Swiss Break Record with 1.2-Mile-Long Passenger Train
From Nation, For Nation - Pulse of the Nation
Watch the Trained Rats and Cats
Mysterious Meat Phenomenon: The Kentucky Meat Shower of 1876. {A meat-eorologic mystery.}
Of course, water creatures aren’t the only organisms that fall unexpectedly to the ground. On February 7, 2022, security camera footage caught the shocking moment a swarm of thousands of yellow-headed blackbirds slammed into the pavement over Chihuahua, Mexico, killing dozens of birds. Other strange objects falling from the sky have included jelly and spiders, according to the Farmers’ Almanac.
Sunny With a Chance of Meat
When it comes to bizarre local weather phenomena, the Kentucky meat shower ranks near the top to this day. A housewife living on a farm near Olympia Springs spotted the whole thing, and she described it as a significant event. She said that so much flesh fell from the heavens that it could “fill a horse wagon” (via Science Solved It). If you’re wondering what this means, you’re far from alone.
Kurt Gohde of the Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, has long puzzled over the statement while researching the Kentucky Meat Shower episode. He’s come to this conclusion: “In 1876, if you said, ‘Oh it was a horse wagon full of meat,’ that was like saying now, ‘It’s like a Big Gulp from McDonald’s.’ So everybody knew exactly what that meant.” While a valid point, it does little to clarify what the housewife witnessed for us modern folk.
Ref: https://www.ripleys.com/stories/kentucky-meat-shower →
From Globe, For Globe - Pulse of the Planet
What Does Antarctica Smell Like?
Those lucky enough to visit Antarctica often remark upon the crisp, clean, and almost scentless nature of the landscape.
As nothing but sea and ice stretches on for hundreds of miles, there's little for human olfactory senses to register besides a few molecules of water vapor. That's, of course, barring the fishy musk from a bob of seals, the krill breath of a whale expelling hundreds of gallons of air from its lungs before another dive, or the feces of a thousand-strong colony of penguins.
Once you encounter living things, that crisp smell is supplanted with the diverse smells of life.
Just How Much do Penguins Poop?
Penguins may be the adorable, tuxedoed waddlers of the animal kingdom. But their poop—not just their charm—is making a big impact on the planet.
Large penguin colonies produce a pungent aroma thanks to their guano, which is rich in nitrogen and off-gassing ammonia. Scientists who study these colonies say the smell hits you before the penguins even come into view.
While the South African penguins found in Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies and Aquarium of Myrtle Beach don't hail from Antarctica, they've thoroughly acquainted our husbandry staff with their fecal functions.
Our dedicated team of aquarists scrub the floor and rocks of our penguin habitats three times a day. Why? Because penguins poop every 5-15 minutes.
According to Ripley's Husbandry, they can even project their poop up to three feet!
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