Latest Posts by gatortavern - Page 7

I think what made the Mythbusters special was this: of course they would always ask, and test, “could the circumstances of the myth produce the described result?” but they ALSO always took the extra step to “under what circumstances, no matter how extreme, could the described result be achieved? ” and it was fucking spectacular every time

This is so cool! And it’s already great at giving me ideas for some stories! Thank you so much!

johnny’s gang-misfit

Happy holidays @gatortavern, this is your @pnatsecretsanta gift! I’m so sorry it’s late, I was battling with my laptop every step of the way, but it’s here now! Enjoy!

A relaxing timeframe

curled up in a nice little nook, listening to Seven Lions, alternating between a cool cup of water and a nice warm mug of Jasmine tea, writing a story. It is very calm. I should do this more often. I wish you calm as well.

this is a massive trove of knowledge! And hopefully more institutions will follow suit.

Welcome to the space age, ladies and gentlemen

SWEET BABIES

Baby gator feeding frenzy.

yooo albino alligators pulling the sleigh is rad as hell!

fun fact: albino alligators need special enclosures to ensure they do not get burned from the sun

others: “so, how ~southern~ are you?”

me: “The entrance of my hometown has a shrimp boat sitting in the main street. At Christmas theres a shrimper Santa and alligators pulling him instead of reindeer.”

others: “what?!”

me:

Last few posts (including this one) aren’t gator-related so they feel a little weird to reblog but hey I need a palate cleanser and maybe this will brings others joy too

when we try to befriend cats we mimic their meows and get down on the ground to their level and try to gently coax them to interact with us right

that horrifying entity mimicking human noises at us maybe just thinks we’re cool and wants to pet us?

Okay non-European tumblr, I’m gonna explain to you why ‘white’ isn’t as simple here as it is in the rest of the world

- Shades of white in Europe range from ‘freshly fallen snow’ to ‘I am frequently mistaken as being from the Middle East’

- White European is a thing. When you fill out a form, under ethnicity, there are several options for white; white British, white European, white other. Because people make that distinction

- There are Europeans who don’t class their ethnicity as their skin colour, but as their nationality. I have family who don’t think of themselves as white, they just think of themselves as Italian and don’t really give much thought to their skin colour

- People here in Britain always question if darker skinned white Europeans are ‘actually white’. I get it a lot myself. My response is always ‘well I’m not anything else, so obviously I must be’

- Despite being white, a lot of Europeans from Italy, Greece, Spain etc, don’t feel white in the traditional sense. We’re not white like white British people. We’re not white like white Americans. We’re our own white. White British is one thing. White Italian is another thing. White Greek is another, etc

- Which is why we have this notion here in Europe of ‘nationality over race’. Being white isn’t as important as where you’re from

- So this really only becomes an issue if you’re an immigrant

- So being white in Europe doesn’t save you from racial discrimination, because sure, you’re technically white, but you’re not white white. Not the right white

- Here in England, Europeans with really blatantly foreign names, such as myself, find it more difficult to get job interviews, because they take one look at our name and don’t bother reading the rest of the CV. A guy I know was actually told by his boss to reduce the pile of CVs he had by ‘chucking away any with a name you can’t fucking pronounce’

- And then even when you do get an interview, half the time you walk into the joint several shades darker than everyone else and feel like you’ve walked into the ‘Swedish supermodel’ clubhouse and you just know you’re not getting hired

This is all basic stuff and it’s very much taken for granted here. Race and ethnicity are not as clear cut, so it can be very confusing for non-Europeans to wrap their heads around. Which is fine. But I implore you to stay in your lane, because when you say things like ‘no white person anywhere in the world ever knows what it’s like to face racial discrimination’, it’s really fucking offensive to all of the European immigrants who are denied jobs, harassed by the police and beaten by racists, because foreign is foreign to these people, and they don’t give a shit if you’re technically white. So when you mean white American, say white American. 

Yooo this is so neat

Fossils of Large-Bodied Crocodile Found in Australia

http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/paludirex-vincenti-09178.html

soft scaly water child

huggable boy!..

Young American Alligators Can Regrow Their Tails, Study Shows

http://www.sci-news.com/biology/young-american-alligators-can-regrow-their-tails-09084.html

I can’t tell which idea is funnier: 1. that they actually got pictures of them and Jeff way back when as part of a trick, and he didn’t think much of it until now, or 2. Someone in the group is really, really good at photoshop

unanswered paranatural lore:

where did they get the scrapbook. how. theres a photo of jeff and johnny on the back. when did they take that. did they make this ahead of time for this exact situation. i need answers

fuck Supernatural, stan Paranatural

reblogging for links

If you're celebrating Biden's win, consider celebrating by donating to a bail fund, planned parenthood, or the Navajo Water project.

Your action to help the marginalized shouldnt end at presidential candidates and voting.

oh heyyy! It’s back baby!

Well, hello dearest Paranatural fandom! 

The Paranatural Secret Santa 2020 is finally open for applications!

