Our Feathered Friends

“The bird is powered by its own life and by its motivation.” – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

The world of our feathered friends.

Some interesting fun facts about birds – courtesy of Facebook pages ‘Plant Care Today’, ‘Wild Facts Daily’, ‘David Attenborough’, 'Infinity Insights' 'Plant Care Today' etc… However, I do not know if they are true. Some of them sound really incredible.

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The black heron has one of the most cunning hunting strategies in the entire bird world — and it doesn’t rely on speed at all. Standing motionless in shallow African wetlands, it slowly arches its wings forward until they form a perfect dome over the water, a behavior scientists call canopy feeding.

The shade does two things at once: it kills the sun’s glare so the heron can see clearly to the bottom, and it fools the fish below into thinking they’ve found shelter. Drawn to what looks like a safe hiding spot, the fish swim straight toward the very thing hunting them.

The heron waits, patient and perfectly still, until the moment is right — then strikes in a single blur. – A Facebook post by ’Wild Facts Daily’

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The Bird That Pretends to Have Two Heads

Potoos rely almost entirely on camouflage. During the day, they perch motionless on tree stumps or broken branches, matching the bark so perfectly that even experienced birdwatchers can miss them. Their eyelids contain narrow slits that allow them to watch for danger while appearing asleep.

At night, they become active hunters, catching flying insects with their enormous mouths. This extraordinary disguise helps them survive without needing speed or strength, making them one of the best-camouflaged birds in the world. – A Facebook post by ‘Infinity Insights’

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The greater roadrunner is one of the desert's most skilled hunters, combining speed, precision, and remarkable agility.

Unlike many birds, it spends most of its life on the ground, sprinting through arid landscapes at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. Its varied diet includes insects, lizards, scorpions, rodents, snakes, and many other small animals.

When confronting a rattlesnake, the roadrunner relies on quick reflexes rather than strength. It carefully avoids the snake's strike before delivering powerful blows with its sturdy beak. Larger prey is often struck repeatedly against the ground or rocks until it can be safely eaten.

Although it belongs to the cuckoo family, the greater roadrunner is a formidable predator. In the harsh desert, survival often depends not on size, but on speed, precision, and perfect timing. – A Facebook post by David Attenborough

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The ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain. Let that sink in.

Its eye measures about two inches across — roughly the size of a billiard ball. Its brain? Smaller.

The fastest bird on land, capable of outrunning predators, yet carrying a brain that weighs less than its own eyeball.

Evolution works in mysterious ways. Sometimes the most impressive features aren't about intelligence — they're about survival. A bird that sees more than it thinks. Literally. – A Facebook post

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Seven neighbors. That is the only rule inside a flock of a million birds. Each starling watches just the seven closest birds around it — not the flock, not a leader, not some signal from above. Just seven.

When one bird flinches, that flinch copies itself outward in about 20 milliseconds — faster than a blink, faster than a thought. The whole shape of the flock bends and ripples before any single bird has had time to decide anything.

Scientists call this a contact interaction. But what it looks like from the ground is something else entirely. It looks like the sky is thinking.

The flock is not following a plan. It is the plan, assembling itself in real time from thousands of tiny moments of attention. No command was ever issued. No bird is in charge.

The most breathtaking movements in nature are not orchestrated. They are just trust, repeated at scale. – A Facebook post by ‘Plant Care Today’

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Out and About In Arroyo de la Miel

I made it a point to go out for a walk every day even when I am here in Benalmadena. Health is wealth. So, while enjoying my vacation, I didn’t forget to take time for a walk.

I usually take my walks with Roger. We take our walks in the afternoon when the local folks are having their afternoon siesta. It is quieter and there is less traffic. Roger will take the lead in the walk, weaving through the sloping side streets and residential area. I follow a step behind, and when I see something interesting, I will take a photo of whatever catches my eye.

Here are some photos from my walks.

You would have noticed the slopes. These are 'gentle' slopes. They might not look very steep in the photos, but meandering through them for an hour in the sun is no joke. We are not spring chickens any more.

Some apartment blocks in the area.

And we are back on the Main Street. The Main Street runs through the town centre. There are shops and eateries on both sides of the road with wide sidewalks for pedestrians.

