Zombie Ants!

(Not really, but it makes a good title)

A couple days ago, I stumbled across an article calling itself "Ants may be the undead." It turned out that wasn't exactly what it was about, but it did get my attention and the real subject was still interesting. The theory is, to aid in the disposal of dead comrades, ants always have chemicals signaling "dead ant, take to the garbage heap" on them. While they're alive, they also produce other chemicals signaling "just kidding, not dead yet, still a live worker ant." Researchers tested this by putting the "dead" and "not dead yet" compounds on ant pupae (which would usually be carried to some safe nursery location) and leaving the pupae around the worker ants, who either left them alone as if the pupae were also live worker ants or hauled them off to the garbage pile as if they were dead worker ants.

Well, it was more interesting than my work at the time anyway. At least it should prevent things like this:

What Cyrusse should have learned today...

Druids are real...I guess there's nothing to be learned here. I just really wanted to title a post "What Cyrusse should have learned today..."

But seriously, I read about a guy titled "The tree man" in New Scientist. He's turning into a tree...but really just has a sever case of warts...maybe...we're not sure. I think he is a Druid. No. I think hes an alien soul reincarnated into this planet. His soul is just used to expressing itself into a physical tree body, cause where hes from tree bodies are the only bodies. But humanity needs help, so he came, now hes like, "Shit, I'm a tree!".
Here's the video. I would have embedded it, but there was no visibly apparent code.

I may have said too much...

=)

What I learned today: Booze and chocolate

Mesoamericans fermented cacao fruit (proto-chocolate) into a beerlike drink, eventually grinding up the remaining seeds to thicken the drink, and creating chocolate beer. Apparently they liked this, and moved on to making chocolate. Full story here at New Scientist.

Now I want a beer. Or chocolate. Or a chocolate beer. Is it lunch time yet?

Ancient booze bottle.
The question is, can you get a refund at the recycling center?

What I learned today: How not to get tased, maybe

Apparently I have a daily weird science crap column now.


Today's lesson, courtesy of NewScientist: how not to get tased, for the next time you're participating in a riot, protest, or other activity that may make The Man uppity. Recommended anti-taser tactics include wear really thick clothing, wear foil body armor, use a lot of crystal meth so you don't feel it, and my favorite: run really fast.

Other options included here if you are interested

What I learned today: Biofuels from your butt

I found this tidbit while I was reading an article about biofuels in the Smithsonian. Guy with a big powerboat wants to be environmentally friendly, so he runs it on biodiesel, from some interesting sources:

"...One of the great things about biodiesel," he declared, is that "it can be made from so many different sources." To prove it, his suppliers had concocted a dollop of the fuel for Earthrace from human fat, including some liposuctioned from the intrepid skipper's own backside.


Eew. The rest of the article is just the usual schpeal about biofuels, here if anyone is interested.

What I learned today, part II : You too can fondle tortoises!

The other tidbit of information I found was an article about the recovery of Galapagos tortoises. Many of the species almost went extinct because sailors were eating them (Ron says "they weren't doin' it enough; he's an expert in the field"...) and then people introduced goats that ate all their food, and rats that ate their babies. Anyway, most of them are doing a lot better now.

The Pinta island species only has one known survivor named Lonesome George (although they think they may have found some hybrids), who they have apparently been trying to breed with similar tortoises, but he doesn't want to hump anything... The highlight (if that's the right term) of the article is this:

In 1994, Cayot learned a sperm-retrieval technique from a German zoo veterinarian and taught a Swiss volunteer how to fondle a rather ticklish George. "She could get the other tortoises to ejaculate in 15 minutes," Cayot recalls. "We worked with George for months and got nothing." http://sciencenews.org/articles/20071110/bob9.asp

And you thought your job was bad...

Isn't he cute?

What I learned today

So when I'm supposed to be working and I don't want to, I sometimes ready random science magazine websites so it sort of looks like I might be doing research. Sometimes I learn interesting things from this. Such as... don't drink too much beer and fall down or you will pop your bladder. And that's bad. This has been your public service announcement for the day.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12899-bingedrinking-women-risk-torn-bladders-.html
Um, enjoy!

>^_^<