Game of Thrones has a Book Series!?

Well if you didn't know now you do. I didn't know, I haven't even seen one episode. But I have now read 6 out of seven books. You might be wondering how this happened? Well I mean it would be like reading books about Star Wars but not watching the movies, well ya...

Anyways it is really well written, so let me tell you a bit about the book and his writing.


He does something that you don't see very often, but he also does it really well. In the books he writes multiple characters, what makes this so good is that he can write each character completely different and he can do it so well, he can write the crying little child, then the cold blooded murder, then a sly, cheating,  fox. It makes it really surprising and also really tantalizing because he leaves each chapter on a cliff hanger, but you can't skip to the next chapter that they are in because you will miss some very important info to the plot. But he is not all perfect, he has a couple really obnoxious characters, which honestly I just skip them. But I mean that it only 3-5 out of his 20+ characters, and they don't appear often, so it's not that bad.


He's made a really nice mix of magic and normal life (back in the time of knights), he has it so magic is really unknown but it's still there, and there are a few that know how to do it but he doesn't focus on them.

The nice thing is, even though there is 7 books all at least 600 pages and most of the are over 800 pages, because there are all the different points of view, and with many different cultures it keeps the story fresh. Also he pulls a couple of rabbits out of hats (comes up with things out of the blue), but I mean they aren't supper ridiculous and they don't put horrible changes in the book, they're more for keeping you on your toes.


I won't tell you anything actually about the plot because, 1 two many things happen, and also I really enjoyed this series, and wouldn't want to ruin it for you.

Cool Science from Scishow

So I have watched a ridiculous amount of science shows that are about 10 minutes long each, but they are really cool. I specifically watch Scishow. These guys have even better/worse (depending if you think click bait is good) than me. Check them out at https://www.youtube.com/user/scishow/videos and you should subscribe because they come out with amazing facts daily (no I am not sponsored by Scishow :'(   ). By the way theses guys have videos on everything related to science.

Anyways I will tell some of the coolest things I have learned these past few days. (I may not say every fact that was in the episode)

1. Discoveries made by the Space Station
- Dark matter might actually exist, they might have seen proof but it's not confirmed.

2. Things astronauts can't do in space.
- They can't reproduce in space.
-No booze, just because it is sensible not to have drunk astronauts.
-No bread, because one astronaut smuggled a sandwich and when he took a bite it crumbled into really-fine dust, and that can ruin all the equipment.
-No laundry, ya because they don't have enough water to do that, astronauts will stay in same cloths for months, but they don't get smelly as quickly and their smell is dulled in space, so ya.

3. Bizarre uses for animal secretion
-Castoreum (beaver), used in perfume, and cigarettes.
-Civets (type of animal), make poop coffee.
-Bird nest soup, made by birds spitting to make nests, can go for $50 per bowl.
-Ambergris (whale), whale goo that whales use to expel hard objects, kid found 2.5 kilos of the stuff, it was sold for $63,000, whale poo for the win:)


4. Animals that do drugs
-Anting (birds), they get ants to crawl over them and bite them because the ant poo helps keep off bad bugs, but it also intoxicates them, making them drunk on ant poo.
"What vintage is that bro?"
"A nice 1973 leaf cutter pee poo mix"
"Nice"

5. Animals that harvest the sun
-Eastern emerald Elysia sea slug, they eat algae and they get the ability of harvesting the sun from the algae, so they now only need to eat two weeks of the year.
-Spotted Salamander, I don't really understand how it works but I'm sure that you could find the video.

Metal vs Bacteria
-Some metals kill bacteria by touch

Most Dangerous Substances
-Botulism (made from Ricin(other deadly poison)), one nanogram= 9,600 people dead, because it splits and multiplies into 4 really deadly poisons.
-Cyanide, really popular poison, also really fast working.

There is all lot more on youtube but this is some of the coolest things I've seen so far.


P.s.
If you aren't so much a biology person don't worry they do electronics too and other awesome stuff.


Thank you for reading.

Follow up

This is a follow up of my last blog, I thought I would do more research on the animals I did the Kingdom Phylum for, this contains most of them.

Enjoy!

p.s. 

