Wittman Buttercup Addendum

After last Friday’s blog post about the Wittman Buttercup airplane and its designer, Steve Wittman (Building a Buttercup (Airplane)), I thought you might like a closer look at the Buttercup being built in my father-in-law's shop.

The Buttercup in progress. The small, yellowish container between the door and engine is a temporary gas tank.

It may change, but they’re using a Lycoming 100 Horsepower engine (O-235-C), seen here from the passenger/co-pilot’s side and front.

A fiberglass cowl will fit behind the propeller to protect the Buttercup engine. They found a mold for a larger engine cover and may make a new one.

A view of the dual-control Buttercup cockpit from the pilot’s seat. From the bottom, the curved, yellowish-handle stick (control yoke) manages flight roll and pitch (aiming up or down), and the rudder pedals control yaw (turning left or right) and braking (pushing top of pedal downward). On the panel, the silver knob primer functions like an old car choke to pump a little fuel directly into the engine cylinders for starting the engine; the lower dials read airspeed (mph), engine revolutions per minute and aircraft height; and the upper dials read oil temperature and pressure. 

A side view of the Buttercup cockpit, showing the top and back of the panel, the throttle to control speed (thrust) temporarily protruding upward through the future cockpit windshield on the passenger/co-pilot’s side, and the hard to see battery behind the future passenger/co-pilot’s seat.

The Buttercup’s tapered landing gear.

The Buttercup wings, slats and flaps, which Wittman designed to allow the pilot to change wing curvature, were completed early in the process and stored in a garage with the yellow, pole-like wing struts.

P.S.

It’s been so long since I changed the header for this blog, I thought I’d better warn you that I’m working on an update. It won’t be very different, and if all goes well, it will still say “Retired--Now What?”

Building a Buttercup (Airplane)

Wittman Buttercup being
built in Muns’s shop.

Welcome back. Do you see that little sign in the middle of the photo? The white piece of paper that’s hanging on the frame of the airplane they’re building in my father-in-law Muns’s shop? It says, Don’t push the button! Engine will crank. That is progress. The sign wasn’t there last week.

The real story is that the plane wasn’t there a few weeks ago, though four years ago, I had a blog post with a photo of the plane looking much the same, in the same location (Renovation Photo Addendum). No, it’s not a time warp. Or maybe it is.

Wittman Buttercup Status Report

Muns and one of his aircraft-building buddies, Jack, started the plane, a Wittman Buttercup, in 2004, not long after they’d finished building an RV-8 aircraft. They were buzzing along on the Buttercup until they got wind of a pile of rusted scrap metal being advertised as parts of a Model-T Ford.

Well, Muns had other planes and Jack had one too, so it wasn’t as if they were rushing to have something to fly. And though they’d worked on automobiles and farm vehicles, they’d never built one, certainly not a Model-T. The undone Buttercup was pulled to the hangar.

Completing the Model-T Ford would have been a good time to relax (see Driving Photo Addendum and the video at Model-T Ford Photo Addendum), but Muns’s Piper Vagabond aircraft needed major repairs. Those finished, ta-dah, the Buttercup reappeared.

The Buttercup and Wittman

They chose to build a Wittman Buttercup because of the plane’s unique design. To me, whose knowledge of aircraft is being squeezed in economy, the Buttercup looks like other single propeller, two side-by-side seat, high-wing, light aircraft.

They were swayed by the tapered rod landing gear and especially by the wing slats and flaps, which allow the pilot to change wing curvature (camber) and which retract during normal flight. That variable camber design could produce more lift at low speeds. The plane’s original 85 horsepower engine could maintain speeds as low as about 40 mph up to nearly 150 mph.

Steve Wittman’s first pilot’s
license, issued 1924.
(u.osu.edu/andersen/2014/10/03/steve-wittman-legendary-uncle/)

The aircraft designer, Sylvester Joseph "Steve" Wittman, was also rather unique. An aviation pioneer, he earned his pilot’s certificate, signed by Orville Wright, and built his first aircraft in 1924. He was soon barnstorming, selling rides, giving exhibitions, working as a test pilot, beginning a racing career that continued until 1984, and designing, building and flying his aircraft.

