Blogs / Discoblog

No one is quite sure what caused bizarre 600-mile-long tubular clouds to form above a small Australian town. But because the fluffy white rods, known as Morning Glory clouds, can move up to 35 miles per hour, they can pose a problem for airplanes flying through the area.

Wired reports:

A small number of pilots and tourists travel there each year in hopes of “cloud surfing” with the mysterious phenomenon.

Similar tubular shaped clouds called roll clouds appear in various places around the globe. But nobody has yet figured out what causes the Morning Glory clouds.

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Image courtesy of Mick Petroff

If you want to be leggier, consider moving to Florida. It might even work if your parents have average-sized limbs. New research has found that DNA isn’t the only route to long legs: Warmer temperatures can also lead to longer limbs by helping cartilage grow, at least in mice.

Researchers raised baby mice in cold (45F), normal (70F), or warm (81F) temperatures for about two months. The mice raised in warmer temperatures grew longer tibias and femurs (leg bones), and metatarsals (”toes”). The researchers say the effect may be partly explained by increased blood flow under warmer conditions, which promote growth of the cartilage capping the ends of long bones. However, this doesn’t fully explain the results, and they believe temperature also affects other biological mechanisms, like the expression of proteins.

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