This scary-looking fungus grows on corn kernels and makes them tasty. They are used in quesadillas and other foods. American and Canadian cooks are just now learning what Mexicans have known for a long time: a blue fungus that grows on corn and is hated by most U.S. farmers is actually tasty. It has grown so big that scientists are now trying to figure out how to really make it bigger. In July of last year, Sean Brock, an executive chef and restaurant owner from Charleston, found out from a nearby farmer that the unique Mexican variety of White Bolita corn that he had asked the…

Jerry's house in real life: A person made his cat a cosy room.   In the history of Brian's home, there is a story about a cat's silly antics and people's creative genius. The main character is a cat, and the setting is a warm and creative home. A long time ago, Brian's family added a cute cat to their home, and things went about their normal daily routines. They felt like magic when they came home to this cat, whose fur was as soft as moonlight and eyes were as bright as stars. It was naturally drawn to look out the window and carefully observe…

Namibe, Angola: The Beautiful Meeting of Desert and Ocean As you go along Namibia's western coast, you'll come across a breathtakingly beautiful spot where the dry desert meets the endless ocean. Namibe, a beautiful beach in Angola, shows how the desert and the sea can work together to create a landscape that delights the senses and sparks the mind. A rough shoreline that stretches for almost a thousand miles makes Namibia look like a painting made by the Atlantic Ocean and the gentle touch of the winds. This is an area that hasn't been touched much by people, a natural refuge where nature is the star…

Introducing the Aardwolf, a unique animal from Africa   In the rough regions of East and Southern Africa, there is a truly amazing animal that roams the plains. This is not an aardvark. There's no wolf there. There it is—an aardwolf, a small but interesting animal that shows how diverse nature is. Let's go on an adventure to learn more about this interesting species and its place in the animal world. The aardwolf (Proteles cristata) is a great example of how complicated evolution can be. This animal is not a cross between an aardvark and a wolf, despite its confusing name. Instead, it's a unique animal…

How the famous picture of a frog eating a snake came to be A lot of people had seen the picture, but no one knew what happened with the photographer or the shot itself. Julie-Anne O'Neill says that the air outside in North Queensland, Australia, starts to be full of life right before a big storm hits. "Everything goes crazy. "They are feeding and mating like crazy," she says. In 2011, O'Neill was out for a walk late at night on one of these nights. She had a big flashlight on her that she called a "dolphin torch." She wanted to see how the animals in…

The ancient mystery of Platycrinus saffordi, the mysterious sea lily of the past, is finally revealed.   Long ago, in the past of Earth, there was a beautiful animal called Platycrinus saffordi that lived in the oceans. These amazing fossils, found in Indiana's famous Crawfordsville fauna, take us back in time to a time before even the time of the great dinosaurs. This sea lily was formed in the upper Lower Carboniferous period, which is about 330.9 to 346.7 million years ago. Its secrets still amaze and interest people today. While Platycrinus saffordi is sometimes called a "sea lily," it's important to note that crinoids, like…