Unraveling Curiosity

Daily writing prompt
What are you curious about?
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Ok, I was curious about what I would find on reader this morning but when this prompt floated into view it smelt of ripe questions waiting to be asked. I could easily write a ten page post on this but will go short.

Who invented the modern day calendar? Why did February only get 28 days? I mean, both January and March have 31 so why didn’t they put 30 on each of them and even the playing field for February?

and this…

So, at this moment in morning fog I slowly sip caffeine and find myself curious about flies. Do they ever get cataracts? If so does it affect their vision enough to affect their flying abilities? And, can they smell? I mean they do like to land on dung quite often.

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Ernie 'Dawg''s avatar

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Ernie ‘Dawg’

Enjoying the journey where ever it takes me while posting things that tweak my altered mind

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10 responses to “Unraveling Curiosity”

  1. Ana Daksina Avatar
    Ana Daksina

    Re your last question, I once wondered how birds could make themselves eat bugs. Not long afterward I was met by a young mud lark, just having left the nest. This bird and I didn’t speak aloud, but we stood there for quite some time facing one another in silence, just enjoying the moment. We tuned in mentally, and it was telling me excitedly that food actually flew through the air all around one, and all that was necessary was to reach out and grab it. We shared the sensation of all those legs and wings and exoskeletons and fuzz going down ~ and, in that moment, it seemed, every bit of it, perfectly yummy…

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    1. Ernie 'Dawg' Avatar
      Ernie ‘Dawg’

      That’s fantastically said Ana 👍👍👍

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  2. nonsmokingladybug Avatar
    nonsmokingladybug

    Your mind is a junk drawer too :)

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    1. Ernie 'Dawg' Avatar
      Ernie ‘Dawg’

      Stuffed full😁😁😁

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  3. John Holton Avatar
    John Holton

    Apparently February is used to make sure the seasons line up properly. Here’s what Chat AI told me:

    The irregularity of the number of days in February stems from the early Roman calendar that had 10 months and 304 days in a year. This calendar did not account for the changing of seasons accurately. The second king of Rome, King Numa Pompilius, wanted the calendar to reflect a standard lunar year, so he added the months January and February.
    February was granted 28 days in common years to honor the Roman god of purification, Februus. To keep the calendar year synchronized with the solar year, which is about 365.24 days long, every four years an extra day (leap day) was added to February, making it 29 days long. This adjustment, called the leap year, helps align our calendars with the solar cycle and the seasons.

    How’s that? (Not that you actually expected someone to answer…)

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    1. Ernie 'Dawg' Avatar
      Ernie ‘Dawg’

      An excellent answer that solves that question, thank you John. Now, want to answer the other one? 👍😁😁

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      1. John Holton Avatar
        John Holton

        Apparently, flies do get cataracts…

        Flies can indeed get cataracts, just like humans and many other animals. Cataracts in flies are not uncommon and can be caused by various factors such as age, genetics, environmental toxins, and some diseases. In flies, cataracts can affect their vision, leading to impaired sight and potentially impacting their ability to navigate and find food.
        Cataracts in flies are characterized by the clouding of the lens in their eyes, similar to how cataracts develop in human eyes. Research on cataracts in flies can provide insights into the mechanisms behind cataract formation and potential treatments, making them valuable subjects for studying age-related eye diseases.

        And yes, they smell, after a fashion:

        Flies do have a sense of smell, but not in the same way humans do. Flies have specialized olfactory receptors that allow them to detect odors and chemicals in their environment. Their sense of smell is essential for finding food sources, locating mates, and avoiding predators.
        Flies have sensory organs called sensilla located on their antennae and other parts of their body that help them detect odors. When a fly encounters an odor molecule, it binds to receptors in their sensilla, triggering a neural response that allows the fly to perceive the smell.
        Overall, the sense of smell plays a crucial role in the life of a fly, helping them find food, communicate with other flies, and navigate their surroundings.

        Whivh reminds me of a joke: A fly is on a pile of dung. Another fly comes and lands next to him and farts. First one says “Do you mind? I’m eating here!” (got that from Drew Carey…)

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        1. Ernie 'Dawg' Avatar
          Ernie ‘Dawg’

          I would never have guessed that, fascinating info. and the joke’s funny as dung.😁😁😁

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  4. CJ Antichow Avatar
    CJ Antichow

    LOL

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    1. Ernie 'Dawg' Avatar
      Ernie ‘Dawg’

      Glad I could give you a smile this morning.

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