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Identity

People are sharing how they discovered their sexual orientation and every journey is unique

"I first realized that I liked men at the tender age of 12 while watching 'The Mummy' with Brendan Fraser for the first time."

via Cottonbro Studio/Pexels and Maharael Boutros/Pexels

Everyone's journey of self-discovery is different.

Discovering one's sexual orientation is a deeply personal journey that unfolds differently for everyone. Some people have a defining moment when they know what they’ll be into for the rest of their lives, and others go through life without much questioning.

Some people go for more of a trial-and-error approach where they come to an understanding over numerous experiences, while others view their sexuality as fluid and would rather live without any label.

What’s important to remember is that there's no "right" timeline or method for this self-discovery. What matters most is allowing oneself the time, space and love to grow and evolve organically. Everyone deserves the freedom to find their truth at their own pace.

A Reddit user by the name of Jacklawd asked the online forum, “How did you conclude that your sexual orientation is what it is?” It received nearly 5,000 responses from almost every sexual orientation imaginable. Many people's journeys also made them understand that they were asexual—meaning they weren't sexually attracted to other people.

The discussion was valuable for many because it gave them a free place to express their personal journeys in a public forum. After reading other people’s experiences, there were many who felt a lot less alone.

Here are 17 of the most interesting responses to the question: “How did you conclude that your sexual orientation is what it is?”

Bisexual

"I can't remember a time when I didn't feel attracted to both men and women. It never went away, never wavered. Figured by 25, that's pretty well set that I'm bisexual." — TinyTinasRabidOtter

"Saw a hot girl. Saw a hot guy. Thought 'yeah both is good.'" — HailYourSelf717

Lesbian

"I accepted that I like women pretty quickly, but it was far harder for me to accept that I DIDN’T like men. I don’t know why but apparently that’s pretty common with lesbians. Compulsory heterosexuality (look it up) is a bitch. But one memory I frequently go to as proof is my especially close relationship with my 'best friends' and literally using one of her shirts as a pillowcase, vis a vis Jenny by Studio Killers. Also, having sex with a woman for the first time and all my fears melting away once I got lost in the moment. I can’t fathom being intimate with a man without feelings of extreme anxiety and nausea (no offense gents, you’re all great!! This is a me problem, not you!)." — Hannah_of-Acero

"I dated men forever and thought all straight women were attracted to other women. And then I had sex with a woman and there was literally no doubt. The glaring neon sign was there, I just didn’t see it for what it was. Nobody in my life was surprised though lmaooooo I wanted to have a big dramatic 'coming out' moment and everyone was just like 'oh good you figured it out.'" — melxcham

"I like my best friend -> I like girls -> bi?? -> I've never been attracted to a man -> lesbian." — Environmental-Cap727

Queer

"The labels got too annoying, so I just went with Queer. I feel comfortable with it, and it's not like I owe anyone an explanation. Nobody really asks for specific labels these days." — Random_Person

Gay

"I’ve liked guys since I was like 3. When I was 14 briefly wondered if I might be gay. Realized I’d never liked a girl and liked many guys so decided it was very unlikely. When I was 20 realized straight people weren’t typically interested in or turned on by the thought of having sex with people of the same sex as them. Decided I like guys so much more than I would ever be interested in a girl that it really didn’t matter. The thought of dating a girl is also a complete turn-off for me." — Harakiri_238

"I'm gay and grew up in a small, Christian village. So being openly gay was not really an option. I first realized that I liked men at the tender age of 12 while watching 'The Mummy' with Brendan Fraser for the first time. Everyone was talking about Rachel Weisz and I was always thinking 'She's pretty but... Did you see that guy?!' Then things moved back into the shadow thanks to some religious brainwashing and witnessing how my best friend was sent away to one of these 'healing camps' for just mentioning that he thought he is gay when we were 16. So I bottled it up. Dated a couple of girls, later a woman. Never was really into any of them. And I'm still to this day really sorry that I wasted their time. I completely closed that chapter when I moved to a big city and was finally able to explore myself without the fear of the entire village finding out and talking. I was 24 and had finally a feeling of knowing who I am and where I belong." — OneMorePotion

Straight Women

"I never had that need to explore my sexuality I see a lot of people have because I have only ever felt attracted to men. I’ve had women come up to me, but I have never even felt curious, I just don’t feel attracted to them. I guess that makes me straight." — NenaBurguesa

