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Nov 21-27, 2014 Issue #00200

TIDBITS® VISITS

ANTARCTICAby Janet Spencer

On November 18, 1820, an American seal hunt-er named Nathaniel Brown Palmer became the first American to lay eyes upon mainland Ant-arctica. He is considered to be one of three pri-mary candidates to have discovered the frozen continent. Palmer proclaimed the frozen terrain before him to be Palmer Land, and the Palmer Archipelago still carries his name. Come along with Tidbits as we visit Antarctica!

ANTARCTIC FACTS• The lowest reliably measured temperature

of a continuously occupied station on Earth was -128.6°F (-89.2°C) on July 21, 1983 at Vostok Station.

• In summer, the population of Antarctica aver-ages about 5,000. In winter, it drops to 1,000. About 40,000 tourists visit each year. There are no permanent residents.

• Antarctica is the only continent without a time zone. The scientists who reside there go by either the time of their home land or the supply line that brings them supplies.

• Antarctica is the world’s largest desert. In Antarctica’s Dry Valleys, it hasn’t rained for more than 2 million years. The ground and climate so closely resemble the surface of Mars that NASA did testing there for the Vi-king mission. (cont’d next page)

Page 2 TidbitsVernon.com Cosita Publishing For Advertising Call (250) 832-3361NORTH & SOUTH: POLES APART• Early astronomers plotted the circle of the

sun passing in orbit around the earth. (This was in the days when they thought the earth was the center of the universe.) The circle passed through the constellation of the Great Bear, whose name was Arktos. That is how the northernmost regions of the Earth near that circle became known as the Arctic. The pre-fix ‘ant-’ means opposite, so the Antarctic is the southernmost region of the planet.

• The Antarctic has about eight times as much ice as the Arctic because the Antarctic is a continent and the Arctic is an ocean covered with ice. Land does not hold heat nearly as well as water does, so the ocean moderates the climate in the Arctic. The Arctic is not al-ways cold: summer temperatures above 70°f (21°C) are fairly common. At Fort Yukon near the Arctic Circle in Alaska, it has even reached 100°f. (38°C) in the shade. However, the av-erage year-round temperature in the Antarctic is -18°f. (-28°C) Summertime highs seldom go above freezing.

• Both the Arctic and Antarctic are classified as deserts because annual precipitation totals less than 4 inches (10 cm) a year— but the snow that falls stays. In the Arctic, the ice eventually drifts and melts, but in the Antarctic it accu-mulates year after year. The deepest layers of ice in the Antarctic are some 3 million years old. In the Antarctic, the ice averages more than a mile (1.6 km) thick and is over 14,000 feet (4.2 km) deep at its thickest. The ice in the Arctic Ocean averages only 8 feet (2.5 m) thick. Only 5% of the Antarctic continent is ice-free. The weight of the ice on the Ant-arctic continent is so great that it has pressed much of the land below sea level. If all the ice were removed, much of the land would prob-ably not rise above the water.

• There are only three species of flowering plants living in the Antarctic, plus 75 kinds of moss and 400 kinds of lichen. In the Arctic, there are 900 types of flowering plants, 400 kinds of moss, and 2,000 species of lichen. The larg-est known land animal living on the Antarctic continent year-round is a wingless relative of the common housefly that is only 1/10th of an inch (.2 cm) long. The Arctic teams with wildlife such as polar bears, wolves, and musk ox. Furthermore, there are about 315 million people living within a radius of 2,700 miles (4,345 km) of the North Pole, but only 4,600 living within the same distance of the South Pole— and half of those only live there tem-porarily.

SOUTH POLE COLDS• Scientists in Antarctica rarely suffer from

colds because they are isolated from infected humans. However, when the supply ships arrive bringing visiting scientists, colds run rampant. In an experiment, each scientist was

issued packets of iodine-impregnated tissues and instructed to sneeze and blow their nose into them, then wipe their faces and hands with a clean iodine tissue. Furthermore, they were asked to wipe their hands and faces every hour with the tissues. As a result, the number of new colds reported daily dropped from an average of 4.3 to 1.7. Biologists report that Antarctica has only one bacterium per pint of snow mak-ing it difficult to pick up illnesses that aren’t imported.

