Nature

Mesmerizing Color-Changing Squid

Gianni Sarcone

Squids are basically the chameleons of the sea, and their secret weapon? Chromatophores—tiny skin cells that let them pull off some mind-blowing color changes. Whether it’s blending into a coral reef or throwing out some serious “back off” vibes, these little guys do it all. Right now, though, this squid seems to be saying: “Hey genius, put me back in the water before you turn me into calamari!”

Chromatophores of the Squid: How Do They Work?
Chromatophores are pigment-containing cells found in the skin of squids and other cephalopods. These cells expand and contract to display different colors, allowing the squid to blend into its surroundings, communicate with others, or signal threats. They play a vital role in the squid’s survival.

Suggestive Minimalism

Gianni Sarcone

Draw me a human with just two short, symmetrical curved lines…

In 2012, Lebanese artist Huguette Caland took part in the group show Le corps découvert at the ‘Institut du Monde Arabe’ in Paris. One of her works, Self Portrait (1973)—a petal-pink field humorously cracked by a darker pink, revealing an up-close rear view of a classical nude—was featured on the catalog cover. She also presented whimsical, playful line drawings of breasts, lashes, eyes, lips, noses—noses?—as though lifted from a secret, sensual notebook of an untroubled Shel Silverstein. A sign in the hall restricted entry to those over eighteen… Who knows why, for such innocent visual plays?

The Enigmatic Color of the Sun

Gianni Sarcone

Is yellow the true color of the sun? Our sun emits a broad spectrum of radiation, including visible light, which is crucial for life on Earth. In the vacuum of space, the sun appears white because it emits light across all wavelengths fairly evenly. However, when this light enters our atmosphere, it encounters air molecules and particles that scatter shorter wavelengths—primarily blue light—more effectively than longer wavelengths like red and yellow.

color of the sun

Simultaneous Color Contrast Explained…

Consider a small, clear disc placed against a blue background. The disc may appear slightly yellow due to the influence of the blue light surrounding it. This visual effect is similar to how we perceive the sun against the blue sky.In essence, while the sun itself emits white light, our atmosphere alters its appearance, leading us to see it as yellowish or orangish at times.

Additionally, not all species perceive colors in the same way. Different animals have varying sensitivities to wavelengths of light. This means their experience of color and light can be quite different from ours.

For more fun facts about color perception and optical illusions, visit Archimedes Lab.

Swedish Chiaro-Scuro

Gianni Sarcone

“Bathers”, incredible etchings by Swedish artist Anders Zorn (1860-1920). Zorn pursued light as the guiding principle of his art. The expression of light on the human form and his beloved homeland was the foundation of his work, and drove him with an intensity visible in the details from his multiple etchings.
Magnifiques eau-fortes (dessins au trait) par l’artiste suédois Anders Zorn.

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Man Can Never Be Clean

Gianni Sarcone
microbes

The human body plays host to trillions of microorganisms. So many, in fact, that they outnumber our cells 10 to 1! Fortunately many of these microbes are vital to human health.

Using a cell-culture dish filled with a nutrient broth commonly used in labs, Tasha Sturm, a microbiology tech at Cabrillo College in California, gently stamped her 8-year-old’s hand on the plate. She then incubated the petri dish at body temperature and 2 days later, the bacteria and yeast that were transferred to the dish had built a blooming colony (see featured photo above). Continue Reading →

The Plant That Is Able To Count Almost To Five

Gianni Sarcone

We already knew birds can count, but what about plants? Is this idea so surrealist? No, it isn’t because research says the carnivorous plant with a suggestive name, Venus Flytrap (also referred to ‘Dionaea muscipula’), snaps its jaws shut only when the tiny hairs on the surface of the trapping structure formed by two lobes have been stimulated twice within a 20-second window. An additional stimulation primes the trap for digestion. Five stimulations trigger the production of digestive enzymes – and more additional hairs’ stimulations mean more enzymes.

Venus flytrap

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