Rabies is an awful virus that doesn't work the way most viruses do. Once the symptoms start, it's fatal, and it's a particularly unpleasant death. You lose the ability to swallow, which is why the phrases "foaming at the mouth" and "hydrophobia" are associated with rabies. That's because the virus spreads through saliva, and successful viruses cause symptoms that enable them to spread to new hosts. The good news is that you can be vaccinated for rabies after exposure, and MinuteEarth will explain why that's so.
You might think, well, why don't we just vaccinate everyone against rabies? Dr. Dolittle had to be vaccinated. It cost her $900. That's cheap compared to the cost of treatment after exposure. But for some reason, we can get our dogs and cats vaccinated for $30 or so. And that's turned out to be the best way to keep rabies under control in the modern world.
Thursday, May 21, 2026
How Rabies Works
Meet Typhon
I've never seriously studied Greek mythology, so I was completely unfamiliar with Typhon. This mythological monster was made of snakes and lava and had no father, so of course he was bad news. He was so powerful that he was a serious rival for Zeus, who had to put Typhon in his place. That doesn't mean Zeus killed him, but it does explain volcanoes, thunderstorms, and tsunamis. However, the stories of Typhon vary depending on who wrote them.
Dr. Emily Zarka explains who Typhon was supposed to be. He's not described as a god, but was powerful enough to challenge Zeus for the title of supreme being. He and his wife Echidna spawned plenty of other mythological monsters that somewhat resemble real and usually scary animals. His later obscurity among laypeople like me may have to do with how he was dispatched early in the Greek mythology saga.
Maru Vaulting Boxes
Can you stack boxes too high for Maru to climb into? Maybe the real question is, how can you get that many boxes all the same size? Well, I can imagine if you're mugumogu, people just give you boxes all the time. Maru eventually meets his match, and we get to hear him meow more than we've ever heard before.
I miss Maru. (via Everlasting Blort)
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Building Red Rocks Amphitheater
Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver is an amazing place. It's huge, and fits naturally into the landscape. But if you're not acclimated to the elevation in Denver, climbing to the upper sections will wear you out. It was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and had its Grand Opening in 1941. The amphitheater was built solid to last, but even the wooden barracks for the workers are still there.
It's Just a Cat
Don't ever say, "It's just a cat" to people who love their cats. Cats are the reason you come home every night. It's not just an obligation, it's a mission. And cats accept you at your worst. This guy makes some great points, but by the end I thought, whoa, how many cats does he have? I had to go back and watch it again just to count them.
An Honest Trailer for Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary hit theaters about six weeks ago and did really well with both critics and ticket sales. It's a science fiction movie in which untrained astronaut Ryan Gosling has to save the world. How could it not be a hit? The movie was lauded for its unique view of what extraterrestrial could can be. However, I had no idea it was as funny a Screen Junkies reveals in this Honest trailer. Gosling (who also produced the film) is an intelligent everyman, has to learn how to do everything on the fly, and stays adorably goofy throughout. The special effects and the alien lifeforms are impressive, too. Altogether this is a much more effective movie trailer than the real ones. Now I want to see Project Hail Mary.
Miss Cellania's Links
Where the Hell is Our Congress? The latest from Randy Rainbow is a parody of “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” by Raye. Contains NSFW lyrics.
12 diving suits. (via Everlasting Blort)
This dangerous bird has a secret hiding in plain sight. Cassowaries glow in strange ways. (via Damn Interesting)
5 reasons Stephen Colbert is one of the most important satirists in American history.
Pompeii victim ID’d as a likely doctor. New technology lets us look inside the plaster casts of those killed by the volcano. (via Boing Boing)
Justice Department expands Trump settlement to cover his tax audits. That's on top of the 1.8 billion slush fund. (via Fark)
What is this odd structure found in the middle of nowhere? You'll be delighted by the explanation. (via TYWKIWDBI)
A Blast from the Past (2007): The Eiffel Tower: a "truly tragic street lamp."
That Time It Rained for Two Million Years
The Carnian Pluvial Event https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnian_Pluvial_Event was a time of major change for the earth and its supercontinent Pangea. Namely, lots and lots of rain, and all the changes it brings. That was when the forests grew and dinosaurs began to rise to dominance, about 230 million years ago. From the images in this video from PBS Eons, that episode appears to be the line between the familiar (dinosaurs and forests) and the weird, weird, plants and animals that populated earth before that. (via Digg)
A Little-Known Detail
(via Fark)BREAKING: The judge in the $1.7B slush fund suit has dismissed the case, but she says THERE IS NO SETTLEMENT OF RECORD. As I said earlier, the media must stop reporting that this slush fund is a settlement. It's just plain THEFT. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
— Mueller, She Wrote (@muellershewrote.com) May 18, 2026 at 6:22 PM
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Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Auctioneers
I missed this Saturday Night Live bit from a couple of weeks ago. Matt Damon and Sarah Sherman are married auctioneers having a fight. The idea is typical SNL, delivering an everyday occurrence in a ridiculously odd way, but this was impressive. No breaking, no stumbling. This took skills. (via Laughing Squid)
A Newborn Tiger Cub Completely Raised by Human Hands
In 2020, The Wildcat Sanctuary in Minnesota was called about an animal breeding facility for which the owner had died. They went to rescue four tigers, but found an additional newborn. Tiger Winona had just given birth, and she was in poor health, plus she didn't know what to do with a cub since they'd always been removed after birth to socialize the cub and have Winona breed again. The cub was also in danger from his father Marcus, who was known to attack cubs. This was during COVID, so little Dash was isolated and raised by a single volunteer named Tammy.
Dash was the first newborn big cat raised by the sanctuary, and his progress was documented thoroughly on videotape. The Dodo compiled lots of clips to show us how Dash grew up to be a big and strong tiger. He'll never be released into the wild, but he can live his best life possible under their care.