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The Thread About Interesting Facts For Interested Individuals

Indie WinterIndie Winter die KräheRudi Hurzlmeier (German, b. 1952)Registered User regular
edited February 2015 in Social Entropy++



tumblr_nfd09j9cT91supp8bo1_250.jpg
Zeus is a blind Western screech owl. His starry eyes are due to a vitreous abnormality which is commonly described as vitreous veils or strands. Eyes are filled with a clear gel called vitreous humor, but sometimes cells or strands of the gel can clump together so that they are less transparent than the rest of the gel. Zeus also doesn’t appear to have an iris or lens, so his lack of eyesight means that he can’t be released into the wild.




Thank God, I shall come to no common end! To be happy means to be sleepy, in the language of slaves. It is as if I had pap and lukewarm water in my mouth when they talk to me of happiness. So vapid and so irredeemable is all for which you slaves give up your laurel crowns, your immortality!
—Friedrich Hölderlin, “Hyperion”





puzzlewood_11_by_ladyxboleyn-d6cpzuu.jpg
Said to have inspired the likes J R R Tolkien and J K Rowling, Puzzlewood is an ancient woodland in The Forest of Dean, Gloucester. In the 19th century a mile of winding pathways leading over wooden bridges, and through deep and narrow gaps in the rocks, were laid and have remained mostly unchanged ever since. There is evidence of cast iron ore mining dating back to Roman times and in 1848 two workers discovered, in a hole in a rock, three earthenware jars filled with 3000 Roman coins.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QskJoxYApo
The lovely Irish folk tune Port na bPúcaí (“The Music of the Fairies”) had mystical beginnings — it’s said that the people of the Blasket Islands heard ethereal music and wrote an air to match it, hoping to placate unhappy spirits. Seamus Heaney’s poem “The Given Note” tells of a fiddler who took the song “out of wind off mid-Atlantic”:

Strange noises were heard
By others who followed, bits of a tune
Coming in on loud weather
Though nothing like melody.

Recent research suggests that, rather than fairies, the islanders may have been hearing the songs of whales transmitted through the canvas hulls of their fishing boats. Humpback whales pass through Irish waters each winter as they migrate south from the North Atlantic, and their songs seem to resemble the folk tune.

Ronan Browne, who plays the air above on Irish pipes, writes, “In the mid 1990s I went rooting through some cassettes of whale song and there in the middle of the Orca (Killer Whale) section I heard the opening notes of Port na bPúcaí!”

No one can say for certain whether the one inspired the other, of course, but if they didn’t it’s certainly a pleasing coincidence.

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Indie Winter on
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Posts

  • Indie WinterIndie Winter die Krähe Rudi Hurzlmeier (German, b. 1952)Registered User regular
    post interesting thing itt

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  • RMS OceanicRMS Oceanic Registered User regular
    640px-HMS_Caroline_1914.jpg

    This is HMS Caroline, last surviving vessel of the inconclusive Battle of Jutland in 1916, the last attempt at a major fleet action between Germany and Britain. At the time Jutland was seen as a German victory because they sunk more ships, but their surface fleet suffered damage that could not be replaced, and they failed to break the blockade Britain had on Germany. Also Britain had the three fleets doctrine to fall back on - have enough ships to outnumber the next three largest naval fleets combines.

    In October 2014 funding was procured to turn Caroline into a visitor's center in time for the Centennial anniversary of Jutland. She is, and will remain, in Belfast.

  • Rhesus PositiveRhesus Positive GNU Terry Pratchett Registered User regular
    Etymology time!

    "Cretin" used to be a euphemism. It's a French dialectical term for Christian. The idea was that people with not much going on upstairs might not amount to much, but at least they were Christians.

    [Muffled sounds of gorilla violence]
  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    I think the most interesting thing I learned lately was that the "alpha male" thing in wolves (and literally anywhere else) doesn't exist at all and never did. It was a mistaken observation of a study of captive wolves and, even though the researcher withdrew the assumption only a year later, people had already grabbed onto it and now we see the douchebag bullcrap the idea has spawned.