If you want to see photos go my last blog. :)

Common Names	Prey/food	Predators	Habitat	Range	Cool Fact
Ghost Orchid	It uses its roots to collect the needed mineral.	Well it doesn’t precisely have a predator, just the way it evolved means that the seed can’t germinate without a special fungus. Also only one type on moth can pollinate it, this has led to it being endangered.	They like marshes where it’s humid and damp and they grow on trees.	Found mainly in Cuba and Florida.	There was too much text, so look below the chart.
Date Palm	Photosynthesis like all plants	Since this plant is being planted and harvested by humans, It has no predators.	It likes dry, warm, and frost free environments	We don’t really know where it’s native to, but it is thought that the date palm is native to North Africa and the Middle East, but today this commercially-important tree is also cultivated in western and southern Asia, including parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. It has also been introduced to the Canary Islands, the northern Mediterranean and southern United States.	Date palm seeds can go dormant for decades until the right light and water conditions are just right. Dates were probably cultivated about 8,000 years ago in present-day Iraq. Date palm trees need at least 100 days of 100ºF heat and plenty of water to produce the best quality fruit.
Homarus lobster	Lobsters like to eat crabs, clams, mussels, starfish, smaller fish, and sometimes even other lobsters.	At this stage they're vulnerable to lots of other ocean creatures. Cod are the lobster's primary enemy, followed by other fish that cruise the ocean floor for food. Tench, flounder, sculpin, wolffish, ocean pout, monkfish, eels, rock gunnels, dogfish and crabs are known to eat young lobsters when given the chance.	Lobsters prefer to make their homes in rocky areas where they can hide in the crevices from predators.	The lobsters that most people know from their dinner plates are the American and European clawed lobsters Homarus americanus and Homarus gammarus. These are cold water species that live on either sides of the northern Atlantic Ocean	A lobster does have teeth — but they are not in its mouth, they are in its stomach. The food is chewed in the stomach between by what look like three molars
Pacific Razor Clam	They eat plankton and other small organic matter.	Bears, racoons, walruses, birds, fish, and sea otters. In other words these guys picked on by every body.	They inhabit sandy beaches in the intertidal zone down to a maximum water depth of about 9m.	Range. Pacific razor clams can be found along the Pacific. From Alaska to California.	A single clam can filter up to 50 liters of water daily. One siphon intakes water, which passes through the gills.
Wolf Spider	Wolf Spiders have good eyesight compared to other spiders. The wolf spider can run fast and quickly pounce on its prey, and bite it with its powerful jaws. The Wolf Spider eats many kinds of small insects, including crickets, grasshoppersearwigs, flies, and ants.	A wide variety of insects, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians prey on the wolf spider; specific examples include coyotes, owls and certain species of wasps. Wolf spiders are also cannibalistic.	Wolf spiders live in all kinds of habitats, anywhere there are insects to eat. They seem to be most common in open habitats like grasslands, and are often found in farm fields and meadows. Most species stay on the ground, but a few climb up onto trees and other plants when hunting.	Wolf Spiders are found throughout Australia.	When the wolf spider eggs hatch they are still inside the Female, so the mother sacrifices her self so that the babies get enough food, imagine! You first meal being you mom.
Horseshoe Crab	Horseshoe crabs are mainly predators. They feed on small clams, crustaceans, and worms; however, they will also eat other animals and even algae.	Birds and many ocean animals eat horseshoe crab eggs and larvae. Their eggs are an important food source for at least 11 species of migratory shore birds, including the red knot, which relies strictly on horseshoe crab eggs for food during migration. Sea turtles also eat the eggs and larvae.	Adult horseshoe crabs feed deeper in the ocean until they return to the beach to spawn.	The horseshoe crab is found in the Atlantic Ocean along the North American coastline. They can be seen along the East and Gulf coasts of the United States and Mexico.	Because they have no mandibles or teeth, they crush hard food between their legs before passing it to their mouth.
Horse	A horse's favourite breakfast, lunch, and dinner is nothing other than good-green grass! In addition to grazing on pasture, horses also often eat things like hay, concentrates, and treats!	Predators of the horse include humans, mountain lions, wolves, coyotes and even bears.	The natural habitat of horses varies widely; they thrive in lush valleys, on mountainsides, desert plateaus and grassy plains.	Horses live in a variety of places and habitats, including Asia and North America. The only undomesticated wild horse, Przewalski's horse, is native to the Altai Mountains, plains, steppes and shrublands of Mongolia.	Horses only turn of half of there brain when they sleep standing up, this is so the other ones can lay down and get a full sleep but there are still horses watching for predators, literally half asleep. This is very common in mammals that live in the ocean
