stripes

(Newser) - If you have an unreasonable fear of escalators, there may be something to it—but the problem involves looking at one, not stepping on it. Researchers report in the journal Current Biology that just looking at the rigid, geometric pattern of stripes—even still images of them—affects our brain...

(Newser) - Since the 1950s mathematicians have been trying to sort out exactly why some animals, like tigers and zebras, have stripes that are oriented perpendicularly to their spines, while others, like the zebrafish, have stripes that are parallel. Now Harvard researchers are proposing a mathematical model in the journal Cell Systems...

(Newser) - A new theory offers a simple explanation on why zebras have stripes: Horseflies hate them. Researchers discovered that the flies will go after an all-black animal or an all-white animal more than a striped one, reports LiveScience . What's more, the zebra's narrow, vertical stripes seem tailor-made to ward...

(Newser) - Bad news for Pippi Longstocking wannabes—a Swedish preschool has banned striped and polka-dotted children's clothing because the patterns trigger one teacher's migraine headaches. The ban is driving some fashion-conscious parents dotty, but the school's principal defends the teacher's right to "an appropriate work environment," reports the Local ...