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2016/07/12

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Animal Smelliness: Swine and Stinky Chicks

Posted: 12 Jul 2016 04:59 AM PDT

The following is an article from The Annals of Improbable Research, now in all-pdf form. Get a subscription now for only $25 a year!

Research about animal smells
compiled by Stephen Drew, Improbable Research staff

Swine Odors 1
“The Effect of Environmental Odors Emanating from Commercial Swine Operations on the Mood of Nearby Residents,” Susan S. Schiffman, Elizabeth A. Saltely Miller, Mark S. Suggs, and Brevick G. Graham, Brain Research Bulletin, vol. 37, 1995, pp. 369–375. The authors report that:

Persons living near the intensive swine operations who experienced the odors reported significantly more tension, more depression, more anger, less vigor, more fatigue, and more confusion than control subjects [who were not exposed].

Swine Odors 2
“Symptomatic Effects of Exposure to Diluted Air Sampled from a Swine Confinement Atmosphere on Healthy Human Subjects,” Susan S. Schiffman, Clare E. Studwell, Lawrence R. Landerman, Katherine Berman, and John S. Sundy, Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 113, no. 5, May 2005, pp. 67-76. (Thanks to Michele Harmon for bringing this to our attention.) The authors report that:

Aerial emissions from a swine house at North Carolina State University’s field laboratory were delivered to an environmental exposure chamber. ... subjects were 4.1 times more likely to report headaches, 6.1 times more likely to report eye irritation, and 7.8 times more likely to report nausea in the swine air (experimental) condition.

Investigation of the Stinky Whale Condition
“Summary of Finding on the Investigation of the Stinky Whale Condition in Eastern North Pacific Gray Whales,” T. Rowles and V. Ilyashenko, IWC/59/CC, 15, 2007.

Attractiveness of Smelliness in Zoos
“An Investigation into the Determining Factors of Zoo Visitor Attendances in UK Zoos,” Andrew William Whitworth, PLoS ONE, vol. 7, no. 1, 2012, e29839. The author, at the University of Glasgow, UK, reports:

Results — Animal popularity — The top five characteristics that were listed as ‘liked’ by the majority of the sample population were ‘active’, ‘easy to see’, ‘intelligent’, ‘bright colours’ and ‘the ability to hold objects’. The bottom five characteristics that were listed as ‘dislike’ by many of the sample population were ‘smelly’, ‘slimy’, ‘bites or stings’, ‘bald/little hair’ and ‘venomous/poisonous’.
 

Detail from the study “An Investigation into the Determining Factors of Zoo Visitor Attendances in UK Zoos.”

The Benefit From a Stinky Foreign Chick
“From Parasitism to Mutualism: Unexpected Interactions Between a Cuckoo and its Host,” Daniela Canestrari, Diana Bolopo, Ted C.J. Turlings, Gregory Röder, José M. Marcos, and Vittorio Baglione, Science, vol. 343, no. 6177, 2014, pp. 1350-1352. The authors, at University of Oviedo, Spain; University of Valladolid, Vallodolid, Spain; and the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, report:

Avian brood parasites lay eggs in the nests of other birds, which raise the unrelated chicks and typically suffer partial or complete loss of their own brood. However, carrion crows Corvus corone corone can benefit from parasitism by the great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius. Parasitized nests have lower rates of predation-induced failure due to production of a repellent secretion by cuckoo chicks...

The most plausible mechanism driving the reduction of failure in nests with cuckoos is predator repellence by a malodorous cloacal secretion that parasitic chicks void when grabbed. This secretion is only produced by cuckoo nestlings (0 of 23 captured adults showed it) and can be copious.

_____________________

This article is republished with permission from the March-April 2016 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.

Napping in the Dog Bed

Posted: 12 Jul 2016 04:00 AM PDT

This baby knows where it's at! For true relaxation, gather four Pit Bulls into a clump, then settle down for a nap. And the dogs enjoy it as much as he does!


(Video Link)

But I don't have 4 dogs handy. If I find 4 cats, will this technique work as well?

