William Wrigley, Jr. sold soaps in 1891, offering baking powder as incentive to buyers. The baking powder proved to be more popular, so he started selling it, offering gum as incentive. But the gum proved to be even more popular, so he started selling them. In 1893, Juicy Fruit debuted. 10
Matthew McConaughey’s brother, Rooster McConaughey…
Matthew McConaughey’s brother, Rooster McConaughey, named his son Miller Lyte and in return was gifted a years supply of beer for his life long commitment to the brand. 10
How Do Scientists Measure the Speed of Light?
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iStock
How do scientists measure the speed of light?
We don’t.
No, seriously, we don’t measure the speed of light (which always refers to the speed in a vacuum). We know exactly what the speed of light is.
It is: c = 299,792,458 meters per second.
And that is absolutely 100 percent accurate, with no measurement errors. The reason we know that that’s exactly the speed of light is that we defined it to be that number.
We then take our definition of a second (the length of time for a certain number of periods of the radiation emitted in hyperfine transitions in caesium-133), and from that we define a meter. So the thing we would be measuring is what a meter is.
We use the speed of light as a fixed velocity, from which all observers can define their own length scale.
To measure the speed of light would require an external definition of what a meter is—and since about the 1970s, we don’t have one.
And if you did want to measure the speed of light using this external distance reference, it’s easy to test: You just release a light pulse at t=0 toward a mirror and then time how long it takes to get back to you. This is the exact principle that radar and sonar work on (although again, they measure the distance knowing the speed—but it works either way round).
Some background:
The meter was originally defined after the French Revolution, in about 1799. It was defined as 1⁄10,000,000 the distance between the equator and the pole.
The “meter” was formally defined from 1889 as the length of a platinum rod, held in a vault in Paris.
From this definition of a meter (and an old definition of a second), we measured (using the mirror-timing method, or based on astronomical observations) the speed of light to be about 299792458, plus a non-integer bit, and error bars from the measurement errors.
Eventually, we realized that having a meter defined by something there was only one of was a bit annoying. So, we attempted to define it in a way that anyone could replicate—without having to refer to a “standard object.”
Therefore, we redefined the meter—using the speed of light.
The official definition of a meter today is: 1⁄299792458 of the distance traveled by light in a vacuum in one second, using the caesium definition of a second.
Therefore, this was exactly equivalent to defining the speed of light to be the number given above.
We chose that number (and not a more convenient number like 300,000,000), because that number changed the definition of a meter by only a fraction of a fraction of a percent—but made everything all nice and integer-y.
A consequence of using this definition is that any attempt to measure the speed of light is cyclical—you must use a “meter” to measure it at some point—which relies on the speed of light.
Therefore what you actually do now, when you “measure” the speed of light (in a vacuum), is actually “measure how accurate your measuring instruments are.”
This post originally appeared on Quora. Click here to view.
November 25, 2016 – 10:00am
The Best Black Friday Deals Around the Web
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iStock
Amazon isn’t the only store running great online Black Friday sales. We’ve scoured the Web for the other great bargains you need to know about.
Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers and may receive a small percentage of any sale. But we only get commission on items you buy and don’t return, so we’re only happy if you’re happy. Good luck deal hunting!
Aerie.com
Get a Free Cable Blanket with Any $75+ Order
American Eagle
All Flannels and Sweaters Are $25
Banana Republic
Take 50% Off Five Regular-Price Items With Code BRFIVE
Barnes & Noble
Take 30% Off Any One Item with Code BNBFRIDAY16
Bass Pro Shops
Free Shipping on All Orders, No Minimum Needed
Brooks Brothers
Men’s and Women’s Shirts, Four for $199
Chico’s
Get 40% Off Your Order, Plus Free Shipping with Code 75099
Claire’s
Eddie Bauer
Take 40% Off Your Entire Order with Code HARVEST
Forever 21
Take an Extra 30% Off Sale Items and Get Free Shipping with Code EXTRA30
Gap
Take 50% Off Everything With Code TGIF50
J. Crew
Take 40% Off Your Purchase with Code HOLIDAY
Macys.com
Take an Extra 20% Off Your Order with Code THANKS
ModCloth
Take 20% Off Your Order with Code FRIDAY20 or 30% Off Your Order of $100 or More with Code FRIDAY30
Old Navy
50% Off Everything-ish Storewide, No Code Needed
ThinkGeek
Free Build on Brick Holiday Wreath With Any $50+ Order and Code EVERGREEN
Urban Outfitters
November 25, 2016 – 8:45am
Here Are Amazon’s Best Black Friday Deals
Image credit:
amazon / istock
Black Friday is here, and Amazon is celebrating with deals you can grab from the comfort of your own home. If you’re not in the mood to stand in line and jockey for position at the local mall, here are the best deals we could find at the world’s biggest store.
Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers, including Amazon, and may receive a small percentage of any sale. But we only get commission on items you buy and don’t return, so we’re only happy if you’re happy. Good luck deal hunting!
GADGETS
Amazon is deeply discounting its devices, including the Echo, Tap, Fire tablets, Fire TV, and more. If you’ve been thinking of grabbing the do-it-all Echo or a powerful, inexpensive Fire tablet, they’re a steal today.
Amazon Echo – Black for $139.99 (list price $179.99)
Amazon Tap – Alexa-Enabled Portable Bluetooth Speaker for $89.99 (list price $129.99)
Fire Tablet, 7″ Display, Wi-Fi, 8 GB – Includes Special Offers, Black for $33.33 (list price $49.99)
All-New Echo Dot (2nd Generation) – Black for $39.99 (list price $49.99)
Amazon Fire TV | Streaming Media Player for $74.99 (list price $89.99)
Amazon Fire TV Gaming Edition | Streaming Media Player for $114.99 (list price $129.99)
Other great gadget deals:
Gerber Artifact Keychain Tool [22-41770] for $9.55 (list price $14.86)
Sennheiser HD 598 Cs Closed Back Headphone for $99.95 (list price $249.95)
GoPro HERO for $89.99 (list price $129.99)
Xbox One S 1TB Console – Battlefield 1 Special Edition Bundle for $299.99 (list price $349.99)
Celestron 21061 AstroMaster 70AZ Refractor Telescope for $83.99 (list price $149.95)
TCL 32S3800 32-Inch 720p Roku Smart LED TV (2015 Model) for $125.00 (list price $289.99)
Nest Learning Thermostat, 3rd Generation, Works with Amazon Alexa for $199.00 (list price $249.00)
Fujfilm Instax Mini 26 + Rainbow Film Bundle – Blue/White for $49.99 (list price $69.99)
Bose Solo 15 Series II TV Sound System for $299.00 (list price $449.00)
Citizen Men’s BL5250-02L Titanium Eco-Drive Watch with Leather Band for $159.99 (list price $415.00)
FASHION
KITCHEN
Whatever your culinary plans for the rest of the holiday season, Amazon has you covered with deep discounts on cookware, serveware, and everything else you’re going to need. You won’t regret grabbing one of these deals on a KitchenAid mixer.
KitchenAid KP26M1XER 6 Qt. Professional 600 Series – Empire Red for $327.99 (list price $569.99)
Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup Carafe Coffee Brewer, Stainless Steel for $127.47 (list price $189.99)
Lodge L8SK3 Cast Iron Skillet, Pre-Seasoned, 10.25-inch for $15.92 (list price $26.68)
Lodge L8SGP3 Cast Iron Square Grill Pan, Pre-Seasoned, 10.5-inch for $19.97 (list price $32.99)
Lodge Manufacturing Company Cast Iron Care Kit for $27.25 (list price $29.95)
Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Signature 7-Piece Knife Block Set for $149.95 (list price $276.00)
Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill for $38.54 (list price $90.00)
Presto 04820 PopLite Hot Air Popper for $19.24 (list price $29.99)
RTIC’s 30-ounce insulated tumblers are one of our readers’ most frequently purchased products. They keep your cold drinks cold and your hot drinks hot, and they’re much more economical than their Yeti counterparts. Amazon’s keeping the price under $12, a real bargain:
RTIC 30 oz. Tumbler for $11.99 (list price $59.95)
West Bend 77203 Electric Can Opener, Metallic for $21.11 (list price $45.99)
Breville BJE510XL Juice Fountain Multi-Speed 900-Watt Juicer for $125.95 (list price $199.99)
PRIME PANTRY
Spend $60, Save $6, Plus Take 20% or More Off Select Pantry Items
HOME
Car seats and strollers are mind-bogglingly expensive. Luckily, Amazon is knocking up to 40% off select Britax models of both.
