Category Archives: Weird

A Corpse Flower Blooms in Tucson

Photo courtesy Tucson Botanical Garden.

One of the world’s rarest, largest and foulest flowers will bloom Thursday night at the Tucson Botanical Gardens.

Amorphophallus titanum, better known as the corpse flower for its signature rotting-carcass odor, can take 7-10 years or longer to bloom.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Tucson Garden Offers Rare Chance To See Corpse Flower Bloom

Arizona Fireball Captures Regional Attention

Phoenix CityCam caught the flash of light around 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 14, 2017. Image courtesy Phoenix.gov/CityCam.

Arizonans were treated to an unusual spectacle Tuesday night as a fireball flashed across the sky around 8:30 p.m.

The American Meteor Society received reports from six states describing the object, which flashed brighter than the full moon before quickly fizzling out.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Arizona Fireball Visible Across 6 States

Bark Scorpion Arose from Rare Genetic Event

Arizona bark scorpion glowing under ultraviolet light. Photo by Bryce Alexander.

More than 450 million years ago, the entire genetic instruction book of spiders’ and scorpions’ common ancestor doubled, according to a genomic comparison of the common house spider and the Arizona bark scorpion.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
Rare Whole Genome Duplication Gave Rise To Arizona Bark Scorpion

Pentagon Researches Ways to Boost Learning in Soldiers

Eight U.S. Department of Defense brain studies, one at Arizona State University, are investigating ways to help soldiers learn more efficiently.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) hopes not just to make better sharpshooters, but also to shorten training periods for translators, analysts and cryptographers — and, perhaps, to improve outcomes for soldiers with brain injury and memory loss.

Read/listen to my full story at KJZZ’s Arizona Science Desk:
U.S. Department Of Defense Brain Study Seeks To Boost Learning In Soldiers