This is the Benalmadena train station. Out of the train station, and you are on the Main Street of Arroyo de la Miel. It’s very convenient.

You can click on the picture for a better view.

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Biology - Briefly

Take good care of your body. The quality of your life depends on it.

“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.” - Plato

Some interesting fun facts, trivias about our body parts – courtesy of Facebook pages ‘Inside Biology’, ‘Human Scope’, Dark Wisdom', etc… However, I do not know if they are true. Some of them sound really incredible.

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Bone marrow, tucked inside your skeleton, manufactures your entire blood supply. Over 200 billion red blood cells daily, alongside billions of white blood cells and platelets, all from roughly 2.6 kg of tissue. Stop production, and survival is measured in weeks. – A Facebook post by ‘Inside Biology’

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Osteocytes are the most abundant cells in bone. Embedded within the bone matrix, they constantly sense mechanical stress and signal when bone needs to be repaired or remodeled.

Your skeleton isn't just a rigid structure — it's living tissue, continuously monitored by millions of microscopic guardians. – A Facebook post by ‘Inside Biology’

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Millions of enterocytes line your small intestine, packed side by side, each one absorbing sugars, amino acids, fats, and vitamins from digested food and pulling them into your bloodstream. They're entirely replaced every 3 to 5 days making them one of the fastest-renewing cell types in your body. – A Facebook post by ‘Inside Biology’

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The Hypothalamus Explained: The Tiny Brain Region That Controls Your Body

Did you know a tiny part of your brain helps control your body 24/7?

The hypothalamus regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, sleep, hormones, heart rate, and many other essential functions that keep you alive. – A Facebook post by ‘Human Scope’

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Thyroxine (T4) is a hormone produced by the thyroid gland. It is the main hormone released by the thyroid and is converted in many tissues into the more active hormone triiodothyronine (T3).

Thyroxine regulates your metabolic rate by controlling how quickly cells use oxygen and convert nutrients into energy.

Through these effects, it influences body temperature, heart rate, energy production, growth and development, and the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

Although T4 is the hormone released in the greatest amount by the thyroid, much of its biological effect occurs after it is converted into T3 inside cells. – A Facebook post by ‘Inside Biology’

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The Amygdala Explained | The Tiny Brain Region That Controls Fear & Emotions

Discover the amygdala — the small almond-shaped structure deep inside your brain that helps process fear, emotions, threats, and emotional memories. Learn how this powerful brain region influences your fight-or-flight response, decision-making, and survival. – A Facebook post by ‘Human Scope’

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Neuron: The Tiny Cell That Powers Every Thought

Every thought, memory, emotion, and movement begins with a single neuron. These incredible nerve cells send electrical signals throughout your brain and body at incredible speeds, allowing you to think, feel, learn, and react. – A Facebook post by ‘Human Scope’

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Capillaries Explained | The Tiny Blood Vessels That Keep You Alive

Did you know your body contains billions of tiny blood vessels called capillaries?

These microscopic vessels deliver oxygen and nutrients to your cells while carrying carbon dioxide away. Together, they form an incredible network that keeps every organ and tissue functioning every second of your life. – A Fcebook post by ‘Human Scope’

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Red Blood Cells (Erythrocytes) | The Tiny Cells That Keep You Alive

Red blood cells, also called erythrocytes, are the most abundant cells in your blood. They transport oxygen from your lungs to every part of your body and carry carbon dioxide back to your lungs. Discover how these tiny, flexible cells power every heartbeat, breath, and movement. – A Facebook post by ‘Human Scope’

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The Pupil: The Tiny Opening That Controls Your Vision

Did you know the black circle in your eye isn't actually a hole? The pupil is a tiny opening that controls how much light enters your eye, helping you see clearly in both bright sunlight and darkness. – A Facebook post by ‘Human Scope’

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World of Animals

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawaken.” - Anatole France

A peek into the world of animals. I think it is good that we learn something about the animals that share our wonder-ful world.

Here are some fun facts and trivia about animals, courtesy of Facebook pages ‘Strangest Facts’ ‘Wild Wonders’, David Attenborough, etc… However, I do not know if they are true. Some of them sound really incredible.

