Life in a lake can be challenging at the best of times‚ but with winter comes another hurdle – ice. With the surface of lakes freezing over‚ light and oxygen suddenly become a lot more limited. That could be a potential threat‚ but thankfully‚ lake-dwelling organisms have come up some cool ways to survive.Metabolic changesFish‚ as it turns out‚ are a bit like us when it comes to the winter months; they get less active. That’s because they’re cold-blooded (not like us)‚ meaning their metabolism slows right down when the lake’s temperature gets cooler.They’re also helped out by the layer of ice on the surface providing some insulation. The resulting relatively warmer water below the ice is dense and so sinks to the bottom of the lake‚ where fish then cozy up together and chill out for winter. Certain species‚ such as koi and gobies‚ have the ability to embed themselves in soft sediments and enter a state of dormancy. During this time‚ their heart rate lowers‚ they don’t need as much food and oxygen‚ and they don’t move about much. Plenty of other creatures outside of water use similar tricks to survive winter‚ too. It’s why you should probably take a helmet with you if you go to Florida in the cooler months‚ just in case of sleepy‚ falling iguanas.Built-in antifreezeYou’ll find a lot more than fish in a frozen-over lake and arguably‚ it’s the resident insects who have the coolest methods for surviving the bitter temperatures.Some insects have a type of antifreeze in their cells. Like nature’s equivalent to the strong-smelling canned stuff you spray on your windscreen‚ this cryoprotective substance is made from specialized carbohydrates that lower the freezing point of their bodily fluids. This stops ice crystals from forming‚ which might otherwise cause the insect’s cells to burst‚ leading to fatal damage.Other insects‚ however‚ just suck it up when it comes to freezing and have adapted to let the ice crystals do their thing. Lake-dwelling insects such as dragonfly larvae and waterboatmen produce proteins that help to control the freezing process‚ known as ice nucleators. This helps to stop the ice crystals from damaging their cells by essentially freeze-drying them.Do lakes need to freeze over?For a decent number of lakes‚ freezing over is all part of a bigger‚ crucial process. Known as lake turnover‚ the water in the lake literally turns over from top to bottom‚ with the surface layer being hottest in the summer and coldest in the winter. This process is important for the distribution of oxygen throughout the lake’s waters‚ allowing for respiration to occur and thus‚ organisms to survive.This is why it’s also important for lakes to melt and continue the turnover process. Once sealed off by ice‚ the situation becomes something akin to a plot point found in many a clichéd survival movie – there’s suddenly a finite amount of oxygen and it gradually depletes.Lakes might have phytoplankton (albeit at lower levels during winter)‚ which would normally take carbon dioxide and produce oxygen via photosynthesis‚ but that requires light‚ which is also in pretty short supply. If the lake stays frozen over for too long‚ organisms will start to die from a lack of oxygen – even if they’ve adapted to use less of it‚ like fish‚ they still need some amount to live.Lack of oxygen can also occasionally lead to “winterkill” in smaller frozen-over lakes. As plant life dies off‚ what little oxygen is left can lead to decomposition‚ decreasing oxygen even further in the process and consequently‚ killing off even more organisms.With climate warming‚ that might not be a problem – many lakes are melting earlier than ever and some are not freezing over at all. That might sound like a positive for lake residents‚ but it may well disrupt the delicately balanced turnover process and in turn‚ the oxygen and nutrients they need to survive.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.  

Cars are generally a convenient way to get us from A to B‚ but unfortunately‚ they’re also no stranger to going wrong from time to time. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell what the problem is‚ but there can be clues to look out for. One of these is white smoke coming from the exhaust – but what does it mean? Time mattersThe first step to deciphering white exhaust smoke is taking note of how long it lasts. If it only pops up for a short while after starting up and the weather also happens to be wet‚ what you’re probably seeing is evaporation as the result of the car warming up.However‚ if white smoke continues to come out of the exhaust‚ this is generally a sign that coolant is leaking into the car’s engine. That’s not great news‚ as coolant helps to stop your engine from overheating and eventually‚ packing up. And if coolant is leaking‚ that can be indicative of a bigger issue; it’s important to find out what’s causing the leak in case that could cause other problems. It’s like one big‚ inconvenient‚ and potentially quite expensive‚ puzzle.Blown gasketCoolant leaking can sometimes be the result of a failed or “blown” head gasket. Found between the cylinder head at the top of the engine and the block‚ this is the part of a car that stops coolant and oil from mixing together.The head gasket can get damaged due to overheating‚ or sometimes due to sudden amounts of high pressure. This breaks the seal between oil and coolant and abracadabra – you’ve got white smoke.Cracked cylinder head or blockRemember those other parts of the engine we mentioned‚ the cylinder head and the block (the main part of the engine)? Well‚ those are important in keeping coolant out of the engine too. Even if there’s not a problem with the gasket‚ the cylinder head is sealed in place with it‚ so if it’s cracked or deformed in anyway‚ that can also lead to leakage issues. Similarly‚ the main engine block holds all of the major parts of an engine together‚ so if there’s damage to it‚ coolant may be able to escape from somewhere and run riot.All that being said‚ this information is just an indicator of what the issue could be. There are many different possibilities; leaky radiator caps or damaged radiator hoses can also create problems. It’s best to get an official diagnosis from a professional in order to get a car running both smoothly and safely once again.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.

Yvette Fielding is a well-known TV presenter and paranormal enthusiast who has been hosting the popular British show Most Haunted for over 20 years. The show features Fielding and her team of investigators exploring some of the most haunted locations in the UK and beyond‚ using various methods and equipment to communicate with the spirits. But before she became a seasoned ghost hunter‚ Fielding had her first encounter with the paranormal at a very unlikely place: the restrooms of a theater. In a recent interview on This Morning‚ Fielding shared her story with hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary‚ who were both fascinated and terrified by her tale. Fielding explained that she was visiting the Theater Royal‚ Drury Lane‚ which is one of the oldest and most haunted theaters in London. According to legend‚ the theater is home to several ghosts‚ including a man in gray‚ Joseph Grimaldi‚ and a mysterious figure known as the “Man in Black”. Fielding said that she was walking down the corridor with two other women when they saw something that made them stop in their tracks. “It wasn’t a full ghost‚ it was a pair of legs‚ just a pair of legs!” she exclaimed. She described the legs as wearing over-the-knee leather boots and walking slowly up the main staircase. She said that all three of them saw the same thing and ran away as fast as they could. “Three of us were walking down the corridor and we all stopped because coming up the main staircase were a pair of legs with over-the-knee leather boots‚ walking almost in slow motion up the stairs.” “All three of us saw it at the same time‚ turned and ran.” Fielding said it was far from the most disturbing thing she experienced during the investigation. “I’ve had so many but once we did an investigation into a terraced house in Leeds‚” she said. “A carving knife went missing the night we were there and we found it embedded in a cushion in the dark. We felt objects being thrown towards us – there was no breeze at all in the house.” “It turned out that the house was built over the ruins of a monastery. The nasty entity that had plagued this house was a monk – but not a nice one.” The post Yvette Fielding reveals her first ghost sighting at a haunted theater appeared first on Anomalien.com.

The goal of crisis management is not de-escalation at any price‚ but de-escalation that suits American and allied interests. The U.S. needs a better strategy.

That’s why the interpretation of the D.C. Circuit’s order as complicity in a politicized rush to judgment is mistaken.

How normal‚ rational adults become lunatics‚ right around this time of year.

Hong Kong leaders now shill for Beijing‚ planning an even tougher National Security Law.

The president weakens America for a chance at reelection.

All courtesy of the first-rate Utah Museum of Fine Arts.