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Well, lie is a bit of a strong word, but scientists have known since 2014 that those special colors that mantis shrimp can see actually Aren’t A Thing.

Mantis shrimp (which aren’t a shrimp but a “stomatopod” which are more closely related to krill) have 12 types of color receptors in their eyes compared to our measly 3 receptors. We used to think this meant they could see a whole range of dazzling colors beyond our comprehension.

Some people were (rightfully) jealous.

However, it turns out that mantis shrimp probably have so many color receptors because they don’t blend colors the way we do. When you look at something purple, your red and blue receptors are strongly stimulated while your green receptors are not and your brain synthesizes this information into purple. When a mantis shrimp looks at something purple, they have a specific purple receptor that is stimulated.

Why this weird system? Probably because it is faster and more efficient. Mantis shrimp need to distinguish between prey species and react extremely quickly (some species can punch 50x faster than the blink of an eye), so they don’t have time to do the mental calculations to blend colors.

Not only is the Forbidden Shrimp Color Knowledge a sham, but mantis shrimp can actually see fewer colors than we can because they can’t distinguish as many shades between colors. They also can’t see those cursed Imaginary Colors.

Conner, Wally, Dick, Roy, and Kaldur are sort of a squad of misfits. Probably why they’re put together, commanders thinking they’d be decent canon fodder. But they get on like a house on fire once they get to know each other.

 Kaldur’ahm is constantly battling the incredible amount of racism as a biracial soldier. His father was African American and his mother was a Pacific Islander. 

The you have Wally, the smart talking red headed Irish American who deals with that prejudice, but damn can he run. He wanted to be a soccer player - got drafted instead. 

Conner is a tank, but he’s got some major authority problems and anger issues. 

There’s Dick, who would be the model soldier - but he faked his age when he signed up for the army. He went in under the name Robin, aged 18 but when the team finds out he’s only 16, they cover for him. They’re pissed, but it’s too late to send him home now. They become a little protective of him.

Then there’s Roy, their sniper. Nothing odd about him, he’s just a jackass. 

They would look out for each other. Like, they insist on Kaldur being their leader despite higher command sputtering and refusing to give him rank. He gets it anyway. Wally and Dick end up falling in love, and they all keep the relationship quiet. 

okay this is going to get long so readmore

Conner, Wally, Dick, Roy, and Kaldur are sort of a squad of misfits. Probably why they’re put together, commanders thinking they’d be decent canon fodder. But they get on like a house on fire once they get to know each other.

 Kaldur’ahm is constantly battling the incredible amount of racism as a biracial soldier. His father was African American and his mother was a Pacific Islander. 

The you have Wally, the smart talking red headed Irish American who deals with that prejudice, but damn can he run. He wanted to be a soccer player - got drafted instead. 

Conner is a tank, but he’s got some major authority problems and anger issues. 

There’s Dick, who would be the model soldier - but he faked his age when he signed up for the army. He went in under the name Robin, aged 18 but when the team finds out he’s only 16, they cover for him. They’re pissed, but it’s too late to send him home now. They become a little protective of him.

Then there’s Roy, their sniper. Nothing odd about him, he’s just a jackass. 

They would look out for each other. Like, they insist on Kaldur being their leader despite higher command sputtering and refusing to give him rank. He gets it anyway. Wally and Dick end up falling in love, and they all keep the relationship quiet. 

okay this is going to get long so readmore

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29414163

A neighbor called and said she saw a swarm on a fire hydrant so I grabbed my bucket and ran there as fast as I could. I dabbed some lemongrass oil on the bottom of it and they walked in. After about 5 minutes I just scooped the rest in and bam! Free bees!

I would honestly die of delight to find someone who watched my dad (~72 white guy) driving down a major Illinois highway with a swarm of bees loose in the car just chillin.

“Back in my day we didn’t have any of these childhood protective things, we were smart enough not to do stupid shit on our own!” Except your little neighbour, who got the funniest idea at the age of seven, and got his skull pierced when he slipped?

“Back in my day nobody got divorced, we stuck together and fixed our problems!” What about your cousin, who was slowly killed by her husband because she had nowhere to escape him?

“Back in my day nobody had ‘mental problems’, we didn’t whine, we just toughed it out and endured life!” Hey remember that guy you used to work with, who seemed really friendly and normal, and then suddenly hanged himself ‘for no reason’?

“Back in my day we didn’t have any of this ‘gay’ or ‘transgender’ thing.” You did, but your family cut all ties with her before you were born.

by sheer coincidence, there’s a completely different kind of gecko endemic to Australia (underwoodisaurus/nephrurus milii ) which is also called the Common Barking Gecko:

So far I’ve got

ladder letters: A, E, F, H, T

humpback B’s and P’s get as many bumps as you think they need

circle O’s, you just keep spiraling in til you feel like you’ve made your point

tree letters branch into smaller versions of themselves ad nauseum: X, Y

spider Q’s, so many legs

New alphabet dropped!

But I think i’ve taken a real shine to it!