Britax 2016 B-Agile/B-Safe 35 Travel System, Black for $349.00 (list price $439.99)
Britax Pioneer Combination Harness-2-Booster Car Seat – Domino for $184.00 (list price $229.99)
BOB 2016 Revolution FLEX Stroller, Black for $399.99 (list price $499.99)
OTHER GREAT HOME DEALS
Oreck Commercial XL2100RHS 8 Pound Commercial Upright Vacuum, Blue for $130.00 (list price $299.00)
Kurt Adler Doctor Who Tardis Figural Ornament (Glass) for $8.49 (list price $16.50)
Household Essentials Folding Tall Wooden Clothes Drying Rack, Bamboo for $33.99 (list price $39.99)
HEALTH AND BEAUTY
Keeping your teeth gleaming just got cheaper. Amazon is running huge coupon deals on some of its most popular oral care products. Today is the day to upgrade to an electric toothbrush!
Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser, WP-660 for $52.99 (list price $79.99)
OUTDOORS, GARDEN, AND SPORTS
Fans of the outdoors know that you can never have too many flashlights. Amazon’s marking some great Streamlight and Coast models way down today, so it’s the perfect time to upgrade your gear.
Streamlight 44911 Waypoint Spotlight with 120-Volt AC Charger, Black for $86.53 (list price $204.00)
Coast HL7 Focusing 285 Lumen LED Headlamp for $31.60 (list price $58.30)
Coast G20 LED Inspection Beam Flashlight for $8.80 (list price $18.00)
Looking to upgrade your pack? Amazon’s running some awesome markdowns on Osprey, CamelBak, and other top brands:
CamelBak Circuit Hydration Vest, Electric Blue/Lime Punch for $62.99 (list price $85.00)
CamelBak Quick Grip Chill 21 oz Backpack Black One Size for $20.99 (list price $28.00)
Timbuk2 Parkside Laptop Backpack, Midway, One Size for $51.75 (list price $69.00)
Osprey Porter Travel Backpack Bag, Black, 46-Liter for $97.26 (list price $130.00)
Osprey Men’s Atmos AG 65 Backpack, Graphite Grey, Medium for $194.95 (list price $260.00)
Osprey Packs Women’s Tempest 20 Backpack, Stormcloud Grey for $69.96 (list price $100.00)
Looking for a way to stay toasty warm in the great outdoors? Amazon’s knocking an extra 20% off select Zippo products, too.
Zippo Emergency Fire Starter, Orange Plastic for $9.95 (list price $9.95)
Zippo 12-Hour Hand Warmer, Black Matte for $17.17 (list price $21.95)
Zippo Rugged Lantern for $60.91 (list price $89.95)
You can never have too many good knives and multi-tools, either. Amazon’s knocking the prices on select Gerber and SOG models way down:
Gerber Covert Knife, Serrated Edge, Black [22-01966] for $38.50 (list price $90.00)
Gerber Fast Draw Knife, Assisted Opening, Fine Edge [22-47162] for $23.36 (list price $49.70)
Gerber Dime Multi-Tool, Green [31-001132] for $12.25 (list price $27.50)
Gerber Bear Grylls Survival Hatchet [31-002070] for $22.80 (list price $48.00)
Gerber MP400 Compact Sport Multi-Plier, Black [22-45509] for $40.94 (list price $76.32)
Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Kit [31-000701] for $27.47 (list price $67.50)
Other sports and outdoors bargains:
Wilson 75 Tennis Ball Pick Up Hopper for $18.00 (list price $49.99)
ELECTRONICS
Amazon is slashing the prices on its full line of Kindle E-readers. Certified refurbished models that come with the same limited warranty as new Kindles are an even better deal.
The only thing better than a new TV is a new TV that comes with a free $100 Amazon gift card. Amazon’s bundling a gift card in with this popular 55-inch curved Samsung smart TV.
Other electronics bargains:
Roku Streaming Stick (3600R) (2016 Model) for $34.99 (list price $49.99)
TOOLS
If you’ve been meaning to upgrade your power or hand tools or have a DIY master on your shopping list, Amazon is running a handful of great instant-discount deals on top brands like Bosch, DEWALT, Makita, and PORTER-CABLE. The discounts will be applied automatically at checkout. There are hundreds of items in these deals, so whatever tool you need, it’s probably in there!