A time for joy, the secret santa has run since 2015 (on two separate blogs), and this holiday season it comes with a new, fancy look. Sleeker, shinier, sexier, i-can’t-think-of-another-adjective—-!

I hope to welcome back some old participants again, it’s always a pleasure to work with y’all but for the uninitiated:  

What’s a secret santa?

A secret santa is a gift exchanging event where you’re assigned a person to make a gift for, and another assigned to make a gift for you. Art, fic, edits, videos, playlists, we’ve had some music composition, anything you can make goes!

Here’s our schedule:

November 1st - November 22nd: Applications are open

November 23rd - November 25th: Applications close, Secret Santas are assigned.

November 26th - December 24th: Make Your Gifts!!

December 25th - January 1st: Posting span.

Still having some doubts? You’re unsure of some things? Check out the FAQ for all of the common questions. Don’t see your particular question? The askbox is always open, I’ll answer as quickly as possible.

Lastly, if these ramblings have convinced to you participate, you can join by filling out this form or submitting the template to the blog.

I’ve gone on for long enough, so, have a nice day and stay safe!

CompoundChem always puts out really fun infographics. Here’s one about blood

It’s #Halloween tomorrow! Why is blood red and why does it have a metallic smell? This graphic explains! https://ift.tt/31XdIKJ https://ift.tt/3jK2ak4

If you can’t reblog this, unfollow me now.

I'M DOING AN EXPERIMENT

To prove something to a friend, please

REBLOG IF YOU THINK ASEXUALS BELONG IN LGBTQ+ SPACES

LIKE IF YOU THINK ASEXUALS DON’T BELONG IN LGBTQ+ SPACES

How the brain’s immune system could be harnessed to improve memory

When it comes to memory, immune cells are known as the “bad cops” of the brain. But new research shows they could also be turned into “good cops” to power memory and learning.

Inflammation can send the brain’s immune cells into damaging hyperdrive, and this has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases that affect memory, like dementia.

In the new study, researchers at RMIT found that these same immune cells – known as microglia – can also be activated to have the reverse effect.

When the microglia were altered in rats, their performance in simple memory tasks improved by up to 50%, rather than deteriorating.

While the effect was temporary, the discovery suggests these cells could be targeted in the development of new therapies designed to enhance memory formation, with the hope of preventing cognitive decline as people grow older.

Worldwide, around 50 million people have dementia, with nearly 10 million new cases each year. In Australia, dementia and ageing-related cognitive decline affect 9% of people aged over 65.

Chief Investigator and senior author, Associate Professor Sarah Spencer, said the unexpected results of the study expanded our understanding of memory formation and the role of neuroinflammation in memory loss.

“Cognitive decline is a big problem for our ageing population, and we currently have very few treatments to treat or prevent it,” Spencer said.

“Even in healthy adults, optimising how well we learn and remember can give us a substantial performance edge at work and socially.

“Our study has for the first time shown a link between changes in the immune cells of healthy brains and improved cognitive function.

“While it’s early days and a lot more research is needed, we hope our findings may lead to new therapies that can stimulate these immune cells to boost memory and keep our brains powering as we age.”

(Image caption: A magnified image showing the regenerated microglia. They have a similar shape to the “activated” shape that the brain’s immune cells have when dealing with inflammation. Credit: Alita Soch)

Activating memory with activated microglia

In the study, published in Journal of Neuroinflammation, the researchers worked with a unique type of rat to test the effect of microglia on cognitive function.

The study looked at how the rats performed memory tasks when the immune cells were present and compared this with their performance when almost all the microglia were knocked out.

They found that removing almost all the microglia made no difference in memory tasks.

But when the microglia regenerated, this led to astounding results: researchers ran the same memory tests on the rats and they performed 25-50% better than normal rats.

Importantly, the regenerated microglia were a different shape - similar to the “activated” shape that these cells have when dealing with inflammation.

“We are still exploring what makes these cells different when they repopulate the brain, but their shape tells us they may be more active than usual, potentially making the neurons more effective to encourage better memory,” Spencer, an NHMRC Career Development Fellow at RMIT, said.

“The effect doesn’t last. As the microglia go back to their usual shape, memory performance also goes back to normal.

“The next stage in the research is closely investigating these regenerated microglia to better understand the mechanisms at work, with the aim of finding ways to turn the temporary memory boost into a long-lasting effect.”

Microglia-suppressing therapies are currently being tested in clinical trials in the US, as potential treatments for Multiple Sclerosis.

“With our new understanding of the role of microglia in memory, it may be possible in future to test the therapies originally designed for MS and assess their potential in improving cognitive function as well,” Spencer said.

Contact Your Representative and Tell Them To Fight Against Trump’s Camps

Additionally, if you can see if you can donate money to these organizations

Lawyersforgoodgoverment.com

fairfightbondfund.org

lgbtqfund.org

communitybondproject.org

immigrantfamilies.org

freedomforimmigrants.org

this is fantastic now children in Puerto Rico wont be able to receive the education they deserve thanks to their messed up government

Huh, this looks interesting enough. If anyone wants to ask me one of these, go ahead. It’ll most likely be Paranatural-related, as a heads-up.

