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- Popcorn-Bag-Induced Disorientation in a Gull
- Engraved Tools
- Ackbar’s Trap bar
- Totally Trippy Retro Animatic For The Hobbit
- This Guy Wants To Bring The Science Of Sexy Back
- An Amazing 3D Animation Short Called Electro Shock
- Amigurumi Cockroaches
- Winners of the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest
- The Joy of Books
- In Its Defense, The Chewbacca Burger Is Accurate
- Amazing 3D Paintings of Goldfish Created with Resin
- The Ballad of @Horse_ebooks
- Accused Drug Trafficker Shows up to Court Wearing Jacket Featuring Recipe for Crack Cocaine
- The Lord of the Rings Pin-Up Style Tattoo
- Portal 2 Cocktails
- Sculptures from Antique Guns
- Star Wars Van Is Ideal for the Kessel Run
- The Cat is Planning Something Evil
- Panda Mask
- How Gigantopithecus Became Extinct
- Baseball’s 90 Percent Club
- Sexy & Dangerous
- A Pony in Every Garage
- Little Miss Laugh-Out-Loud
- Sweden’s Silliest Place Names
- Mannings Cat Meow Story 2012
- Free Cat
- Couple Married for 86 Years
- 30-Story Building Built in 15 Days
- Titanic Shower Curtain
Popcorn-Bag-Induced Disorientation in a Gull Posted: 10 Jan 2012 05:14 AM PST by Stephen L. Richey The author was witness to a case of probable spatial disorientation with flight into terrain in a gull that was feeding upon a discarded bag of microwave popcorn. Spatial disorientation with flight into terrain is a well-documented phenomenon amongst human pilots. Here I discuss it as a possible explanation for some cases of injury and death in birds. I also discuss the risks inherent in attempting to aid what you might believe to be an injured gull—a gull that, in turn, might think you are attempting to take away its hard-earned food. Flying Garbage Disposal Gulls are among the birds most readily adapted to coexistence with human developments. They have learned to utilize human refuse as a food source. The Scene Seen in Saginaw A bag of burned generic microwave popcorn (fig. 2) was thrown out the door of a university apartment building. Immediately several gulls, all presumably L. delawarensis, descended upon the scene. A squabble over the bag and its contents ensued. One of the birds grasped the bag in its bill, and took off. The weather at the time was observed to be generally clear; visibility was well beyond that which would allow for visual flight rules operations by a human pilot. (Image credit: Wikipedia user Mdf) Aerodynamics Details: The Popcorn-Bag and the Gull (Image credit: Wikipedia user Howcheng) After the Crash The bird proceeded to feed upon the popcorn with no outward signs of distress or injury. It flew out of sight uneventfully after a few minutes. Post-Crash Analysis Among human pilots, flight in situations where the horizon is not visible or discernable due to obscuration as a result of fog, dark night, clouds, or other factors predisposes to the occurrence of disorientation. It accounts for a significant percentage of fatal general aviation crashes annually.1 Birds, however, have been documented as being capable of flight in conditions (referred to as "instrument meteorological conditions") that would require human pilots to use instruments. Some of these cases were observed via radar2. Other cases, reported to the National Wildlife Strike Database, involve aircraft making physical contact with birds.3 while flying in clouds, fog, or rain. European starlings (Sternus vulgaris) have been experimentally demonstrated to be able to maintain straight and level flight in complete darkness within a wind tunnel for durations as long as one minute.4 Disorientation in Other Bird Species The deaths of several hundred blackbirds in Beebe Arkansas on New Year's Day 2011 also have several factors (dark night, birds with poor night vision, events that startle a flock into flight, etc.) common to the prior events attributed to spatial disorientation. Nearly all of these cases have involved flocking birds, although there might be a selection bias at work since 5,000 dead blackbirds tends to warrant mention more of an investigation and report than a single dead bird. However, there may be some behavioral issues that predispose flocking birds to mass fatality events due to spatial disorientation. The tendency to "follow the leader" may lead to a flock of birds crashing into the ground in an avian version of the infamous 1982 "diamond crash" of four T-38 jets flown by the United States Air Force Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Team, which impacted the ground during a training mission to practice a formation loop. (Image credit: Flickr user Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos (ClintJCL)) Pigeons and Blindfolds, and Humans However, given that in humans it is possible to induce spatial disorientation through rotation of the head about the horizontal axis in absence o a fixed visual reference point, the author postulates that