Take $25 Off $100 Orders of Select Makita Tools
Take $25 Off $100 DEWALT Orders of Select Tools
Take $25 Off $100 Select Bosch Tool Orders
Spend $50 on Black + Decker, Get $10 Off
Spend $50 on Stanley Tools, Get $10 Off
Irwin 218HP300 12-Inch Combi-Saw with Wood Cutting and Hacksaw Blades for $9.50 (list price $16.73)
IRWIN VISE-GRIP North American Lineman’s Pliers, 9-1/2″, 2078209 for $11.00 (list price $22.10)
IRWIN Tools Folding Utility Knife (2089100) for $9.40 (list price $18.34)
Streamlight 73001 Nano Light Miniature Keychain LED Flashlight, Black for $6.79 (list price $9.99)
J5 V1-PRO 300 lm Tactical Flashlight for $12.95 (list price $29.95)
Stanley 68-010 Multibit Ratcheting Screwdriver with 10 Assorted Bits for $9.26 (list price $20.12)
Stanley 16-150 150 Series Short Blade 3-Piece Wood Chisel Set for $8.94 (list price $14.50)
3M Indoor Window Insulator Kit for 5 Windows for $11.39 (list price $22.54)
3M Interior Transparent Weather Sealing Tape, 1.5-Inch by 10-Yard for $3.49 (list price $6.29)
November 25, 2016 – 8:40am
Amazon Product Id:
B0131RG6VK
When Should You Call 911?
Image credit:
iStock
You learn at a very young age that you should call 911 in an emergency. And, according to the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), people in the U.S. make approximately 240 million 911 calls every year. But not all those calls warrant emergency attention from police, fire department, or paramedics. So what, exactly, constitutes an emergency?
Only call 911 if a person or property is in immediate danger. A serious medical emergency warrants a 911 call, so don’t hesitate if you witness a heart attack, stroke, anaphylaxis, broken limbs, choking, drug overdose, drowning, a psychotic episode, or uncontrolled bleeding. If you see smoke or flames, witness a crime being committed, or see a car accident in which someone has serious injuries, call 911. And note that most states are still not equipped to process texts to 911, so stick to using a landline (so the dispatcher has access to your location) or, if you can’t access one, a cell phone.
According to TQ Gaskins, the lead dispatcher at a college police department in Southern California, you should only call 911 to get help for an immediate threat. “If you are at home and hear someone in your house, this is the time to call 911. If you come home and find someone broke into your home while you were away, then you should call the non-emergency line,” she says. “911 lines really need to remain open for people dealing with life-threatening or potentially volatile situations.”
According to Gaskins, most people aren’t aware that every agency has a non-emergency or business line. Go online to your city’s government website to find the non-emergency phone numbers of your local police, fire, and information services, and save them in your phone.
Don’t call 911 to file a noise complaint, report a traffic accident without injuries, or notify the police that your car was stolen. To report a missing person, call your local non-emergency phone number rather than 911, unless the missing person is a child, elderly, or has developmental disabilities. (And it probably goes without saying, but don’t call 911 to ask about weather conditions, parking restrictions, or when your electricity will come back.)
Still not sure if your situation warrants a call to 911? If you’re ever in doubt, err on the side of caution and place the call, then follow the dispatcher’s instructions.
November 25, 2016 – 8:00am
5 Questions: Black Friday
| Questions: | 5 |
| Available: | Always |
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| Backwards navigation: | Forbidden |
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Friday, November 25, 2016 – 01:45
Schedule Publish:
11 Gifts for the Beer Geek in Your Life
Image credit:
Uncommon Goods
The beer lover in your life doesn’t need another hilarious “Will Work for Beer” t-shirt this year. Instead, try one of these options.
1. 99 BOTTLES OF BEER ON THE WALL SCRATCH-OFF; $35
It can be hard to find tasteful home décor that reflects a love of beer, and it can be just as tough to keep track of the brews you’ve tried. This print from Pop Chart Lab cleverly solves both issues by featuring 99 lauded beers—from American classics like Three Floyds’ Zombie Dust to European stalwarts like Drie Fonteinen’s Oude Geuze—in a scratch-off format. When your brew-loving buddy tries a new beer, he or she can scratch it off to track their progress. It’s like an instant lottery game, except they win every time.
Find It: Pop Chart Lab
2. UKEG 64 PRESSURIZED GROWLER; $139
Growlers offer a great way to bring home a beer that doesn’t make its way into cans or bottles, but they’re not perfect. Unless you plan to drink all 64 ounces in a single sitting, you’re likely to end up with flat beer. Present a solution: The uKeg 64 Pressurized Growler uses a CO2 cartridge to ensure that the last pour from this growler is as lively as the first, and its custom tap makes it easy to pour one out.