20 Fandom Asks Memes

if you could hit any character without repercussions, who would it be?

what fandoms were apart of that you aren’t any longer?

characters you would marry in an instant?

are you likely to blush when a sex scene comes up or can you read/watch it with a straight face?

what is your favorite overused trope?

do you read fanfiction? If so, do you have any favorite authors or fics?

name a character you wouldn’t mind naming someone after.

do you prefer happy, bittersweet, or sad endings?

do you like prequels?

characters that deserved worse? >:]

do you mind sex scenes or do you skip over them?

if you could change one ending to a book/show/game/etc, what would you change about it?

do you mind sequels that are completely different with a new plot and new characters or do you prefer they stay with the same story and characters?

name a fandom, ship, or character that you love that others would send you hate mail for liking.

does it bother you if a character shares the same name of someone you know well?

do you block people who like fandoms/characters/ships that you dont?

are there any tropes you wished were used less often?

characters you want to wrap in a blanket and tell them they’re going to be okay?

if you could be a part of any story, which story would you want to tag along in?

name a song that reminds you heavily of a specific fandom or character.

Bonus+ Create your own question.

i might elaborate later but fanfic replies literally develop writer’s metacognition and make them better writers

Neat!

Crocodile or alligator? Neither! It’s the Yacaré caiman (Caiman yacare), a close relative of the alligator. This South American species can be found in wetland habitats in parts of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay where it feeds on fishes, including the fearsome piranha. However intimidating that may be, this up to 10-foot (3-meter)-long animal is still not at the top of the food chain. Powerful predators like jaguars and large snakes prey on the Yacaré caiman. Photo: Bernard DUPONT, CC BY-SA 2.0, flickr https://www.instagram.com/p/CGjL5FgARF9/?igshid=1ccrpr7grzr0v

Neat!

Horror Movies Manipulate Brain Activity Expertly to Enhance Excitement

Finnish research team maps neural activity in response to watching horror movies. A study conducted by the University of Turku shows the top horror movies of the past 100 years, and how they manipulate brain activity. The findings were published in the journal Neuroimage.

Humans are fascinated by what scares us, be it sky-diving, roller-coasters, or true-crime documentaries – provided these threats are kept at a safe distance. Horror movies are no different.

Whilst all movies have our heroes face some kind of threat to their safety or happiness, horror movies up the ante by having some kind of superhuman or supernatural threat that cannot be reasoned with or fought easily.

The research team at the University of Turku, Finland, studied why we are drawn to such things as entertainment? The researchers first established the 100 best and scariest horror movies of the past century (Table 1), and how they made people feel.

Unseen Threats Are Most Scary

Firstly, 72% of people report watching at last one horror movie every 6 months, and the reasons for doing so, besides the feelings of fear and anxiety, was primarily that of excitement. Watching horror movies was also an excuse to socialise, with many people preferring to watch horror movies with others than on their own.

People found horror that was psychological in nature and based on real events the scariest, and were far more scared by things that were unseen or implied rather than what they could actually see.

Table 1. Top ten scariest movies of the past century.

– This latter distinction reflects two types of fear that people experience. The creeping foreboding dread that occurs when one feels that something isn’t quite right, and the instinctive response we have to the sudden appearance of a monster that make us jump out of our skin, says principal investigator, Professor Lauri Nummenmaa from Turku PET Centre.

MRI Reveals How Brain Reacts to Different Forms of Fear

Researchers wanted to know how the brain copes with fear in response to this complicated and ever changing environment. The group had people watch a horror movie whilst measuring neural activity in a magnetic resonance imaging scanner.

During those times when anxiety is slowly increasing, regions of the brain involved in visual and auditory perception become more active, as the need to attend for cues of threat in the environment become more important. After a sudden shock, brain activity is more evident in regions involved in emotion processing, threat evaluation, and decision making, enabling a rapid response.

(Image caption: Brain regions active during periods of impending dread (top row) and in response to sudden jump-scares (bottom))

However, these regions are in continuous talk-back with sensory regions throughout the movie, as if the sensory regions were preparing response networks as a scary event was becoming increasingly likely.

– Therefore, our brains are continuously anticipating and preparing us for action in response to threat, and horror movies exploit this expertly to enhance our excitement, explains Researcher Matthew Hudson.

WHOA THIS IS SO COOL

Small Cretaceous Crocodile May Have Preyed on Baby Titanosaurs

http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/ogresuchus-furatus-08918.html

Spectober 2020: Day 13

Get ready for Spectober Day 13!

Art Prompt: Graveyard

Writing Prompt: A graveyard seems like the perfect place to search for spirits, but will Stephen get more than he bargained for?

Don’t forget to tag your submissions with #spectober2020 ! Away you go!

Yep. Playing Idea Tennis with them is fun and I am grateful that they’re here in my life.

Reblog if you've found friendship because of your fandoms.

(X)

Cool art m8

Little lazy, but here’s day 3 of Spectober: squash spirits, wish Dimitri being forced to fight pumpkins