the final triggering event in the apparent disorientation demonstrated by the gull in this case might have been the bird turning its head within the bag in an effort to orient itself to the ground. There is no definitive proof of this at present, and attempts at testing this and other possible explanations for the behaviors witnessed under experimental conditions should be considered. Implications, Possibly In the setting of a mass avian fatality event that is otherwise without obvious explanation, the need for a complete investigation—both on scene and otherwise—cannot be understated. Necropsies are essential to whatever degree is necessary to establish the cause of death and to rule out potential foul play (such as poisoning) as well as to ensure that a communicable disease with either veterinary or human public health implications is either identified or ruled out. In the event of trauma without a clear explanation, such as the cases previously described in the literature, further investigation into the weather and lighting conditions (both natural and artificial in nature) in the hours or days leading up to the discovery of the birds is warranted to ascertain whether the conditions might have led to a spatial disorientation incident. Other weather-related factors that must be considered if the conditions support their presence include lightning-related mortality8, hailstone trauma9, and the possibility of birds encountering exceedingly strong updrafts, downdrafts, or microbursts while in flight.10 Finally, the potential role of a popcorn bag must be considered in all unexplained bird deaths. (Image credit: Flickr user Quinn Dombrowski) Notes 2 Bellrose F.C., Graber R.R. "A Radar Study of the Flight Directions of Nocturnal Migrants" in Proceedings of the XIII International Ornithological Congress, 17-24 June 1962, Ithaca, NY, pp. 362–89. Baton Rouge: American Ornithologist's Union, 1963. 3 Heppner F.H., Gabel J.E., March K. "Avian Flight Without Visual Reference: Preflight Spinning Produces Spatial Disorientation." Aviat Space Environ Med 2007;78:43–7. 4 Moyle R.G., Heppner F.H. "Flight Without Horizon Reference In European Starlings." Auk 1998;115:771–4. 5 Wobeser G., Gillespie M., Wyatt T. "Mortality of Geese as a Result of Collision with the Ground." J Wildlife Diseases 2005;41(2):463–6. 6 Mallory M.L., Gilchrist H.G., Jamieson S.E., Robertson G., Campbell D.G. "Unusual Migration Mortality of king Eiders in Central Baffin Island." Waterbirds 2001;24:453–6. 7 Heppner 2007. 8 Bye W. "Cooked geese." Nature Canada 1998;27(2):6. 9 Duff JP. "Suspected Wild Bird Mortality Due to Stormy Weather and Hailstones." Vet Record 2007;160(25):884. 10 Thrower W. Norfolk Bird Report, 1980;25:102–4. __________________________ This article is republished with permission from the September-October 2011 issue of the Annals of Improbable Research. You can download or purchase back issues of the magazine, or subscribe to receive future issues. Or get a subscription for someone as a gift! Visit their website for more research that makes people LAUGH and then THINK. |
Posted: 10 Jan 2012 05:10 AM PST |
Posted: 10 Jan 2012 04:02 AM PST If you remember the Cadbury ad campaign of 2007, then consider this a parody. If you don’t, well then it’s Chewbacca playing a Phil Collins song on drums, which is awesome enough, right? -Thanks, Nick! |
Totally Trippy Retro Animatic For The Hobbit Posted: 10 Jan 2012 12:06 AM PST Way before Peter Jackson turned the works of Tolkien into an epic series of movies, before Rankin Bass presented us with an awesome animated version of the books, there was another animated version in the works. And by the looks of this animatic for The Hobbit, which was created by animator Gene Dietch in 1966, it was going to be one tripped out ride. The style reminds me of Mary Blair (Disney’s Small World) or Jay Ward (Rocky & Bullwinkle), but what do you think? Would you have enjoyed watching The Hobbit animated if it were produced in this style? –via ComicsAlliance |
This Guy Wants To Bring The Science Of Sexy Back Posted: 09 Jan 2012 11:56 PM PST This one’s for all you science studs, because we all know that the sexiest organ in the human body is the brain. And, while keeping your eyes glued to a textbook doesn’t help your body get into shape, it will work wonders for your self esteem, and someday your pocketbook, if you’re lucky! So, put on your space themed tie and some blue jeans and show the world how sexy science can be. |
An Amazing 3D Animation Short Called Electro Shock Posted: 09 Jan 2012 11:51 PM PST This incredibly well made cartoon is the product of some talented students from the ESMA School of the Arts in France, and packs a full length feature worth of content into an eight minute long short. With an endearing storyline, cute cartoony style and some sweet visual effects, it’s so slick that I can hardly believe that it was made by student animators! Check it out and see if Electro Shock changes the way you think about superheroes. –via Cartoon Brew |
