The electric eels are a genus, Electrophorus, of tropical freshwater
fish from South America in the family Gymnotidae. They are electric
fish, and can stun their prey by delivering shocks at up to 860 volts.
Their electrical capabilities were first studied in 1775, contributing
to the invention in 1800 of the electric battery. Despite their name,
they are not closely related to the true eels (order Anguilliformes) but
are electroreceptive knifefish (order Gymnotiformes), more closely
related to catfish. Previously, the genus was believed to be monotypic,
containing only Electrophorus electricus. In 2019 it was discovered that
there were three species. They are nocturnal, air-breathing animals,
with poor vision complemented by electrolocation; they mainly eat fish.
Males are larger than females. Electric eels grow for as long as they
live, adding more vertebrae to their spinal column. Some captive
specimens have lived for more than 20 years.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_eel>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1660:
Robert Boyle, John Wilkins, Christopher Wren and other leading
scientists met at Gresham College in London to found a learned society,
now known as the Royal Society.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Society>
1943:
World War II: U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt, British
prime minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet premier Joseph Stalin (all
three pictured) met at the Tehran Conference to discuss war strategy
against the Axis powers.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehran_Conference>
1987:
South African Airways Flight 295 suffered a catastrophic in-
flight fire and crashed into the Indian Ocean east of Mauritius, killing
all 159 on board.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Airways_Flight_295>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
pelt:
1. (transitive)
2. To bombard (someone or something) with missiles.
3. To force (someone or something) to move using blows or the throwing
of missiles.
4. Of a number of small objects (such as raindrops), or the sun's rays:
to beat down or fall on (someone or something) in a shower.
5. Chiefly followed by at: to (continuously) throw (missiles) at.
6. (archaic except Britain, dialectal) To repeatedly beat or hit
(someone or something).
7. (figuratively) To assail (someone) with harsh words in speech or
writing; to abuse, to insult.
8. (intransitive)
9. Especially of hailstones, rain, or snow: to beat down or fall
forcefully or heavily; to rain down.
10. (figuratively) To move rapidly, especially in or on a conveyance.
11. (archaic, also figuratively) Chiefly followed by at: to bombard
someone or something with missiles continuously.
12. (obsolete) To throw out harsh words; to show anger.
13. A beating or falling down of hailstones, rain, or snow in a shower.
14. (archaic except Ireland) A blow or stroke from something thrown.
15. (figuratively, archaic)
16. (except Ireland) A verbal insult; a jeer, a jibe, a taunt.
17. (except Midlands, Southern England (South West)) A fit of anger; an
outburst, a rage.
18. (chiefly Northern England except in at (full) pelt) An act of moving
quickly; a rush. [...]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pelt>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
The world is your kaleidoscope, and the varying combinations of
colours, which at every succeeding moment it presents to you are the
exquisitely adjusted pictures of your ever-moving thoughts.So you will
be, what you "will" to be. Let failure find its false content, In that
poor word "environment," But spirit scorns it and is free.
--James Allen
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/James_Allen>