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The maned wolf is the weirdest canid you've never heard of. It's not a wolf. Not a fox. Not even a dog. It's the only living member of its entire genus, Chrysocyon — a walking relic from a lost bloodline that's been evolving solo for millions of years.

Maned wolf urine contains pyrazines — the same chemical compound that gives cannabis its signature stink. The scent is so dead‑on that Rotterdam Zoo once got a full‑blown police raid because visitors were absolutely certain someone was hotboxing the enclosure. Cops showed up, searched the place, and found exactly zero humans smoking weed. The culprit was a single, majestic, stilt‑legged wolf marking its territory. No arrest. Just embarrassment.

This animal stands three feet at the shoulder — the tallest wild canid on planet Earth. Those legs aren't for speed. They're for seeing over the tall grass of the Brazilian Cerrado. And they walk like a camel, lifting both legs on the same side of the body at once. It's called a "pacing gait." No other canid does it.

The maned wolf is basically a fruitarian trapped in a predator's body. Half its diet is plant matter, especially a tomato‑like fruit called the "wolf apple" (Solanum lycocarpum). It eats small rodents, sure, but mostly it's hopping through the savanna, chowing down on berries and dropping seeds. It's a gardener with fangs.

It doesn't howl like a wolf or yip like a coyote. It lets out a deep, machine‑gun roar‑bark that echoes for miles. Mates use it to find each other across their lonely, spread‑out territories.

The maned wolf is evolution's mad scientist experiment. Long legs. Weed‑piss. Fruit obsession. Camel walk. It's been doing its own thing for millions of years while the rest of the canine world fought over deer carcasses. And it once made a police department look like total idiots. – A Facebook post by ‘Wild Wonders’

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Bush dogs look like someone shrank a bear, added otter feet, then gave it the social life of a group chat that never sleeps. The real twist is how much of their power comes from staying together.

Native to Central and South America, these short-legged canids are built for wet forests, muddy banks, and river ambushes. Their partially webbed feet help them move through water with strange confidence, sometimes chasing prey where other dogs would hesitate.

On land, they are not built like solo assassins. They are built like a plan. Bush dogs travel in tight groups, sleep pressed against each other, feed communally, and move through the forest like a tiny hunting procession with teeth.

That “compulsively sociable” label was not poetry. It came from years of watching a species that seems almost uncomfortable with being alone. Their packs can pressure animals far larger than themselves, turning devotion into strategy.

One dog is odd. Twelve dogs are a problem. Sometimes the sharpest weapon in nature is not size, speed, or venom. Sometimes it is loyalty with legs. – A Facebook post by ‘Strangest Facts’

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It looks impossible at first glance — a bobcat resting comfortably on a cactus covered in sharp spines. But what seems painful is actually a precise survival strategy shaped by evolution.

A bobcat’s paws are built differently. Thick, cushioned pads spread its weight across many tiny contact points, while fur between the toes reduces how deeply any single spine can press in. Instead of sharp pain, the pressure becomes distributed — more like balancing on a dense brush than stepping on needles

But the cactus is not just a place to sit. It is a vantage point. By climbing high above the ground, often several meters up, the bobcat removes itself from common predator paths. Scent trails weaken, visibility improves, and any movement below becomes easier to detect.

Even the cactus itself becomes part of the defense system. Its rigid structure carries vibrations, allowing the bobcat to sense disturbances before they get too close. It is not just resting — it is monitoring everything around it.

What looks uncomfortable is actually calculated positioning. A perfect blend of anatomy, environment, and instinct working together.

Sometimes, survival is not about avoiding danger — but learning how to use it. If something that seems painful can become an advantage, how many other strategies in nature are we still misunderstanding? – A Facebook post

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A saber-tooth still walks the forest canopy. The clouded leopard looks like evolution kept one ancient weapon and taught it to climb. The real trick is not just the fangs. Those canines can reach about two inches, enormous for a cat that usually weighs less than a large dog. In proportion, they are so exaggerated that researchers often compare the species to prehistoric saber-toothed cats.

But unlike the old ground-stalking giants, this one takes its hardware into the trees. Its ankle joints rotate so dramatically that it can descend trunks head-first, grip branches from below, and hang beneath branches with the confidence of something that treats gravity like a weak suggestion.