Posted: 09 Jan 2012 07:33 PM PST |
Winners of the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest Posted: 09 Jan 2012 07:24 PM PST National Geographic has selected the winning images for their annual contest, and they are amazing. Pictured above is Kent Shiraishi’s photograph of a frozen hot spring at a resort in Biei, Japan. It won an honorable mention in the nature category. View the other winners at the link. Link -via Marilyn Terrell |
Posted: 09 Jan 2012 07:17 PM PST The magic begins after closing time at Type Books in Toronto. This video is brought to you by the same folks who did Organizing the Bookcase last year, with a lot of help from friends. – via I Am Bored |
In Its Defense, The Chewbacca Burger Is Accurate Posted: 09 Jan 2012 06:37 PM PST (Video Link) The Darth Vader burger is black, so it makes sense that the Chewbacca burger is hairy. It may be unpleasant to eat, but it’s important that we stick to a faithful presentation of the Star Wars franchise. -via That’s Nerdalicious! |
Amazing 3D Paintings of Goldfish Created with Resin Posted: 09 Jan 2012 06:30 PM PST What’s astonishing is that this is not a photograph of goldfish in a tank. Japanese artist Riusuke Fukahori creates three dimensional images of goldfish by painting them, layer by layer, separated by very thin sheets of resin. You can look at them from any angle and they look just like fish. Watch a video at the link demonstrating how Fukahori does it. Link | Artist’s Website (Google Translate) | Photo: Dominic Alves |
Posted: 09 Jan 2012 06:28 PM PST A simple and not-too-effective spam Twitter account has become an internet phenomenon. @Horse_ebooks may or may not be a ‘bot, but the nonsensical snippets that it Tweets, supposedly from the ebooks it is trying to sell, has caused over 25,000 people to follow the account.
John Herrman at Splitsider explains what he knows about this account, and how it has taken off as a rising star on Twitter and in the larger internet universe. Link -via Boing Boing |
Accused Drug Trafficker Shows up to Court Wearing Jacket Featuring Recipe for Crack Cocaine Posted: 09 Jan 2012 05:51 PM PST When you go to court, dress professionally. Well, maybe not if you’re a professional drug dealer:
Link -via Dave Barry | Photo: Michael D. Weinstein |
The Lord of the Rings Pin-Up Style Tattoo Posted: 09 Jan 2012 05:40 PM PST I’ve only read through Fellowship and halfway through Two Towers, so I assume that this scene takes place later in the trilogy. But then why wasn’t it featured in the movies? Link -via Fashionably Geek |
Posted: 09 Jan 2012 05:07 PM PST If you drink enough of these, the physics will start to make sense. The Drunken Moogle, teacher of many geeky cocktail recipes, brings us the perfect Portal 2 drink. It was developed by James Dance. You’ll need blue curacao, vodka, lemonade, cointreau, rum and Orangina. Link -via Technabob | Photo: James Dance |
Posted: 09 Jan 2012 04:59 PM PST Krystopher Sapp takes antique gun parts and reassembles them into fanciful sculptures. This is “The Privateer,” and it looks the part. It’s made from the remains of a Savage, a M1 Garand, an ’03 Springfield, an AR-16 and a M-16. His exhibit, “When a Good Man Goes to War,” is on display at La Luz de Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles until January 29. Link -via My Modern Met |
Star Wars Van Is Ideal for the Kessel Run Posted: 09 Jan 2012 04:44 PM PST This 1979 Dodge Ram Van, for sale on eBay, is a discreet, unobtrusive way of conveying your support for the Rebel Alliance. The interior isn’t equipped for the full Star Wars experience, but think of that as a project that you can work on. The exterior is enough to give you the lifestyle that you crave:
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The Cat is Planning Something Evil Posted: 09 Jan 2012 02:35 PM PST Ignoramusky is back with another cat video dramatically enhanced with a soundtrack. If I saw my cat looking like this, I’d be worried about my safety -or at least my curtains! -via Cynical C |
Posted: 09 Jan 2012 11:45 AM PST Panda Knit Mask | $12.95 Hey there, panda bear! How cool it is to stay warm with the Panda Knit Mask over your head -on the ski slopes or on the way to school. This 100% acrylic, machine washable ski mask is available at the NeatoShop. Roll it up like a hat, or roll it down and see out the holes to keep your face warm. To keep your whole family warm (and still tell them apart), check out the entire selection of knit ski masks from the NeatoShop. |
How Gigantopithecus Became Extinct Posted: 09 Jan 2012 11:17 AM PST We don’t know about Sasquatch, but we know a giant ape we call Gigantopithecus roamed South Asia until about 300,000 years ago. Gigantopithecus resembled a ten-foot-tall orangutan and weighed about three times as much as a large gorilla. What happened to these great apes?
