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If you thought aliens in a Miami strip mall would take the title for “weirdest thing to happen in Florida” this month‚ you might have to think again – it is Florida‚ after all. Thankfully extraterrestrial life isn’t falling from the sky and into GameStop for a quick browse‚ but with chilly temperatures hitting the Sunshine State‚ something else might be raining down upon unsuspecting Floridians: frozen iguanas falling from trees.The US has been experiencing severe winter storms and bitterly cold temperatures; though normally fairly balmy‚ Florida hasn’t been spared. Matt Devitt‚ chief meteorologist for WINK News in southwest Florida posted to X last Thursday that southwest Florida could experience lows of around 4°C (40°F) and wind chills around -1°C (30°F)‚ while other regions of the state could dip as low as the 20s at the weekend.  IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.That’s not much fun if you were planning a day at the beach‚ but arguably‚ it’s probably worse for the local iguana population. A very meme-worthy graphic posted alongside the forecast indicates that bringing a hard hat alongside an extra layer or two might be useful‚ as there’s a chance iguanas could be falling out of trees.Why are iguanas falling out of trees in Florida?Iguanas are cold-blooded reptiles; while temperatures are fine for them in Florida for most of the year‚ the problem comes with the arrival of fall. When temperatures drop below around 7°C (45°F)‚ these lovable lizards are no longer able to regulate their body temperature. As a result‚ they enter a state called torpor‚ where their breathing and metabolism slow down. Iguanas also lose muscle control when this happens‚ and since they often sleep in trees‚ this also means that they can fall out of them. Whilst they might look dead when they’ve hit the ground‚ they normally aren’t – and it’s best to take caution if you’re tempted to check.Although it sounds like the inspiration of a new film brought to you by the creators of Sharknado‚ iguana fall is a stark reminder of reality. These lizards don’t belong in Florida – they’re an invasive species. That plays into the advice given by local authorities as to what you should do if you come across (or are bumped on the head by) a frozen iguana.Homeowners in Florida are permitted to humanely kill any iguanas that are found on their land‚ or they can simply be left to succumb to the elements. Where that’s not possible‚ they can be put in a secure bag or cat carrier and taken to a local wildlife center or veterinarian. Some people have even taken to eating iguanas to solve the problem of the invasive species‚ but if you do plan on swiping any frozen lizards for your dinner‚ make sure your car isn’t warmed up first.

A while back‚ we explained what those weird floating things are that you sometimes see in your vision; little blobs of tissue‚ protein clumps‚ and red blood cells.But eyes do not just reserve being little weirdos for when they are open. When you close your eyes or open them in a very dark room‚ you might sometimes notice different patterns and swirls of colors‚ or even flashes. Some visual disturbances can be caused by medical conditions‚ and if you experience persistent disturbances you may want to visit a medical professional. But most people experience harmless visual hallucinations with their eyes closed‚ which are the result of the normal functioning of your eyes.These are called "phosphenes"‚ which are sensations of light experienced by people when there is no light to cause them."Our eyes don’t turn off in the dark‚ but instead they create very weak internal signals that mimic light. These signals are constantly being made by the cells at the back of your eyes‚" Katrina Schmid‚ Associate Professor in the School of Optometry and Vision Science at Queensland University of Technology‚ explained in a piece for The Conversation."The swirls and waves we see are made by changes in activity from these cells. The blobs may be coloured because the cells in your eyes that detect colour also show this activity. These signals are transmitted to the brain‚ and the brain interprets this random activity. Your brain doesn’t know they weren’t produced by real light‚ so we think we’re seeing coloured lights and patterns that are not there. It’s a kind of illusion!"While they do occur in healthy individuals‚ they can also be a sign of retinal issues‚ such as retina detachment‚ neurological conditions‚ or that you've simply been rubbing your eyes too much. You can cause phosphenes if you (accidentally‚ please don't do it on purpose) apply slight pressure to your eyeball. "If what you’re seeing has changed‚ and the patterns of light become much more noticeable or hang around for longer‚" Schmid added‚ "it could indicate a problem".All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current. The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice‚ diagnosis‚ or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions. 

