First Shark Killed in Australia Cull

The first shark caught under a controversial new Australian culling policy aimed at reducing fatal attacks was shot dead Sunday.



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Kickstarter: 3D Tabletop Miniatures

Customizable 3D Printed Tabletop Miniatures by Hero Forge

This Kickstarter run by three dudes and four ladies is looking to start a company that produces incredibly detailed, versatile custom 3D printed gaming miniatures for your tabletop characters. If you have ever spent hours combing through a bin of Reaper Minis trying to find a statue that even remotely resembles your Player Character, then you'll definitely appreciate this project.

"Hero Forge is a service that lets you design custom tabletop minis, have them 3D printed, and delivered right to your doorstep. By using a sophisticated parts system and web UI, we're bringing the flexibility, ease, and control of a robust video game character creator to the tabletop.







Choose your race, your gender, your build, and your facial expression. Select and swap individual armor pieces, weapons, adventuring equipment, hairstyles, and faces. Choose your pose and watch all of the dynamically rigged parts and attributes conform to fit your selection. Choose the scale of your mini, and even the material it's printed in. We're bringing a high-tech update to a classic analog hobby and giving you the opportunity to breathe your vision and creativity into your miniature."

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1 in 3 people sneeze when exposed to bright light. But why? People have wondered since the 3rd century BC!

1 in 3 people sneeze when exposed to bright light. But why? People have wondered since the 3rd century BC!

Sneezing due to exposure to bright light, like sunlight, is known as the photic sneeze reflex. About one out of three people are born with this genetic quirk which scientists are still unable to fully explain.

Mostly it is unexplained because there has not been that much research done about it yet. There have been attempts at explaining it, and even Aristotle wondered and wrote about it in his ‘Book of Problems’ in the 3rd century BC. He proposed that the heat of the sun was probably responsible.

A very simple demonstration by Francis Baker, some 2000 years later, proved Aristotle wrong. He stepped into the sun with his eyes closed and did not sneeze, despite the presence of the heat. He then surmised that the light makes the eyes water, which in turn irritated the nose, resulting in a sneeze.

Neurological experts now agree, however, that the phenomenon is a result of crossed wires in the brain. When we are suddenly exposed to bright light, the optical nerve typically sends a signal to the brain to constrict the pupils. In people with a photic sneeze reflex, some of that signal is picked up by the trigeminal nerve. That is the nerve that is triggered by an irritation in the nose. Due to this mixed message received by the brain, it registers the signal as an irritation in the nose, resulting in a uncalled-for sneeze.

Although the gene responsible for this ‘sun sneezing’ has not been identified yet, a publication in 1978 was more concerned about renaming the photic sneeze reflex. They suggested Autosomal-dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst syndrome: ACHOO.

Well, bless you!

(Source)

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Today's Daily Brain Teaser (Jan 26, 2014)

Horobod



A man working for a secret organisation goes into town but does not want to be discovered. So he makes up another name. That name was Horobod. Can you decipher his real name?





Check Braingle.com for the answer.

Today's Daily Trivia Quiz (Jan 26, 2014)

The Golden Girls

Test your knowledge on "The Golden Girls"!



Take the Quiz at Braingle.com

Vocabulary : Word of the Day : Froward

fro-ward



adj :: Not willing to yield or comply. Stubborn.



"The froward child would never do his chores or homework."

This species of moth feeds on elephant tears. Some moths even feed on human tears!

This species of moth feeds on elephant tears. Some moths even feed on human tears!

Mabra Elephantophila is a species of moth that astonished entomologists when it was discovered. Why? Because this moth feeds on elephant tears!

It is now believed that these moths find elephant tears quite a nutritious meal, because the animal’s tears are not only made up of water and salt, but also contain trace levels of protein. Because it is so tiny, this shy and delicate little moth can drink it's fill from the eye of the elephant without the large animal even noticing.

Some other moths feed on tears as well. They all keep away from the tears of carnivores and prefer the tears of large hoofed animals. Some occasionally even drink the tears of humans. Each species has a unique way of getting to their favourite snack.

Some moths insert their proboscis under the eyelid of a sleeping host and then suck up the liquid. Others use the same tubular feeding structure to irritate the eye into producing tears, after which they can drink it up.

But the most unfortunate moth species, the Poncetia, has such a short proboscis that it has to drink while clinging to the eyeball itself—proving that size does matter. For this little under-endowed creature, timing is of the essence because its life could literally be ended in the blink of an eye.

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