Things I Have Learned Today
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I learnt a fun fact earlier this week;
The founder of the Nobel Prize, Alfred Nobel built his fortune through the invention, and subsequently distribution of Dynamite throughout the late 1800s.
When his brother passed away, a misunderstanding caused an obituary to be printed for Albert himself, describing him as a 'Merchant of Death' due the countless fatalities caused by his invention.
He would go on to liquidise most of his assets, and use the majority of his fortune to establish the Nobel Peace Prize, promoting positive change and the betterment of humanity, in an attempt to make up for his perceived wrongdoings.
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Haha there ya go! Absolutely brutal series. Nonetheless fantastic, and I loved learning that factoid.
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…in AHS font.
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i liked dope sick better than painkiller. couldnt get past Broaderick. kept doint the Yello Stella bit
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@Mizmazzle listened to the show's creator, Peter Berg, on Joe Rogan actually.
It's on my to-watch list, though. These tales of the scandalous American pharmaceutical industry always capture my interest..
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oh that's shiny
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When in doubts of the life left in your washing line.. just change it.
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Chinook helicopters trigger orgies in salt water crocodiles.
The thunderous sound made by the rotor blades of military helicopters provokes sex frenzies among saltwater crocodiles in Australia, researchers have found.
It is believed that to the crocodiles, the sonorous thump of the choppers sounds either like the mating roar of rival males – which spurs them to rush to mate with females – or evokes the sound of thunder, which signals the onset of the wet season and breeding time.
The unusual phenomenon has been observed at a crocodile farm in Queensland, where the reptiles are bred for their meat and skins.
Koorana Crocodile Farm, outside the coastal city of Rockhampton, is on a flight path used by helicopters heading to and from the huge Shoalwater Bay military training area to the north.
The owners of the reptile farm have noticed that every time big military helicopters such as Chinooks swoop in, male crocodiles go into a libidinous frenzy in what has been described as a mass “romp in the swamp”.
Koorana, run by John Lever and his wife Lillian, is the first commercial crocodile farm in Queensland
Koorana, run by John Lever and his wife Lillian, is the first commercial crocodile farm in Queensland.John Lever, the owner of the farm, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: “We had a big Chinook that came down low because the guys wanted to take some pictures of the crocodiles.
“They were hanging out the door … and of course, Chinooks have got a big ‘thump, thump, thump’, like that. All of the big males got up and roared and bellowed up at the sky, and then after the helicopters left, they mated like mad.”
In saltwater crocodiles’ natural habitat across northern Australia, thunderstorms act as “an aphrodisiac” – “it really turns them on”, said Mr Lever.
The noise and vibrations emitted by a powerful military helicopter may evoke the signs that the crocodiles pick up from an approaching storm.
The big “salties”, as saltwater crocodiles are nicknamed in Australia, generally start to breed during the wet season.
'All of the big males got up and roared and bellowed up at the sky' in response to helicopters, said Mr Lever
'All of the big males got up and roared and bellowed up at the sky' in response to helicopters, said Mr Lever.“They’re probably using it as a bit of a cue to say: ‘Hey the wet’s coming’ … and it’s a good time to start mating so the eggs are ready to be laid at just the right time,” said Dr Cameron Baker, a crocodile expert from Charles Darwin University.
Male crocodiles may also mistake the noise of an approaching chopper for the sound normally made by a rival male, which would spur them into mating with the nearest female to exclude competitors.
“It might be producing a very low-frequency ‘thump, thump’ as it hits the water,” Dr Baker told the ABC. “That may just coincidentally be similar to some of the sounds big male crocodiles produce to say: ‘Hey, this is my turf.’”
Koorana is the first commercial crocodile farm in Queensland, having opened more than 40 years ago. It was initially stocked with aggressive problem crocodiles that Mr Lever and his wife captured in the wild.
Take the dive...
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@EdH not sure which is stranger: the article or that I actually read the entire thing LOL