HIGH, WIDE AND COLD• The average altitude of the land is 6,000 feet

(1,828 m) which is more than twice as high as any other continent. The ice is about 8,000 feet (2,438 m) thick on top of the mountains, mak-ing the total average height of the continent 14,000 feet (4,267 m).

SEAL CAMS• Researchers supported by the National Science

Foundation wanted to find out what goes on in Antarctic waters. So the 8-member team based out of McMurdo Station strapped video cam-eras, infrared LEDs, and data recorders to 15

Weddell seals, released them, and then tracked their movements over the course of three sum-mers. The laboratory was located above the only blow hole for miles around, so the wild seals had to return to the same spot to breathe and were prevented from swimming away with the equipment, which was worth some $25,000 per seal. The information the seals brought back led to new insights on the behavior of two little-known fish species, the silverfish and the toothfish, and the way seals hunt their prey. Scientists intend to use the “seal-cams” again in the future to study other deepwater species.

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Famous Canadians

HUGH BLACKWALL EVANS

• Hugh Blackwall Evans was the first Canadian to spend a winter in Antarctica.

• Evans was born in England in 1874 and moved to Canada at the age of 16. After at-tending an agricultural school in the North-west Territories, he spent the next three years as a hired hand on a cattle ranch. He returned to Britain in 1897 where he landed a job on a sailing brig called the Edward which em-barked on a sealing expedition to Desolation Island. Desolation Island is one of the most isolated points on the planet, located more than 3,300 km (2,051 mi) away from the near-est populated place. It’s situated halfway be-tween the Australian continent and Antarc-tica. Evans’ job was to collect specimens for display in a museum.

• Because of this experience, Evans was hired to be the assistant zoologist for the British Antarctic Expedition in 1898. The Norwegian born captain, Carstn Borchgrevink, was de-termined to be the first expedition to spend the entire winter on the Antarctic continent. This was also the first expedition that pio-neered the use of sled dogs in Antarctic trav-el.

• They embarked in August of 1898 in a ship called the Southern Cross. The ship dropped off 75 sled dogs, a winter’s worth of supplies, and ten men (including Evans) at Cape Adare, the northwest-most extremity of the Ross Sea coastline. Once camp was established, the Southern Cross sailed away, leaving the men alone on the Antarctic for the duration of the winter. The men constructed a hut that was 15 feet square which was the first build-ing on Antarctica. Additional huts provided storage space and shelter for the dogs.

• When the main zoologist died of intestinal problems half way through the winter, he became the first person buried in Antarctica (with the help of dynamite to dig the grave) and Evans took over as the main zoologist.

• During this time there were two near-fatal incidents, once when a candle left burning beside a bunk set fire to the hut and caused extensive damage, and another time when three of the party were nearly asphyxiated by coal fumes as they slept.

ADMIRAL BYRD’S SOLITUDE• On one trip to Antarctica, explorer Admiral

Byrd decided to see how prolonged isolation would affect the human psyche. He took up residence at the beginning of the dark Antarc-tic winter in a 9-by-13 foot (2.7 x 3.9m) cabin on the Ross Ice Shelf, 125 miles (200 km) away from the rest of his crew at their base. He kept busy with weather observations, books, records, and housekeeping. Radio contact with his crew was made three times a week. His so-journ began March 28, 1934 and by July, de-pression combined with carbon monoxide poi-soning from a faulty stove caused his physical and psychological condition to deteriorate. Rescuers arrived on August 10, and found him so weakened that it was two months before they judged him strong enough to make the return trip to the base station. Admiral Bryd made five trips to the Antarctic and he always took his little dog named Igloo.

• The man kept themselves busy by taking scientific observations, exercising the dogs when weather permitted, and soaking in an improvised sauna in a snowbank outside the hut. Still, boredom was rampant. It was 11 months before the Southern Cross returned for them. Before returning the England, they explored the Ross Sea and set a new record for the farthest south ever reached by hu-mans.