-via Gifsboom

Why Women Led Anti-Suffrage Campaigns Against Themselves

Posted: 12 Jul 2016 02:00 AM PDT

Women achieved the right to vote in the United States nearly 100 years ago, after an exhausting fight that lasted decades. It may be surprising that some of the leaders of the anti-suffrage movement were women themselves. Why would women campaign against their own right to vote? Some of them truly believed that voting rights for women would upset the natural order and damage families.

An anti-suffrage petition published in the New York Times in 1894 railed against the granting of voting rights beyond men, framing such a shift as “the imposition of political duties upon women.” With so many domestic tasks to contend with already, it argued, women should not be further burdened with the responsibility of participating in elections.

These domestic duties went beyond caring for children, keeping the house clean, and serving up hot homemade meals to the family. The home realm that women ruled extended beyond the fall walls of one's house, incorporating activist pursuits like community organizing, fundraising, and grassroots advocacy.

The last line of that quote also pointed to another reason some women campaigned against suffrage- they didn’t want to share the activist power they had with lower-class women. Read about the women who campaigned against women’s suffrage at Atlas Obscura.

Melon Collie

Posted: 12 Jul 2016 12:00 AM PDT

Redditor naxuuu's Smooth Collie has a proper helmet for raiding missions. Look into those eyes: she means to bring unrelenting suffering upon you.

But Scroglan is correct:

-via Tastefully Offensive

How to Train Your Pug

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 10:59 PM PDT

Pugs are known as affectionate dogs that are good with children. They make great companions. As far as their intelligence goes, you’d have to ask someone who has owned a pug, although I suppose Dave Kellett knows a little about it. Oso the pug is a regular in his comic strip, described as “two enchiladas short of the combo plate.” This is today’s offering at Sheldon Comics. You can follow it to keep up with Oso and his friends. -via reddit

Handel Pun - Good For Composing A Classic Comedy Routine

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 10:00 PM PDT


Handel Pun by Cafe Pretzel

The composer Handel wasn't known for his great sense of humor or his stand up comedy routines, but his name works so well with punny comedy he's now more famous for the funny than his music! Handel humor is now considered classic, but you should refrain from telling more George Frideric jokes than your victim can Handel. And once you've gotten a Handel on the proper degree of name dropping needed to get the desired result you'll realize how important Handel jokes are when developing a classy comedy routine.

Keep your wearable comedy totally classic, bring home this Handel Pun t-shirt by Cafe Pretzel and let the vintage LOLs roll!

Visit Cafe Pretzel's Facebook fan page, official website and Twitter, then head on over to his NeatoShop for more delightfully geeky designs:

Squirrel HumorChili Today Hot TamaleGerman Sausage PunFound This Humerus

View more designs by Cafe Pretzel | More Funny T-shirts | New T-Shirts

Are you a professional illustrator or T-shirt designer? Let's chat! Sell your designs on the NeatoShop and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans on Neatorama!

Anamorphic Food Art

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 10:00 PM PDT

(Photo: Emilija Vinzanovaite)

Jolita Vaitkuta is a food artist from Lithuania. She makes many edible anamorphic compositions, such as this portrait of Einstein. It looks just like him when viewed from the right angle and is tasty from any angle.

Here's Vaitkuta's sculpture of a bee. But it doesn't look anything like a bee--unless you're using the right perspective:

You can see more examples of Vaitkute's anamorphic food art at Fubiz.

The Westboro Baptist Church is a Pokémon Gym

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 09:00 PM PDT

Ground zero for players of the augmented reality game Pokémon GO are the gyms where players can train their Pokémons. We saw that in a post yesterday about a guy whose house, formerly a church, is a Pokémon gym and is dealing with crowds of people coming around. Churches are often the sites for gyms, which the game developers say is because they often have parking lots that aren’t in use most of the week. Turns out that one of those churches is the notorious Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. And its members are fighting for control of the gym.

At first, a Pokémon trainer going by the handle Pinknose took control of the gym using a Clefairy named 'LoveIsLove' after the slogan promoting same-sex marriage.

