Monthly Archives: November 2012

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Glowing Jello?

I first heard about this on the radio during Halloween and finally looked into it.

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Believe it or not, this jello is “glowing”. The reason you can’t see the glow is because there is too much normal or visible light.

Behold!

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Now the science. Technically the jello is not glowing in the dark. The term is fluorescence.

Fluorescence means that the object is reflecting back visible light when it is hit with ultraviolet light (UV). It takes light we can’t see and gives back light we can see.

All florescent objects “glow” in the light. We just can’t see it because of all the visible light….(We get a little of the glowing effect which is why fluorescent orange and green is so easy to spot from a distance.) If we use a “black light” you really see what is going on. A black light gives off about the same amount of UV light as any light bulb but very little visible light so the effects of the UV light can be seen.

How do you get the jello to glow? Use tonic water instead of normal water.

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Tonic water contains quinine which is a fluorescent molecule.

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What are other uses of quinine? You may have heard about it being used as a treatment for malaria. Better meds are being used today, but for many years it was the only treatment for the disease.   History of Quinine

Quinine has a bitter taste and some that were taking quinine water would mix it with gin. A mixture that is still popular today.

Never tasted it? The jello I made tasted like it was mixed with old grapefruit juice that left an aftertaste. It is now out in the corn field where I doubt if any creature will consume it.

More tonic water treats…

I tried to freeze it for glowing ice cubes.

The tonic water did not freeze well. Still slushy even after over night.

By the way, I was also disappointed by the lack of glow with my jello. Why….

Perhaps the yellow jello is interfering with the bluish light. In the fridge now is a batch of BLUE TONIC JELLO.

Stand by….

MZH

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Consider the Shrew

CAUTION: VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

“Though he be but little, he is fierce. That’s Shakespeare, boys! “

– Seabiscuit

The actual quote is, “Though SHE be little, SHE is fierce.”

– Midsummer’s Night Dream

Either way, it is one nasty little critter. I found a dead one in my driveway this morning. The little beast met it’s match when I either stepped on it on the way out to my car or I ran over it. That is a caterpillar in its mouth that was still moving when I picked the dead shrew up….

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How tough is this creature? Even when crushed, it held onto its prey!

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The autopsy results indicated blunt force trauma to the chest and abdomen with significant internal injuries.

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Many species of shrews have pigmented teeth. (Good call, Joe!) After doing some searching, it is possible that this one is the North American(Northern) short tailed shrew….which, by the way, has a poisonous bite….A fact that I did not know until AFTER the autopsy….

If you want to see this little demon in action, check out the video below. (Not for the timid.)

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/animals/mammals-animals/rodents-and-rabbits/shrew_short-tailed_attack/

MZH

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Critter Quiz

Name the critter below…

1. Very small. Its latest (and last) victim is only 2.54 cm (1 inch) long.

2. Note the long nose, small eyes and short tail.

3. Very smooth fur.

4. Considered by many (including me) to be the most vicious mammal on the planet(If body sizes were equal). It can kill much larger animals and it’s metabolism is such that it needs to hunt constantly. If you catch one in a live trap in cold weather it will starve and freeze to death without food and protection.

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What is it?

Gross notes…

1. The victim is still alive as I type.

2. The critter is dead due to an encounter with a car tire earlier this morning. (Note paper towel.)

MZH

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God is Great, Beer is Good, Slugs are Crazy

This past week, we lost power for three days in Cleveland; our house being one of the lucky ones. Some are still in the dark.

On the 3rd night, I left the house for a meeting and put a few beers outside to chill since using the fridge wasn’t an option. I came back, grabbed my beer on the way in, and felt something odd on the bottle. Not leaves, not a label….what was it? SLUGS!

There on the bottle, trying to figure out how to get in were two eager slugs. The bottle wasn’t open, but still somehow they knew what it was, and really wanted a sip for themselves.

I recall from picking up road-side beer cans, left by traveling #$*&!@ through the country that usually, slugs were inside. So I got online to learn a bit more. Slugs are known for being able to survive and eat just about anything. They are huge fans of the smell of fermenting yeast (beer), likely because in some way, it’s a sweeter version of the smell of the more putrid things they eat on a regular basis.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Do_slugs_like_beer

Slugs typically have a few ‘feelers’ or tentacles that help them ‘see’ their way around. Usually four total; two for seeing light, and two for sensing smell. Sensitive enough to smell beer…from inside an unopened bottle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slug

So to test what I read, the next night I again set out a beer for a few hours to chill, and sure enough, I caught two more thirsty mollusks looking for a cold one. Not today my friends. Not today.

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How Was YOUR Day?

CAUTION: Viewer Discretion is Advised.

Life on the farm is not without its challenges…

The Victim, Mourning Dove, Coo Coo?

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http://www.askthebirds.org/2010_11_01_archive.html

The Crime Scene:

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The first hit…

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The final kill:

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Suspect #1 Cooper Hawk:  I believe it to be this bigger one. It is amazing to watch it fly into a tree at full speed with a burst of panicking birds exiting. If the hawk flys out, the chase continues…If not, it’s lunch time with one less bird.

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http://museum2.utep.edu/chih/theland/animals/birds/cooperhawk.htm

Suspect #2 Sharp Shinned Hawk: Smaller and probably not guilty of THIS crime, but many others, I am sure. Hey, Ya gotta eat!

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http://sdakotabirds.com/species_photos/sharp_shinned_hawk.htm

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The investigation is continuing…..

MZH