I relocated this tomato hornworm from my sister’s moonflower plant.

#photos #naturerocks

#photos #naturerocks

Use the Pedals, Luke!

A fantastic pic by Mike Stimpson, photographer of plastic. Be sure to check Mike’s website for plenty of other awesome LEGO Star Wars-themed photographs!

I really need to flesh out my Star Wars LEGO collection.

#starwars

What the Doctor Ordered: Building New Body Parts

Spray-on skin, made-to-order muscle, and print-out kidneys aren’t just science fiction anymore. Dr. Anthony Atala and Dr. Stephen Badylak, two pioneers of regenerative medicine, talk about the latest methods for building new body parts, and the challenge of growing complex organs like the heart, liver or brain.

Note: If you’d like to sign up for the Traumatic Limb Muscle Loss Clinical Trials, please contact Allyson LaCovey at 412-624-5308 or lacoveya2@upmc.edu. More information about the trial can be found on this study recuitment flyer, at the trial website, or Dr. Badylak’s laboratory website.

Good way to spend 20 minutes and learn about the marvels of medical science. The Science Friday website is also a joy to browse — both visually and educationally.

Direct link to this story’s audio file.

#medical

Parenting - you’re doing it right.

I <3 the machine gun with the chain strapped to the barrel. If I could dress up like this with M. for Halloween, I totally would. Alas, I don’t think she’d go for it.

#halloween #zombies

I Heart Our Little Whimsy Deck

#photos

Report: Cops To Dig Up Roseville Driveway In Jimmy Hoffa Hunt - CBS Detroit

ROSEVILLE (CBS Detroit) Following up on “credible evidence,” Roseville police are planning to dig up a soil sample from a Roseville driveway in the continuing hunt for the remains of Jimmy Hoffa.

Radar equipment was reportedly brought in by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to scan the driveway on Florida Street, near 12 Mile and Gratiot, following a tip - and something unusual was found.

38 years is a long time to be buried next to that crappy looking boat. That’s an environmental quality control issue for sure.

#meanwhile

The Most Thrilling Star Wars Art We’ve Seen in Ages

Star Wars is known for its amazing imagery, from the Death Star to the droids. And over the years, Star Wars has spawned some amazing concept art and some glorious posters. But for our money, some of the coolest Star Wars art has come from the books.

A new book, Star Wars: The Essential Reader’s Companion, presents a treasury of new Star Wars art, along with a ton of details about the insanely complicated Expanded Universe and the role of the novels in it. Check out an exclusive gallery of artworks below!

Why yes, I would like this book for the upcoming wintery holiday.

#arts #starwars

Ancient Buddhist Statue, Acquired by Nazis in 1938, was Carved From a Meteorite

The statue was discovered in 1938 by an expedition of German scientists into Tibet led by zoologist Ernst Schafer. The scientists say the large swastika carved into the center of the statue may have encouraged the Nazi scientists to take the statue back to Germany. The researchers say this particular expedition was supported by Nazi SS Chief Heinrich Himmler.

Scientists, led by Dr. Elmar Buchner from Stuttgart University, analyzed the statue and found it contains ataxite, a rare class of iron meteorite with high contents of nickel.

Yep kids, the swastika was used way before the Nazis turned it into a symbol of hate.

#religion

The vampire squid is a garbage-eater that collects raining rubbish with living fishing lines

The vampire squid belongs to the cephalopods, the group that includes squid, octopuses and cuttlefish. But it’s an evolutionary relict that appeared well before any of these more familiar animals. Its body is gelatinous and blood-coloured, as if the internal organ of a larger animal had broken free. It swims with two wing-like flaps, sees with opal-blue eyes, and lights up the surrounding water with flashing organs found all over its body, and especially at the tips of its arms.

Two of these arms have been modified into white thin filaments, which coil up into special pockets, and can extend to 8 times the animal’s length. The other eight arms are connected by a cloak-like web that can be inverted over the vampire squid’s body to reveal a muddy charcoal interior, lined with fleshy spines. You can see where the name comes from.

I really need to get my squid tattoo.

#tentacles