Weird – Alison Pearce Stevens

This sea slug lost its head!

Alison — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 14:42:46 +0000

You may have heard the phrase to lose your head, which means you’re not acting very sensibly. But this sea slug takes that saying to a whole new level. It quite literally separates its head from its body, then grows a new body, complete with a new heart. Scientists in Japan recently discovered this bizarre behavior, but they don’t yet know why the slugs do it. Check it out:

Did you know? The ‘tentacles’ on a sea slug’s head are used to smell and taste the water around them. source

Want to know more? Find out more about the sea’s most beautiful creatures at National Geographic Kids.

Disappearing waterfall

Alison — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 13:44:01 +0000

The tallest waterfall in the South American country of Ecuador recently disappeared! The 500-foot-fall San Rafael Waterfall used to send thousands of gallons of water gushing over the rocky drop. But in early February, it seemed to dry up. Curiously, the river kept flowing downstream. That’s because a sinkhole opened up just a few feet behind the waterfall, allowing the water to cascade in a different location–one that can’t be seen from the usual viewing points.

photo by Ministry of Tourism Ecuador

Did you know? Sinkholes are created when water flows through certain kinds of rock, dissolving the rock and carrying it away. This creates an underground cavern. When the ceiling gives way, it creates a sinkhole. source

Want to know more? Learn about how scientists study caves to understand their secrets at Science News for Students.

Dancing peacock spiders

Alison — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 16:10:13 +0000

A 22-year-old researcher in Australia just discovered 12 new species of spider, seven of which are colorful peacock spiders. Not only are peacock spiders beautiful (their name reflects their colorfully patterned abdomens), but they are also exceptional dancers. Males wave their legs, wave their abdomens, and put on quite a show when there’s a female in the area.

Did you know? The brilliant blue on these spider’s hind ends is created by teeny-tiny nanostructures on the scale-like hairs located there. source

Want to know more? Find out how peacock spiders’ colors create an optical illusion at National Geographic.

I have a book in the Scholastic Book Fair!

Alison — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 19:38:42 +0000

Today, one of my dreams was realized: one of my books can be found on the shelves of the Scholastic Book Fair (both elementary and middle school fairs have it).

I help run the fair at my son’s school, and I have, for the past several years, dreamed that one day one of my books would be in the fair. And now it has. I’m so excited!

Look! There it is! WEIRD BUT TRUE SPORTS!

(Don’t have a book fair? No problem. You can get your copy here.)

Jellyfish cousin stuns scientists

Alison — Tue, 05 May 2015 12:00:22 +0000

Scientists discover unusual deep-sea siphonophore

photo by Nautilus Live

Scientists discovered this remarkable creature, called a siphonophore, while exploring the ocean floor with a submarine.

Although it looks a bit like a sawfish, it’s actually a relative of corals and jellies. Like its cnidarian cousins, the siphonophore sports a gelatinous body and stinging cells that it uses to take down prey, such as fish.

What sets siphonophores apart from their relatives is their structure. Rather than having a single body with different organs to do particular tasks, siphonophores are actually colonies of individuals. The specialized individuals work together to perform basic body functions–much like our organs do.

The fringe dangling along the side of the critter are its tentacles, equipped with stinging cells. Such tentacles are similar to (but much shorter than) those found on the Portuguese man-of-war. The best known siphonophore, the Portuguese man-of-war uses its sail to drift along the ocean surface, dragging its long tentacles through the water. Winds can blow them onto beaches, where people can receive nasty stings.

Did you know? Siphonophores are some of the longest animals in the world, measuring a whopping 40 meters (131 feet) in length. source

Want to know more?
Check out this exciting video of the creature’s first moments on film.