Insect Vision

Insect vision unlike human vision uses multifaceted lens in a structure referred to as compound eyes.  These compound eyes are composed of smaller units called ommatidia.  Each ommatidium is composed a retinal cell, a crystalline cone, up to eight rhabdomeres and a sensory neuron.  Light collected by the ommatidia are then used to generate a mosaic image in the insect brain. Many insects also have smaller light sensing structures called ocelli.  Ocelli are often found in larval forms of holometabolous insects and are primitive eyes used primarily for sensing changes in light as they lack .

Many insects can see color as well as perceive wavelengths of light imperceptible to the human eye.  For example, honey bees (A. mellifera ) can detect ultraviolet light.  The additional wavelengths often can provide "nectar trails" that are invisible to the human eye (Stanley, 2014).  A comparison of floral colors between humans and honey bees can be found here.   Also, if you've ever wanted to experience vision through the eyes of a bee (because who hasn't, right?) visit this site.

Works Cited:

Stanley, C.  2012.  Honey bee navigation.  Utah PESTS News Vol. IV, Winter 2012.

Why are Puppies so darn cute?

Baby animals are adorable including those of the human variety.  If you don't believe me just take a look on YouTube at the huge number of videos of babies doing cute things like laughing or puppies rolling on the ground.  Why do we find these simple acts so "precious" in babies but not in adults?  Believe it or not there is an evolutionary link between cuteness and human babies.  Famous evolutionary biologist, Stephen Jay Gould wrote a rather popular essay detailing the evolution of the Disney character, Mickey Mouse, from a pointy nosed rat to the the lovable round headed mouse most of us associated with the character.  The essay, readily found online explains that many of the baby critters we find so precious have enlarged heads and eyes much like human babies, are relatively uncoordinated, and have large deposits of fat.  If these characters sound familiar, they should as they could describe a human baby as well as an adorable panda cub.  Humans are hardwired to care for children to further the species.  It just so happens that being cute helps promote care of children until they no longer need parental care.  This love of tubby little big headed critters spills over into our selection for pets and what we choose to eat or not eat.  Go give your puppy a hug.

Works cited:

Stephen Jay Gould. "A Biological Homage to Mickey Mouse." Ecotone 4.1 (2008): 333-340.

If a Problem Comes Along You Must Google It!

The phrase, "Just Google It", is as common place as internet access through out the United States.  The vast, tangled web, of information provided on the web as been both a blessing and a curse for those seeking knowledge on the internet.  Recent research has found that information "googled" is less likely to be remembered than other traditional forms of learning (Krieger, 2011).  Is this necessarily a bad thing? And our we as the human race becoming sequentially dumber as more and more information becomes available online?  I suppose it depends on how someone views information previously stored in memory being allocated to the "cloud".  Wegner & Ward (2013) through experimentation found that individuals rely on the internet to play the role of an "all knowing" friend.  This "friend" can then help answer hard to remember facts or information that previously may have been committed to memory. Wegner & Ward (2013) also found that individuals allowed to use Google to find answers felt smarter than those who were not able to search answers from the internet.  This false cognitive self esteem made individuals feel smarter despite the fact they knew less information and relied on Google as a memory source.  Google is so pervasive I even have to capitalize it......

Works Cited:
Krieger,L.M.  Google is changing your brain, study says, and don't you forget it. (n.d.). Retrieved September 3, 2014, retrieved from http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_18478827

Wegner, D., & Ward, D. (n.d.). The Internet Has Become the External Hard Drive for Our Memories. Retrieved September 3, 2014, retrieved from  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-internet-has-become-the-external-hard-drive-for-our-memories/?page=3