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Camofish | Space Pee | Wormy Flight

Camofish | Space Pee | Wormy Flight

Issue #107

Steve Burgess
July 01, 2023

30 minutes after this hits your inbox, 176 riders will begin the Tour de France. Here are some fun facts to impress any cyclists at this weekend’s cookouts.

Actually starts in Spain
Category leaders wear special jerseys (climbers get polka dots!)
~2,116 miles over 21 stages with only 2 rest days

J'ai utilisé Internet pour écrire cette phrase en français!

-Steve

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photo by Michal B.

Camofish

We’ve known cuttlefish change color to blend in with their surroundings, but researchers recently learned how much fine-tuning is involved.

Pigment cells (chromatophores) control light absorption
Ultra-high-res cameras captured 200k images of changing skin patterns
Artificial backgrounds used to measure neural activity while camouflaging

Results showed cuttlefish followed different neural pathways for the same backgrounds. They often overshot pattern changes before tuning back to better blending, suggesting a feedback mechanism. Very similar to me tying a tie.

Hide-and-go-seek research

Space Pee

If you want to go to Mars, you’ll have to drink recycled pee. NASA’s ECLSS converted 98% of liquid leftovers into drinkable water.

ECLSS: Environmental Control and Life Support System
Current space flights bring their H₂O
4 people + 2 years to Mars = ~10 tons of water

NASA was quick to clarify that fully recycled water is cleaner than what we drink on Earth. Reduced weight and self-sustaining life support bring us a few steps closer to visiting Mars. And more awkward water cooler convos.

Anyone heard from Bear Grylls on this?

Wormy Flight

Static electricity acts as a highway for flying nematodes. Researchers discovered C. elegans’ aerial ability after they appeared to teleport across petri dishes.

C. elegans = nematode often used in scientific studies
Slow-motion video helped identify electric fields as propulsion
Average speed: 2.8’ per second (nearly human walk speed)

Similar to baby spiders in Charlotte’s Web (and real life), C. elegans use electricity to traverse long distances. Though more research is needed to verify if these movements are intentional. Just wait until they discover socks and carpet.

Shocking