Wittman managed the Oshkosh, Wis., airport, which is named for him, from 1931 to 1969. He was active in the Experimental Aircraft Association from its first year, 1953, and was key to bringing EAA’s annual fly-in to Oshkosh beginning in 1970 (see The Fly-in and The Fly-in Photo Addendum). He and his second wife were killed in 1995 when the plane he was piloting crashed. Wittman was 91.

Buttercup Replica

Fairchild Aircraft purchased production rights to the Buttercup from Wittman and were reportedly considering a four-seat model. Whatever was planned, the company’s World War II production obligations intervened.  

Wittman-built Buttercup at
Experimental Aircraft Association’s
Pioneer Museum, Oshkosh, Wis.
(commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wittman_Buttercup.jpg)

Although Wittman built only one Buttercup--the one on display at EAA’s Pioneer Airport in Oshkosh--Earl Luce reverse-engineered the aircraft from the original, built a replica, flew it in 2002, and made the plans and kits available the following year. Muns and Jack bought the plans but had no need nor interest in a kit.

Wittman Buttercup replica built by Earl Luce.
(ukga.com/news/view?contentId=817)

Wrap Up

Will Muns's Buttercup ever be finished? A few of the coffee klatch regulars have been actively contributing and others are kibitzing knowledgably. As I was walking by the shop the other afternoon, I saw that Muns and my wife Vicki had the plane outside. They were pushing the button and the engine was definitely cranking.

Thanks for stopping by.

P.S.

Background on Wittman Buttercup:
www.eaa.org/en/eaa-museum/museum-collection/aircraft-collection-folder/1938-wittman-buttercup-model-w---n18268
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wittman_Buttercup
Background on Steve Wittman:
articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-05-01/news/9505010171_1_steve-wittman-crash-site-plane
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Wittman
u.osu.edu/andersen/2014/10/03/steve-wittman-legendary-uncle/
Wittman Buttercup replica and kits:
luceair.com/replica_buttercup.html
www.eaavideo.org/video.aspx?v=609759820001
www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/kitspages/buttercup.php

Scratching Addendum

Since I ruled out scratching to stop an itch--see last Friday’s blog post, Scratch That Itch?--I feel obligated to highlight some other approaches. I want to be careful here. I’m talking about temporary relief of simple itches, such as my winter, dry skin itch. If you’ve an itch that persists or if there’s any chance it’s caused by a medical condition, don’t hesitate to consult a health care professional. OK?

Recommended self-care products that I’m sure you’re familiar with and for which any pharmacist would help are moisturizing or nonprescription anti-itch creams or lotions.

The simplest home remedies are applying ice packs or cool, wet compresses or taking a cool shower or bath. Hot water makes it worse, if I could only resist.

Many other home remedies have been recommended. I don’t follow this sort of thing and knew almost none, but I expect my wife knows most of them. Maybe one or two of the following are new to her and possibly to you, too. Commercial products are widely available.

Baking Soda or Oatmeal: Apply either product as a paste or add 1 cup baking soda or 1 or 2 cups colloidal or finely ground oatmeal to a bath (lukewarm water). (Photo of dog enjoying an oatmeal bath is from multiple websites)

Essential Oils or Herb Leaves: Apply directly or add to a bath the essential oil of, for example, basil, chamomile, clove, lavender, peppermint, rosemary or thyme. Or rub the skin with leaves, or a cooled tea made from leaves, of either basil, mint, thyme or tulsi (holy basil). (Photos are from multiple websites)

Oil Therapies: Apply olive, almond or sesame oil before showering. Another recommendation is to apply a thick layer of coconut oil and cover it before heading to bed. (Photo from multiple websites)

Apple Cider Vinegar: Apply with a cotton swab or cloth or add 2 or 3 cups to bath water. (Photo from multiple websites)

Lemon Juice: Apply juice and allow to dry. (Photo from multiple websites)

Aloe Vera: If you have the plant, cut a piece, squeeze or scoop out the gel and apply it. (Photos are from multiple websites)

Milk: Apply with a cloth. (Yes, you can take a bath in milk, but that seems a bit much unless you’re a movie star or you really, really like milk.) (Photo from multiple websites)

Honey: Heat lightly, apply and wash off after about 15 minutes. (Photo from multiple websites)

Although their preparation is more involved, various mixes have been recommended, such as honey with olive oil and beeswax or juniper berries with cloves and beeswax. So too have certain clays, though those might not be readily available. Along with treatments, it’s also recommended to wear smooth-textured, loose cotton clothing, use soaps without dyes or perfumes, and…well, like treatments, the list goes on.

