10 Mind-Blowing Discoveries This Week

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Botanist Peter Taylor had seen structural characteristics in Philcoxia similar to other carnivorous plants, but no remains of the prey lying around and only recently did a research team from São Paulo's University of Campinas do a test and discover how the plants trap living things. The team put nematodes (worms) “labeled with a nitrogen isotope in the plants' soil, and found that, within 24 hours, the plants contained the nitrogen isotope.” The plant’s sticky underground leaves trap passing roundworms and leech out their nutrients, thus enabling the plant to live in nutrient-poor soil of its native Brazilian cerrado.

Davis ends her piece with my favorite line of the summer so far: “…just because you can't see where something keeps its mouth, that doesn't mean it won't try to eat you.”

If that’s not already the tagline for some kind of horror film...just wait.