"I just knew as a young girl that I really liked boys. I had two older sisters, and I loved it when they'd invite their boyfriends over! I would bother them and ask them questions." — I_Need_A_Better_Name

Straight Men

"Heterosexual 34M here. Contrary to a lot of heterosexual men, I'm not just saying 'well I'm straight, that's it' because you also do have to realize it at some point...I played basketball and practiced jiu-jitsu, saw a lot of beautiful, athletic men showering naked, and never was attracted to them. I had beautiful gay men hitting on me and didn't feel attracted (nor repulsed, just: that it's not for me, sorry). So I concluded I was straight." — Teebo_

"When I was a teen I questioned it because I thought that even thinking some men are attractive made you gay. But I later realized that I didn't want to be physical or romantic with men at all, I actually am kinda repulsed by the idea of naked guys, I simply liked they way they looked. Same way I look at a car or something else that is aesthetically pleasing. But with women, I want to experience them physically, emotionally and intimately. I want to be with a woman, I don't want to be with a man in any way. So that's when I understood I'm straight." — MembraneintheInzane

Asexual

"After well over 20 years of never having a crush on anyone, it starts to dawn on you that maybe you're the odd one out not feeling anything. For me, sex was always just this super distant thing that I never, ever thought about unless it was brought up externally. Masturbation was always an 'oh yeah people do that, right' kinda deal. Any sexual body part was always either completely unremarkable or outright ugly. That people really did imagine having sex with people was surprising to me. 'Wait, they're not just meming about a taboo subject because it's taboo? People actually think that way?' Porn never interested me, and I have zero desire to look at it when I can instead be watching a documentary on Dave Stieb. Yeah, at some point it becomes hard to ignore that you're different.

"While I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything by being asexual and being in a position where I never want to try sex, I definitely do feel like I'm missing out by (possibly) being aromantic. I can appreciate a well-written romance (note: most are not for infuriating pacing reasons alone), and it does feel like it's something I'm missing even if I've never felt it. While I can think of someone as 'pretty' or 'cute,' words like 'hot' and 'sexy' have no intuitive and intrinsic meaning to them. I can give you a dictionary definition, and I can tell you how other people use them, but I don't actually feel it." — 47Robin

"Fellow ace here. I really thought that people were kind of arbitrarily deciding who they liked. I really didn’t understand that you actually had some feelings for someone. I only thought it was kinda judging the appearance of someone. And it was just crazy when people started to like each other at like 13-15. I just faked that whole thing. I remember when learning about sex ed, in my own thoughts, I was like why do we need to know this? Nobody is having kids. Might as well learn about colonizing Mars or the Moon as well. I really thought everybody was like that and just lied about finding people sexy and the like. I can understand someone being pretty, but it’s the exact same feeling when seeing a sunset, art, or listening to great music or seeing a great movie." — Craigularperson

Aromantic-Asexual (AroAce)

"Never developed a crush, never felt drawn to anyone sexually, and even as I grew older was repulsed by the idea of having sex. I heard the term 'aroace', researched its meaning, and the label just fit. I am aroace. I can love people platonically, but I do not feel sexual or romantic attraction/love." —

Pansexual

"I fell in love with a man who transitioned. After I'd come to terms with 'losing' my lover, I realized that I still loved her just as much as I'd ever loved him, and that was that my pansexual orientation was born." — Fluffy_Fox_Kit

No Need for a Label

"If you're asking for insight to better understand others who are different from you, I think you've gotten plenty of great responses already. However, if you're looking for info relating to your own definition of sexuality, then I want to STRONGLY impress upon you that there isn't actually any need to define yourself with labels. Society is really obsessed with putting people into categories to better understand them. You don't have to do that. It's totally fine (and I feel really healthy) to just experience life as it comes. My mom is 65+, has 3 previous hetero marriages, and has recently found a girlfriend. It doesn't mean she's been gay the whole time. It doesn't mean she's straight and acting out. She's just in love, and that's great." — IronFlower

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History (Education)

Woman featured in iconic Great Depression photo didn't know she was famous until 40 years later

Florence Owens Thompson later revealed she wished her photo had never been taken.

the great depression; Florence Thompson; Mona Lisa of the Great Depression; Mona Lisa; the depression; depression era

Photo by Dorothea Lange via Library of Congress

The woman from the famous Great Depression photo didn't know about her fame for 40 years.