“Disease X” is appearing all over social media and news feeds once again. So‚ what actually is Disease X? Why is everyone talking about it? And is it anything to be concerned about?What is Disease X?The term "Disease X" is used by some scientists and the World Health Organization (WHO) to refer to unknown pathogens that have the potential to cause a serious international epidemic on the scale of COVID-19 or worse. The term is not new. The WHO first used it around 2018‚ but it was reignited in the public imagination when COVID-19 arrived on the scene‚ starkly highlighting the need for pandemic preparedness. Indeed‚ some scientists even argued that COVID-19 could be considered as the “first Disease X” because it was a novel disease‚ unknown to science when it first started infecting humans. What might the next Disease X be?That’s the thing: no one knows. The WHO has a priority list of known pathogens that have the potential to spark a major global disease outbreak‚ including Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever‚ Ebola‚ Marburg virus disease‚ Lassa fever‚ Nipah and henipaviral diseases‚ Rift Valley fever‚ Zika‚ and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)‚ Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)‚ and COVID-19.The priority list also includes Disease X‚ a placeholder name for a novel infectious agent that is not yet on the radar of any scientists. It’s treated as a “known unknown"‚ to quote the infamous speech by US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in 2002. The exact nature of the threat is not clear‚ but it’s evident a threat is out there. Perhaps a relative of the pathogen is already out there; existing undiscovered in a natural reservoir‚ “waiting” for the right mutation (and chance) that will allow it to spill over into humans. Quite simply‚ we don't know yet. Why are people talking about Disease X now?Disease X was recently the subject of an expert panel discussion at the 2024 World Economic Forum meeting in Davos‚ which featured Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus‚ the WHO director-general. This has brewed some conspiracy theories along the lines of “global elites preparing to release Disease X”. However‚ that’s a total distortion of what was said. In reality‚ the talk was simply about preparing for the next pandemic‚ which is almost inevitable (just as it always has been throughout human history)."Disease X is a placeholder for an unknown disease… Although COVID came immediately‚ we were preparing for COVID-like diseases. You may even COVID as the ‘first Disease X’ - and it may happen again‚” said Dr Tedros.“Of course‚ there are some people that say this may create panic. No. It’s better to anticipate something that may happen – because it has happened in our history many times – and prepare for it‚” he added.Should you be worried about Disease X?Well‚ in short‚ yes. However‚ there’s no need to panic – you certainly don’t need to raid the supermarkets for toilet paper. Once again‚ it is almost inevitable there will be another global pandemic in the future. Disease outbreaks have riddled humanity throughout history and continually molded the shape of societies around the world. In the 21st century‚ the risk of a pandemic is even higher since we live in a hyper-connected‚ globalized‚ and urbanized world that creates the ideal setting for an infectious pathogen to run riot across millions of people. Furthermore‚ humanity’s increasing infringement on the natural world is increasing the odds that it will run into potential pathogens and a spillover event will occur. The good news is that the world is already taking steps to brace itself for the next pandemic‚ through an array of preparedness‚ prevention‚ and response measures. Hopefully‚ we also learned some good lessons about how to – and how not to – deal with disease outbreaks from the COVID-19 pandemic.All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current.  

Get ready for a heart-melting tale of feathery love! This video introduces us to Steve‚ a rooster with a big heart‚ and his beloved Margaret. Captivating over 1.6 million viewers‚ this adorable video shows Steve’s daily eagerness to wake up his human and dash outside to see Margaret. It’s a story that not only showcases... The post Rooster runs to coop and melts hearts with adorably ‘enthusiastic’ greeting for wife appeared first on Animal Channel.

Fake Biden calls use AI to urge Dems to stay home on Tuesday‚ AG warns

Electoral saboteurs are already leveraging the tools of the day to throw the New Hampshire primary. A robocall utilizing a digitally manipulated recording of President Joe Biden rang the phones of New Hampshire Democrats over the weekend‚ imploring them to “save” their votes during the presidential primary on Tuesday‚ calling the write-in campaign “malarkey.” “Voting this Tuesday only enables the Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump again. Your vote makes a difference in...