Maybe If I Had A Teacher Like This I Would Have Liked Science More.

Maybe if I had a teacher like this I would have liked science more.

The only thing funnier than a pun is the look of utter disappointment, hatred, and/or disbelief from the people around you

TOP IMAGE:  Electron shell of Ununpentium (Greg Robson / Pumbaa) ___________________________

Existence of Element 115 Confirmed Aug 28, 2013

An international team of physicists led by scientists from Lund University [Sweden (founded 1425)] has found new evidence for the existence of a synthetic super-heavy element with atomic number 115.  

First observed in 2003, the element 115 has yet to be named officially, but it is temporarily called Ununpentium, or Uup. It is also known as eka-bismuth.

These findings confirm earlier measurements performed by physicists at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia, and scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the United States.

“This was a very successful experiment and is one of the most important in the field in recent years”, said Prof Dirk Rudolph of Lund University, who is a first author of a paper accepted for publication in the Physical Review Letters.

(via Sci-News.com)

We Must Protect This House

This incredible cocoon or egg sac structure was spotted in the Amazon by Troy Alexander of Rainforest Expeditions and posted to Reddit, and no one seems to know just what creature made it.

It’s like a maypole erected within a barbed wire fence! Not only does the central pole have several “guy-wire” support strands keeping it up, but the outer poles have horizontal strands strung between them, just like our fences. It’s almost certainly a defense mechanism against ants or other predators for whatever is incubating inside. What an amazing evolutionary feat!

Several commenters at Why Evolution Is True believe it is either the egg sac of a mystery spider or a very elaborate moth cocoon. While some moths have been known to erect Stonehenge-like fences around their cocoons, I lean more toward the spider theory.

Moth cocoons (like this incredible lace-like cage observed by Destin from Smarter Every Day) are spun by the caterpillar that is cooking inside, and I just can’t see a way that this silk was spun by the resident. It’s just too elaborate. More likely that a spider built her babies this safe little home and then sailed away. Ideas?

Other theories: Tiny Area 51, Insect Isengard, air traffic control station for jungle birds.

Ahh, I could kiss you, evolution.

#i'm all warm and tingly inside

#it's probably the blood loss

(tags by improbablepirate)

I know you’ve been hurt

By someone else 

I can tell by the way

You’re bleeding on my couch

Seriously can I get you a band-aid or something