The Daily Croissant

"The nature of farming is forever changed.  

Farming is a practice that by it’s own nature unites humans, technology and animals in productive combinations. Hybrids and various mutant bio-mechanical mixtures—Caterpillar combines, John Deere tractors, etc.—began transforming the rural landscape of America beginning in the early 20th century by subjugating the pastoral ideal to the ingenuity of human invention. From utilitarian machinery, to show piece display, both farm animals and machines express a range of complex personalities. Which poses the question: can these overlaps and mutable identities expand to contend with the various crises the farm industry is facing today?

Farmland World is a chain of agro-tourist resorts sprinkled across the American Midwestern countryside. Part theme park and part working farm, guests arrive to the resort via train and stay as part of 1-day, 3-day or 5-day experience packages. Capitalizing on both recent investments in high-speed rail infrastructure and the plentiful subsidies for farming, the network of resorts combines crowd-sourced farm labor with eco-tainment. Guests perform daily chores as self-imposed distractions from the toil of their daily lives. Among the countless activities offered, guests can choose to ride the Animal Farmatures, the dual natured farm implements that complete traditional farm tasks while performing grand rural-techno spectacles. When its time to leave for home, guests climb back into the train, weary and satisfied from their labors as they marvel at the passing landscape they helped transform."

"After monsoon season, usually in September and October and only occurring on dark moonless nights, 44 species of bird in Jatinga suddenly become disturbed between the hours of 6-9:30pm. Strangely becoming disoriented, the birds plunge toward the torches and lights of the cities.  

While birds have been known to occasionally plunge to their deaths (though almost certainly not intentionally), usually it is the villagers in Jatinga who do the actual killing. Believing the birds to be "spirits flying from the sky to terrorize them" the villagers took to capturing them with bamboo poles and beating the birds to death.

Despite the danger and the repeat performances every year, the birds continue to fly to their death in this small area of 1500 by 200 meters. A number of theories have been proposed, one suggesting that a combination of high altitude, high winds, and fog leads disorients the birds and they are attracted to the light of the village (bright light itself has been known to disorient birds) as a source of flight stabilization. Another theory suggests that the weather of the region leads to "changes in the magnetic qualities of the underground water" causing the birds disoriented state."

"Student loans are one of the biggest problems facing our country at the moment. Thousands of students attend university and even if they drop out, students still end up with mountains of debt. This debt can follow them throughout their life.  

Today’s infographic says 85% of today’s college graduates will move back in with their parents after school. I know my parents would love seeing my face more around the house, although they would probably prefer I get a job after college. If only higher education didn’t cost as much.

Prices have been rising for colleges all over the country while performance has declined. One in three students will not learn any critical reasoning or thinking skills during their first two years of university. This statistic has me baffled. I learned quite a lot my first two years at college. I suppose some students don’t put forth the effort to learn." [Higher Education Bubble]  

LRO Camera Team Releases High Resolution Global Topographic Map of Moon

"The science team that oversees the imaging system on board NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has released the highest resolution near-global topographic map of the moon ever created.  

This new topographic map, from Arizona State University in Tempe, shows the surface shape and features over nearly the entire moon with a pixel scale close to 100 meters (328 feet). A single measure of elevation (one pixel) is about the size of two football fields placed side-by-side."

Red-Backed Salamander

Photograph by George Grall

The red-backed salamander—which gets its name from the red stripe that often appears along the length of its back—is unusual among salamanders in that it spends its life on land and, having no lungs, breathes through its skin.