The church viewed this virtual takeover of their virtual home base as a virtual challenge and mounted a virtual campaign to virtually reclaim what was rightfully—well, virtually—theirs.

The WBC is using a Jigglypuff as their Pokémon of choice for the game. Read more about the battle at The Daily Dot.   

Jellyfish Is a Floating Safe House for Little Fish

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 07:59 PM PDT


(Video Link)

It's a fish-eat-fish world out there. But the big Versurgia jellyfish helpfully provides a respite. Small, tasty slender yellowtail kingfish can hide in his bell, out of the reach of larger trumpetfish which lurk just a few inches away.

The Versurgia doesn't sting the kingfish because it doesn't have tentacles. It has spongy arms that filter-feed plankton. It does, however, have stinging threads which the kingfish have to avoid as they hang out. Earth Touch News Network describes the relationship:

The jelly also has stinging thread cells at its disposal, which the baby kingfish are careful to avoid. Their sting isn't harmful to humans, but it's enough to deter some species of fish from getting too close (apparently these trumpetfish are willing to take their chances for a quick meal). [...]

As for the kingfish, they'll stay hidden amongst the stinging threads, feeding on the jelly's leftovers until they're big enough to venture into the open ocean. Just what (if anything) the jellyfish gets out of the situation remains a mystery. In captivity, these fish often turn to snacking on their gelatinous host – likely because they don't have enough plankton.

-via The Presurfer

Find the Badger Among the Zebras

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 07:00 PM PDT

Believe it or not, there’s a badger hiding among this herd of zebras. In a puzzle from BBC Earth, you are challenged to find one black-and-white striped animal among a bunch of other black-and-white striped animals. It isn’t easy. If this helpes, remember that zebras are much larger than badgers. And if you find it just a bit funny that the zebras are all facing us with their butts, well, you aren’t the only one. -via mental_floss

Best Grandpa Ever Builds an Amusement Park in His Backyard

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 06:00 PM PDT

Disneyland may be the happiest place in the world, but select residents of Fullerton, California suggest that Dobbsland is even better.

Steve Dobbs, a retired engineer (naturally) bought a little electric train for his grandchildren to play with. They eventually tired of it, so he built a tunnel for he train to run through. That was interesting for a while, but, eventually, the kids found it boring.

To amuse them and himself, Dobbs built an entire miniature amusement park in his own backyard. It has animatronic characters, a clock tower, a roller coaster, and a toy submarine. Dobbsland even has your favorite characters, including Cinderella and Winnie the Pooh.


(Video Link)

The roller coaster is a special treat. Local engineering students designed it. The Orange County Register reports:

They used engineering principles to design the track’s trajectory, which had to fit the lawn’s 30-by-13-foot imprint.

“My main requirement was that I wanted it to be safe for little kids to ride, but also fun for teens and adults to ride,” Dobbs said.

Built at Cal Poly Pomona in three months, the coaster was dismantled by the student crew and moved to Dobbs’ home. (When disassembled, every Dobbsland attraction can fit in the home’s garage.)

Dynamic Testing Solutions’ chief financial officer rode and certified the coaster, which can support riders up to 185 pounds, goes forward and backward, tops out at 12 mph and is equipped with mechanisms measuring weight and g-force.

-via Gizmodo

The Metro Stations of Montreal

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 05:00 PM PDT

The Métro de Montréal is the third busiest municipal train system in North America, behind New York and Mexico City. But their stations are architectural wonders -works of art, even. After all, there’s no reason something functional can’t have a beautiful format well. One of the reasons is because it was only built in 1966, with a grand overall plan to make traveling as nice as possible. While daily commuters probably don’t even see the details anymore, Juergen Horn and Mike Powell certainly did, and give us plenty to look at in their post at For 91 Days.

Man Catches Pokémon While His Wife Gives Birth

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 04:00 PM PDT

Jessica Theriot was about to have a c-section so that her baby could be born. Her husband, Jonathan, was on his A-game, ready for action.