That matters in the dense forests of Southeast Asia, where prey does not always stay on the ground and survival favors animals that can hunt in three dimensions.

It is not the biggest cat. It is not the loudest cat. It is the cat that somehow kept a prehistoric bite, added acrobatics, and disappeared into leaves.

A saber-tooth did not vanish. It learned to climb. – A Facebook post by ‘Strangest Facts’

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Elephants may not see us as puppies, but the truth is still strangely charming. Their brains are built for recognition, memory, and social feeling, which makes a human face more than just background noise.

The real detail is this. Elephants can read gestures many animals miss. In one study, they followed human pointing without special training, finding hidden food from a simple signal.

That sounds small until you remember most animals do not naturally understand what a pointed finger means. For a creature weighing several tons, that kind of attention feels almost delicate.

Their world is built on social bonds. They comfort distressed companions, remember familiar individuals for years, and use touch the way we use reassurance. A trunk resting gently on another elephant can say what words never could.

So when an elephant studies a person with that calm, heavy gaze, it is not just size meeting size. It is intelligence pausing long enough to notice something smaller.

Power is loud when it wants to be. But sometimes, the strongest thing in the room chooses gentleness. – A Facebook post by ‘Strangest Facts’

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Quips And Quotes

A little humour to help you start the week on a positive note.

Humour can help us get over life’s diffiuclt moments. All problems will be resolved one way or another eventually. So, why brood, worry and be unhappy. It doesn’t solve anything. We have to be able to laugh, no matter what life throws at us. If we can maintain a sunny disposition, the lingering dark clouds will disperse.

Anyhow, here are some humorous quips. I hope they can bring on a smile, or a chuckle. May your days be filled with laughter.

Image created on Canva

Men are like wine: some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age. - Unknown

Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity. - Unknown

Originality is the art of concealing your source. - Franklin P. Jones

Early to bed and early to rise probably indicates unskilled labour. - John Ciardi

A woman likes a strong, silent man because she thinks he is listening. - Croft M. Pentz

Those that can, do. Those that can’t, complain. - Linus Torvalds

I’m open to suggestions, just not to taking them. - Unknown

All the world’s a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed. - Sean O’Casey

Getting away with going bald is an important life skill for men. - Unknown

Well-behaved women seldom make history. - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

People want the front of the bus, the back of the church, and the centre of attention. - Unknown

The problem with a life spent reading is you know too much. - Josh Lanyon

Image created on Canva

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Arroyo de la Miel

Arroyo de la Miel stands on hilly slopes at the base of mount Calamorro. It is one of the three urban centers and districts that make up the municipality of Benalmadena, along with Benalmádena Pueblo and Benalmádena Costa. One could say it is the town center of Benalmadena.

We are on the edge of the town – about an eight minutes’ walk from the town center.

A main street, ‘Avenida de la Constitucion’, runs through the town. But for those who have trouble pronouncing the name, they simply refer to it as the main street or the high street. The street starts from the train station and runs through the center of Arroyo de la Miel into the next town. However, only the beginning of the street – about half a kilometer of it, is busy.

Here, on both sides of the streets are shops, and eateries offering cuisines from all over – from European to American, from Mediterranean to Chinese. Most of them do brisk business.

In the mornings and evenings, when it is not too hot, it is a good place to have a meal or a drink and watch the world go by. Since it is the town center, it is a popular area with tourists, as well as the locals.

Shops and restaurants on the Main Street. This was siesta hours in the afternoon. Some shops were closed. This is generally, a quiet period of the day.

Outside of the main street, the town is a maze of winding side streets, back streets and plazas. The back streets, and side streets weave through slopes – from gentle slopes to moderate slopes to very steep slopes. You are either going up or down a slope.

Here, you find shops and businesses catering to the locals in the area. You would be amazed at the number of cafes and restaurants you find here. Most of these are small, local restaurants serving simple, local fares. However, there are also restaurants serving foreign cuisines to the enclaves of foreigners living in the area.

Shops cum apartments on the smaller streets of Arroyo de la Miel. Shops on the ground level and apartments above the shops.