  • Rhesus PositiveRhesus Positive GNU Terry Pratchett Registered User regular
    Similarly, female preying mantises only bite the head off their partner in times of stress. Such as, you know, being put in a cage and made to have sex in front of a bunch of pervy dudes in lab coats.

    Also Disney chucked a bunch of lemmings off a cliff for a documentary because they wanted to film the incorrect idea that they committed suicide in great numbers.

    [Muffled sounds of gorilla violence]
  • StraightziStraightzi Here we may reign secure, and in my choice, To reign is worth ambition though in HellRegistered User regular
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    I think the most interesting thing I learned lately was that the "alpha male" thing in wolves (and literally anywhere else) doesn't exist at all and never did. It was a mistaken observation of a study of captive wolves and, even though the researcher withdrew the assumption only a year later, people had already grabbed onto it and now we see the douchebag bullcrap the idea has spawned.

    This is a new one for me. I love it.

    The study of animals in captivity has led to some really interesting (and wrong) things, and I in turn find the study of the study of animals in captivity super fascinating.

  • ChincymcchillaChincymcchilla Registered User regular
    post interesting thing itt

    My butt is like

    Really good

    I have a podcast about Power Rangers:Teenagers With Attitude | TWA Facebook Group
  • WhippyWhippy Moderator, Admin Emeritus Admin Emeritus
    Cool Freak's Penny Arcade Thread

  • WhippyWhippy Moderator, Admin Emeritus Admin Emeritus
    rxhbybwwtqp0.jpg

  • RMS OceanicRMS Oceanic Registered User regular
    This video has important facts about Hitler and Sex

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9CjcQSbVb4

  • Dongs GaloreDongs Galore Registered User regular
    In January 1941, the U-boat U-556 and the battleship Bismarck shared neighboring berths while under construction at Hamburg. Their commanding officers developed a friendly working relationship, in honor of which, at U-556's commissioning ceremony on January 28, her commander presented his counterpart with the following cartoon:

    a66d8483ba.jpg

    The text reads: We, U-556 (500 tons), hereby declare before Neptune, Lord over oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, brooks, ponds, and rivulets, that we will provide any desired assistance to our Big Brother, the battleship Bismarck (42,000 tons), at any place on the water, under water, on land, or in the air. The drawing humorously depicts the submarine performing improbable feats in defense of the battleship, deflecting torpedoes and aircraft before towing the much larger vessel to safety.

    On May 26, 1941, KMS Bismarck was retreating Eastwards at full speed towards the Bay of Biscay and safe harbor on the French coast. The Kriegsmarine's abortive breakout into the North Atlantic had been frustrated two days earlier off Iceland by the British Royal Navy, at the price of HMS Hood and nearly all hands aboard. Damaged by naval gunfire from HMS Prince of Wales and torpedo bombers from HMS Victorious, the German battleship had fled southeast, bleeding fuel and listing, with a full squadron of British capital ships in pursuit.

    By the evening of the 26th, Bismarck had succeeded in breaking contact with her pursuers from Iceland. However, she was about to be intercepted from the south by Force H, the British Mediterranean fleet, which had sailed from Gibraltar to join the hunt. Providentially, Bismarck's line of desperate retreat intersected the homeward course of her former berthmate and sworn protector: U-556, returning to port from her maiden patrol. At the admiralty's instruction, the U-boat immediately changed course to find and assist the stricken battleship.

    At 8:00 in the evening, miles to the south of Bismarck, U-556 sighted two Royal Navy capital ships: the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, flagship of Force H, and the battlecruiser HMS Renown. It was an impossibly tempting target - desperate to avenge the loss of Hood, in their race northwards the British had left behind their destroyer escorts, and the cruiser HMS Sheffield had been detached to shadow their quarry. The British flagship, the last threat between Bismarck and safe harbor, was defenseless in the U-boat's sights.