P.S.

Example websites that address itchy skin:
-www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/itchy-skin/basics/tests-diagnosis/con-20028460
-www.medicinenet.com/itch/article.htm#itch_facts
Example websites that have recommended home-remedies (lots of redundancy):
-www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/11/21-home-remedies-for-dry-itchy-skin.html
-health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-itching.htm
-gerson.org/gerpress/8-natural-remedies-for-itchy-and-irritated-skin/
-www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/natural-remedies-for-itchy-skin-p214/

Scratch That Itch?

Welcome back. I’ve got an itch. It’s not a yen. It’s a dry-skin, winter itch that I’d put lotion on if I could reach it or scratch if I didn’t know better. I don’t remember when I was told or learned that scratching itches makes them worse; it had to be a long time ago. I passed that pearl of wisdom to my offspring, of course, though they probably had to learn it themselves anyway.

Bear scratching its back from USGS
Northern Divide Bear Project video.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRiVkmiSiIU

Knowing the punishing consequences of scratching an itch is not the same as knowing why that happens. For that, we needed a study with 21 contributors from Washington University in St. Louis. (Several of those contributors are now elsewhere--the University of Toledo in Ohio, University of California, San Francisco and different academic and medical institutions in China.)

To learn why scratching makes itches worse, the researchers worked with mice. Although their findings hadn’t been tested with humans at the time the study was reported online, they seemed to have nailed it. They blame it on serotonin.

Serotonin

You may have heard of serotonin. It’s a neurotransmitter found in the gastrointestinal tract, platelets and central nervous system. In general, neurotransmitters activate receptors, which in turn may excite or inhibit transmission between cells. Because serotonin receptors are involved in a variety of biological and neurological processes (e.g., anxiety, appetite, memory, pain, sleep), they’re the focus of different drugs, including antidepressants and antipsychotics.

Serotonin and Itching

Scratching relieves an itch temporarily by causing minor skin pain. That pain prompts nerve cells in the spinal cord to carry pain signals instead of itch signals to the brain. The brain responds by producing serotonin to aid in pain control. That’s where the reason for scratching gets befuddled.

The researchers found that, as serotonin spreads from the brain into the spinal cord, it can do more that activate pain-sensing nerve cells. It can also activate nerve cells that affect itch intensity and thus worsen the itch.

They bred mice that lacked the genes needed to produce serotonin. These mice scratched much less than unaltered control mice when injected with a compound that causes itching. When the genetically altered mice were subsequently injected with serotonin, they scratched the same as the control mice.

Interrupting the Itch Pain Cycle

The obvious solution to reduce itching is to reduce serotonin; but since serotonin gets involved in assorted biological and neurological processes, that’s a no-no. Instead, the investigators targeted the spinal cord nerve cells that transmit itch signals. Specifically, they isolated and targeted the serotonin receptor that activates the itch-transmitting GRPR nerve cells.

Singling out the correct receptor was done by monitoring the response after injecting mice with an itch-causing compound and compounds that activated different serotonin receptors. To confirm the winning receptor, which is known as 5HT1A, they also treated mice with a compound that blocked that receptor.

Wrap Up

So what have we got? Scratching an itch causes pain, the brain produces serotonin to control the pain and the serotonin worsens the itch by activating the itch-transmitting nerve cells through the serotonin receptor. Not to worry if you didn’t get that. All you really have to remember is don't scratch that itch. Thanks for stopping by.

P.S.

Washington University study in Neuron journal:
www.cell.com/neuron/abstract/S0896-6273%2814%2900901-5
Articles on the study on Science Daily and Medical News Today websites:
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141030132957.htm
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284655.php
Examples of other research on serotonin and pain:
2009: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2811866/
2014: www.cell.com/neuron/abstract/S0896-6273%2813%2901141-0
Background on serotonin: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin

Left-Handedness Addendum

In last Friday’s blog post, Left-Handedness, I mentioned that left-handers had a history of being stigmatized and that they must still contend with a right-handed world. If you’re neither a left-hander nor close to one, you may be as oblivious as I was before getting into the topic.
 

Some everyday left-hander challenges. The scissors,
can opener and pencil sharpener are designed for right-
handed operation. A left-hander must deal with the wires
when writing in a spiral notebook (or three-ring binder).