• They returned to England where they re-ceived a lukewarm reception. Captain Borch-grevink was, after all, half Norwegian and only half British. The geographical society of London had been planning a similar expedi-tion and was upset that Borchgrevink had beaten them to the punch. Borchgrevink’s book about the expedition, First on the Ant-arctic Continent, was published the follow-ing year.

• Hugh Blackwall Evans returned to Canada where he married, had two children, and raised cattle for many years. In 1923 he be-came a founder of the Alberta Wheat Pool and eventually retired in Vermilion, Alberta where he helped establish the Anglican Church.

• He died in February of 1975 after being awarded the Polar Medal as the oldest liv-ing explorer from the heroic era. He was 100 years old.

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than a million birds. Since each pair lay only one egg per year, populations have a hard time recovering from disaster.

• Penguins return to the very same nest year after year, building it up with new stones in a ring. When they return to their nesting grounds each year, the old nest is buried under several feet of snow. Still, the penguins know exactly where it is located and will place additional stones on top of the ice. When the snow melts, the new stones will be laying exactly on top of the old ones.

• In Welsh, “pen” means head, and “gwyn” means white, giving us the word penguin.

• They are the only bird that can swim but can’t fly. They can swim up to 30 mph (48 km/hr). A penguin with a six-inch stride can run as fast as an average man.

• Although they spend their lives eating live fish, when presented with a dead fish on the ground, they do not recognize it as food.PENGUINS

• Penguins have never been seen at the North Pole. However, they do live near the Equa-tor. Penguins live in many places such as on the ice off the Antarctic continent, New Zea-land, Australia, South Africa, and even as for north as the Galapagos Island which is near the Equator. All of these areas are touched

by cold ocean currents, which the birds love. They refuse to cross warm currents.

• Penguins raise their families a little differently than most animals— the male is the one who incubates the egg while the female is totally out of the picture. The female lays the egg on the ice, then immediately takes to the ocean and is not seen again for the next two months or so while she feeds in warmer waters. The male holds the egg on the top of his feet and under a special pouch of blubber. He neither eats nor moves much as he incubates the egg through the two months of the worst winter weather. When the chick hatches, he feeds it a milk-like substance produced in his crop, and the chick eats from his throat. Only then does the female return, and the male goes to sea to replenish his blubber while she takes over. When he returns, they share the business of feeding Junior. If both parents are out fishing, the chick will be left in the care of another adult babysitter. Rookeries can contain more

• Penguins are monogamous and mate for life. The only way to tell male and female apart is by autopsy, though during mating season females might have muddy footprints on her back left by males during mating.

• When the penguins find a mate, they bond with each other by touching necks and slap-ping each other on the back with their flippers. They also “sing” to each other so they learn to recognize each other’s voices.

• The emperor penguin is the largest species at 4 ft. tall (1.2 m) and nearly 100 lbs. (45 kg). They are thought to be the only species of bird that never sets foot on land. They can stay un-derwater for around 20 minutes at a time.

• The smallest is the fairy penguin at 10 inches (25 cm) tall and weighing 2.5 lbs (1.1 kg).

• Penguins can drink sea water, excreting the salt through grooves on their bill. They spend around half their time in water and the other half on land.They are warm blooded, with a body temperature of about 100°F. (37°C).

• Their black and white plumage serves as cam-ouflage while swimming. The black plumage

Page 6 TidbitsVernon.com Cosita Publishing For Advertising Call (250) 832-3361

PAW’S CORNER By Sam MazzottaGluten-Free Pets?

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: It seems like everyone is hopping on the gluten-free bandwagon these

days, including my friend, who has put her entire family on a gluten-free diet -- including her two dogs! Is such a strict diet healthy for

pets? -- Clara in San Diego

DEAR CLARA: For dogs, as long as their nutritional needs are being met -- getting

enough calories to maintain a healthy weight, along with enough protein and vital nutrients -- a gluten-free diet should not be harmful at all.

In fact, some premium dog foods (dry and wet) are being marketed as gluten-free. As to whether

all of them are truly gluten-free, I can’t say -- there is little or no regulation in how pet foods

are labeled.Is gluten-free truly helpful for dogs and cats?