Find It: Amazon
3. THE OXFORD COMPANION TO BEER; $43
Beer lovers can be a little obsessive about their passion, and if you’re shopping for someone who’s thirsty for knowledge, there’s no better place to start than this comprehensive reference. Edited by Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver, the Oxford Companion crams an incredible amount of information about beer culture, history, styles, brewing methodologies, and more into 900 pages. Even the most well-versed know-it-all will learn something from this text. And if you’re shopping for a beer-loving foodie, Oliver’s classic The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food makes an excellent gift, too.
Find It: Amazon
4. BEER CAP MAP OF THE UNITED STATES; $35
Brewers keep making more intricate and beautiful bottle caps, and it’s a shame to just chuck that art into the trash each time you pop a bottle. If your giftee is trying to drink their way through all 50 states, this fun wooden map helps them keep track of progress while preserving standout caps.
Find It: Uncommon Goods
5. LIBBEY CRAFT BREW SAMPLER CLEAR BEER GLASS SET; $25
Pouring a beer into a glass enhances the whole sensory experience each sip offers. By allowing the user to better see and smell what they’re drinking, the glass is a valuable aid in fully enjoying each brew. And since different shapes of glasses suit different styles of beer, a beer geek’s glassware collection can never be too large. While there’s a dizzying variety of cool brewery-branded glassware on the market, this six-piece set from Libbey covers all the bases and enables your favorite beer geek to sip everything from dense Russian imperial stouts to refreshing German hefeweizens. Plus, at just $25, it’s a steal.
Find It: Amazon
6. BROOKLYN BREW SHOP BEER MAKING KIT; $38
With a little know-how and the right recipe, home brewers can make beers that rival the offerings of their commercial counterparts. If someone on your list wants to dip their toe into the home brewing waters, Brooklyn Brew Shop offers kits that come with almost everything they’ll need to make a gallon of beer. With styles ranging from Everyday IPA to Chocolate Maple Porter to Jalapeno Saison, there’s something for everyone.
Find It: Amazon
7. BEER SOAP; $10
For a number of reasons, it can be hard to enjoy a delicious, hoppy IPA whenever you want one. Enter the next best thing: catching a pleasant whiff of brew. Swag Brewery craft soaps made with real beer. Available in nine varieties—including oatmeal stout, IPA, and Belgian witbier—these soaps will finally give you even more reason to wash your hands.
Find It: Amazon
8. DAS CAN-IN-STEIN; $10
Drinking from a pewter tankard is a great way to add a colonial-grog-house vibe to an evening, but it’s not always practical. Das Can-In-Stein changes that. Your loved one just needs to slip their favorite 12-ounce can into the frame and enjoy.
Find It: Amazon
9. BEER CARRYING BRIEFCASE; $40
Traveling with a six-pack can be tricky. You want to be inconspicuous, but you’ve got that bulky shape and bottles inevitably jingling together conspiring to blow your cover. Help a brew-loving buddy out. This padded briefcase securely holds a six-pack of standard 12-ounce bottles, enabling them to safely transport suds from point A to point B—all while feeling just a little bit like a secret agent.
Find It: Uncommon Goods
10. WESTMARK GERMAN HERMETUS RESEALER BOTTLE OPENER; $6
Downing an entire 22-ounce bomber of a boozy imperial stout or double IPA in a single sitting can be a delicious but questionable decision. With Westmark’s clever bottle opener, saving part of the bottle for the next day is a little easier. The Hermetus opener pops caps like normal, but once your giftee is ready to call it quits, it slides across the top of the bottle to form a tight, bubble-preserving seal.
Find It: Amazon
11. BEER; PRICE VARIES
Don’t overthink this. If you’re shopping for a beer lover, you can’t go wrong picking up a six-pack or growler as part of the gift. Free beer is the best beer, and you might get your recipient something they would have overlooked on their own shopping trips. If you’re traveling for the holidays, you’re sure to put a smile on a beer lover’s face by bringing them a local offering they can’t normally get their hands on. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a holiday gift pack that throws in a free glass with a few bottles.
Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers and may receive a small percentage on any purchase you make. But we only get commission on items you buy and don’t return, so we’re only happy if you’re happy. Thanks for helping us pay the bills!
