly when the city was built. When we think about ancient religious monuments, the first thought should be this place. There are more than 1200 stone markings and many towers as well.

Image source by www.nationalgeographic.com