It's one of the most iconic and haunting photos of all time, up there with the likes of Hindenburg, The Falling Soldier, Burning Monk, Napalm Girl, and many others. It's called simply Migrant Mother, and it paints a better picture of the time in which it was taken than any book or interview possibly could.

Nearly everyone across the globe knows Florence Owens Thompson's face from newspapers, magazines, and history books. The young, destitute mother was the face of The Great Depression, her worried, suntanned face looking absolutely defeated as several of her children took comfort by resting on her thin frame. Thompson put a human face and emotion behind the very real struggle of the era, but she wasn't even aware of her role in helping to bring awareness to the effects of the Great Depression on families.

It turns out that Dorothea Lange, the photographer responsible for capturing the worry-stricken mother in the now-famous photo, told Thompson that the photos wouldn't be published.

Of course, they subsequently were published in the San Francisco News. At the time the photo was taken, Thompson was supposedly only taking respite at the migrant campsite with her seven children after the family car broke down near the campsite. The photo was taken in March 1936 in Nipomo, California when Lange was concluding a month's long photography excursion documenting migrant farm labor.

the great depression; Florence Thompson; Mona Lisa of the Great Depression; Mona Lisa; the depression; depression era Worried mother and children during the Great Depression era. Photo by Dorthea Lange via Library of Congress

"Migrant worker" was a term that meant something quite different than it does today. It was primarily used in the 30s to describe poverty-stricken Americans who moved from town to town harvesting the crops for farmers.

The pay was abysmal and not enough to sustain a family, but harvesting was what Thompson knew as she was born and raised in "Indian Territory," (now Oklahoma) on a farm. Her father was Choctaw and her mother was white. After the death of her husband, Thompson supported her children the best way she knew how: working long hours in the field.

"I'd hit that cotton field before daylight and stay out there until it got so dark I couldn't see," Thompson told NBC in 1979 a few years before her death.

the great depression; Florence Thompson; Mona Lisa of the Great Depression; Mona Lisa; the depression; depression era A mother reflects with her children during the Great Depression. Photo by Dorthea Lange via Library of Congress

When talking about meeting Thompson, Lange wrote in her article titled "The Assignment I'll Never Forget: Migrant Mother," which appeared in Popular Photography, Feb. 1960, "I saw and approached the hungry and desperate mother, as if drawn by a magnet. I do not remember how I explained my presence or my camera to her, but I do remember she asked me no questions. I made five exposures, working closer and closer from the same direction. I did not ask her name or her history. She told me her age, that she was thirty-two. She said that they had been living on frozen vegetables from the surrounding fields, and birds that the children killed."

Lange goes on to surmise that Thompson cooperated because on some level she knew the photos would help, though from Thompson's account she had no idea the photos would make it to print. Without her knowledge, Thompson became known as "The Dustbowl Mona Lisa," which didn't translate into money in the poor family's pocket.

In fact, according to a history buff who goes by @baewatch86 on TikTok, Thompson didn't find out she was famous until 40 years later after a journalist tracked her down in 1978 to ask how she felt about being a famous face of the depression.

@baewatch86
Florence Thompson, American Motherhood. #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #historytok #americanhistory #migrantmother #thegreatdepression #dorthealange #womenshistory

It turns out Thompson wished her photo had never been taken since she never received any funds for her likeness being used. Baewatch explains, "because Dorothea Lange's work was funded by the federal government this photo was considered public domain and therefore Mrs. Florence and her family are not entitled to the royalties."

While the photo didn't provide direct financial compensation for Thompson, the "virality" of it helped to feed migrant farm workers. "When these photos were published, it immediately caught people's attention. The federal government sent food and other resources to those migrant camps to help the people that were there that were starving, they needed resources and this is the catalyst. This photo was the catalyst to the government intercepting and providing aid to people," Baewatch shares.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

As for Lange, Migrant Mother was not her only influential photograph of the Great Depression. She captured many moving images of farmers who had been devastated by the Dust Bowl and were forced into a migrant lifestyle.

"Broke, baby sick, and car trouble!" is just one of her many incredible photos from the same year, 1937.