You find many of these smaller cafeteria and restaurants.

Arroyo de la Miel has many holiday apartments owned by Europeans who come here to escape the cold in Winter, or to enjoy the sun and sand in Summer. A big section of the people living here are retirees from the UK.

Arroyo de la Miel does not have the hustle and bustle of most cities where everybody is in a hurry. Besides the tourists on the main street, the residents in the town are mostly elderly people or retirees spending their holidays here. So, the pace here is slower and more relaxed.

You can click on the picture for a better view.

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New Discovery in Science

“Science is a combination of theory and experiment and the two together are how you make progress.” - Lisa Randall

Interesting developments on the Science front – courtesy of Facebook pages, ‘Collective Evolution’, ‘Brain Maze’, ‘HealNest’, ‘Things', ‘Astrophilesz’, etc… Although trials, experiments and studies show promise, I guess it will be some time yet before they are a reality.

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The human power plant
While you sleep, work, or daydream, your brain is quietly generating enough electrical energy to power a small lightbulb. That steady output comes from roughly eighty-six billion neurons firing signals across your nervous system. These microscopic cells talk to each other through chemical and electrical pulses, producing a constant hum that keeps your thoughts running and your body ticking.

Electrical output and capacity
An average adult brain generates between twelve and twenty-five watts of electricity. That may not sound like much, but it's a remarkable output for an organ weighing about three pounds. That energy keeps messages moving between neurons, manages breathing and heart rate, and processes the flood of sensory information coming in from the world around you.

Efficiency of biological energy
The brain is one of the most energy-efficient structures we know of. A typical laptop needs around fifty watts to run. The human brain handles far more complex calculations on less than half that. Evolution landed on something worth paying attention to here: the body can prioritize cognitive function without burning through every nutritional resource it has.

The mechanics of neural firing
The electrical activity starts with ions moving across nerve cell membranes. Sodium, potassium, and chloride ions shift in and out of cells, creating a voltage difference that becomes an electrical signal. Those signals travel at up to two hundred fifty miles per hour, which is why your reactions and thoughts feel almost instant.

Advancements in technology
Researchers are exploring ways to work with this natural electricity through neurotechnology. Nobody's plugging a lamp into a human skull, but scientists are building interfaces between brains and computers that read these electrical signals and let people with paralysis control robotic limbs or digital cursors. The brain's output, it turns out, is already a working power source. – A Facebook post by ‘Things’

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Mastic gum, a natural resin obtained from the mastic tree, has attracted scientific attention because of its potential biological activity in laboratory research. Studies using cultured cancer cells have shown that certain compounds found in mastic gum may slow the growth of several types of cancer cells, including colon, prostate, pancreatic, bile duct, gastric (stomach), and lung cancer models.

Researchers observed that these compounds could activate apoptosis, the body's natural process of programmed cell death, while also interfering with signals that help cancer cells survive and multiply. Laboratory experiments found changes in proteins involved in cell survival, activation of enzymes associated with apoptosis, and disruption of the cell cycle that limits continued cancer-cell growth.

In one study involving colon cancer cells, mastic gum reduced the viability of cancer cells while normal colon cells used in the experiment appeared less affected under the same laboratory conditions. These findings have generated interest in mastic gum as a source of biologically active compounds, encouraging scientists to continue investigating its potential role in future cancer research and the development of new therapeutic approaches. – A Facebook post by ‘HealNest’

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Scientists have identified what they’re calling a “third state” between life and death, a strange biological territory where cells from a deceased organism don’t simply shut down. Instead, under the right conditions, they reorganize, adapt, and sometimes create entirely new forms of living systems.

When we think about death, we often imagine a clean ending. An organism exists, then it stops existing. But biology appears to be more complex than that. The individual organism may die, while some of its components still carry a kind of creative potential, capable of participating in new patterns of organization.

In one experiment, researchers took skin cells from a deceased frog embryo and placed them in a controlled environment. Rather than simply breaking down, the cells spontaneously assembled into tiny living structures called xenobots. These new entities could move, repair themselves, interact with their environment, and even reproduce in a way unlike traditional organisms, by gathering and organizing other cells into new forms.

