Shazanimals

 

     Continuing on the nature related apps path, I have come up with another app idea that could be life-changing for anyone with an iPhone. Let’s pretend you are the hiker from last week. You’re in your sleeping bag ready to finally slumber after a strenuous day of walking, climbing, and foraging for food (which is made easier using the app Can I Touch It?). You’re drifting away into dreamland until all of a sudden- ARW-WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

     What was that?! A fox? A wolf? A dinosaur??? Unfortunately, there is no way to know. So you’re only options are to stay in your tent and possibly get eaten while you sleep or try to go outside and fight the beast.   Both of those choices seem quite unappealing.

     Luckily, my invention can eliminate (somewhat) this entire dilemma! It is called Shazanimals and it is very similar to the now popular app Shazam. When a song plays that you like but do not know the name of, you put on Shazam. It then is able to find the name of the song just by listening to it. Shazanimals would do the same exact thing, except that it would tell you the name of the animal from the noise that it makes!

     So now, when you’re in your tent and you hear that terrifying noise, just put on Shazanimals! If it tells you it’s a harmless owl, you can go to bed peacefully and without fear. If it tells you it’s a rabid hungry wolf, well, at least now you know that you’re in horrible danger.

     Again, this idea is not perfect. Like the app from last week, the main problem would be that one does not usually have internet access when hiking. However, I would combat this by having a database in each state of the most common maybe 500 animal noises. This way the internet would not even be needed.

     I am an avid user of Shazam and I know that a lot of other people are as well. Therefore, I think Shazanimals could really blow up with avid hikers and people who occasionally get lost in forests. It could even be an expansion pack to the original Shazam. Either way, you have to agree that the name is fantastic.

 

 

Color Changing Tattoos

 

     So its common knowledge that chameleons are really cool. In fact, one might go as far as to say they’re awesome. I mean, these reptiles can change colors! That basically almost makes them superior to humans. Anyway, my newest invention has to do with these crazy reptilian studs. But before I can tell you what the invention is, I first have to explain how a chameleon changes colors.

The science behind their color-changing abilities is pretty amazing to be honest. Firstly, the outermost layer of their skin is transparent. Then, beneath this, there are several more layers of skin that contain specialized cells that are called chromatophores. At each level, these chromatophores are filled with sacs of different kinds of pigment. The deeped layers have brown melanin, then blue pigment, then yellow, and then red. These pigments are usually locked inside tiny sacs within the cells, but when a chameleon changes its body temperature or mood, its nervous systems makes certain chromatophores expand or contract to change the color of the cell. This is how the chameleon is then able to produce vibrant colors and patterns.

     Now that’s pretty amazing. But how amazing would it be if we had the same ability? My idea is to inject these chromatophores into human skin, in order to have color changing tattoos. This would be a complete breakthrough in body art. Imagine having a tattoo that turned red when you are angry or blue when you are cold. Really, the possibilities are endless.

     Now clearly, I am no scientist. I have no idea how this would be done. I’m sure it’s more complicated than simply saying “take the cells of a chameleon and inject them in a human.” In fact, what I am saying may sound completely ludicrous to a biologist. However, I think that the idea is still strong. I have always been a huge fan of body art despite not having any tattoos of my own, but I think that color changing tattoos would add a whole new creative and personalized flair. I know I’ve always been a fan of things that changed color in the sun, (i.e. shirts, hair clips, nail polish) so that is where the inspiration comes from.

     Yet again, my mind has been basically blank in terms of names. Chameleoos? Sounds too childish. Color changing tattoos? Boring. So again, the name is still in the works. However, with the sudden fad of flash tattoos, I think that color changing tattoos would easily catch on. So if any scientist or chameleon expert happens to be reading this, please contact me. Thanks!