Cannabis Improves Night Vision

For years now, researchers have noticed that people who regularly consume marijuana have a better night vision. Jamaican fishermen have long claimed that marijuana improves their vision, according to a letter published in the journal Nature by M E West in 1991. “I went with a crew on a dark night to a fishing cay 40 miles south of Kingston. The approaches to the ca are shallow with an abundance of coral reefs. Only a narrow entrance of deep water allows boat to get close for mooring,” write West. He waited for the boat to crash, only to be told that they had successfully docked. “I was then convinced that the men who had taken the rum-extract of cannabis had far better night vision than I had.” In a study published in the journal eLife, a group of researchers offer an answer. Lois Miraucourt and team decided to test the effect of cannabis on eye cells of tadpoles of the African clawed toad (the retinas of these frogs have cannabinoid receptors). The results showed that retinal ganglion cells, essential inner eye neurons, become more sensitive to light after being exposed to cannabis. The tadpoles themselves showed better ability to distinguish contrast after that exposure as well.

Love Feud: Penguins Fight Over 'Adulterous' Female

A video has cropped up showing the bloody results of a bitter love feud between penguins. Normally thought of as endearing little birds, penguins can actually fight fiercely if provoked. Unlike most birds, which have hollow bones in their wings, penguins’ bones are all solid. This allows their wings to be used as a ferocious weapon, in which an opponent can be slapped up to eight times a second. Penguins’ breaks – normally used to burrow into the ground – can also be used aggressively. In this video, the penguins use them for eye gouging. The clash, recorded by National Geographic, began as a penguin returned to his burrow to find his mate with another male penguin. A fight between the two males quickly ensues and they are seen slapping each other viciously and repeatedly. The aim for the male penguin is to drive off the intruder but he stands his ground and fights back. While the blubber on the penguins helps protect their vital organs, blood is drawn quickly. The fight appears to end in a stalemate, as the male penguins call for the female to choose between them. After she picks the intruding male over her original mate, her former lover continues the attack. He escalates, using his beak to attack the face and eyes of his opponent, resulting in a large amount of blood to pour from both birds. However, the female stands by her new mate, rejecting a final appeal from her partner.