Read more about Gigantopithecus at Smithsonian’s Hominid Hunting blog. Link (Image credit: Flickr user Lindsay Holmwood) |
Posted: 09 Jan 2012 10:55 AM PST The newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame are to be announced today. I found out that no player has ever been inducted with 100% of the votes tallied. But there have been 27 players who got 90% or more of the votes cast. How many of those players can you name? I could only name ten, and that was with a list of Hall-of-Famers and my husband’s help! Maybe you can beat the current average of 39%. Link |
Posted: 09 Jan 2012 09:31 AM PST Twaggies has a new home! Now you can find Twaggies at GoComics. Use the arrows or calendar icon to find all the Twaggies. If you create an account at GoComics, you can subscribe to get a daily Twaggie sent to you. I particularly liked this Twaggie, illustrated from a Tweet from @lunchyprices because I feel the same way in my ancient Mamabus. Link |
Posted: 09 Jan 2012 09:01 AM PST President Obama, Mitt Romney, and the other politicians you see every day aren’t the only ones running for president in 2012. Vermin Supreme is one of the candidates who appeared at the Lesser-Known Democratic Candidates Presidential Forum held at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire on December 19th. -via The Daily What |
Posted: 09 Jan 2012 08:28 AM PST Congratulations to Neatorama artist Adam Koford (Ape Lad) and his wife on the arrival of Elsa, who was born over the weekend. There’s the explanation of why one of his cartoons was posted twice on Friday! Link -Thanks, John Farrier! (Image credit: Flickr user Ape Lad) |
Posted: 09 Jan 2012 07:52 AM PST We’ve read about strange and sometimes embarrassing place names in Britain and the U.S., but English-speaking tourists often don’t know when a place name in another language is, shall we say, unusual. Thanks to the English-language Swedish site The Local, we can get translations for the strangest-named places in Sweden.
But that’s just the beginning. Check out Sex Swamp, Snot Bog, and more. Link -via Fark |
Posted: 09 Jan 2012 07:48 AM PST I don’t know what Mannings is advertising here, but it’s a lovely story of selfless devotion nonetheless. A Babelfish translation of the related site offered no help, but if you can read Chinese, you may be able to clue us in. Link -via Everlasting Blort |
Posted: 09 Jan 2012 07:33 AM PST If this were in my local paper, I’d help pay to have a picture of the cat posted. After all, there are young people who don’t know what Barbra Streisand looks like. -via Criggo |
Posted: 09 Jan 2012 07:31 AM PST Karam and Kartari Chand of Bradford, England, recently celebrated their 86th wedding anniversary. They married when Kartari was just 13 and Karam a few years older.
The Chands live with one of their eight children. They also have 27 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren. Link -via Arbroath |
30-Story Building Built in 15 Days Posted: 09 Jan 2012 07:28 AM PST The Chinese construction company Broad Group built a 30-story hotel in just 15 days (360 hours) in December. This time-lapse video shows the process. See another, longer video showing more details at Geekosystem. Link |
Posted: 09 Jan 2012 06:45 AM PST Titanic Shower Curtain | $15.95 Ahoy there! Going down? Do it in style while showering up with this Titanic Shower Curtain designed by Jan Habraken, available at the NeatoShop. Install it in your bathroom and see how many people “get” it. Even if they don’t, it still looks cool! This PVC-free shower curtain is made from 100% EVA, and you can peek out through the portholes. Check it out, as well as the other Titanic items and the other clever and fashionable shower curtains at the NeatoShop! |
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