That game was, specifically, Pokémon GO. Yes, yes, childbirth can be stressful. But Theriot saw that a Pidgey was sitting on her bed. It was time to take action because this precious moment would never happen again. Read about his wife's reaction at BuzzFeed.

10 Summer Life Hacks

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 03:00 PM PDT

This video has some awesome tips to try out and impress anyone who sees you. If you like watermelon, ice cream, or playing outdoors, you’ll find something there that appeals to your sense of fun. My favorite? The ice cream cones made of cookie!

(YouTube link)

I’d sure try that pool cooler …if I had a pool. Oh yeah, one tip reminds me of Nutty Buddies. The chocolate in the bottom was a reward for eating the whole cone, but if someone asked for just one bite of your ice cream, they were liable to take it off the bottom! -via Viral Viral Videos

The Day Of The Dead Parade In <i>Spectre</i> Was So Cool Mexico Wants To Do It For Real

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 02:00 PM PDT

If you believe everything you saw in the latest James Bond film Spectre, then you probably think Mexico City has an awesome Dia de los Muertos parade, and you would be wrong.

(Image Link)

The truth is- Dia de los Muertos is generally more of a solemn holiday in Mexico, devoid of galas, parades or crazy costumes.

And yet the Day of the Dead parade in Spectre looks so cool that Mexico's Tourism Minister Enrique de la Madrid Cordero wants to make it happen because “tourists are going to come looking for the carnival”.

(Image Link)

Creating a Day of the Dead parade is the logical next step for Mexico, since the country paid $14 million to appear in Spectre, and that way the Mexican people can say they got something for their money, right? (sarcasm)

-Via VICE

Are We There Yet?

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 12:59 PM PDT

Any parent will tell you that traveling with kids is not always an ordeal, but there are times when you want to just abort the whole idea and go home, or at least leave the young ones behind if you can. Half the time, that’s exactly what they wanted in the first place. Chris at Lunarbaboon thinks a child’s strategy might work in other scenarios. If only.

Voltron Head - Profile Of A Defender

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 12:00 PM PDT


Voltron Head by Samoht-Lion

The Defender of the Universe is back and looking sharper than ever, with his stoic expression once again giving the residents of the galaxy hope for the future. But before the mighty Voltron can engage the enemy the lions must join forces and link up, which isn't easy since Hunk is always eating and Pidge is always playing games. Still, they've managed to defend the universe from the Drule Empire's robeasts pretty well so far, so no matter how inept they look when out of their lions Team Voltron is always ready for action!

Show some love for the return of a classic mecha series with this Voltron Head t-shirt by Samoht-Lion, it's out of this world!

Visit Samoht-Lion's Facebook fan page, official website and Twitter, then head on over to his NeatoShop for more mighty geeky designs:

Vintage Voltron Coat Of ArmsBlue Lion RunningCastle Of Lions Coat Of ArmsVoltron Lion Star

View more designs by Samoht-Lion | More Cartoon T-shirts | New T-Shirts

Are you a professional illustrator or T-shirt designer? Let's chat! Sell your designs on the NeatoShop and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans on Neatorama!

The "Non-Swimming" Dog Becomes The Star Of A Pooch Pool Party

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 12:00 PM PDT

(Image Link)

In every pack there are alpha leaders and omega followers, canines who are the first to jump into the pool and show the others how to act and those who doggy paddle in a blind panic.

Can you guess whether Beja, the “non-swimming” dog in this video, is an alpha or an omega?

(YouTube Link)

Beja is a regular at the Happy Tails resort in Norfolk, Virginia, and even though she has been coming to the resort for years, and knows how to swim, she'd rather stand in the shallow water and stare. Way to make the doggy pool party awkward, Beja!

-Via Boing Boing

The Power of Pokémon GO

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 10:59 AM PDT

All it takes is a super-viral video game to bring wildly diverse people together. Redditor BroWithTheFr0 took this selfie with a group of a dozen people who met playing Pokémon GO in Rochester, New York. The new friends are male, female, black, white, Asian, young, old, hairy, no hair, blue hair, and they have something in common to talk about. Gotta catch ‘em all! -via reddit

Safety PSAs Which Were Clearly Made By Lunatics

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 10:00 AM PDT

Public service announcements are usually created by advertising agencies full of people who know how to sell products and brand companies but generally know very little about education.

