This week I learned for the first time about the jerboa, a small mammal that’s like a mouse crossed with a kangaroo and a velociraptor.
Maybe you already know about the jerboa, maybe you don’t. Either way, I think the jerboa is worth reflecting on. How crazy is it to see an animal that looks like a mouse hop around like a kangaroo at light speed whipping its tale this way and that for balance like a velociraptor? Seriously crazy.
Unlike kangaroos, the jerboa lives in the deserts of Africa, Asia, and the Arabian Peninsula. And unlike velociraptors, it isn’t extinct. These little guys are small enough to hold in your hand, yet they can jump over six feet.
For more on why researchers are interested in this insane creature, check out this article from Wired (where I first found out about them). And watch one in action trying to outfox a fox in this clip from the BBC.
Here’s some more geek from the week:
- Queen of the Night tulips are also queens of cellulose.
- The world’s tree population mapped by country. Russia wins by number, Finland wins by density.
- Nature may be following the laws of mathematics more than we know.
- Hypnotizing math GIFs to geek out to. [GIFs]
- Engineers are experimenting with new forms of origami for building spacecraft, buildings, and bridges. [GIFs]
- Subway maps: accuracy versus aesthetics.
- You may not be able to test drive Space-X’s new Crew Dragon capsule, but here’s the next best thing. [VIDEO]
- A new image of Pluto from the New Horizons spacecraft shows a stunningly backlit mountain range.
- This beautifully shot video shows the making of a scale solar system in the Nevada desert. [VIDEO]
Keep on geeking!
@Summer_Ash, In-house Astrophysicist
Summer Ash