Yahoo! Answers

Hey Guys,

I was always told that house cats have exceptional vision. Makes sense to me. After all, they need to be able to catch mice and escape from sneaky dogs. Of course, there are lots of animals with good peepers. Of all the species, do cats have the best eyesight?

I asked the folks of Yahoo! Answers which animal has the best vision and was treated to a variety of responses. Only a handful of folks cited sources in their answers, but those who did included solid links. For example, top contributor ZCT wrote that, according to his sources, eagles have the best vision. ZCT explains that eagles “have five times more vision receptors in their eyes than we do, and can spot a mouse from one kilometer away. Their vision is eight times sharper than a human.”

Not bad, but there were other opinions. Soff, another top contributor, wrote that the zebra spider may be the tops. According to a link she included, the zebra spider’s eyes “work as a telephoto lens. The retina inside the eye can move in 3 dimensions enabling the spider to look in all directions and focus on a subject.”

There are other contenders as well. Red-Beauvais believes it may be owls, who “have the most forward facing eyes and hence the best stereoscopic vision of all birds.” Randy, another responder, believes the title belongs to the Peregrine Falcon. And, last but not least, Spiritualseeker thinks that it all depends on how we define “best.” He notes that cats can see in low light, bats can “see” sound like radar, and snakes can feel and see while crawling.

Spiritualseeker has a point — I guess the answer depends. What say you? Which animal has the best vision? Leave your response below and be sure to include a link or two. Let’s see if we can find a definitive answer to this question once and for all.

Thanks for reading,

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Ah, spring! The weather is getting warmer. The days are growing longer. And millions of college students are taking a break from school and embarking to exotic locations… to party with other college students. But does spring break have to mean a trip to a crowded tourist trap? Let’s see what the folks on Answers have to say.

For students in the United States, sunny beaches in the South and along the Gulf of Mexico are certainly popular destinations. And there’s always Las Vegas, where people act like it’s spring break year round. But if you are looking for something a little off the beaten path, Answers user “MOMOtheMONSTER” has some helpful suggestions, including herding cattle on a dude ranch or helping to rebuild New Orleans. Incidentally, there are a number of organizations that offer volunteer opportunities for those who want their spring break to mean more than a chance to be on MTV.

Do you have any suggestions for unusual or memorable ways to spend spring break?

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Hey Guys,

I’ve been peering into refrigerators all my life, but the other morning I saw something I’d never noticed — a drawer labeled “fruit crisper.” What the heck? Of course, the drawer had been there forever, but in my rush to grab the OJ every morning, I never paid attention to it. Intrigued by my belated discovery, I asked the fine folks of Yahoo! Answers if these “crispers” really work as advertised.

Fortunately, my fellow ‘fridge aficionados offered a variety of answers. Community member Kc Mrow does use the bottom drawer for fruit, but doesn’t believe it actually keeps the food any fresher. However, Kc points out that vegetable expert Pete Ferretti “advocates liberal use of the crisper drawers when storing produce” to help keep the fruits and vegetables fresh and to keep their odors from co-mingling. Other responders believe the drawers are intended to keep bacteria from meats away from fruits and veggies.

Another community member, Naomi M, referred me to an article from Expert Village. The site points out that these drawers have two intended purposes. First, simple organization. A fridge can be a messy place and keeping the fruit in one place helps. Second, they offer humidity control. Apparently, refrigerators use a baffle system to “allow the air that is circulating” in the fridge entry into the drawer. The drawers are also humidity controlled, which keeps their contents fresher for a longer period of time.

That’s the goal, anyway. Do they really work? As someone who has never used the crisper drawer (at least, not knowingly), I have no idea. What say you? Do crispers really “crisp” or is this all some sort of conspiracy perpetrated by the Maytag repairman? Leave a comment below and let me know.

Stay fresh,

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When I was a kid it was a big mistake to forget (or intentionally forego) to wear something green on March 17. Without that protection you were going to get pinched. All day. We even had rules about it. If someone pinched you and you really were wearing green, you got to pinch them back 10 times. But it had to be visible—you couldn’t hide it somehow and then reveal it after being pinched just to get your free 10 pinches. That was just bad form. My sister used to employ a controversial variation on this last rule, claiming that her green eyes counted. That argument didn’t always go over well and often degraded into a pinching and counter-pinching fest on a massive scale. Even though I’m partly Irish, I always thought the green-wearing “decree” was a little unfair to impose on everyone—but it was all in fun.

After a day spent on “green alert”, evening would come and I would eagerly chow down on a “traditional” Irish dinner of boiled corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and onions — with a dab of mustard on the side. As it turns out, corned beef and cabbage is primarily an Irish-American tradition. In Ireland, a St. Patrick’s Day feast would more likely consist of braised brine-cured bacon or pork with cabbage, soda bread, and maybe champ or colcannon.

As a child, I didn’t really know who St. Patrick was or why he was celebrated on this day, but I loved corned beef and cabbage. And as long as I remembered to wear green, all was well.

Do you have any St. Patrick’s Day traditions? What’s on your menu for tonight?

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When a friend or family member dies, expectedly or unexpectedly, those close to the deceased are certain to feel the loss deeply. Death is a part of life, and though different cultures honor or celebrate death differently, one commonality is that we all experience it.

My grandfather passed away last week after a long fight with cancer. Though it was partly a relief to see him relieved of his suffering, it was still terribly upsetting. When I sat down to write this blog, death was on my mind. It brought up many questions, both practical and existential, and there’s no better place to find answers than on Answers. I figured I’d do some searching on the questions that have surfaced in my life in the past week to see what the Answers community had to offer.

I’ve been to only a couple of funerals in my life, and they have been very casual. My grandfather’s funeral, on the other hand, was a very traditional Catholic affair, with a viewing and an elaborate service. It was my first viewing and to be honest, I felt more than a little trepidation.

I wondered exactly what a viewing was and how it differed from the actual funeral. I worried about what to wear, whether to send flowers, and if I should expect to see my young nieces and nephews there. The funeral took place the following day and I had the privilege of being a pallbearer. Because he had served in World War II, my grandfather was honored with a traditional flag folding as part of the service, something I had not seen before.

After all the guests had paid their respects, we gathered at the home of my aunt to eat, reminisce, and take solace in each other’s company. Many Answerers have shared great suggestions for coping with personal grief and helping others deal with the loss of loved ones, which I found comforting.

As for my family, something that really helped alleviate our pain was poring over old pictures, which kept the mood light and helped us focus on the fact that this was not only a time for mourning, but also for celebrating the long and joyous life that my grandfather had lived.

What has helped you deal with the loss of a friend or family member?

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