The Vampire Squid

Given the proximity to Halloween - this is a very topical squid! This is the Vampire squid! It gets its name from the long arms which flow behind it, making it look like a Vampire's cape. As far as squid are concerned, this is actually quite a small squid - only about a foot in length. They prefer warmer temperatures so they can swim around more easily. They also only live in the depths of the water, this combined with their dark color means they're camouflaged really well so they can avoid predators. We don't know a lot about the Vampire Squid - in fact it's first sighting was in 1903. Although when it was first discovered, people first thought it was an Octopus! And of course because they live so far down, the only knowledge we have of them is if a fisherman accidentally catches one or any calculated research, and research costs money!

Mars Water!

You can view the following article, here -  http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/sep/29/nasa-crossroads-mars-water-without-contamination-curiosity-rover

Nasa scientists may still be celebrating their discovery of liquid water on Mars, but they now face some serious questions about how they can investigate further and look for signs of life on the red planet.

The problem is how to find life without contaminating the planet with bugs from Earth.

Researchers at the space agency are keen for the Curiosity rover to take a closer look at the long dark streaks created by liquid water running down craters and canyon walls during the summer months on Mars.

But the rover is not sterile and risks contaminating the wet areas with earthly bugs that will have hitched a ride to the planet and may still be alive.

The vehicle has been trundling around the large Gale crater looking for evidence that Mars was habitable in the ancient past. It has so far uncovered evidence of past river networks and age-old lakes.

However, the dark, damp streaks, called recurring slope lineae (RSL), are a different prospect. Because they are wet at least part of the time, they will be designated as special regions where only sterile landers can visit. But such a restriction could hamper scientists’ hopes of looking for current life on Mars.

“There will be heated discussions in the next weeks and months about what Curiosity will be allowed to do and whether it can go anywhere near the RSLs,” said Andrew Coates of University College London’s Mullard space science laboratory.

Carbon and Forests | #FutureGadgets

We're used to carbon dioxide related issues hitting the headlines and its detrimental effects carbon dioxide has on global warming. It's becoming such a problem that scientists all over the world are trying to come up with ways of reducing the carbon dioxide level in our atmosphere. To do this, they've carried out trials on the Jatropha plant which exchanges lots of carbon dioxide - now, scientists have taken advantage of this and come up with a processing method to 'harvest' the CO2 from a large area in Saudi Arabia to use elsewhere - energy which is vital for developing countries as it's not only cheap, but doesn't impact global warming.

The Jatropha Plant 

MY NEW BOOK! | #AnimalsandUs

I'm very excited to announce I'll be releasing my second eBook, Animals and Us very soon! It will be released on Amazon Kindle and possibly a couple of other platforms - but I'll keep you informed of those. The book will take you on a tour of the world, the wonders of our world and their relationship with us. I'll also be posting a snippet of the book fairly soon - I'll keep you posted!

Remember you can still download my last charity eBook - Science Bites!

The Tarsier

Okay, so I reckon evolution was VERY drunk when this little creature with HUGE eyes first walked on our planet. Unsurprisingly, they're not the most common of creatures- in fact, they're more or less, only found on the islands in Southeast Asia. Because they're not very common we don't actually know a lot about them, we don't really know why they have SUCH big eyes! The only real explanation scientists can come up with is that its down to a mutation in their DNA, which codes for their eyes. One of the other problems facing scientists is that this small primate is incredibly shy around humans, which of course provides quite a big problem for scientists! They're also incredibly athletic, with an unusually long anklebone enabling it to jump distances more than 40 times its own body length.

What makes someone more likely to lie?

Whether it's your kids when the last chocolate biscuit is missing, or anything else - here's your guide to spotting that white lie!

• Social Class - the higher the class, studies have shown that they're more likely to lie!
• We're 20-50% more likely to lie in the afternoon - scientists put this down to 'psychological depletion'.
• Children lied to by adults are also more likely to lie. 
• People may lie in the hope people will like them. 
• They lie in the heat of the moment- perhaps because they're pressured for time.

So next time the last chocolate biscuit goes missing, think about these factors and you might just be able to work out who the culprit was!

                                    

The Clouded Leopard

By far, this leopard is one of the most agile creatures on Earth. The Clouded Leopard has a distinctive, tawny grey coat-which is why they were given their name. It cleverly uses its long tail to help keep its balance, as it leaps from tree to tree in the dense rain forests of Southeast Asia. As far as their diet is concerned - it's incredibly varied, from birds to monkeys and wild pigs.

Unfortunately they're now at risk of extinction - all because their habitat is being rapidly destroyed through deforestation. They've also been hunted for its distinctive fur, teeth and bones and much like the tiger, their teeth and bones are used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Historically, clouded leopards  were found across much of Southeast Asia, particularly around Nepal. Now we don't know much about the Clouded leopard, because they're so reclusive and spend most of their time in forests, sometimes up to 8,000 feet up. I think the fact we don't know much about clouded leopards, just makes them better!

How accurate are long term weather forecasts?

On the Autumn Equinox, here in Britain our minds start to turn to the prospect of snow. And, of course, the Daily Express runs their annual dramatic headline of the worst winter in years, but how good are weather forecasts? The Met Office has recently said that four day forecasts are now just as accurate as the one day forecasts in the mid 1980s. But as far as long term, 30 day forecasts are concerned we may well be waiting a while. Because the atmosphere is so chaotic, tiny observational errors occur all the time. Tiny they may well be, but they're the kind of errors which make a huge distance!

Bonobo Monkey

Bonobo Monkeys aren't just your average monkey, they're one of the closest living relatives monkey-wise to humans. Surprisingly, they share more than 98% of our DNA. They're unbelievably complex, demonstrating emotional intelligence and sensitivity. These amazing primates are found in only one country, the Democratic Republic of Congo in the heart of the Congo Basin, the second largest rain forest in the world. Traditionally Bonobos are thought of as the 'Make Love not War' primates. They're peaceful and have a reputation for being docile creatures - very human like! They're also very healthy, fruit makes up half their diet, a diet supplemented by insects and larvae. The Bonobos are also one of the most vocal primates, their communication is complex, sounds mixed with complex hand gestures. Bonobos are also very social creatures, they're always found in groups of varying sizes. Communities of up to 100 bonobos split into groups to search for food during the day and then return to sleep in the safety of each others company at night. Much like many other animals, sexual activity plays a huge part of their society, they use it to bond and resolve conflicts.
Bonobos aren't just amazing they're also pretty cute too!