Later, scientists discovered similar behavior in human lung cells. These cells formed what researchers called anthrobots, small living structures that could navigate their surroundings and even assist in repairing damaged nerve cells.

From these studies, perhaps life is less like a machine that either turns on or off, and more like a dynamic process of organization, relationship, and intelligence expressing itself through matter.

We can let this be a reminder that nature does not always operate according to the rigid categories we create and perceive in the world.

This discovery also becomes philosophically fascinating. If cells from something that has died can reorganize into something new, what does that say about our understanding of endings? What if death is not simply the opposite of life, but a transition point where existing patterns dissolve and new patterns become possible? – A Facebook post by ‘Collective Evolution’

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According to the workd of Dr. Marco Cavaglià and Tommaso Firaux at the Polytechnic University of Turin in Italy, your brain and nervous system generate electrical activity all the time. Electrical activity creates electromagnetic fields.

They believe consciousness isn't just happening inside individual neurons, but may also involve these larger electromagnetic fields that surround and connect biological systems - including people To explain this, they use analogies like a radio antenna "tuning into" information, your brain being the antenna.

All of this suggests things like when you instantly "click" with someone, feel deeply connected during conversation, or seem to pick up on another person's emotional state, there is electromagnetic interactions contributing to that experience.

In fact, the HeartMath Institute has shown this for deacdes via their heart electromagnetic field research. They've determined that your heart picks up on the electromagnetic field of other's hearts, and your brain then decodes that information into an understanding of other people's emotional state or feelings. Of course, the brain and heart are working almost simultaneously in this process.

Ultimately, humans are not isolated individuals. We are embedded in networks of relationships, culture, language, emotion, biology, and information, both material and non material. Our minds and hearts continuously influence one another in ways that are largely invisible. When a room's mood changes, when fear spreads through social media, or when a conversation leaves you feeling different, consciousness is already functioning as a deeply interconnected system, even without needing literal mind-reading.

That interconnectedness is well-supported in both science and spiritual mysticism. – A Facebook post by ‘Collective Evolution’

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Vietnamese doctors have successfully performed the country's first penis transplant using an organ from a brain-dead donor. The complex microsurgery reconstructed blood vessels, nerves, and other key structures.

The patient is recovering well with no early complications, though long-term function and sensation will require ongoing monitoring. The procedure is among the few successful penile transplants reported worldwide. - A Facebook post from ‘Brain Maze’

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Benalmadena

So, here I am again in Benalmadena, Malaga, Spain. I arrived on Tuesday. This is my eighth visit. I will be here until the second of September on a home-stay holiday, staying with my friend, Roger.

I have written about my visits to Benalmadena. I think I have covered quite a bit about the place and people here in my previous posts. For those who have followed me for a while, you would have a rough idea of what Benalmadena is like. I will try to look for interesting stuff to post, and not repeat too much of what I have posted. For new followers to my blog, stay tuned to find out about Benalmadena. You might want to pay a visit here one day.

Here goes:- a brief introduction of Benalmadena.

Benalmadena is a small town in the province of Malaga in Spain. It is located on the Costa del Sol, Spain’s immensely popular holiday destination, at the base of a mountain range. Costa del Sol is literally, ‘Coast of the Sun’ is a stretch of beach.

Arroyo de la Miel, where I will be staying, is one of the three urban centers and districts that make up the municipality of Benalmadena, along with Benalmádena Pueblo and Benalmádena Costa. Pueblos refer to the villages, and Costa is the Costa del Sol, the coast.

Arroyo de la Miel is the town center between the Pueblos at the base of the mountains and Costa del Sol on the coast. The city, Malaga, is half an hour by train.

We are about an eight minutes walk to the town center.

Roger set up a ‘work-station’ for me. This is where I will be writing my reports on my vacation. You can read about my previous visits from 👉 HERE, or look under the label "`Spain" on the right hand column.

This is Roger’s balcony.

It has an open view of the beautiful mountain ranges and the villages at the base of the mountain. A familiar corner in an unfamiliar town.

In the day

At night

Somewhere up there is Roger's apartment.

I will write more after I have gotten over my jet lag, adjusted to my new environment and settled in. For an old man who is a creature of habit, it gets harder each year.

You can click on the picture for a better view.

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