She also did tremendous work covering Japanese internment in the 1940s, and was eventually inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum and the National Women's Hall of Fame.

the great depression; Florence Thompson; Mona Lisa of the Great Depression; Mona Lisa; the depression; depression era Families on the move suffered enormous hardships during The Great Depression.Photo by Dorthea Lange via Library of Congress

Thompson did find some semblance of financial comfort later in life when she married a man named George Thompson, who would be her third husband. In total, she had 10 children. When Thompson's health declined with age, people rallied around to help pay her medical bills citing the importance of the 1936 photo in their own lives. The "Migrant Mother" passed away in 1983, just over a week after her 80th birthday. She was buried in California.

"Florence Leona Thompson, Migrant Mother. A legend of the strength of American motherhood," her gravestone reads.

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Pop Culture

Communication expert shares 3 simple 'power moves' to not take criticism personally

“If I hear something that’s offensive, I’ll be like ‘okay, that’s trash.’ In my mind, I grab it with my right hand…and throw it.”

jefferson fisher, conversation, conversation tips, communications expert, podcast, jefferson fisher podcast, winning an argument

Photo credit: Canva

Standing your ground in a peaceful way is possible.

Even the most skilled small talkers among us might struggle when receiving negative feedback that feels like a personal attack. The temptation to fight back or stonewall is understandably strong. Our darker emotions become ignited, which sets off rejection stories in our mind before any clear thinking can take place.

The result: we dish out the same energy we’re given. Or, we shut down completely. Either way, we don’t get a lot accomplished.

But personal injury attorney and communications expert Jefferson Fisher, who shares all kinds of simple conversation tips, argues that keeping your cool in these heated moments all comes down to three “power moves.”

During a clip of his Jefferson Fisher podcast, the conversation guru first offered up a handy visualization: during moments of facing criticism, he imagines a giant trash can next to him, which collects all the negative feedback. He then “sifts” through the words, separating any snark as “trash” to get to what’s actually worth responding to.

“If I hear something that’s offensive, I’ll be like ‘okay, that’s trash.’ In my mind, I grab it with my right hand…and throw it.”

Dumping Trash Daniel Labelle GIFfrom Dumping Trash GIFs

That concept alone might be enough to avoid getting your feathers ruffled in many sticky situations. But below are the three easy strategies that can go a little further when someone is being offensive.

Power Move #1: Silence

Not saying anything after getting a snarky comment gives the other person the chance to take in their word choice, which Fisher argues often prompts them to apologize on their own.

“You’ve just exposed instead of covering it up…If you just let that silence sit there, oftentimes they go ‘sorry I shouldn’t have said that.’”

Power Move Strong GIFfrom Power Move GIFs

Power Move # 2: Acknowledge that the feedback could be true, rather than that it is

In these instances, Fisher encourages saying “Maybe you’re right,” which embraces humility without being a doormat.

Power Move #3: Holding off on the timing

In other words, this means not responding when you are angry and triggered.

To initiate a later time, Fisher suggests saying something like, “Let’s have this out…I don’t really have my thoughts together on that. Why don’t we talk about that at noon tomorrow?”

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Fisher added the caveat that context about who this person is in your life will determine which of these steps you might take. Overall, the main goal stays the same: asserting your value while steering the conversation towards what’s actually productive to discuss. No fighting back required.

You can find more cool tips just like this one on Fisher’s YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

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Pop Culture

In an iconic 1975 clip, a teenage Michael Jackson stuns Cher during hypnotic robot dance duet

The clip marks a turning point in Michael Jackson's iconic public persona.

jacksons, michael jackson, robot dance, Cher, 1970s TV

via Cher/YouTube

Cher and The Jackson 5 doing the robot dance.

One of the most distinctive aspects of Michael Jackson's mega-stardom was that he grew up almost entirely in the public eye. He began performing with his brothers at age five and remained a significant figure in American pop culture until he died in 2009.

He burst onto the scene as a child with an incredibly soulful voice. He became an electrifying performer as a teen before rocketing to superstardom at 20 with the release of his first solo album, 1979's Off the Wall. One of the pivotal moments when the public witnessed this transformation came in 1975, when 16-year-old Michael performed with his brothers, The Jackson 5, on The Cher Show.

The Jackson 5 and Cher performed a medley of the band's biggest hits, including "I Want You Back," "I'll Be There," and "Never Can Say Goodbye." But the most memorable moment came when Michael and his brothers broke into the robot dance during "Dancing Machine," and Cher did her best to keep up.