    It was spectacularly cruel providence, then, that U-556's first patrol had been a very successful one: she had already expended all of her torpedoes. There was nothing she could do but look on as Ark Royal's attack planes left the flight deck on their fatal attack run. On the horizon, Bismarck's guns flashed in the failing light. Two hours later, crippled and flailing blindly at unseen attackers, she signaled, "Ship unmaneuverable. We will fight to the last shell. Long live the Führer." U-556 withdrew. The following day, Bismarck was engaged and finally sunk by HMS King George V and Rodney.

  • Rhesus PositiveRhesus Positive GNU Terry Pratchett Registered User regular
    Behold the amazing mimicry of the lyre bird:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjE0Kdfos4Y

    And the puffer fish mating ritual:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaPmYYWsixU

    [Muffled sounds of gorilla violence]
  • King RiptorKing Riptor Registered User regular
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    I think the most interesting thing I learned lately was that the "alpha male" thing in wolves (and literally anywhere else) doesn't exist at all and never did. It was a mistaken observation of a study of captive wolves and, even though the researcher withdrew the assumption only a year later, people had already grabbed onto it and now we see the douchebag bullcrap the idea has spawned.

    BRO I just repopped my collar in shock. Whatll I tell the pack( awoo)?

    I have a podcast now. It's about video games and anime!Find it here.
  • Indie WinterIndie Winter die Krähe Rudi Hurzlmeier (German, b. 1952)Registered User regular
    Whippy wrote: »
    Cool Freak's Penny Arcade Thread

    more like

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lXijSAicNM

    the Penny Arcade thread

    wY6K6Jb.gif
  • McFlynnMcFlynn Registered User regular
    I love Beakman. I vastly preferred him to Nye when I was a kid. Irks me every time I see Nye now.

  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    I think the most interesting thing I learned lately was that the "alpha male" thing in wolves (and literally anywhere else) doesn't exist at all and never did. It was a mistaken observation of a study of captive wolves and, even though the researcher withdrew the assumption only a year later, people had already grabbed onto it and now we see the douchebag bullcrap the idea has spawned.

    BRO I just repopped my collar in shock. Whatll I tell the pack( awoo)?

    sorry bro

    I'm sure you can still piss on the corner of the restaurant you're just about to go into <3

  • MayabirdMayabird Pecking at the keyboardRegistered User regular
    Starting soon in the northern hemisphere the migratory birds will start to arrive for the summer. We here often think of those birds as living in their summer range and simply moving to the tropics for the winter months, but really for most, they are tropical birds (with all the beautiful colorations we think of for the tropics) who simply migrate out of the tropics for their breeding season.

    Some a little more than others though. Take for example the orchard oriole, Icterus spurius:

    07sb3657%20orchard%20oriole.jpg

    It spends as little as three months (May-July) in its breeding range, returning back to Central America and very northern bits of South America for all the rest of the year. During that time, the orioles travel in flocks of dozens to hundreds, searching for food, often in the form of nectar. It is the primary pollinator of the coral bean tree Erythrina fusca, a close relative of coral bean plants sold in nurseries.

    20130330_141146.jpg

    The tree and bird apparently co-evolved. Only the oriole can properly open the flowers to both reach the nectar inside and pick up pollen. When it opens the flowers, the inner petals are revealed, which are the deep brick red of the male oriole. Eventually the tree looks like it's doubly filled with orioles, and the flock feels crowded and moves on, carrying the pollen with it.

  • TrippyJingTrippyJing Moses supposes his toeses are roses. But Moses supposes erroneously.Registered User regular
    edited February 2015
    tumblr_m7dztnCZHD1rwjpnyo1_500.gif

    Just a Technicality, The Sten Sputter Gun.
    In 1982 a man named William M. York had a brilliant idea. He created his own fully automatic weapon that he claimed defied federal law and were legal to own. Under the name “York Arms Co.” he took semi-automatic Sten submachine guns and modified them to full auto. Federal law at the time defined a machine gun as firing multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger. York thought he saw a loophole, his guns didn’t need a trigger!

