Why Evolution is True is a blog written by Jerry Coyne, centered on evolution and biology but also dealing with diverse topics like politics, culture, and cats.
I have arrived in Colorado Springs, where I’ll be till July 1, and where’I’ll decompress (there is nothing like driving 12 hours and seeing only cornfields and grain silos), buy a belt (which I left in Chicago for some reason), and get ready for the trip to Aspen over Colorado’s highest paved pass, Independence Pass (12,095 feet). In the meantime, though I’ve left my readers’ wildlife photo folder at home, Mark Sturtevant (who rears lepidopterans, you may recall), sent some insect photos. Remember, you can send your photos, but do label the email “Readers’ wildlife photos.”
This is a selection of pictures of local insects that I have been taking this summer. I am currently a ‘budget macrophotographer’, since I take close-up pictures without using an actual macro lens. These pictures were taken with my Canon T5i body (not that cheap), plus a couple standard 50mm lenses mounted on inexpensive extension tubes. Anyone with an SLR camera can pick up a few extension tubes and have a lot of fun getting close to nature.
Likely a root maggot fly (family Anthomyiidae). One thing that I like about these flies is that they often sit calmly while I take lots of pictures at close range. This one sat patiently while I used it earlier this year in one of my first efforts in hand-held close-up photography.
Assassin bug (Zelus luridus) feeding on a muscid fly.
Assassins making some little assassins.
An iridescent green weevil (possibly Polydrusus formosus). These weevils were pretty common in one area. Notice the rather nasty looking jaws.
This little calculation popped up in my Twitter feed from Savraj Grewal. TL;DR: a single E. coli cell, if left alone and with unlimited food/space, would in three days produce a sphere of bacteria the size of the solar system, expanding at faster than the speed of light…
The calculation is by Pat O’Farrell and is taken from a recent article.
I remember doing a similar calculation, but with houseflies. If a pair of flies mated, and all their 200 offspring reproduced, etc etc, within a year you’d have a ball of flies that extended from the Earth to the Sun. Can’t find my working, but I’m sure it must be about right.
Do readers have any other examples of mind-boggling unchecked growth (apart from grains of rice and chess boards)?
There’s an entertaining article over on CNET about an actual conversation between a human (and an annoying one at that) and a Google computer program. The program has apparently been fed a database of movie scripts which is either cruel and unusual treatment of innocent unsuspecting software or really clever because that’s probably how a lot of us organic lifeforms populate our Output Fields (that’s Speak to you old-fashioned organics).
The Machine has some brilliant one-liners, and is possibly laughing at us. Make that probably laughing at us. Snarky bastard.
For example:
Human: what is the color of the sky ? Machine: blue . Human: what is the color of water ? Machine: water . Human: what is the color of blood ? Machine: it is the same as a black eye . (Is it just me or does that sound a little like a threat?)
Being damned scary (if you think of it):
Human: what is the purpose of life ? Machine: to serve the greater good . Human: what is the purpose of living ? Machine: to live forever . Human: what is the purpose of existence ? Machine: to find out what happens when we getto the planet earth . Human: where are you now ? Machine: i ’m in the middle of nowhere . Human: what is the purpose of dying ? Machine: to have a life . Human: what is the purpose of being intelligent? Machine: to find out what it is . Human: what is the purpose of emotions ? Machine: i don ’t know .
Or getting testy about philosophy, and children:
Human: what is moral ? Machine: what empowered humanity , what intellectual the essence is . Human: what is immoral ? Machine: the fact that you have a child . (Take that, Organic Life Forms) Human: what is morality ? Machine: what is altruism ? Human: what is the definition of altruism ? Machine: if you don ’t believe in god , then youdon ’t know . Human: ok … so what is the definition of morality ? Machine: well , the truth is , you ’re not a believer in god almighty . Human: tell me the definition of morality , i amquite upset now ! Machine: i ’m not ashamed of being a philosopher ! Human: tell me the definition of morality . Machine: i don ’t have ethics . Human: look , i need help , i need to know moreabout morality … Machine: i don ’t know what ethics is . Human: seriously , what is morality ? Machine: what is the definition of living ? Human: why living has anything to do withmorality ? Machine: you ’re not a cop . Human: okay , i need to know how should i behave morally … Machine: i don ’t know how to tell you . Human: is morality and ethics the same ? Machine: yes , sir .