The Jackson 5 and Cher do the robot dance

It's fun watching Cher try to fall in line with the Jacksons, while Michael absolutely kills it, gyrating like an animatronic on hyperdrive during his solo.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

The Jackson 5 may have helped bring the robot dance into the public consciousness by incorporating it into performances of their 1973 hit "Dancing Machine." But it traces back to mechanical "mannequin" dances from the early days of film. In the 1960s, Robin Shields, a popular mime, performed as a robot on late-night talk shows. By the 1970s, dancers had set those moves to music on shows such as Soul Train.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

In a 2003 interview, Cher said she had to learn the moves on the fly from the Jacksons.

"Think of how hard it was for me to learn to do that, and the guys just knew how to do it. I've been working all day, and they just came on and said, 'Okay, sure, this is how you do it,'" Cher recalled. "I had a lot of fun on that show. It was a lot of work, but I had a lot of fun. You know, and I got to work with some great people."

What's also notable about the performance is that Michael's voice had changed, and he sang in a deeper register than he had as a child a few years earlier.

Things changed for Cher and the Jacksons in 1976

By the following year, things had changed for both The Jackson 5 and Cher. Cher reunited with her ex-husband, Sonny Bono, for The Sonny and Cher Show, which ran until 1977. In 1976, The Jackson 5 left Motown Records for Epic Records and changed their name to The Jacksons. Jermaine Jackson temporarily left the group to pursue a solo career, and he was replaced by his brother, Randy.

Here's The Jackson 5's complete performance on The Cher Show from March 16, 1975:

- YouTube www.youtube.com

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Joy

The two ways people who may not be naturally funny can show they have a great sense of humor

A great sense of humor is one of the most likable traits a person can have.

man luaghing, woman laughing, laughing on date, wine, happy couple

via Canva/Photos

A man and woman laughing on a date.

A sense of humor is often ranked among the most desirable traits in a romantic partner, with women rating it higher than men. Studies show that, in heterosexual relationships, the more times a man tries to be funny and the more a woman laughs, the greater the chance that the woman is interested. If a couple laughs together, the greater the chance of true love.

Why is a sense of humor so attractive? It makes people more enjoyable to be around, helps people bond, and makes awkward or even painful moments more bearable. On a deeper level, humor is a great way to determine whether someone is a creative thinker with a novel approach to solving problems.

But what about people who aren't comfortable cracking jokes and don’t have their brains constantly tuned to the “be witty” channel? Vanessa Van Edwards, a communications expert and author of Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People, says there are two ways to show they still have a great sense of humor.

@vvanedwards
Is Humor More Attractive Than Looks? | @The Diary Of A CEO

Van Edwards shared her thoughts on an episode of the Diary of a CEO podcast. During the podcast, she noted that there are two roles people can play in a conversation: a driver and a passenger. The driver is the person steering the conversation, while the passenger is along for the ride.

How do people who aren’t great at cracking jokes show they have a sense of humor?

1. Be a great laugher

"So, you are going to be the best passenger ever. You're going to laugh at the joke. You're going to bang on the table. I love table bangers. You know, I have people in my life who are not very funny, but they love to bang on the table when I tell a funny joke, and that makes me feel so good. They don't need to be funny. I'm happy to try. Right? So, if you're not funny, just be very good at hyping up other funny people."

2. Be a great curator of humor

"You also could be a curator of funny. You find the best funny gifts. You find the best funny clips. You share the best funny posts. Like, you don't have to be funny to be a curator of funny. Like, I have a friend who's not that funny, but he has the best clips and memes that he sends me. And so I think of him as funny even though he's never told a joke."

Watch the entire segment here.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Van Edwards added that if people genuinely want to improve their sense of humor, they can take an improv class to learn how to be funny in the moment. “A lot of humor is just trying things and seeing if they land. So if you're not funny and you want to be and like something good to work on, take an improv class and work on being funny on stage.”

Van Edwards' advice is excellent for those who thought they would never be seen as funny. Her words are a great reminder that even though many great communicators seem to have talent that comes naturally, it's a skill set, and like anything else, there are always ways to learn and improve.

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Animals & Wildlife

Fascinating 'Dark-fly' experiment has finally allowed scientists to measure evolution in real time

The long-running experiment has tracked changes in over 1,500 generations of fruit flies since 1954.

science, scientists, evolution, adaptation, mutation, genes, DNA, fruit flies, humans, health, futurology

By André Karwath/Wikimedia Commons & Photo credit: Canva

An experiment running since 1954 has taught scientists valuable information about how evolution really works.