Whether the blame goes to the Greeks or Romans themselves, the Latin word for left--sinister--evolved from simply meaning left to conveying evil or unlucky, and that change carried through to Latin derivatives. Old English’s term for left meant weak or foolish; Old French’s term meant false or unfavorable, but became evil by the late 15th century. I was surprised to learn that the left side is disparaged in many languages including Slavic, Germanic and Sanskrit.
 

That looks comfortable, said
the right-hander (From
cnbeyondfurniture.en.alibaba.com)

The Bible reportedly mentions the right hand in a positive way 100 times; the left hand is mentioned 25 times, all negatively. For example, the New International Version of Ecclesiastes 10:2 states, “The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.” God’s right hand is favored in many religions; God's left hand is the hand of judgment. In Christianity, Jesus sits at God’s right side.

How often have you said or heard the expression two left hands, two left feet, a left-handed compliment or out in left field?

I’ve worked in areas of the world where the right hand is used for just about everything except personal hygiene. The left hand is used for cleaning oneself after defecation.

Right-side only credit card
machines require a bit more
dexterity from left-handers.

Due to cultural and social pressures, left-handed children may be encouraged or forced to use their right hands. It’s thought that Ronald Reagan fell into that group.

There are exceptions and not only in sports. The Andean people thought left-handers had special abilities, including magic and healing. But unless you live in the Andes, it might be nice to send a card to any left-handers you know on Left-Handers Day, 13 August. That, of course, presumes you’ve paid attention to who’s left- or right-handed.

P.S.

Etymology of “left”:
www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=left
www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=sinister
Bias against left-handers:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bias_against_left-handed_people
facts.randomhistory.com/facts-about-left-handedness.html
www.lefthandersday.com/
Example challenges for left-handers:
www.buzzfeed.com/katienotopoulos/the-18-worst-things-for-left-handed-people#.vf274KQ81
www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/lefties-unite#.uwZKA5EJW

Left-Handedness

Presidents Ford, Clinton and Obama--
all left handers. (Multiple websites)

Welcome back. How many of you are left- handed? Not many, I bet. Actually, I had no idea left-handers were so outnumbered before a recent study from Harvard got me started on the topic. Put it this way; other than for baseball and knowing that 3 of the 4 last presidents were left-handed--4 of 5 if Reagan really was--I never paid much attention to who was left- or right-handed.

And since any acquaintance I can recall being left-handed was sharp or creative and often in a supervisory position, I was surprised the Harvard study found most left-handers don’t do as well economically as right-handers. 

Left-Hander Count and Cause

As for being in the minority, the count of left-handers depends on how strictly hand performance or preference is defined. The estimated percentage of the world’s population that’s left-handed ranges from about 7% to 30%. The most commonly cited figure is 10%.

The source of left-handedness appears to be related to brain structure, given that the left and right brain hemispheres control opposite sides of the body. The origins are thought to be genetic as well as environmental, the latter including stress during pregnancy or subsequent trauma.

Economic Impact

To analyze the economic impact of left-handedness, the Harvard researcher compared academic achievement and income for left- and right-handers using five datasets from the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

Overall, the data show that left-handers have slightly higher rates of mental and behavioral disabilities, complete less schooling, and more commonly work in lower cognitive skill and higher manually intensive occupations. Most striking, left-handers have 10% to 12% lower annual earnings, some of which can be explained by differences in cognitive skills and behavioral problems.

The Harvard study found fault with the sample and treatment of data in two oft-cited working papers from 2006, both published in 2007. One, a U.S. study from Lafayette College and Johns Hopkins University, found the only difference in earnings was that college educated left-handers did better--not worse--than their right-hand counterparts; the other, a U.K. study from the University College Dublin and University of Warwick, found earnings were 5% higher for left-handed males and 5% lower for left-handed females.

Popular, though oversimplified,
notion of brain lateralization.
(www.lefthandersday.com)

Other Gaps

After learning that left-handers had a history of being stigmatized and must still contend with a right-handed world, I was glad to find repeated mention that left-handers have higher abilities in creativity, the arts, divergent thinking and measures of intelligence, such as college SAT exams.

Well, along with challenging earlier work on earnings, the Harvard researcher also pointed out weaknesses in the studies that led to those claims of higher abilities--selection bias, small sample size and mixed results; all of which had been questioned in other studies. Instead, the clearest evidence is for generally lower cognitive ability.

