A THEORY OF | Science

[atheoryofscience-blog]

Which one are you? 😜

[atheoryofscience-blog]

What an incredible photo! This picture was taken by photographer Ryan McGinnis in 2014 in Nebraska. The cloud type is called a Mammatus cloud and usually appears with severe thunderstorms. ⛈ 📷: @thebigstormpicture #science #clouds #nebraska (bij Nebraska)

[atheoryofscience-blog]

Whoa! This terrifying face belongs to the common potoo (Nyctibius griseus), a species of nocturnal bird native to Central and South America. Apparently, it makes really creepy sounds and at night you can spot them in trees thanks to those huge yellow eyes 😱 📷: Paulo Jose Benatti/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0 #biology #birds #bird #potoo #science

[atheoryofscience-blog]

Squirrels! Though often so ubiquitous they get overlooked, these little rodents are adorable up close. Did you know that they communicate using noise and scent making, and can also send signals to other squirrels with their tails? Photo cred: @jcnrad

[atheoryofscience-blog]

That’s a bird, right? Wrong. It’s a bug. Specifically, though, it’s Macroglossum stellatarum, otherwise known as the hummingbird hawk-moth. These moths are so good at mimicking hummingbirds that they make a humming noise, hover while flying, and even feed on flowers with their long proboscises. They live year round in northern parts of Africa as well as parts of southern Europe and begin their lives as green larvae. When they commence their transition into hawk-moths, they wrap themselves in silken cocoons and emerge with brown wings tipped with black, which appear almost birdlike. Photo cred: Wikipedia #science #entomology #hummingbird #amazing

[atheoryofscience-blog]

Most photos of Aurora are taken from the ground, showcasing a sky painted with cascading colors, but astronaut Tim Peake had to go and one up everyone by taking some snapshots of this colorful wonder from space. While aboard the International Space Station, Mr. Peake took many photos of the magnetospheric wonder which have been posted on a Flickr album simply titled “Aurora”. Aurora are caused when solar wind agitates the magnetosphere and electrons ionize into the upper atmosphere, giving off light of all different colors. Photo cred: ESA/NASA #science #astronomy #space #nasa

[atheoryofscience-blog]

[atheoryofscience-blog]

This particular squirrel seems to be @atheoryofscience's spirit animal, as it’s perfectly imitating what we look like when we go to an all-you-can-eat buffet. Sciuridae, the squirrel’s taxonomic family, contains over 200 species and can be found all over the world. Because squirrels constantly gnaw on all sorts of things, their four front teeth never stop growing so that they can never be worn down. These bushy rodents are born blind, naked, and without teeth after a short period (three to six weeks) of gestation. Fun fact: A group of squirrels is called a scurry. Pretty apt, don’t you think? Photo cred: World’s Fuzziest Videos #science #zoology

[atheoryofscience-blog]

If you ever find yourself in Yellowstone National Park, make sure to visit the Grand Prismatic Spring, which is a legit rainbow wonder and the largest hot spring in the United States. Want to know what gives this spring its epicly prismatic hues? Bacteria! The water at the center of the spring is incredibly hot, reaching temperatures of 87 °C (189 °F), which means that it cannot sustain any sort of bacterial life, making the water a crystal clear blue. As more water flows up through the center and pushes water to the outer edges of the spring, the water cools and becomes a breeding ground for various bacteria. These bacteria contain photosynthetic pigments like carotenoids and chlorophyll that cause them to reflect certain wavelengths of light, creating the vibrant and colorful bands. Photo cred: Abhijit Sarkar #science #geology #bacteria #nationalparks #amazing

[atheoryofscience-blog]

Have you already heard about these extreme popular things? Check out the link in our bio to learn more!!

