A list of intriguing things
One: Here’s the bad news: you may have to learn to become besties with cockroaches. The good news: scientists have successfully fitted Madagascar roaches—which can grow up to 2.4 inches long (yikes)—with cool solar-powered backpacks to turn them into little cyborgs that can be remote controlled:
“By stimulating each of the cockroaches' cerci, which are appendages that act like sensory nerves, via their tiny backpacks, the scientists were able to tell them where to go from a distance.”
Why, you ask? They will be used for urban search and rescue missions in the future—once the kinks have been worked out. And in case you were worried, researchers assure us that the insects don’t feel any pain. (Cnet)
Two: Is that a UFO over Mount Fuji? No, it’s a very cool looking lenticular cloud. They are formed when a current of moist air travels up the side and over the top of a mountain. The moisture condenses to form a cloud—but only if there is a specific wave pattern. The nerdy details of how they are formed are over at TreeHugger—with more pretty photos. Or you can just enjoy how Instagram-pretty they are in the clip below.
Three: Here’s some food for thought in the season of immersion pujas. Torma are traditional sculptures carved out of yak butter. They are incredibly detailed, painted using mineral pigments—and made by Buddhist monks, nuns, and others as offerings for prayer festivals and the Tibetan new year. This ancient and unique practice is also eco-friendly—since the sculptures are also later fed to animals or simply melted leaving no waste behind. Beats immersing them in a bucket of water or the sea. (Atlas Obscura)
