Slim Goodbody was something I used to watch on tv as a kid in the 1970s, but I hadn’t quite remembered the dated mix of strange and wonderful that makes the bodysuit so iconic… until we watched this clip.

jtotheizzoe:

The Digestion Song

If you’re looking for the definitive video explaining the science of the digestive system, here it is. 

We do have another digestive system video in our archives, but it’s true: it does not dance and sing.

Shaggy Lawn Mowers - Paris Tries an Eco-Friendly Way of Maintaining Park Lawns… the New York Times reports on a sustainable idea:

Mayor Bertrand Delanoë has made the environment a priority since his election in 2001, with popular bike- and car-sharing programs, an expanded network of designated lanes for bicycles and buses, and an enormous project to pedestrianize the banks along much of the Seine.

The sheep, which are to mow (and, not inconsequentially, fertilize) an airy half-acre patch in the 19th Arrondissement are intended in the same spirit. City Hall refers to the project as “eco-grazing,” and it notes that the four ewes will prevent the use of noisy, gas-guzzling mowers and cut down on the use of herbicides.

via Grist.

We had never heard of a pangolin until we watched this Brain Scoop video by Emily and the team at the Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum at The University of Montana. A quick search turned up this fascinating video by NatGeo Wild, which shows how this prehistoric-looking mammal walks on its hind legs, showing off its keratin scales, large tail, and huge front claws.

There are eight species of pangolins found throughout Africa and Asia. They are closely related to Xenarthrans – anteaters, armadillos, and sloths. Pangolins are mostly nocturnal. Some can hang from trees using their tails. Some sleep rolled up. Their reeeeeally long tongue helps them eat ants and termites. 

There is a white-bellied tree pangolin living at the San Diego Zoo. You can watch an official zoo video about him or watch this more personal introduction.

What if you didn’t send food down to your stomach to digest it, but you sent your stomach up to your food instead? This is exactly what the sunflower seastar does. With 16 to 24 arms and 15,000 tube feet to help grab, open and eat clams, snails, abalone, sea cucumbers, and sea urchins.

The sunflower star is the largest sea star in the world. It’s also one of the fastest animals on the ocean bottom, crawling one metre… a minute, which may not seem that fast to us but is speedy if you’re a clam just chillin’ on the sand. 

You can read more about the sunflower seastar at aquablog.ca.

The digestive system! What happens to your food while you’re chewing it, when you swallow it, when it’s in your stomach? How does all of the digested nutrients travel around your body? (Hint.) And where does it go after that??? (Hint.)