    Instead his Sputter Gun operated by releasing the bolt mechanism. Once the bolt was released the gun would fire continuously (and uncontrollably) until the 32 round magazine was depleted. He also added a forward grip and cuff shaped butt plate to better “control” the device. York advertised the gun as a weapon for those “who want the fun and excitement of owning and firing a fully automatic weapon without the government tax and red tape.”

    In 1985 the ATF caught on to York’s creations and ordered him to cease and desist. He was also ordered to recall his Sputter Guns and issue a full refund to all his customers. This proved unnecessary since no one actually purchased any of his firearms.

    TrippyJing on
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  • MayabirdMayabird Pecking at the keyboardRegistered User regular
    edited February 2015
    Have you ever heard of shrikes, aka butcherbirds?

    They're medium-sized grey, white, black, and sometimes a little brown carnivorous songbirds who range across North America, Eurasia, and Africa. Here's a picture of one:

    Lanius_excubitor_1_%28Marek_Szczepanek%29.jpg

    If you're staring at that picture and thinking, 'Holy crap did that bird impale that mouse on that thorn?' the answer is yes. This is what they are known for and where they get their nickname. Whatever they catch and don't eat immediately they impale on thorns, barbed wire, or whatever happens to be nearby and pointy. Insects, smaller birds, rodents, amphibians, lizards, whatever: if it's got meat, the shrikes will eat it after spiking it.

    bird-walk-2013-06-15-shrike-roach-impale-john-brush.jpg

    It serves multiple purposes. One, it's a larder for storing food. If they catch a goldfinch now but they're not really hungry, they can save it and have goldfinch jerky on another day when hunting isn't as good. Second, it helps break down toxins in some species. Some insects like monarch butterflies and a species of grasshopper in Africa have toxins in their bodies that make them unpalatable, but a few days of drying in the sun breaks the toxins down so they are edible, opening new food sources to shrikes. Third, it can help attract mates. Sure, this male can sing and dance (yes, the males also sing and dance for females) but so can the next guy and he has a whole snake on display, flanked by locusts and a mole.


    Here's one I helped catch and record at bird banding recently (spoiled for huge):
    20141108-shrike_zpse51aec03.jpg

    The local news did a little fluff segment on that day too. I'm in that video but not speaking.

    Edit: trying to get that sand crab picture to work again.
    Edit 2: Nevermind, I guess we can't have a sand crab impaled on an agave. Changed to a roach impaled on a cactus.

    Mayabird on
  • NoisymunkNoisymunk Registered User regular
    So THAT'S why the temporal assassin sex robot in Hyperion was called The Shrike.

    brDe918.jpg
  • HobnailHobnail Registered User regular
    Monorhapis chuni is the longest, pointiest sponge you are ever likely to encounter
    Monorhaphis chuni forms giant spicules that can reach 3 meters in length (~10 ft). These long spicules form the base of sponge putting the business end way up off the bottom to feed. Indeed lots of organism in the deep oceans are stalked or climb atop other stalked organisms to feed in the water off the bottom. Currents very near the bottom are sluggish because of friction of the water against the seafloor. Getting up into the water column gives an animal access to stronger currents carrying both oxygen and particles of food.

    But back to that gargantuan spicule! That big bastard represents the largest silica structure on Earth made by an animal. To make that magnificent piece of glass takes awhile though. Researchers found that the one particularly long spicule dated to 11,000 ± 3000 years old
    dpvuth7x99mr.png

    Broke as fuck in the style of the times. Gratitude is all that can return on your generosity.

    https://www.paypal.me/hobnailtaylor
  • Peter EbelPeter Ebel CopenhagenRegistered User regular
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    I think the most interesting thing I learned lately was that the "alpha male" thing in wolves (and literally anywhere else) doesn't exist at all and never did. It was a mistaken observation of a study of captive wolves and, even though the researcher withdrew the assumption only a year later, people had already grabbed onto it and now we see the douchebag bullcrap the idea has spawned.

    Alphas definitely exist in nature. Chimps and gorillas for instance.

    Fuck off and die.
  • Rhesus PositiveRhesus Positive GNU Terry Pratchett Registered User regular
    Mayabird wrote: »
    Have you ever heard of shrikes, aka butcherbirds?

