Exactly a year ago Ozzy Osbourne's final performance at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5, 2025

Some flies can lay eggs inside your ears 📹The Brain Maze

Scientists discovered one of the most nutrient-dense substances in nature inside an unlikely source: a cockroach. The species, Diploptera punctata, is unusual because it gives birth to live young instead of laying eggs. During development, the embryos are fed a nutrient-rich, milk-like fluid inside the mother’s body. That fluid forms tiny protein crystals in the embryos’ stomachs. When researchers analyzed the crystals, they found a highly concentrated mix of proteins, fats, sugars, and all 9 essential amino acids required in the human diet. The crystals also appear to release energy slowly during digestion, providing a steady supply of nutrients as the embryos grow. The discovery attracted attention after some reports suggested the substance could be more calorie-dense than mammalian milk, including human breast milk. But scientists have not shown that it offers special health benefits for humans, and harvesting it on a large scale would be extremely impractical. Researchers remain interested in the finding because it demonstrates how evolution can produce unexpected biological adaptations even in one of the world’s most disliked insects. Inside this tiny cockroach species, nature developed microscopic nutrient crystals capable of sustaining life during one of the most demanding stages of development. Learn more: "Cockroach Milk: A Promising Superfood or Nothing but Hype?"

Total transformations

Some sheep breeds such as Hebridean and Jacob sheep, commonly have four horns 📹 um.kehr

Exactly a year ago Ozzy Osbourne's final performance at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5, 2025

Scientists are investigating a little-known mushroom from China’s Yunnan province after it was linked to one of the most unusual types of hallucinations ever recorded. When Lanmaoa asiatica is eaten raw or not cooked thoroughly, some people experience vivid visions unlike those caused by well-known psychedelic substances. Rather than seeing abstract colours or distorted landscapes, many report encountering crowds of tiny human-like figures. These miniature characters are often described as resembling elves, fairies, clowns, or gnomes, and are said to climb over furniture, emerge from doorways, leap into bowls of food, and interact playfully with their surroundings. Medical reports suggest that around 90% of documented poisonings involving this mushroom include these rare “Lilliputian hallucinations,” making it one of the most distinctive poisoning syndromes associated with any fungus. What has puzzled researchers is that laboratory testing has found no trace of psilocybin or any other recognised hallucinogenic compound. Instead, scientists suspect the mushroom may contain an entirely unknown chemical capable of producing these extraordinary effects. Symptoms usually appear between 12 and 24 hours after the mushroom is eaten and may continue for several days. Although the hallucinations can be intense and unsettling, researchers reviewing hospital records have found no confirmed deaths directly attributed to this type of poisoning. One researcher, a doctoral student at the University of Utah, has spent years studying the mushroom throughout China and the Philippines. By combining DNA sequencing with chemical analysis, the research team has narrowed the search to a small group of candidate molecules, but the exact compound responsible has not yet been identified. If the mystery molecule is eventually discovered, it could represent an entirely new class of hallucinogen and provide valuable insights into how the brain creates our perception of reality. Learn more: '''It sounds so impossible': Student studying fungus that makes users hallucinate tiny people may be on the verge of a scientific breakthrough." LiveScience

On July 4, 2012, in San Diego, California, a computer glitch at a fireworks display accidentally set off, 7000 fireworks simultaneously, An event remembered as one of the greatest fireworks shows of all time

Benches outside a library in Bulgaria

Spiders walk on water using the force of surface tension, which allows it to ‘row’. Each leg makes a dimple in the surface; pushing that back to take another step provides a horizontal thrust.

Head stabilisation of a kestrel 📹hannahstitfall

Do you believe in guardian angels…

A parasitic infection can sometimes produce symptoms that resemble a brain tumour. A 60 year old man in Spain sought medical attention after about two weeks of persistent headaches along with mild changes in behaviour. Initial brain imaging showed several lesions throughout the brain, which raised concern for possible metastatic cancer. However, further investigations including scans of the rest of the body, and additional tests did not reveal any primary tumour. Because the cause remained unclear, doctors carried out a high resolution MRI scan. This revealed multiple fluid filled cysts in the brain containing larvae of Taenia solium, the pork tapeworm. The condition is known as neurocysticercosis. It occurs when a person accidentally ingests tapeworm eggs, usually through food or water contaminated with human faecal matter. This is different from eating pork containing adult tapeworms. After ingestion, the eggs hatch, the larvae enter the bloodstream, and in rare cases they reach the brain where they form cysts. The MRI findings showed these cysts clearly enough for doctors to identify the larvae within them. Once the true cause was discovered, an invasive brain biopsy was avoided. The man was treated with antiparasitic medication and made a full recovery without complications. What made the case unusual was that he had never travelled outside Spain, where this infection is rare. Doctors believe exposure may have occurred years earlier through indirect contact with someone from an area where the parasite is more common. “Autochthonous Neurocysticercosis Brain Lesions Mimicking Metastatic Disease, Spain” Emerging Infectious Diseases

Bald eagle flying free to the national anthem Happy Birthday America ❤️

The Amethyst Starling (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster), is one of the most striking birds in Africa. Its dazzling violet-purple plumage isn’t caused by pigment, but by microscopic structures in its feathers that reflect and scatter light. This structural coloration creates an intense metallic sheen that can make the bird look as if it’s carved from polished amethyst, especially in bright sunlight. 📹 safari_davis247