Ever noticed how viruses look and act like robots? Unlike today’s robots however, viruses are masters of the art of self-replication. This is part of why they are often so resilient in doing what they’re designed to do. Makes you wonder what else virus’ are capable of (besides make us sick). Here are some research projects underway exploiting the strengths of viruses and modifying their behaviour to suit human needs:
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…Yep, this is a list of things that will shock you. (With Electricity!)
Torpedo Ray
Many animals have evolved their anatomy to create and manipulate electricity for tasks such as navigating or communicating, but few animals (the elite!) can generate enough juice to use electricity as a weapon. We’re all familiar with the reputation of the electric eel. However, it is not the only fishy creature with electrocyte cells that want to zap you. You’ve been warned!
Planarian photo by ashe-villain
Here are a number of tasty images from the weird and wonderful worlds invisible to the naked eye.
Because of the nature of conventional microscopes, the images that we see of the microcosm are two dimensional and usually very flat looking. However in this video, David Bolinsky and his team use 3D graphics to show us the “fantastic voyage inside a cell”. The last couple minutes of his lecture shows the full animation. Feast your eyes (and brain)!!!
A gorgeous 96 tentacle octopi from Japan
It is a fact that media arts people love their tentacles, and they don’t hide it. Actually they blog prolifically about it. …So here’s a bunch of tentacles!
1. Pink Tentacle’s article on mutant cephalopod
2. Squid, a blog about all things squid, but they’ve got some seriously gripping(?) tentacle art. This site is an off-shoot of Laughing Squid.
3. The Onion’s sharp reporters have noticed that a 900 pound giant squid has joined the cast of The View. Good eye!
And now, a documentary clip of my personal favourite cephalopod -
Vampyroteuthis Infernalis! (It’s tentacular…)
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