FISH BONES
Q. WHY DO FISH HAVE SO MANY TINY BONES?
A. SOME PEOPLE DISLIKE EATING FISH BECAUSE THESE NUMEROUS TINY BONES, MANY OF WHICH SEEM JUST STUCK INTO THE FLESH INSTEAD OF BEING FIRMLY JOINTED TO EACH OTHER AS IN OUR OWN, MORE SIMPLE SKELETON. SINCE FISH ARE BUOYANT IN THE WATER, THEIR SKELETON NEED NOT BE DESIGNED FOR STUCTURAL STRENGTH. ON THE OTHER HAND, LAND ANIMALS NEED FEWER BUT LARGER BONES, FIRMLY JOINTED TO ONE ANOTHER.
FOR THE RECORD. A HUMAN BABY IS BORN WITH 350 SEPARATE BONES, 144 OF WHICH EVENTUALLY FUSE TOGETHER TO GIVE THE USUAL ADULT NUMBER OF206 BONES. THAT NUMBER ISN’T ACCURATE FOR EVERYONE.SOME PEOPLE HAVE AN EXTRA VERTEBRA (ANY OF THE BONES THAT MAKE UP THE SPINAL COLUMN, OR BACK BONE) OR AN EXTRA RIB.
PAST FORWARD. THIS DAY IN 1914: NEW YORK SOCIALITE MARY PHELPS JACOBS PATENTED THE FIRST MODERN DRASSIERE. IN CONTRAST TO THE ALL-EMBRACING UNDERGARMENTS OF THE ERA, THE INVENTION COVERED AND SUPPORTED ONLY THE BREASTS. THE YEAR BEFORE, SHE PURCHASED AN EXPENSIVE SHEER EVENING GOWN FOR A SOCIAL AFFAIR. THE GROWN CLEARLY REVEALED THE CONTOUR OF HER CORSET, SO MRS. JACOBS DEVISED A BRIEF, BACKLESS BRA FROM TWO WHITE HANDKERCHIEFS, A STRAND OF RIBBON, AND CORD. FEMALE FRIENDS WHO ADMIRED THE LIGHTWEIGHT IMPROMPTU FASHION RECEIVED ONE AS A GIFT. BUT A LETTER FROM A STRANGER, CONTAINING A LETTER AND A REQUEST FOR ‘YOUR CONTRAPTION,’ PROMPTED MRS. JACOBS TO SUBMIT SKETCHES OF HER DESIGN TO THE US PATENT OFFICE.
WORD WATCH
KAMISON: FROM THE SPANISH CAMISON, ‘NIGHTGOWN; CHEMISE.’
BREATH & BLOOD
Q. HOW EXACTLY CAN A MOSQUITO FIND YOU IN THE DARK NIGHT?
A. BY YOUR BREATH. MOSQUITOES HAVE CARBON DIOXIDE SENSORS WITH WHICH THEY MEASURE THE CONCENTRATION OF CO2 IN THE AIR. THEY LOCATE A BREATHER BY FOLLOWING THE CONCENTRATION GRADIENT TO WHERE THE GAS IS MOST ABUNDANT. ONCE THESE FLIERS ARE CLOSE, THEY USE HEAT SENSORS TO ZERO IN ON SKIN THAT IS THIN AND WELL-SUPPLIED WITH CAPILLARIES (TINY BLOOD VESSELS CONNECTING THE ARTERIES WITH THE VEINS). THE TUBE WITH WHICH THEY PIERCE IS SO NARROW THAT THEY MAY NOT HIT A CAPILLARY ON FIRST TRY, AND SO MAY BE SEEN TO PUTTER AROUND A BIT BEFORE ACTUALLY GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS. IT TAKES SEVERAL MINUTES FOR THEM TO FILL UP. SO THAT BLOOD DOESN’T SOLIDIFY THEY ARE FINISHED, THEY DROOL A BIT OF ANTI-COAGULANT INTO THE HOLE.
FOR THE RECORD. USUALLY THE AMOUNT OF BLOOD OUTWARD-BOUND THROUGH ARTERIES IS THE SAME AMOUNT AS THE AMOUNT OF BLOOD RETURNING THROUGH VEINS. BUT MALE’S PENIS OR A FEMALE’S VULVA – CONTAIN ERECTILE TISSUE THAT CAN SWELL OR HARDEN BECAUSE MORE BLOOD IS COMING IN THAN GOING OUT.
PAST FORWARD. THIS DAY IN 1940: THE WILLYS-OVERLAND COMPANY LAUNCHED A NEW GENERAL-PURPOSE, VEHICLE FOR THE US ARMY, LATER NICKNAME ‘JEEP.’ THE EPITHET OF THIS USEFUL FOUR-WEEL DRIVE CONTRACTION WAS INFLUENCE BOTH BY THE INITIALS G.P.(GENERAL PURPOSE,’ THE OFFICIAL ARMY DESIGNATION FOR THE VEHICLE) AND EUGUNE THE JEEP, A BOUNCY CREATURE IN E.C. SEGAR’S CARTOON STRIP ‘POPEYE.”
WORD WATCH
VAN (VAN): A SHORTENING OF CARAVAN.