[atheoryofscience-blog]

Flatworms are flat because they have no body cavity, no circulatory system, and no lungs. These invertebrates get their oxygen and nutrients by diffusion and are considered bilaterally symmetrical, which means that their left side is a mirror image of their right side. While all of those things are interesting, they aren’t the most fascinating thing about flatworms. Their kookiest biological fact? The majority of them are hermaphroditic and have two barbed penises. These penises “fence” each other until one finally stabs the epidermis and hypodermically inseminates itself. So they don’t have a spine or lungs, but they have two penises? Interesting choice, evolution. Photo cred: Bunaken Hans #science #marinebiology #evolution #wtfevolution

[atheoryofscience-blog]

Niagara Falls is made up of three different falls (Horseshoe, American, and Bridal Veil, respectively) and sits on the border of the state of New York and the province of Ontario, Canada. These falls were created during the Wisconsin Glacial Episode, which scraped deep channels in the area, widening and creating more lakes and rivers. When the ice melted, these waters rushed into the Niagara river, eroding the softer rock and leaving the limestone behind, which created the cliffs. The parks department recently announced their plans to dewater the falls in an effort to demolish and rebuild two 115-year-old bridges that connect both Green Island and Goat Island to the mainland. Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time the falls have been dewatered. In 1969, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers drained the falls in order to study the effects of erosion on the rock below. Photo cred: Niagara Falls Events #science #geology #newyork #canada #amazing #waterfalls (bij Niagara Falls, Ontario)

[atheoryofscience-blog]

Along the length of the Colorado River lies a bend that is infamous for being so darn photogenic. Originally a sea of sand, Horseshoe Bend transformed into Navajo Sandstone when it was hardened into a smooth layer by minerals and water. Over time, mudstone, sediment, and even more sandstone created layers of earth which were then carved into by flooding and erosion, creating the perfect curved pathway for the Colorado River. Photo cred: Scott Stulberg #science #geology #arizona #amazing (bij Horseshoe Bend)

[atheoryofscience-blog]

Looks photoshopped, doesn’t it? Yeah, it’s not. In the Gulf of Alaska there is a liquid demarcation at the point where glacial water meets with the open ocean. The water that comes from glaciers is rich in sediment, so it becomes a light, milky color. This glacial water is eventually picked up by the currents and mixed in with the ocean water, but when it’s first introduced, there can be lines of demarcation between the two. These borders aren’t by any means permanent; they are eventually erased by the power of the slow-moving currents that circulate this dense water into the center of the Gulf of Alaska. Like what you see here on @atheoryofscience? Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter by clicking on the link in our bio! Photo cred: 3.bp.blogspot.com #science #geography #alaska #oceans (bij Gulf Of Alaska)

[atheoryofscience-blog]

If you ever find yourself in southern Chilean Patagonia, make sure to stop off at Torres del Paine National Park. The three peaks that you see in this photo, sometimes referred to as Cleopatra’s Needles, are exposed granite topped with a sedimentary stratum. The whole park is primarily Cretaceous sedimentary rock whose topography was carved out by glacial erosion, which makes it a perfect hiking destination. Like what you see here on @atheoryofscience make sure to subscribe to our newsletter by clicking the link in our bio! Photo cred: todayonline.com #science #geology #chile #patagonia #amazing

[atheoryofscience-blog]

From the darkness of space gallops a horse so sparkly that it’ll straight up take your breath away. This is the Horsehead Nebula and it can be found in the constellation Orion. This dark nebula was first discovered by Williamina Fleming when she captured it on a photographic plate in 1888 at the Harvard College Observatory. What causes an interstellar equine apparition like this? Well, the dark, horse-shaped dust cloud is silhouetted by the bright stars that shine behind it. Neigh, space horse! Neigh! Photo cred: Ken Crawford #science #astronomy #nasa #stars #orion

[atheoryofscience-blog]

If you ever find yourself in the great state of Oregon, make sure to stop by the mega gorgeous and epic geologic souvenir that is Crater Lake. This reflective beauty is a caldera lake that was created when the volcano Mount Mazama erupted about 150 years ago and collapsed into itself. The lake is filled solely with rainwater and snow melt since there are no rivers or streams connecting it to other bodies of water. Crater Lake also has two islands, Wizard Island and Phantom Ship, with the former being created by an erupted cinder cone. This lake is home to the “Old Man of the Lake,” a bobbing tree stump that’s been chilling vertically in the lake for more than a century. Photo cred: Andrew Studer #science #geology #oregon #craterlake #volcano (bij Crater Lake National Park)