Russian News Agency, Novosti has reported that baby cockroaches that have been conceived in space on board the Russian Foton-M biosatellite have developed faster and become quicker, stronger, and tougher than their counterparts on Earth. The research scientists who have been monitoring them since their birth have also observed that their bodies and limbs grow faster than their terrestrial counterparts.(source)
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17 The Tarantula Hawk wasp’s sting is so unbearable that people are advised to ‘lie down and start screaming’ to prevent further injury if they have been stung by it.
There has been a recommendation in a peer reviewed journal that if at all you get stung by a Tarantula Hawk which can be best described as a bullet ant, you do nothing but lie down on the floor and scream. The reason behind this is that the sting of this insect is extremely intense and also unbearable. If one moves around after being stung, there is a chance of the sufferer, further injuring himself.
Tarantula Hawks are mostly found in Southwestern US.(source)
18 A British forest guard in India made an alarming discovery in the year 1942. He found out that at the bottom of a small valley, around 16,000 feet above sea level, was a frozen lake, which was full of skeletons.
This discovery was possible only because that Summer, the ice had melted in the Lake of Roopkund and the skeletal remains were floating in water and lying on the edges in an haphazard manner.
Many assumptions were made to get to the crux of whose remains it were. It was a general assumption that the skeletons must have been of a fleet of soldiers. However, after numerous theories, it was revealed that the remains were of bodies that dated back to 850 AD. Evidence has indicated the fact that there were two distinct groups of people who were travelling together when they got hit by “hard as iron” cricket ball-sized (about 23 centimeter/9 inches diameter) hailstones that came by the thousands, resulting in the travelers’ sudden death as they had no place to take shelter. The hailstorm was the reason why the heads of the skeletons were cracked.
The first of the two distinct groups was identified as a family or tribe of closely related individuals, and the second one was a smaller, shorter group of locals, who must have been hired as porters and guides. Rings, spears, leather shoes, and bamboo staves were found, leading experts to believe that the group comprised of pilgrims who were crossing by the valley by taking the help of locals. It was also estimated that the remains of these people laid there for 1200 years before being discovered.(source)
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19 Draculin is a protein which is found in the vampire bats’ saliva. This protein prevents the prey’s blood from clotting while the bat is drinking it.
The protein present in the saliva of the vampire bats is composed of 411 amino acids. This glycoprotein is named as Draculin. It is being explored in medicine and is believed to be useful for the treatment of strokes and heart attacks. It may also be used as a blood thinner for the prevention of heart attacks. The protein has shown positive results in treatment of Ischemic strokes, which account for majority of strokes. It is effective for up to 9 hours. However, more research is needed before draculin can become a practical, widely available drug.(source)
20 There is a disease nicknamed Ondine’s Curse which causes sufferers to die if they fall asleep.
In a mythical story, a heartbroken water nymph curses her unfaithful husband to stop breathing should he ever fall asleep again. Ondine’s Curse is named after this mythical event and in medical terms, represents an extreme form of sleep apnea. It is also known as Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome or CCHS. It is a severe and rare form of sleep apnea.
The treatment of this condition involves the use of a ventilator connected to the front of the throat through a tracheostomy tube whenever the affected individual goes to sleep or even when he takes a nap. If this preventive measure is not taken, then the affected individual’s may die anytime in sleep.(source)
