‘Coughing’ Scallops Caught on Tape
by Kelly Servick
Ahem: A cough cannot be hidden—and when scallops cough, scientists should listen. A scallop “coughs” to expel feces and water from its central cavity; the friction between the mollusk’s two valves makes a sharp crack, followed by a drawn-out puffing noise as the valves quickly close. Now, a team of biologists and acoustics experts says those sounds can serve as an early warning system for worsening water quality.
Because the sonically striking coughs are distinct from the choruses of other marine noisemakers such as shrimp and sea urchins, the researchers found that, by using submersible acoustic sensors called hydrophones,they could record the scallops’ outbursts from up to 10 meters away, they reported this week in the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology…
(read more and hear the scallops: Science NOW)
(photo: L. Di Iorio et al., Jembe, 432-433 (30 November 2012))
The Women of Asgarda | In the Ukraine, a country where females are victims of sexual trafficking and gender oppression, a new tribe of empowered women is emerging. Calling themselves the “Asgarda”, the women seek complete autonomy from men. Residing in the Carpathian Mountains, the tribe is comprised of 150 women of varying ages, primarily students, led by 30 year-old Katerina Tarnouska. Reviving the tribal traditions of the Scythian Amazons of ancient Greek mythology, the Asgarda train in martial arts, taught by former Soviet karate master, Volodymyr Stepanovytch, and learn life skills and sciences in order to become ideal women.
respect knuckles to my sisters from other misters.