Since claims for higher abilities are often associated with brain lateralization, I should mention that neuroscience and studies of the topic do not support the popular notion that creativity and other processes are distinctly attributable to one or the other brain hemisphere.

Wrap Up

Based on my very small sample of left-handers, I was expecting different results. Still, no one can one deny the achievements of such notable left-handers as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin and Henry Ford; Bach and Rachmaninoff to Jimi Hendrix and Paul McCartney; many actors and celebrities, including Oprah; athletes, not only in baseball; and even Alexander the Great and Napoleon.

But if that’s not enough, we right-handers should be a bit envious that we don’t get to celebrate International Left-Handers Day, held on 13 August since 1992. Thanks for stopping by.

P.S.

Harvard study in Journal of Economic Perspectives: pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/jep.28.4.193
Harvard news release and Huffington Post article on study:
www.hks.harvard.edu/news-events/news/articles/little-luck-for-lefties
www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/08/lefties-earn-less-than-righties_n_6288478.html
2006 U.S. Working Paper on earnings, later published in Laterality journal: www.nber.org/papers/w12387
2006 U.K. Working Paper on earnings, later published in Journal of Human Resources: www.ifs.org.uk/publications/3588
Example research on handedness in PLOS Genetics (2013), Neuropsychologia (1986) and Cortex (1980) journals:
journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1003751
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3785659
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7214930
Brain lateralization:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateralization_of_brain_function
blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/2013/08/19/the-real-neuroscience-of-creativity
General background on left handedness, including notable left-handers:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handedness
www.lefthandersday.com/
www.indiana.edu/~primate/left.html

Viewpoints Photo Addendum

Last Friday’s blog post, Science and Society, focused on different viewpoints. The notion of different viewpoints made me think of my daughter Rachel’s photography for today’s addendum.

Although she’s an award-winning photographer when it comes to weddings, portraits (2 and 4 legged subjects), journalism, theater and the usual stuff, at heart, Rachel’s a fine art photographer, as her BFA in Photography attests. This is to say that she sees things differently from the way I and, I think, most people see things.

Sometimes her view is clear and easy to understand. Take these three photographs for example.

Allium against a brown wall.

Wingaersheek Beach, West Gloucester, Mass.

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, street surfaced with Spanish ship ballast.

Sometimes her view is clear but not that easy to understand, as with these three photographs.

Three hanging towels.

A street in Montreal.

Three chairs.

And sometimes her view is neither clear nor easy to understand.

A chair in Barcelona.

Sun on the wall.

String 9287.

But demonstrating that others may see things as she does, last Friday, Rachel's photo, "String 9287," won top prize in the Ithaca, N.Y., State of the Art Gallery's 26th Annual Juried Photography Show. The show had 1 or 2 entries from 63 photographers from New York City to Rochester, and a Rochester photographer led the judging.

P.S.

Rachel’s Websites:
Rachel Philipson Photography & Design: www.rachelphilipson.com
Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/rachelphilipson
Blog: www.twobeagsbarking.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rachelphilipsonphotography
Instagram: instagram.com/rachelphilipson/

Science and Society

Welcome back. I’ve a pop quiz for you. Here’s how it goes. I will list nine statements derived from a recently released report on two science-related surveys by the Pew Research Center. I’ll tell you the extent to which two groups of people--Group A and Group B--agree with the statements. After considering the nine responses, you have to identify the two groups.

For example, suppose the groups were animals, not people, and I wrote: I love catnip–A, 92%; B, 3%. If the responses to the other eight statements fell in line, you would get a gold star if you identified Group A as Cats and Group B as Dogs. (Please don’t repeat my invented statistics or belittle your dog if it’s crazy about catnip.)

If you’re already familiar with the surveys, please find something quiet to do and don’t bother those who are taking the quiz.

Groups’ Views on Nine Issues

1. It’s safe to eat genetically modified foods: A, 37%; B, 88%
2. Animals should be used in research: A, 47%; B, 89%
3. Humans evolved over time: A, 65%; B, 98%
4. Childhood vaccines should be required: A, 68%; B, 86%
5. Climate change is due mostly to human activity: A, 50%; B, 87%
6. K-12 education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the U.S. is the best in the world or at least above average: A, 29%; B, 16%
7. The growing world population will strain food and resources: A, 59%; B: 82%
8. More nuclear power plants should be built: A, 45%; B, 65%
9. There should be more offshore drilling: A, 52%; B, 32%

Surveys and Groups 

Are you ready for the answers? 