    They're medium-sized grey, white, black, and sometimes a little brown carnivorous songbirds who range across North America, Eurasia, and Africa. Here's a picture of one:

    Lanius_excubitor_1_%28Marek_Szczepanek%29.jpg

    If you're staring at that picture and thinking, 'Holy crap did that bird impale that mouse on that thorn?' the answer is yes. This is what they are known for and where they get their nickname. Whatever they catch and don't eat immediately they impale on thorns, barbed wire, or whatever happens to be nearby and pointy. Insects, smaller birds, rodents, amphibians, lizards, whatever: if it's got meat, the shrikes will eat it after spiking it.

    sand%20crabSSC%20-%20-2573-M.jpg

    It serves multiple purposes. One, it's a larder for storing food. If they catch a goldfinch now but they're not really hungry, they can save it and have goldfinch jerky on another day when hunting isn't as good. Second, it helps break down toxins in some species. Some insects like monarch butterflies and a species of grasshopper in Africa have toxins in their bodies that make them unpalatable, but a few days of drying in the sun breaks the toxins down so they are edible, opening new food sources to shrikes. Third, it can help attract mates. Sure, this male can sing and dance (yes, the males also sing and dance for females) but so can the next guy and he has a whole snake on display, flanked by locusts and a mole.


    Here's one I helped catch and record at bird banding recently (spoiled for huge):
    20141108-shrike_zpse51aec03.jpg

    The local news did a little fluff segment on that day too. I'm in that video but not speaking.

    A lot of kids in the UK learnt about the butcher bird because of The Animals of Farthing Wood, a TV show that ran from 92 to 95. A forest is being destroyed for a housing development, and the animals put aside their predator/prey relationship to find a new home.

    A multi-episode arc involves the mouse family having babies, and the dilemma of keeping them in the group and slowing everyone down, or leaving them to an uncertain fate. Luckily, the problem is solved by the arrival of a friendly butcher bird, who adopts the babies!
    Hah, no. He kills the kids leaving the parents free to continue their odyssey. Here's what six-year-old me saw on TV one afternoon:
    tumblr_mruor1iBG31qjnh8qo1_500.png

    [Muffled sounds of gorilla violence]
  • the cheatthe cheat Registered User, ClubPA regular
    god daaaaaaamn

    tKfL2Yd.png?1
  • King RiptorKing Riptor Registered User regular
    Peter Ebel wrote: »
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    I think the most interesting thing I learned lately was that the "alpha male" thing in wolves (and literally anywhere else) doesn't exist at all and never did. It was a mistaken observation of a study of captive wolves and, even though the researcher withdrew the assumption only a year later, people had already grabbed onto it and now we see the douchebag bullcrap the idea has spawned.

    Alphas definitely exist in nature. Chimps and gorillas for instance.

    No. Theres troop leaders in those instances but other males arent lesser or deprived. The terminology is flawed

    I have a podcast now. It's about video games and anime!Find it here.
  • TefTef Registered User regular
    edited February 2015
    Peter Ebel wrote: »
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    I think the most interesting thing I learned lately was that the "alpha male" thing in wolves (and literally anywhere else) doesn't exist at all and never did. It was a mistaken observation of a study of captive wolves and, even though the researcher withdrew the assumption only a year later, people had already grabbed onto it and now we see the douchebag bullcrap the idea has spawned.

    Alphas definitely exist in nature. Chimps and gorillas for instance.

    No. Theres troop leaders in those instances but other males arent lesser or deprived. The terminology is flawed
    They are absolutely lesser in the sense of access to food for one, or the way that the alpha males are treated with deference usually. The term alpha is still valid in an ethological sense

    Outside of primates you have seal species, great cats and stuff like that

    This isn't a defence of its application to humans, which I believe is dumb as all hell

    Tef on
    help a fellow forumer meet their mental health care needs because USA healthcare sucks!

    Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better

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  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Tef wrote: »
    Peter Ebel wrote: »
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    I think the most interesting thing I learned lately was that the "alpha male" thing in wolves (and literally anywhere else) doesn't exist at all and never did. It was a mistaken observation of a study of captive wolves and, even though the researcher withdrew the assumption only a year later, people had already grabbed onto it and now we see the douchebag bullcrap the idea has spawned.

    Alphas definitely exist in nature. Chimps and gorillas for instance.

    No. Theres troop leaders in those instances but other males arent lesser or deprived. The terminology is flawed
    They are absolutely lesser in the sense of access to food for one, or the way that the alpha males are treated with deference usually. The term alpha is still valid in an ethological.

    Outside of primates you have seal species, great cats and stuff like that

    This isn't a defence of its application to humans, which I believe is dumb as all hell

    Pfft you're such a beta...

  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    Tef wrote: »
    Peter Ebel wrote: »
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    I think the most interesting thing I learned lately was that the "alpha male" thing in wolves (and literally anywhere else) doesn't exist at all and never did. It was a mistaken observation of a study of captive wolves and, even though the researcher withdrew the assumption only a year later, people had already grabbed onto it and now we see the douchebag bullcrap the idea has spawned.

    Alphas definitely exist in nature. Chimps and gorillas for instance.

    No. Theres troop leaders in those instances but other males arent lesser or deprived. The terminology is flawed
    They are absolutely lesser in the sense of access to food for one, or the way that the alpha males are treated with deference usually. The term alpha is still valid in an ethological.

    Outside of primates you have seal species, great cats and stuff like that

    This isn't a defence of its application to humans, which I believe is dumb as all hell

    Pfft you're such a beta...

    I prefer the term 'bravo'.

    forumsig.png
  • Rhesus PositiveRhesus Positive GNU Terry Pratchett Registered User regular
    I consider myself an alpha male

    I'm poorly optimised, full of issues, and shouldn't be released to the public

    [Muffled sounds of gorilla violence]
  • Andy JoeAndy Joe We claim the land for the highlord! The AdirondacksRegistered User regular
    Bagheera kiplingi is the only known species of spider with a primarily herbivorous diet.

    XBL: Stealth Crane PSN: ajpet12 3DS: 1160-9999-5810 NNID: StealthCrane Pokemon Scarlet Name: Carmen
  • MayabirdMayabird Pecking at the keyboardRegistered User regular
    If you've ever read a list of "ridiculous bird names" you've probably heard of the yellow-bellied sapsucker. Yes, it is a real species.

    yellow_bellied_sapsucker+1.jpg

    They are called that because they indeed have a yellow belly, although it's hard to see when they're scrunched against a tree, and because they drill holes in trees to extract sap. In doing so they can do some impressive damage to a tree.

    tree-damage.jpg

    They do lap up the sap from these wells, though they may be going more after insects that get caught in it than the actual sweet stuff.

    Birds that are definitely after sweet stuff all the time, though? Hummingbirds. (Though they won't say no to insects too.)

    RTHUSapsuckerWell02.jpg

    73341?type=.jpg

    128630953-male-rufous-hummingbird-feeding-on-tree-sap-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=08PTJn2ME7X0J03AZws7U88fqTCaAp1ybXaUwUR26TYni%2B%2FYDP%2FKDtoXhNpiOEmzyZucZj%2FI50yNkwebyCkCJA%3D%3D

    Hummingbirds in many northern areas of the U.S. and in Canada time their arrivals in migration to be after the sapsuckers have gotten established so they can drink from the wells too. This is often before the flowers really start blooming, so it's an important food source, and allows the hummingbirds to arrive earlier than they would otherwise.

  • ShortyShorty touching the meat Intergalactic Cool CourtRegistered User regular
    seattle has mild enough winters that some hummingbirds stay here year-round

    I see them in discovery park all the time

  • Auntie ShibbyAuntie Shibby Horrible Visalia, CARegistered User, ClubPA regular
    Hi! I am interesting!

    clowninthewoods.png
  • JebusUDJebusUD Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    Peter Ebel wrote: »
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    I think the most interesting thing I learned lately was that the "alpha male" thing in wolves (and literally anywhere else) doesn't exist at all and never did. It was a mistaken observation of a study of captive wolves and, even though the researcher withdrew the assumption only a year later, people had already grabbed onto it and now we see the douchebag bullcrap the idea has spawned.