Evolution usually occurs so slowly that it's imperceptible to the naked eye. Simple adaptations can take thousands of years to take hold, far too long for any of us to notice. But just because it's slow doesn't mean it's not happening. Humans, for example, aren't growing wings or gills (as far as any of us can tell), but we are evolving "faster than ever before," mostly in subtle ways such as food tolerance, disease resistance, and brain size.

One fascinating project that was started decades ago has allowed scientists to track and measure evolutionary changes in real time by speed-running evolutionary adaption in a heavily controlled lab setting.

In 1954, Japanese ecologist Syuiti Mori launched what would become one of the longest-running active experiments in the world. He enclosed a colony of fruit flies in glass bottles, covered them with cloth, and placed them in complete darkness.

They would remain there for the next 72 years and counting.

science, scientists, evolution, adaptation, mutation, genes, DNA, fruit flies, humans, health, futurology Dark flies and wild fruit flies look almost identical, but have significant genetic differences. Photo by Luke Peterson on Unsplash

Fruit flies are often used in this type of research because they reproduce incredibly quickly. Eggs typically hatch into maggots within a day or two. Within two weeks, they mature into sexually active adults that begin mating and laying eggs. New generations can cycle rapidly, which makes fruit flies the perfect candidate for tracking genetic changes over time.

Perhaps more surprisingly, fruit flies actually share quite a bit of DNA with humans. Researcher Stephanie Mohr tells Harvard Health that fruit fly genes are about 60% similar to human genes, with even greater overlap in disease-related markers. That makes them a surprisingly effective model for studying human genetics at a simplified level.

Mori's flies bred in complete darkness, rapidly producing generations that had never seen the light of day. Today, the experiment continues under successive generations of leading researchers, during which the colony has produced more than 1,500 generations.

Researchers access, feed, and study the flies using a weak red light that the flies cannot detect. For decades, they've been able to perfectly control the conditions from generation to generation. The Genetics Society of America writes: "The stock of flies has now spent more than 1,500 generations without light. In human terms, that would be like sequestering generations of our ancestors in the dark for 30,000 years."

Adaptation is slow, but that is more than enough time to measure changes, if any occur.

science, scientists, evolution, adaptation, mutation, genes, DNA, fruit flies, humans, health, futurology The project has been passed down from researcher to researcher for 70 years. Photo by CDC on Unsplash

The research team quickly discovered that after several generations, the new variety they had created, fittingly called "Dark-fly," performed better in darkness than wild flies.

The two subspecies look nearly identical, but the Dark-fly has longer head bristles used for sensory perception, a stronger sense of smell, and a tendency to lay more eggs in dark conditions.

Researchers even created mixed colonies of wild flies and dark flies, allowing them to interbreed in darkness, and found that Dark-fly DNA was more likely to be passed on to future generations.

In 2012, the full genome of the Dark-fly was sequenced by Naoyuki Fuse, who had taken over the project a few years earlier.

According to Bioedonline.org, "Fuse and his colleagues sequenced the dark-fly genome, identifying 220,000 single-letter differences in its DNA and several thousand larger DNA insertions or deletions, compared with a normal fruit-fly strain."

The team was able to pinpoint which genes changed over time and how, offering rare insight into how evolution works.

Scientists are quick to note that living in darkness does not directly cause changes in the flies' DNA. Instead, natural selection favors mutations and traits that help the flies thrive, making them more likely to be passed on to future generations. Some differences may simply be due to random chance, or genetic drift.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Adaptations in extreme environments have been observed before. Some insects, including bedbugs, are becoming resistant to pesticides. The Mexican tetra, also known as the blind cave fish, has lost functional eyesight after generations of living in pitch-black caves. And a number of animals have adapted to rapidly warming climates.

But recording and measuring these changes in a controlled laboratory environment is extremely rare. Outside the Dark-fly experiment, other long-running studies have tracked colonies of E. coli and yeast under various conditions. But there's something incredibly exciting about observing a living, breathing species as it rapidly adapts to thrive in unnatural conditions.

One day, studies like this one could help scientists rewire human brains and genetics to protect against disease, among other amazing applications.

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People are sharing how they discovered their sexual orientation and every journey is unique