Why octopus jet propulsion can stop its heart

An octopus’s fastest escape can stop its heart

An octopus can escape quickly by forcing water out of its body like a jet. But doing this creates so much pressure that its heart can temporarily stop beating, leaving its body with less and less oxygen.

Some marriages between women served family needs

In some communities in Kenya and Nigeria, a woman could marry another woman for family reasons, not necessarily as a sexual relationship. Among the Gikuyu, Nandi, Kamba and Kipsigis, this could help a family with no sons retain its inheritance. Among the Igbo, a childless widow could take a wife to continue her family line.

Luther’s Bible helped written German cross dialects

Printing and Martin Luther’s widely read Bible helped create a written form of German that could cross regional dialect boundaries. Spoken German remained highly varied, and a broadly accepted written standard did not emerge until the mid-18th century.

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Why octopus jet propulsion can stop its heart

An octopus’s fastest escape can stop its heart

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