Hypercolor reindeer eyes?: Biologists at the University of Norway in Tromso have discovered that in summer, the eyes of Arctic reindeer appear gold, then around Christmas they turn a deep blue, the Los Angeles Times reports. It's a unique adaption that helps reindeer deal with the extreme light conditions at the top of the world. The biologists obtained reindeer eyes from Sami -- indigenous herders living in the northernmost parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, who often hunt for reindeer around the solstices -- and sent them away to a neuroscientist. The scientist found that the color change occurs behind the central retina on a reflective surface known as the tapetum lucidum, which humans don't have but a lot of animals do. It helps nocturnal animals see at night by bouncing light back inside the eye, giving the light receptors in the retina a second chance to be stimulated. The tapetum lucidum is responsible for the "eye shine" you see when a cat looks into a car's headlights. Until this recent discovery, scientists assumed that this piece of ocular anatomy's color was fixed. Researchers also checked the eyes of a small herd of reindeer living on the Norway university's campus, where they are exposed to distant urban lights year round. Instead of turning blue in winter, their eyes became green. Reindeer have a long and storied history as capable draft animals. As Alaska entered the 20th century they were an imported food source that doubled as a way to haul gear for gold miners and deliver mail. Today, they are raised as a source of meat -- a domesticated animal ultimately bound for the dinner table. A community fixture often seen near downtown Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, is Star the Reindeer, an unofficial mascot of sorts. Next time you see the beloved animal, check the validity of the scientific discovery, and look Star in the eyes when you say hello.
Aces go Hawaiian: The Alaska Aces have revealed this year's special jerseys for Hawaii night, and hockey fans should have no problem spotting their favorite players on the ice. A smorgasbord of images Alaskan and Hawaiian -- polar bears and hula girls together for the first time, sharing real estate and living peacefully on hockey merchandise -- the bright jerseys fade from yellow at the top to sunset orange at the bottom. The tropical-themed night of hockey is meant to strengthen the bonds of the only two non-contiguous states. In addition to the droves of Alaskans who flee their home state during winter for sandy beaches and sunshine, longtime Sens. Ted Stevens of Alaska and Daniel Inouye of Hawaii worked together for 40 years, developing programs to benefit their fledgling states. We're not sure if they would have wanted to wear the new Aces jerseys, but they'd certainly support the sentiment behind them. And if loud, Hawaiian-inspired apparel is your thing, attend Saturday's game, where the limited edition jerseys will be auctioned off at the end of the night. One lucky fan will win a trip to Hawaii.
Joe Miller admits to 'mistakes': The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that once and future U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller took some tough questions from the crowd at a gathering of Fairbanks Republicans on Friday. Pressed for answers about some of the issues that plagued his unsuccessful 2010 Senate bid, Miller said he had been "sophomoric" in using Fairbanks North Star Borough computers to vote in an online poll (behavior that led to disciplinary action that became an issue in the election) and agreed with a critic that his campaign "made mistakes." In particular, he said, "that 'Line in the sand' press conference was a bad decision. Bad call." Miller told attendees that most of the criticism leveled at him during the 2010 election was "completely false." He plans to publish a book that will "discredit his detractors," according to the News-Miner. Miller plans to face off against Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell and former Commissioner of Natural Resources Dan Sullivan in Alaska's 2014 Republican Senate primary.