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Pollen Heist | Ultra Sip | Team Octopus
Issue #181

Whoa busy online weekend! So many deals going around, thank you for choosing to be here!
Since I can’t discount this free newsletter, here’s a referral link for $10 off the best global coffee subscription on Earth: http://atlas.coffee/SHARE-F9VTF (I’ve been sipping Atlas coffee for 3+ years!)
-Steve 🌍️
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Every week is an opportunity to be grateful, but this week has a whole holiday about it. So we’re looking back at 3 stories I'm thankful for!
Pollen Heist
Some bees chomp down to get more pollen. Researchers observed bumble bees violently shaking after selectively biting buzz-pollinated flowers.
~9% of plants are buzz-pollinated
Buzz-pollinated = pollen is concealed unless shaken loose
Biting + shaking releases more pollen than just shaking
Not all buzz-eligible landings were shaken, though researchers aren’t sure how bees decide. Future studies will help us better understand this behavior to track environmental impacts on pollination. Fine, I’ll stop biting the flowers.
Quick! (vote)If you were a bee, which would you bite first? |
Check out last week’s results in “Unnatural Selection” below
Ultra Sip
Ultrasound is the key to instant cold brew coffee. Researchers developed a sound system that cuts brewing time down to just 3 minutes.
Normal cold brewing time = 12-24 hours
Ultrasonic process collapses acoustic bubbles
Creating micro-jets that extract coffee compounds
Trained sensory evaluators confirmed ultrasound-coffee is on par with traditional brews. Testing was done with an off-the-shelf espresso machine, meaning consumer-level quick cold brew could be coming soon. Let’s call it Ultra Brew!
Team Octopus
Octopuses use their many-arms to direct multi-species hunting parties. The cephalopods strategically decide when and where the group attacks.
Hunting groups include multiple fish species
Blue goatfish act as scouts, finding the best prey
Octopuses “punch” slackers and intruders
Result: fish get food hidden in crevices and octopuses save energy previously spent foraging. Future research will explore how octopuses utilize social cues on group hunts. Only a matter of time before they start running human businesses.

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Clickables
🔥 Cozy up by NASA’s rocket booster-fireplace
🦦 Otters holding hands while they sleep
🐟️ Even the largest fish can’t escape orcas
🌱 Cucumbers shooting seeds 44 mph

Unnatural Selection
Last week: “Which poo do you think phytoplankton prefer?”

Only one way to settle this: Cotton candy-flavored whale poop.
Make sure you vote up top for next week’s “Unnatural Selection”!

st3v on site
Ultra-Caffeinated

st3v and the bees confirmed 38.8-kHz makes the best coffee. Fortunately they already worked great as a team!

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