    Alphas definitely exist in nature. Chimps and gorillas for instance.

    No. Theres troop leaders in those instances but other males arent lesser or deprived. The terminology is flawed

    Deprived is relative. There are social hierarchies in many primate groups. Take Baboons for example. Male baboons fight all the time over females. Usually one or a small amount become dominant, and attack the other ones to prevent them from mating.

    This doesn't always stop the others. Sometimes the females will sneak off with a friendly lower on the hierarchy male and mate anyway. But if the dominant male sees this that one is in for an ass whooping.

    After some time the social order is overturned. The dominant male is usually beat up by a newcomer or gets sick/injured and is beat up by a previously subjugated male. Once overturned, it is a rough life for them.

    So while there are subjugated males, often they do end up in the gene pool anyway.

    Then there are species like Bonobos, where everyone just bones everyone all the time. So while "alpha males" aren't universal, or somehow genetically ordained, or whatever, they definitely exist in nature, especially in highly aggressive species.

    I write you a story
    But it loses its thread
  • MayabirdMayabird Pecking at the keyboardRegistered User regular
    Winter is, very often, depending on where you live and such, really freaking cold. Humans cope by building homes and fires and other elaborate heating mechanisms. What's a little songbird to do? Maaaaaybe they're lucky and some human left a little nesting box out all winter, but otherwise when the blizzard winds are blowing, all they can do is try to find as cozy a spot out of the wind as they can and try to stay warm.

    Many birds do this solitary, hiding alone. Others, like bluebirds, have figured out that if they snuggle up together, they can share body heat, so long as they can endure being in a warm heap touching each other all night (which is probably a big psychological barrier, if you've ever noticed birds keeping that tiny distance between each other, crammed together but never quite touching, when they're on power lines and the like).

    Anyway, if they can pull it off, it looks like this:

    bluebirds_MichaelLSmith_550x550.ashx?w=550&h=550&as=1

  • MadEddyMadEddy Creepy house watching youRegistered User regular
    They all look so grouchy about the situation.

    ruby-red-sig.jpg
  • BotznoyBotznoy Registered User regular
    Mayabird wrote: »
    Winter is, very often, depending on where you live and such, really freaking cold. Humans cope by building homes and fires and other elaborate heating mechanisms. What's a little songbird to do? Maaaaaybe they're lucky and some human left a little nesting box out all winter, but otherwise when the blizzard winds are blowing, all they can do is try to find as cozy a spot out of the wind as they can and try to stay warm.

    Many birds do this solitary, hiding alone. Others, like bluebirds, have figured out that if they snuggle up together, they can share body heat, so long as they can endure being in a warm heap touching each other all night (which is probably a big psychological barrier, if you've ever noticed birds keeping that tiny distance between each other, crammed together but never quite touching, when they're on power lines and the like).

    Anyway, if they can pull it off, it looks like this:

    bluebirds_MichaelLSmith_550x550.ashx?w=550&h=550&as=1

    it's like a bowl of birdies I want it

    IZF2byN.jpg

    Want to play co-op games? Feel free to hit me up!
  • Darth WaiterDarth Waiter Elrond Hubbard Mordor XenuRegistered User regular
    MadEddy wrote: »
    They all look so grouchy about the situation.

    Homeslice at 11 o'clock is pretty much about to peck some eyes out.

    Dat frown.

  • MadEddyMadEddy Creepy house watching youRegistered User regular
    They're so adorably irate. I can't deal.

    ruby-red-sig.jpg
  • Darth WaiterDarth Waiter Elrond Hubbard Mordor XenuRegistered User regular
    MadEddy wrote: »
    They're so adorably irate. I can't deal.
    I distinctly heard, 'Tweet, Tweet, Fuck all'a ya'll.'

This discussion has been closed.