Again, no one can say for certain. But I’ve heard plenty of anecdotes from fellow pet owners

-- their pets have increased energy, or their fur coats are shinier, and many even say that certain behavior problems have gone away on this type

of diet.I’ve also heard the same from proponents of the raw food diet, the all-organic diet, and brewer’s

yeast supplements.Regardless of the type of diet, it’s always

beneficial to pets when their owners take a deep interest in what they eat and where their

food comes from. They monitor their pets more closely, and that attention can help reveal other

causes of behavior or health issues beyond a dietary cause. They also tend to be in closer

contact with their pets’ veterinarians, meaning their pets get routine care, vaccinations and

other health checks on schedule. That’s great for pets’ health overall.

So, don’t worry about your neighbors’ dogs. If they look healthy and happy, and well-cared for,

the type of food they eat is not a problem.

on their back is hard to see from above, while the white plumage on their front looks like the sun reflecting off the surface of the water when seen from below.

• 13 out of the 17 species of penguin are threat-ened or endangered.

NOW HERE’S A TIPBy JoAnn Derson

¥ When hammering a nail, try this save-your-finger trick: Use a clothespin to hold the nail steady, and then use your hammer to drive it in. Hammering into the wall? Push the nail through a strip of cardboard, and then hold the cardboard over the right spot. No more banged up fingers or thumbs!

¥ “Exfoliation can be easy if you already have a bag or jar of Epsom salts. Soak in a warm bath and rub the salts over your skin to gently scrub dead skin away. A little essential oil might help, too!” -- D.D. in Florida

¥ Got plastic packaging that is a pain to get open? Use your can opener. Run it around the sides to break into your packages. It works!

¥ To easily get keys on a keychain, use a staple remover to create an opening to slip the keys on. It is very effective and will keep you from getting frustrated.

¥ A great use for those old knee-high stockings (no runs!): Stuff with a mix of crystalized kitty litter and scent-boosting beads you can find in the laundry aisle. Stuff these in stinky shoes to freshen and deodorize. The litter wicks away moisture from sweaty feet and deodorizes, and the scent boosters last for a good long while.

¥ “Need a new look for a favorite sweater? Change out your buttons. It’s such a small thing, but makes a big change in look!” -- E.L. in Massachusetts

¥ Skunk run-in? Try this mix before you buy pricey de-stink shampoos at the pet store. Mix a quart of 3 percent peroxide, a teaspoon or two of dish soap, 1/4 cup of baking soda and quart of room-temp water. Apply to pet, and work deeply into the fur. Massage in for five minutes, and rinse thoroughly.

Send your tips. e-mail JoAnn at heresatip@yahoo.com.

(c) 2014 King Features Synd., Inc.

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▶ It was Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdos who made the following sage observation: “Problems worthy of attack prove their worth by fighting back.”

▶ Board games date back at least 5,000 years, when people were playing on a board that looks like an ancestor to backgammon.

▶ The next time you’re overwhelmed with emotion and find yourself passionately kissing your partner, you probably won’t remember that one word to describe what you’re doing is “deosculation.”

▶ It was in 1958 that the first stereo phonograph record went on sale.

▶ The soft drink 7-UP was originally called Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda -- and it contained lithium, which is now prescribed to treat manic depression. That ingredient (which continued to be part of the formula until the 1940s) probably helped spur the drink’s success, since 7-UP was introduced just before the Great Depression. The new name was derived from the size of the soda bottle (7 ounces) and “bottoms up,” which is presumably what many people did during the difficult years of the Depression.

▶ A man in Orange County, California, stole a diamond worth $25,000 and, despite being arrested for the crime, was able to smuggle it into prison with him by swallowing it. He then managed to hide the gem in a shower drain in hopes of retrieving and swallowing it again before his release. All that effort was in vain, however; prison guards found the diamond and returned it to the jewelry shop.

▶ If you’re using an average brand-new pencil, you’ll be able to draw a line about 35 miles long before running out of lead (though you’ll have to stop for sharpening breaks, of course).

***

Thought for the Day: “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” -- Thomas Henry Huxley

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