Podcast Summary
Mosquito agility in the dark: Mosquitoes fly erratically in the dark, making it harder to swat them with a plunger using computer vision, emphasizing the significance of understanding an organism's behavior in its entirety.
Mosquitoes are surprisingly agile in the dark, making it harder for us to swat them. Researchers discovered this by creating a mosquito swatting plunger with computer vision to detect and swing at the insects. Contrary to expectations, the researchers found that the swatter hit the mosquito less often in the dark, as mosquitoes fly erratically when it's dark out. This counterintuitive finding highlights the importance of considering an organism's behavior in its entirety, even when some senses are removed. It also reminds us that winter, despite its challenges, has its advantages, such as the absence of mosquitoes.
Mosquito evasion, High heels adaptation: Mosquitoes evade swatters by sensing and flying with the swatter's motion, while wearing high heels for an extended period can lead to improved oxygen consumption and walking efficiency
Mosquitoes are able to evade swatters by sensing and riding the wave of air created by the swatter. This intuitive assumption was confirmed by a study, which found that mosquitoes rotate and fly in the direction of the swatter's motion. On a different note, a study examining the effects of wearing high heels for an extended period found the opposite of what was expected. Instead of finding that high heels negatively impacted walking, the researchers discovered that wearing high heels actually improved oxygen consumption and efficiency. Eight volunteers wore modified high heels for twelve weeks and were found to have adapted to the shoes, consuming less oxygen while walking in them compared to flats.
High heels efficiency, Ancient makeup: Wearing high heels can make us more efficient walkers and ancient makeup techniques using minerals, pigments, and plant waxes could still work with modern methods
Our assumptions about high heels being detrimental to our feet might not be entirely true. Wearing high heels can actually make us more efficient walkers by shortening the muscle in the back of the calf and making it a better spring. This discovery challenges the common belief that high heels are bad for our feet. On a different note, a fascinating archaeological find suggests that some makeup used 4000 years ago, such as lipstick, would still work with our modern makeup techniques. This discovery sheds light on the enduring nature of certain beauty practices throughout history. The ancient lipstick was made from a mineral called chlorate, pigments, and plant waxes, and was applied using a brush. This finding challenges the notion that our modern makeup is vastly different from that used in ancient civilizations.
Ancient lipstick: Ancient Egyptian papyrus depicts a woman using a tube to apply a red substance to her lips, possibly lipstick, but uncertainty remains as it could be another substance or from another civilization
Ancient civilizations left intriguing artifacts behind that continue to puzzle scholars, and the true meaning behind some of these artifacts may never be definitively known. For instance, there's an ancient Egyptian papyrus depicting a woman applying a red substance to her lips using a tube. Scholars believe this could be evidence of the use of lipstick, but the explicit nature of the image makes it a subject of debate. Despite the uncertainty, it's fascinating to ponder about the possibilities and consider the cultural significance of such discoveries. Who knows, the red substance could have been something entirely different, like a medicinal ointment or even a cosmetic from another civilization. The mystery only adds to the allure of uncovering the past.