(YouTube Link)

These ad agencies know how to beat a message or song into our brains, how to create imagery and scenarios that stick with viewers, and how to send a message to the masses.

But they don't really know much about restraint, since over-the-top ads help them sell products, so maybe hiring them to make PSAs isn't such a good idea after all...

(YouTube Link)

See 7 Safety PSAs (That Were Clearly Made By Serial Killers) here (contains NSFW language)

The Wartime Tunnels of Fan Bay Deep Shelter

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 09:00 AM PDT

Beneath the White Cliffs of Dover in southern England lies a subterranean military defense network of tunnels. The Fan Bay Deep Shelter was constructed in the 1940s, carved out of the chalk cliffs in a mere 100 days, and equipped to shelter 190 men during possible bombardment from the Axis powers.

The largest shelter of its kind in the Dover area, Fan Bay Deep Shelter was decommissioned in the 1950s and left to the mercy of vandals. The site lay abandoned for some years before one of the tunnels partially collapsed following an arson attack. As a result, the abandoned military shelter was finally infilled with earth and debris during the 1970s.

For years its remains lay entombed within Dover’s famous White Cliffs, a wartime relic lost to time. But when the National Trust accidentally stumbled across the remains of Fan Bay Deep Shelter during enabling works in 2012, what was revealed was one of the deepest surviving examples of its kind from the period.

Excavating the tunnels was a monumental task, but the National Trust set a team of volunteers to work, and now the tunnels are open to the public. If you can’t get to England to see them, take a photographic tour of Fan Bay Deep Shelter at Urban Ghosts.

(Image credit: Flickr user Disco-Dan)

Driving Down Sunset Boulevard With Angelyne

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 08:00 AM PDT

(Image Link)

As a kid growing up between Los Angeles, San Diego and Tijuana I used to encounter all sorts of characters who would become forever stuck in my mind, figures who came to represent these cities.

And the figure who came to represent Los Angeles was a bubbly woman named Angelyne, a busty cartoon character come to life seen in print and on billboards throughout the city in the 80s and 90s.

(Image Link)

Angelyne is Hollywood's original "famous for being famous" star, a woman who made herself into a star by posting her bodacious image on L.A. billboards along with her manager's phone number.

She made have led the way for Paris Hilton and Kim K., but don't hold that against her- Angelyne was just doing what she does best, being that "'50s glamour girl gone berserk" John Waters loves so much.

Marie Lodi (formerly of Jezebel) had the chance to hang out with Angelyne and go for a spin in her iconic pink Corvette as the two spent the day together talking Hollywood, politics and the art of self promotion.

Read Driving Down Sunset With Angelyne here

How To Bring Steampunk Style Into Your Home

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 07:00 AM PDT

The great thing about decorating your home in a particular theme is that you can do it subtly, with small touches here and there, or go all out to show off what you love. The steampunk aesthetic combines elements of Victorian living with science fiction, and what’s not to love about those things? Then there’s the joy of using what you have to make something beautiful and interesting, which is the heart of steampunk. Use subtle touches, and people might not even realize it’s steampunk. Go all out and people will come from miles around to see what you’ve done. You’ll find advice on how to incorporate steampunk into your home decor at Housely.

How To Maximize Politeness When Holding The Door For Someone

Posted: 11 Jul 2016 06:00 AM PDT

Don't you hate it when you hold the door open for somebody who doesn't even acknowledge your existence?

Even worse for the eternally polite is the moment when you've just stepped through the doorway and entered the building and see somebody walking up to the door

Are you supposed to turn around and open the door for them too? Apparently only if they're really attractive...

(YouTube Link)

Shaun Micallef of The Micallef P(r)ogram(me) explored this very dilemma a while back in the comedy sketch “Polite Distances”, proving politeness is often a ridiculous affair.

-Via Laughing Squid
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