Happy Wednesday!
Need a pick-me-up? Check out this new live otter cam!
Here’s what we’ve got this week:
TRIVIA
Most dangerous jobs? ⚠️
What is the most dangerous job in America?
(Explanation at the end!)
ANIMAL FOCUS
Poison dart frogs 🐸
Poison dart frogs are famous for being used in Central and South America to make very effective (and dangerous!) blow darts. Here are some facts you might not know:
They’re some of the most poisonous animals on Earth! One golden poison frog has enough poison to kill 10-20 people! ☠️
Their poison comes from their food. In the wild, they eat special ants, termites, and mites that give them their poison. In captivity, they eat different food and can become completely harmless. 🐜
They’re amazing climbers! They have special toe pads that act like tiny suction cups. This helps them climb smooth surfaces with ease. 🧗♂️
They’re great parents! Parents carry tadpoles on their backs to water and even provide food and ongoing care. 👪
They don’t croak like other frogs. Instead, they trill, buzz, or chirp. Each species has its own unique sound. 🎵
EVER WONDER?
Your brain during surgery 🧠
Anesthesia doesn’t just “put you to sleep.” It puts your brain into a very deep sleep, almost like a coma.
General anesthesia uses a mix of medicines to help your body during surgery. Some medicines help you fall asleep (hypnotics), some stop pain (opioids), some keep your body still (muscle relaxants), and others help your body stay safe, like keeping your heart beating normally.
Here’s what happens:
You’re not aware. The medicines stop parts of your brain from sending messages to each other, so you don’t notice what’s happening around you.
You’re fully unconscious. Your brain slows down much more than during normal sleep, so you don’t feel time passing.
You don’t make memories. The hippocampus (your memory center) is turned down, so you won’t remember the surgery.
You feel no pain. Some medicines quiet your brain, and others block nerves near where the surgery is. Together, they stop you from feeling pain.
When the medicines wear off, your brain wakes back up!
PICKS OF THE WEEK
🏛️ What’s hiding under Roman ruins
🌋 An underwater volcano eruption caught on video:
BRAIN TRIVIA
Logic Puzzle: Three kids (Alex, Billy, and Casey) were in the kitchen when a cookie went missing.
Alex says: “I didn’t take the cookie.”
Billy says: “Casey took the cookie.”
Casey says: “Billy is lying.”
Only one is telling the truth. Who took the cookie? 🍪
Theo Guillaume | The Nature Photography Contest 2025
Thanks for reading! See you next week!
- Steve
P.S. Alaskan crab fishing is the most dangerous, with historical rates of 300 deaths per 100,000 workers (thankfully this has decreased due to safety reforms). Logging is next with about 100 deaths per 100,000 workers.
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