invertebrates

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Math is no fun for lobsters

January 27, 2009 in Science | No comments

“A lobster doesn’t get to think about the laws of nature, and so I’ve often thought to myself that it’s a blessing that we live in a certain window of intelligence. If we were infinitely smart—God-like—we’ll have such powerful brains we can see every implication of everything, so math wouldn’t be fun for a being that’s too smart. And of course for the lobster that’s not smart enough, math is no fun for them, either. It’s in this intermediate window where math and science become something to rejoice in.”
—Steve Strogatz, mathematician

I’m finally listening to the most recent episode of Radio Lab, “Yellow Fluff and Other Curious Encounters,” and I just fell in love with Steve Strogatz’s quote. I had to pause, rewind, and play the podcast over a dozen times before I was able to write it down, word-for-word. It embodies some of the reasons why I love science, and why I’m capable of being fascinated by it. Enjoy.

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Brown recluse: More reclusive than you believe

January 21, 2009 in Science, Urban Legends | 2 comments

Is the brown recluse even in your state? Probably not.

Is the brown recluse in your state? Probably not. (Map Credit: Burke Museum, University of Washington)

Chesire is helping to demystify one of America’s favorite scapegoats (or scapespiders?): Loxoceles reclusa 101 (brown recluse)

Here in California, we don’t even have any brown recluses, but occasionally the news sensationalizes them. Since they’re not found in much of the United States, most doctors naturally have never seen one.

I have heard that in parts of the United States, hobo spiders (Tegenaria agrestis) are commonly misdiagnosed as brown recluse bites. Have anyone heard about this? Citations?

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Sex and bathroom humor, jellyfish style

March 20, 2008 in Science | 1 comment

While I’m getting this blog off the ground, here is some filler for your entertainment. Click to enlarge:

Jellyfish sex

Jellyfish and their relatives (anemones, corals) eat and crap out of the same hole, something called a two-way digestive tract; food goes in one direction, then reverses the direction to get crapped out. Us humans are fortunately to have one-way tracts where food travels down one direction in our bodies until we have to use the bathroom.

Jellyfish actually have a complex life-cycle where they do both sexual and asexual reproduction (not at the same time). These jellyfish will eventually have sex, but don’t let facts spoil the humor

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