The bridge between science and society
is rather shaky. (Photo modified from
pensees.pascallisch.net/?p=311)

Group A: the U.S. public--a nationwide sample of 2,002 adults, 18 and older, interviewed by telephone (landline and cellular) last August. The group was roughly half male, representative in race and age, 482 had some college and 813 graduated college or more. Politically, 737 were Republican or leaned Republican and 959 were Democrat or leaned Democrat. The margin of error was 3.1%.

Group B: U.S.-based scientists--a random sample of 3,748 members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science from different disciplines. The group, surveyed online last September and October, had 71% male, 72% PhDs and 43% in academia. The margin of error was 1.7%.

Public's Perception of Scientists’ Views

The surveys covered much more than the nine issues I selected. One item was the public’s perception of what scientists think.

For example, while 87% of the scientists blame human activity for climate change, the U.S. adults surveyed think that only 57% of scientists blame humans.

Perhaps more striking, while only 2% of scientists don’t agree that humans evolved over time, the public’s perception is that 29% of scientists don’t agree.

Wrap Up

There are a handful of reasons why the public and scientists may differ on certain issues; however, the survey found that most US adults view science favorably--79% feel science has made life easier for most people; just over 70% think government investment in basic science, engineering and technology pays off in the long run; and 54% consider U.S. scientific achievements to be the best in the world or at least above average.

Unfortunately, the reasons behind the differences on issues may be having an effect. The public’s favorability toward science is down somewhat from a survey taken in 2009. Further, although 52% of the scientists say this is a good time for science, that’s a sharp drop from 76% in 2009. Work is needed to bridge the gap, and the report will surely help.

Take a look at the report and see what you think. Thanks for stopping by.

P.S.

Pew Research Center report, Public and Scientists’ Views on Science and Society: www.pewinternet.org/files/2015/01/PI_ScienceandSociety_Report_012915.pdf
Summary report: www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/29/public-and-scientists-views-on-science-and-society/
Editorial on the report in Science Magazine and article on Science Daily website.
www.sciencemag.org/content/347/6221/459
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150129143030.htm

Striped Animals Addendum

Last Friday’s blog post reviewed three studies that sought to explain the evolutionary drivers of Zebra Stripes. But there are quite a few other animals that have stripes.

Some striped animals we know well. How about tigers, chipmunks and bees, not to mention skunks? (Photos from multiple websites.)

Some not so well, such as bongo antelope from Africa, where there aren’t many left; numbats, the marsupial anteaters emblematic of Western Australia; and the Striped Pyjama Squid of the southern Indo-Pacific. (Photos from multiple websites.)

Some have stripes on only part of their body. There’s the giraffe’s relative, the okapi of Central Africa, and there’s also badgers, which I have to mention since I’m living in Wisconsin. (Photos from multiple websites.)

Some lose their stripes, like tapirs from Central and South America and Southeastern Asia do after about 6 months. (Photo of tapir born in 2012 at Tel Aviv-Ramat Gan Zoological Center, from multiple websites.)

Some even laugh about their stripes, like striped hyenas from northern Africa, the Middle East and Asia. (Photos from multiple websites.)

Some striped animals swim. Among those in the Indo-Pacific oceans are the oriental sweetlips (left), which doesn’t start out with stripes, and the striped marlin. (Marlin photos from multiple websites; sweetlips from www.petsolutions.com/C/Live-Aquarium-Saltwater-Fish/I/Oriental-Sweetlips.aspx)

Some striped animals slither, such as the beautiful coral snake, which in North America comes with (watch out!) or without (whew) yellow. (Photo from multiple websites.)

Some striped animals crawl, creep or skitter, such as the wasp spider and striped shield bug. (Photos respectively from www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/gallery/showimage.php?i=1258&c=30 and www.insectoid.info/bugs/graphosoma-lineatum/)

And some just slide or glide, such as the Armina californica sea slug of the eastern Pacific. (Photo by Dave Cowles from www.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/biology/rosario/inverts/Mollusca/Gastropoda/Opisthobranchia/Nudibranchia/Arminacea/Armina_californica.html)

With all those and more, don’t you wonder how their stripes evolved?