Happy Wednesday!
Hope you had an awesome Labor Day weekend!
📣 We’ve been listening to what features and resources you, our readers, requested most. Stay tuned this coming week for our official unveiling! 📣
Fun fact: Oregon was the first state to make Labor Day a real holiday back in 1887. It became a national holiday in 1894 thanks to President Cleveland!
Here’s what we’ve got this week:
TRIVIA
Cosmic shower? 🌌
How many tiny space particles zoom through your body every second?
Source: Live Science
ANIMAL FOCUS
Secretary birds 🐦⬛
Shoutout to Corey, who asked for secretary birds!
They can kill cobras with powerful kicks and stomps! They kick faster than you blink (less than 15 milliseconds!) and their kicks are strong enough to crush a snake’s skull. 🐍
They have big wings, but mostly walk. Their wings can stretch over 7 feet across, but they still choose to walk up to 20 miles a day looking for food! 👟
They have super eyelashes! Their long “eyelashes” are actually special, stiff feathers that protect their eyes from dust while they run through dry grasslands. 👁️
They are one of the tallest birds of prey in the world! Secretary birds can grow up to 5 feet tall! 📏
They are fast on ground and in the air! Secretary birds run up to 12 mph to chase down prey and fly up to 50 mph! They even jump while kicking to hit harder. 💨
Want more? 🎥 How they got their name and see them in action!
EVER WONDER?
Why are we ticklish? 🪶
Scientists aren’t totally sure, but here are a few ideas:
Self-defense 🛡️
Some of your most ticklish spots (like your armpits, neck, and feet) are places your body wants to protect. Being ticklish help us quickly squirm away from bug or animal bites.
Social bonding 😜
Tickling is a way families and friends play. Laughing and being silly together can build social bonds and help people feel closer.
Brain training 🧠
Some scientists think tickling might help kids learn quick reflexes.
Why can’t you tickle yourself? 👀
Tickling works because it’s surprising. You can’t tickle yourself because your brain already knows what your hands are doing.
Also, laughing doesn’t always mean someone likes it. Tickling activates parts of the brain that control touch and emotions, and laughter can happen automatically even if the person wants it to stop.
Are animals ticklish? 🦍
Some animals, like dogs, respond if you tickle their feet. However, for them, it feels more like an itch (called knismesis).
Fewer animals feel tickles the way humans do, which causes us to laugh and squirm (called gargalesis). Rats and gorillas respond by laughing, and even elephants tickle each other when playing!
PICKS OF THE WEEK
🐔 Chickens are 3x bigger than in 1950
☄️ The difference between comets, asteroids, meteroids, meteors, and meteorites:
BRAIN TRIVIA
Tetris: Can you arrange the shapes to make a 6 × 4 rectangle? (Hint: you might not use all the pieces.)
Ryuhei Suguri | Mangrove Photography Awards 2026
Thanks for reading! Stay curious!
- Steve
P.S. Want us to feature your science or animal question? Just hit reply!