Moose	The moose eats large amounts of catkins and tall grasses living in the water. They even eat the leaves of water lilies	It is such a large herbivore, or plant-eating animal, that it only has two predators or natural enemies. Wolves often attack, kill and eat moose. But usually it takes many wolves to kill a moose. Grizzly bears will also hunt them if they are desperate enough.	The moose lives in forested areas where there is snow cover in the winter and nearby lakes, bogs, swamps, streams and ponds.	Moose live in the northern regions of North America, Europe and Asia.	Since they spend most of there time in marshes they are amazing swimmers.
Cat (House)	They love those crunchy and wet food, but if you’ve a more adventures feline they will eat small birds, mice, rats, and sometimes even small rabbits.	Coyotes, hawks, owls, raccoons, foxes, dogs and coyotes occasionally feed on domestic and feral cats.	A nice comfy place in front of the fire.	All over the world.	They have now created a cat that does not make people allergic. They took out that gene of the cat. Meaning people who once could not enjoy the warmth of a friendly feline now can.
Siberian Tiger (not so house)	Siberian tigers feed mainly on wild boar, elk and deer, but they also eat lynx and even bears. If the tiger cannot find larger prey it instead feeds on fish, rodents and rabbits. During normal conditions, around 50 percent of the tiger's diet will be of wild boar.	Sadly the only predator is humans that hunt them for their pelts.	The typical Siberian tiger habitat is the Russian woodlands where scrub oak, birch and coniferous trees dominate the landscape.	Earlier, Siberian tigers could be found in Russia, China and Korea. The Primorski Krai region in eastern Russia is especially rich in Siberian tigers, but they are rare even there.	Tigers can easily jump over 5 meters in length. Also none of their toes have the same type of fingerprint.
Platypus	The platypus is a carnivore: it feeds on annelid worms, insect larvae, freshwater shrimp, and freshwater yabby that it digs out of the riverbed with its snout or catches while swimming	Fox, Snakes, and Crocodiles hunt are Frankenstein of an animal.	Across the continent of their natural habitat, the platypus mostly lives in freshwater lakes, rivers, lagoons, farm dams, and streams. Most platypuses are found in bodies of water that have earth banks with roots, overhanging vegetation, reeds, and logs to be more suitable for constructing their burrows.	Platypuses live only in the eastern parts of Australia. There are no populations elsewhere in the world	It uses cheek-pouches to carry prey to the surface, where it is eaten. Oh and encase you’re from another planet or live in a pile of dirt, platypuses our one of 5 species of mammals that lay eggs.
Australian Kangaroo Mouse	Both species of kangaroo mouse live in sandy desert ecosystems, and forage for seeds and vegetation amongst the scrub brush of their native habitat. The dark kangaroo mouse is also known to feed occasionally on insects and carrion. The mouse rarely drinks water, instead deriving it metabolically from the foods it eats.	Humans are their biggest threat, because the largest loss of habitat is due to human activity. Livestock grazing, which has occurred since the 1860s, destroys large areas of land. Agricultural growth, especially large areas being planted in alfalfa, has taken much of their habitat. Wildfires and invasive plants are also considerations. Predators of kangaroo mice are kit foxes, snakes, owls and badgers.	Both species of kangaroo mouse live in sandy desert.	Australia	It can loose its skin completely when a predator try’s to catch it, leaving a gaping wound (it regrows in 2-3 days), like a lizard loosing its tail.
Kodiak Bear	Fish Lover's Diet. Fish, far and away, is the optimal prey animal for Kodiak bears. Pacific salmon specifically is favourite meat, although it's only accessible to them during the springtime. When these bears eat the calorie-rich fish, they are especially fond of not only the flesh, but also the eggs and brains.	Humans.	On the terrain of wherever they live.	The Kodiak bear known as the Kodiak brown bear, sometimes the Alaskan brown bear inhabits the islands of the Kodiak Archipelago in southwest Alaska.	Kodiak brown bears are a unique subspecies of the brown bear. They are the largest of all bears in stature, but polar bears can be heavier. The male grows larger than the female, rising up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) high on all fours and reaching up to 3 meters (10 feet) high when standing on two legs. If threatened, a charging brown bear can reach a speed of 48 kilometers (30 miles) per hour. Brown bears are omnivorous and depend upon their keen sense of smell, more than their hearing or sight, to locate food or inspect their surroundings. They hibernate during the coldest months, emerging again in spring.

The Ghost Orchid Cool FACT

This orchid is exceptional among the monocots, in that it consists of a greatly reduced stem and its leaves have been reduced to scales. The flat, cord-like green roots constitute the bulk of the mature plant. They bear distinctive white "track marks", for which the technical term is pneumatodes and are believed to function partly like stomata, enabling the photosynthetic roots to perform the gas exchange necessary for respiration and photosynthesis. Chloroplasts in these flattened roots perform practically all the plant's photosynthesis. Their outer layer is an example of the velamen typical of most epiphytic orchids. Its functions include the absorption of nutrients and water, and admission of light for photosynthesis.

(I quoted this part from the wiki, because I can’t say it any better.)

Thank you Wiki making this possible.