california

Heart Warming Wild Otter Baby Born at Monterey Bay Aquarium

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Krystian-Science-Nature-LogoThis baby otter is so cute it will melt your face off. Seriously. The Monterey Bay Aquarium received a big holiday surprise after a pregnant wild sea otter swam into its tide pool and gave birth to the cutest little pup!

Sea Otter Baby - Monterey Bay Aquarium
Sea Otter gives birth to newborn pup in Monterey Bay Aquarium Tide Pool. Photo: Tyson V. Rininger, Monterey Bay Aquarium

Apparently the mom was chilling in and around the Aquarium’s Great Tide Pool for a few days, which isn’t common for healthy otters. She had some of the Aquarium staff concerned by her behavior until she popped out a baby. 😍

The Aquarium considers the otter’s birth to be a conservation success story. Otters were once hunted to near extinction – with just 50 left in all of California by the early 1800’s. But, after legislative protection and a soft spot in the heart of people everywhere for the furry guys, the otter population has rebounded to steady levels – with 3,000 in central California alone.

otter Gif

Sea otters don’t have blubber to keep them warm in the cold water. They have a super thick fur coat instead, which they keep full of air bubbles while grooming for insulation. In the wild, sea otter moms spend a lot of time grooming their babies to keep them warm and buoyant.

Fun Fact: Sea otters have 1 million hairs per square inch—more than any other animal.

Sea Otter gives birth to newborn pup in Monterey Bay Aquarium Tide Pool. Photo: Tyson V. Rininger, Monterey Bay Aquarium
Sea Otter gives birth to newborn pup in Monterey Bay Aquarium Tide Pool. Photo: Tyson V. Rininger, Monterey Bay Aquarium
Sea Otter gives birth to newborn pup in Monterey Bay Aquarium Tide Pool. Photo: Tyson V. Rininger, Monterey Bay Aquarium

 

Heart Warming Wild Otter Baby Born at Monterey Bay Aquarium

Los Angeles Drops 96 Million ‘Shade Balls’ into the LA Reservoir Turning it into a Massive Ball Pit

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KS_LOGOs2_PopCultureIf you asked a 4th grade class how they might solve California’s historic drought crisis, one kid might yell – “turn the water into a Chuck E. Cheese ball pit!” Well, Los Angeles did just that, and the video is pretty fun to watch. Give your inner child a high five and watch the video below. 😎

California is in the middle of its worst drought on record and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is doing its part to conserve water. This week, the city finished the final phase of its ‘shade ball’ initiative. LA dropped 96 million plastic black balls onto the surface of its 175 acre water reservoir, which is expected to save them $250 million and prevent the annual loss of over 300 million gallons of water. The shade balls are a cheaper alternative to LA’s other conservation ideas, which included splitting the basin in half or installing massive floating covers.

The LADWP said in a press release, “The small, black plastic balls protect water quality by preventing sunlight-triggered chemical reactions, deterring birds and other wildlife, and protecting water from rain and wind-blown dust.”

The reservoir, located in LADWP’s Van Norman Complex in Sylmar,  holds 3.3 billion gallons of water – enough to supply the entire city of Los Angeles with water for three weeks.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power released 96 million black shade balls into the Los Angeles Reservoir to reduce evaporation and deter algal growth. PHOTOGRAPH BY GENE BLEVINS, LA DAILY NEWS/ZUMA WIRE/CORBIS
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power released 96 million black shade balls into the Los Angeles Reservoir to reduce evaporation and deter algal growth. PHOTOGRAPH BY GENE BLEVINS, LA DAILY NEWS/ZUMA WIRE/CORBIS

The project cost a total of $34.5 million, but, at $0.36 each, the shade balls require no construction, parts, labor or maintenance aside from occasional rotation. They are designed to reduce evaporation, cool the water, and make the reservoir less susceptible to algae, bacterial growth, and chemical reactions.

The shade balls are made of black polyethylene and filled with water so they don’t blow away. According to the manufacturers, the balls should last up to 25 years.

Dr. Brian White, a now-retired LADWP biologist, was the first person to think of using shade balls for water quality. The idea came to him when he learned about the application of “bird balls” in ponds along airfield runways.

CREDIT: Gerd Ludwig, National Geographic
CREDIT: Gerd Ludwig, National Geographic
CREDIT: Gerd Ludwig, National Geographic
CREDIT: Gerd Ludwig, National Geographic
CREDIT: Gerd Ludwig, National Geographic

 

Los Angeles Drops 96 Million ‘Shade Balls’ into the LA Reservoir Turning it into a Massive Ball Pit

Biohackers Test Eye Drops That Give You NIGHT VISION – And They Look Super Creepy

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KS Strange ScienceHave you ever wanted to be recruited by Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters? Well, that’s not terribly realistic, but you can totally LOOK like an X-Men!

New night enhancement eyedrops were tested by a group of independent researchers known as Science for the Masses, based in California, with lead researcher Gabriel Licina as their guinea pig.

Researcher Gabriel Licina (Credit: Science for the Masses)
Researcher Gabriel Licina (Credit: Science for the Masses)
Researcher Gabriel Licina (Credit: Science for the Masses)

 

These liquid black drops are a simple combination of Chlorin e6 (Ce6) and insulin in saline, with the addition of dimethlysulfoxide (DMSO). The drops were based on a patent filed in 2012 that claimed this mixture, when applied to the eye, will absorb to the retina and act to increase vision in low light.

Eyedrop Chemical Breakdown: Ce6 has light amplification properties, and has been used as a therapy agent in cancer treatment. The insulin is used to allow absorption of the Ce6 into the chamber of the eye. DMSO is used in cell preservation and in medication application. In this case, its primary ability is to cause increased permeability of the cellular membrane, allowing free passage for the chemicals in the eye drops to reach the eye.

Licina’s eyes were flushed with saline to remove any micro-debris or contaminants. Then they were actually pinned open to remove the ability to blink. Ce6 was then added to the eye via micropippette. After the drops disappeared he was given special lenses and black sunglasses to ensure increased low light conditions and reduce the potential for bright light exposure.

The drops began to work in as little as one hour, with the effects lasting for many hours afterwards. Licina was able to see more than 164 feet (50 meters) in almost total darkness. And it looks like it didn’t even hurt! Licina told Mic, “To me, it was quick, greenish-black blur across my vision, and then it dissolved into my eyes.”

 

Nightcrawler - Marvel's X-Men

Licina and four subjects from the control group (people who did not use the drops) were taken to a ‘darkened area’ for testing. Three forms of subjective testing were performed. These consisted of symbol recognition by distance, symbol recognition on varying background colors, and the ability to identify moving subjects.

Turns out, Licina’s special vision allowed him to recognize symbols the control group couldn’t see! The Ce6 drops allowed Licina to identify distant figures 100% of the time, while the control group got it right just 33% of the time.

But, as cool as this experiment sounds, these revolutionary drops have people worried. Increased light amplification may cause damage to the eye if used improperly. Science for the Masses stresses the fact they conducted this experiment for research and informative purposes only. So don’t try this at home.

CLICK HERE to view the full report from Science for the Masses.

Biohackers Test Eye Drops That Give You NIGHT VISION – And They Look Super Creepy