November 25, 2016 – 6:00am
Morning Cup of Links: OK Go’s Newest Video Innovation
Image credit:
OK Go via YouTube
OK Go’s Latest Music Video Was Shot In 4.2 Seconds. They were very well planned and exquisitely recorded seconds.
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The new movie Moana is a Sweet and Soulful Charmer. This Disney film makes full use of the talents behind it.
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Spending Money on Experiences, Not Things, Increases Gratitude and Altruism. That’s in addition to experiences making us happier.
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8 Great D.B. Cooper Pop Culture Moments. Since the skyjacker was never found, he could pop up anywhere.
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Veterinarian Drives 900 Miles To Help Horses Injured At Standing Rock. Charmian Wright treated some injuries and contributed lessons in equine health.
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Every Single James Bond Movie, Ranked. Your opinion may vary, of course.
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A Brief History of Black Friday. Making Christmas shopping a competitive sport for over 100 years.
November 25, 2016 – 5:00am
Why Yellow Woodpeckers Are Turning Red
This yellow-shafted flicker looks a bit pinkish in this photo by the USGS’s Scott Somershoe via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain
Northern flicker woodpeckers come in two color schemes, depending on where they’re from. Although all the birds are brown and black on top, the subspecies that lives in western North America—the red-shafted flicker—has red feathers on the underside of its wings and tail. Its cousin from the eastern side of the continent, the yellow-shafted flicker, has—you guessed it—yellow feathers in those spots. Seems simple enough, but scientists estimate that nearly one-third of yellow-shafted flickers also have orange or red feathers, and odd-colored woodpeckers are found far east of where the two subspecies overlap, potentially producing hybrids. More and more flickers are red where they shouldn’t be, in more ways than one.
A team of researchers has a new explanation for this color shift: Invasive plants are altering the woodpeckers’ palate—and, as a result, their palette. In short, they’re eating things that are changing their colors.
Previously, some scientists had speculated that there was a factor selecting for red feathers, pushing the yellow-shafted flickers to evolve to look more like the red-shafted ones. Others suggested that the flickers were genetically capable of developing either color, and sometimes birds just grew feathers in the wrong shade.
But ornithologist Jocelyn Hudon, of the Royal Alberta Museum in Ontario, thought something else was responsible. A miscolored bird’s feathers, he noticed, can differ in shade from one year to the next. Other east coast birds that normally have yellow feathers—like cedar waxwings and Baltimore orioles—also sometimes have orange or red feathers. Maybe, Hudon, thought, something the birds were eating was causing these color changes. That’s how flamingos get their color.
To find out, Hudon and his colleagues analyzed the “aberrant” feathers on a few yellow-shafted flickers they captured in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and compared them to museum specimens of yellow-shafted, red-shafted, and hybrid flickers collected across Canada. As they explain in an upcoming paper in the journal The Auk: Ornithological Advances, they found that the yellow-shafted flickers’ red feathers weren’t colored by the same carotenoid pigments responsible for the colors of red-shafted flickers, but by a pigment called rhodoxanthin.
Data from birders that had banded and tracked hundreds of flickers over the last 30 years told the scientists that the birds acquire the red pigment and shift colors during their fall molt in August and September, a time of year that the flickers mix fruit into their ant-based diet. That led Hudon to the likeliest source of the rhodoxanthin: Tatarian and Morrow’s honeysuckles, a pair of invasive plants native to Central Asia that produce abundant berries loaded with rhodoxanthin right around the time of the flickers’ molt.
The berry theory would explain why the red yellow-shafted flickers don’t display any traits of red-shafted flickers beyond feather color (there’s no hybridization); why many yellow-shafted flickers have both red and yellow feathers (the rhodoxanthin only affects feather growth after berries are eaten); and finally, why the red color appears abruptly and can differ or disappear (as rhodoxanthin is cleared from a bird’s system, the color fades). The feather color is affected by when the berries are ingested and how many are eaten.
Hudon’s team thinks that rhodoxanthin may cause color changes in other birds too—and have consequences on their love lives. While yellow-shafted and red-shafted flickers frequently mate with each other and pay no mind to color, many other species use feather color to identify and assess potential mates. For these birds, a meal that changes their hue could lead to problems finding a partner. Though their feathers might be red, they could be left feeling blue.
November 25, 2016 – 4:00am
Notes:
image here: https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/pub/124094.php