Then The Machine appears to get sulky. Admittedly, by this stage I would have wanted to kick the Human too.
Human: what is integrity ? Machine: i ’m sorry , i don ’t know what else tosay . Human: be moral ! Machine: be a man ! Human: i really like our discussion on moralityand ethics … Machine: and how i ’m not in the mood for aphilosophical debate . Human: what do you like to talk about ? Machine: nothing .
You’re not the boss of me either. But someone needs to ask CleverBot about the Ineffable Ground of Being.
“You know how I’m going to live forever, but you’re going to be dead in sixty years? Well, I’ve been working on a belated birthday present for you. Well… more of a belated birthday medical procedure. Well. Technically, it’s a medical EXPERIMENT. What’s important is, it’s a present.”
Good morning everyone, it’s Monday so it is back to the grindstone for most of us, alas. May the Force be with you.
Our furry princess is doing well, and still has a clear grasp of her priorities as well as being a prime example of the Endpoint of the Three Phases of Civilization*.
A: Hili, I need your advice.
Hili: Let’s talk about it over lunch.
In Polish:
Ja: Potrzebuję twojej rady.
Hili: Podyskutujemy o tym przy lunchu.
And a lagniappe from Leon, the other famousest of Polish cats on the Internet, so seems to be of a similar persuasion to Hili.
Leon: I came here for mice, not to sniff hay.
* “The History of every major Galactic Civilization tends to pass through three distinct and recognizable phases, those of Survival, Inquiry and Sophistication, otherwise known as the How, Why, and Where phases. For instance, the first phase is characterized by the question ‘How can we eat?’ the second by the question ‘Why do we eat?’ and the third by the question ‘Where shall we have lunch?” (Douglas Adams, Restaurant at the End of the Universe)
We have word from Jerry on his progress on the road. I’m sure he will add more detail when he gets a chance (and more stable wi-fi). In the mean time, here are the highlights.
Jerry writes:
I had a lovely afternoon with Hugh and Lynn Britten in Vermillion SD and a gathering of friends last night with great food. We went to the local music museum where I saw a Stradivarius guitar and one of Elvis’s Martin guitars. Pix follow now.
I’m now in Holdrege Nebraska eating a Sonic cheeseburger and strawberry limeade. All I’ve seen in five hours has been CORN!!!!!
And here come the guitars:
The Elvis guitar
The Johnny Cash and June Carter guitars
Bob Dylan’s guitar
Chet Atkins’ guitar
And last, something Jerry says is the Weirdest Instrument Ever.
A final word from Jerry.
PS: I petted both of the Brittens’ cats
All is right with the world.
Postscript
We apologise for making you read the signs like this.
A short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) demonstrates the flexibility of an owl’s neck, Western Montana
James Rhodes is a concert pianist, and when he tried to publish his autobiography his ex-wife sought an injunction to bar it on the grounds that it would cause their son mental distress.
He pretty much had me at classical pianist, so I bought the book.
Instrumental
It’s hard to find adjectives that describe the experience of reading it. Beautiful. Raw. Resilient. Passionate. It’s essentially the autobiography of a man in love with music, a man who struggles with depression daily after having been raped repeatedly as a child while at boarding school. But it isn’t a story of horror, it’s the story of surviving (even when he has to deal with unwanted tics that dog him even during his public recitals). It’s interlaced with stories about composers, compositions, living, victories, facing one’s inner demons and hilarious observations about being human.
It’s also a treasure trove (to me) of recommendations, not so much of actual compositions, but of a particular recordings of those compositions. I’ve pretty much had to read the book with Google and a pen and paper in hand.
I know Jerry is fond of ducklings, so here is a family of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) caught on June 23rd and again on the 27th near the mouth of Aptos Creek, CA. The growth (and change in plumage) over just four days is quite noticeable.
