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« Science: November 2010 | Main | Science: February 2011 »

Science

Flying squid

Doesn't seem dangerous yet, but wait till the Kracken starts to fly.


By fnord12 | December 16, 2010, 4:52 PM | Science | Link



Solar-powered Hornets

According to this article, wasps are usually more active in the morning. Not the Oriental hornets, though. They're more active in the middle of the day.

...[T]he late Professor Jacob S Ishay, proposed that the insects may somehow be capable of harvesting solar radiation.
...
But the ability of the hornets to harvest solar energy does not stop there.

Within this cuticle is a pigment that actually captures the energy of the sun's rays.

"Xanthopterin works as a light harvesting molecule transforming light into electrical energy."

The hornets' ability to convert sunlight in this way could explain why they become more active during the middle of the day, when the light intensity is highest.

So, the question is why did these particular hornets evolve to have this trait? The article mentions how this might aid them in their "energy demanding digging activity" for their underground nests. They can't be the only type of wasp that digs underground. Do they have to come up every couple of minutes to replenish their lost reserves? Where can i get some solar harvesting cuticles? Did Lex Luthor genetically engineer them?

I need answers.


By min | December 9, 2010, 11:01 AM | Science | Link



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