Latest news with #Platypus
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
Famed furry creature explores icy river after snow blankets Tasmania. Watch
Winter has hit the southern hemisphere, and with it, the highlands of Tasmania have turned into a wintery wonderland. Tasmania, the island state of Australia, sits about 150 miles south of the mainland and was hit with a 'cold snap' that 'brought some decent snowfall' to its higher regions at the end of May, photographer Michael Eastwell said in May 20 and May 22 Instagram posts. One critter was enjoying the fresh-fallen snow as Eastwell passed by on a walk, he said. Eastwell noticed the creature bopping along the snowy banks of a river, and snuffling through the icy water, he said. 'Ever seen a platypus in the snow?' Eastwell asked the post. The video shows the platypus starting in a shallow creek, moving its head from side to side in the water. The critter then comes up on shore and uses its webbed feet to scoot along the surface of the snow. The photographer also posted photos on Instagram, which were then shared by The Wilderness Society on Facebook. 'Anyone else feeling the cold? You might be, but this little one probably isn't!' the organization said in a May 30 post. 'Platypus habitat is all along the south-east of Australia.' The Wilderness Society said the dense fur covering the little critters helps to make the animal 'waterproof,' allowing them to 'swim in very cold water for hours.' 'It's even said to provide better insulation than fur of polar bears and beavers,' the organization said. Platypus are part of a mammal order known as monotremes, which includes echidnas, and means they lay eggs, according to the Australian Museum. Their paddle-like tail acts as a fat reserve, and they have strong claws that are used for burrowing on land, the museum says. Platypuses are primarily nocturnal or active around twilight and at night, staying in their riverbank burrows during the day. They forage for a variety of aquatic invertebrates for about 10 to 12 hours a day, the museum says. Aside from their bills acting as a disguise, they also serve as the animal's primary sensory organ, the museum says. The bill has sensors that are sensitive to pressure as well as electroreceptors, but the exact way the bill detects a platypus's prey is still unknown. Platypuses are found throughout eastern and southeastern Australia, and on the island of Tasmania.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gibson's 1965 Firebird Platypus was the oddball model that marked a moment of transition for the guitar giant – now it's been revived
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Gibson is continuing its recent trend of dipping into its vast archive of more left-field builds as it announces the return of the Firebird Platypus – a transitional design from the mid-'60s. Ostensibly, it is very similar to the Firebirds of today that we all know and love, save for the platypus-bill-like headstock from which this forgotten design gets its name. This particular model, launched in 1965, introduced some important changes to the guitar's lineage: the headstock was flipped and flattened compared to previous versions. While its predecessors' headstocks were given a two-layer holly veneer and banjo-style tuners, the Platypus has a flat headstock and six-in-line tuners. Throughout the '60s, Gibson's designers were constantly tweaking the Firebird recipe. The company knew it was onto a winner with its distinctive body shape, with several iterations falling under 'reverse' and 'non-reverse' categories. Yet the Platypus is an interesting proposition as it takes aspects of both for a hybrid design, and it's underscored with a mahogany body, a glued-in set neck, and the appearance of a traditional neck-through reverse Firebird body. The party-trick headstock has been modified a little, providing a straight string pull for reduced friction and better tuning stability. Elsewhere, speedy playing is ensured via a SlimTaper neck profile, and its rosewood fingerboard is crafted with a 12' radius, 22 medium jumbo frets, and acrylic trapezoid inlays. Jutting out from that fast-playing neck is its defining platypus headstock, which is adorned with Grover Mini Rotomatic tuners and a Graph Tech nut. While Gibson has brought its headstock up to speed, it's gone full nostalgia with two historically accurate Firebird humbuckers. They feature Alnico 5 magnets and are said to offer the 'bell-like chime' and 'articulate' sounds that '60s Firebirds are known for. Master Luthier Jim DeCola comments on how the pickups 'utilize black mounting rings topped off with the traditional chrome trim rings for classic sound, looks, and improved performance'. By placing the mounting rings as such, the pickups are parallel to the strings, improving output and tonal balance. Its three-way pickup switch is situated beside the classic Firebird stamp on the pickguard, and there are dedicated Volume and Tone knobs for each 'bucker. 'We feel the new Firebird Platypus has the 'best of' Firebird features, aesthetics, sound, and playability,' says Jim DeCola. 'The Reverse-style body features the raised center section on top; however, it is constructed with classic Gibson set-neck construction like the non-reverse Firebird. 'We had discontinued the Firebird at Gibson USA for a few years, and when we brought it back, we wanted to do it in a way that we've never done before – at least not since 1965,' continues Mat Koehler, Vice President of Product. 'That's the year you would see the Reverse body with the Non-Reverse neck. To me, that's my favorite incarnation of the Firebird because you've got the tuners on the top side.' The Gibson Firebird Platypus is available now for $2,499, with three colorways – Tobacco Sunburst, Ebony, and Vintage Cherry – on offer. Head to Gibson for more. It follows a special Gibson Certified Vintage drop that pays homage to its long-forgotten Superstrat era and the return of the Gibson Victory from that same period, as the firm looked to appeal to the shred hype of the time. Other archive-inspired designs have come via the Theodore, originally designed in 1957 but only recently brought to life, while CEO Cesar Gueikian has teased the return of its offset RD, a model loved by Dave Grohl and Ghost.
USA Today
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Strands hints today: Clues and answers on Tuesday, February 18 2025
WARNING: THERE ARE STRANDS SPOILERS AHEAD! DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT THE FEBRUARY 18, 2025 STRANDS ANSWER SPOILED FOR YOU. Ready? OK! Have you been playing Strands, the super fun game from the New York Times, the makers of Connections and other brain-teasers like Wordle in which you have to do a search in a jumble of letters and find words based on a theme? It's pretty fun and sometimes very challenging, so we're here to help you out with some clues and the answers, including the 'Spangram' that connects all the words. Let's start with the clue: Ouch! If you want our help? Think about things that hurt! As for the answers, scroll below the photo below: Jellyfish, Hornet, Platypus, Scorpion, Bumblebee The Spangram is … STINGERS.
