Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
…and this is a pharyngula stage embryo.
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Demons do not exist any more than gods do, being only the products of the psychic activity of man.
[Sigmund Freud, New York Times Magazine, 6 May 1956]
Generating right-left asymmetries
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Category: Cephalopods • Weirdness
Posted on: February 21, 2007 9:22 AM, by PZ Myers
I'm sure some of you will soon be bragging about how your Squid Quotient is higher than mine.
Your Squid Quotient = 158.25
Interpreting your results: An average Squid Quotient is around 100. A SQ of 100 means you have a normal affinity for squid. A SQ above 100 means you have an attraction or fondness for squid. Below 100 means that you should probably stay away from the deep ocean.
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Comments
Posted by: speedwell | February 21, 2007 9:29 AM
Um, I got a 177.75 and I thought YOU were the BENCHMARK... I suppose I stood on the shoulders of giants, or the... agh, giant squid don't have shoulders....
Posted by: Jessica Guilford | February 21, 2007 9:38 AM
Your Squid Quotient = 180.25
What the frak?
Posted by: Dylan | February 21, 2007 9:38 AM
Whoop! 160. Squid are awesome.
Posted by: PZ Myers | February 21, 2007 9:39 AM
I knew this was going to happen. I agonized over the one where the squid meets the sperm whale -- my heart wanted the conclusion to be a happy squid, but my mind knew that the whale was going to have a tasty lunch.
Posted by: beepbeepitsme | February 21, 2007 9:39 AM
Damn. My squid Q is decidedly low. (Your Squid Quotient = 147.25) Does that mean that I wasn't a squid in a previous life? ;)
Posted by: RickD | February 21, 2007 9:40 AM
I got 147.75.
I don't even like squid!
*shocked gasps*
Um, I mean...I don't like eating squid, yeah, that's it!
Posted by: Jessica Guilford | February 21, 2007 9:40 AM
Should have gone with your heart, I think, P.Z. It's not trying to determine how much you know about them, it's getting at how strongly you *feel* about them. . . .
Posted by: King Aardvark | February 21, 2007 9:40 AM
I got 171. It is speed based, so I presume PZ just went leisurely through the test. I tried it again with all the same answers only faster and I got 194.5.
Posted by: AJ Milne | February 21, 2007 9:41 AM
Sez 176...
Can't be right. I'm not even into calamari.
Posted by: beepbeepitsme | February 21, 2007 9:41 AM
That was a whale? I thought it was a sea perch. lol (I wasn't sure about scale.)
Posted by: Mrs Tilton | February 21, 2007 9:44 AM
I scored 157.25, one point less than PZ. Apparently I made the same mistake of letting the whale eat the squid. Doubtless PZ got his extra point as an Atheist Bonus.
Posted by: King Aardvark | February 21, 2007 9:45 AM
I knew it was a squid test, so you have to go with your heart and say the squid will win the battle. Even if it's not realistic. Maybe this is Supersquid or something - as powerful as 1000 regular squid and impervious to anything by Kryptonite (Squidonite?).
Posted by: BigHeathenMike | February 21, 2007 9:45 AM
I guess I'm a squid-tard with my pip-squeakish 115.something. I shall go and hang my shoulder-less head in shame in a cloud of ink...
Posted by: George | February 21, 2007 9:52 AM
Your Squid Quotient = 0
Interpreting your results: An average Squid Quotient is around 100. A SQ of 100 means you have a normal affinity for squid. A SQ above 100 means you have an attraction or fondness for squid. Below 100 means that you should probably stay away from the deep ocean.
Whoops. Because I did not allow the evil squidsquid to put a cookie on my computer.
Second try - 192! Suck my tentacles!
Posted by: zwa | February 21, 2007 10:20 AM
What happens when the happy squid meets the hungry PZ?Posted by: Kristjan Wager | February 21, 2007 10:22 AM
Got something in the region of 70. Who cares, they are just fish anyway.
Posted by: Melissa G | February 21, 2007 10:26 AM
176.5
When the Deep Ones emerge from the sea to bend us to their dark designs, I will be one of the first to head for the beach!
Posted by: redstripe | February 21, 2007 10:28 AM
Got something in the region of 70. Who cares, they are just fish anyway.
Hah!
(I got a 138 or so)
Posted by: Niobe | February 21, 2007 10:30 AM
172.25 yeah baby! All that marine biology readin' finally helped.
Posted by: Carlie | February 21, 2007 10:30 AM
181.5. Woot! It must just be that I read fast.
Posted by: TheBlackCat | February 21, 2007 10:35 AM
Your Squid Quotient = 162.5
Posted by: Adam Cuerden | February 21, 2007 10:37 AM
169.5. I shall begin the hostile takeover of Pharyngula soon.
Posted by: Morgan | February 21, 2007 10:39 AM
182.25! I am le chuffed.
Posted by: dances with cephalopods! (squid name) | February 21, 2007 10:42 AM
128.5. Disappointing. Time to get back to Spain and OD on the calamares.
Posted by: Frank Anderson | February 21, 2007 11:06 AM
OK. The test is clearly bogus. I mean, not to get all hoity-toity or anything, but I did my dissertation on squid and I can't get above a 175 or so. Maybe it's because I have to keep moving my stupid mouse over to click on the scroll bar at the side of the page to move down -- I don't have one of those fancy wheels on my mouse for maximum speed.
That has to be it, because I must be answering all of the questions correctly.
Posted by: molecanthro | February 21, 2007 11:08 AM
aww...only 138.25. guess i'll still to land animals...they're less slippery anyway :)
Posted by: Chris | February 21, 2007 11:12 AM
155.75. I grappled with the whale question, but let the squid win, so I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere else.
Posted by: Doc Bill | February 21, 2007 11:42 AM
I got 110.
I missed the question about What is an Invertebrate because I was looking for the answer "Casey Luskin."
Posted by: squeaky | February 21, 2007 11:55 AM
I scored a bit over 160. I know nothing about squid...or so I thought...the graphics were great, though!
Posted by: Steve_C | February 21, 2007 11:57 AM
I got a 115.25.
I'm using the wrong adjective for the squid apparently... I thought elegant was good.
Not sure where else I'm screwing up.
Posted by: Robster | February 21, 2007 12:08 PM
Yeah, speed based. first was a 151.75, repeated, no changes for a 171.
Posted by: Flex | February 21, 2007 12:11 PM
I got a 154.75.
Respectable squid-fu, but not quite in the PZ range.
But being an engineer, this score obviously makes me an expert in squid biology!
And I didn't even have to study two hours!
Posted by: Evolving Squid | February 21, 2007 12:21 PM
A respectable 187 for me.
Posted by: Stanton | February 21, 2007 12:22 PM
139.25
Does this mean I have a greater affinity for cuttlefish?
Posted by: Evolving Squid | February 21, 2007 12:24 PM
This is a good place to show off that I actually have squid coinage:
Posted by: Evolving Squid | February 21, 2007 12:26 PM
Ok, image tags don't work. Heh. My squid coinage:
http://www.squidzone.ca/photos/uncategorized/geosquidcoincu.jpg
Posted by: Poseidon | February 21, 2007 12:35 PM
I thought it would be questions about chromatophores and chitin and stuff. Instead you just have to understand that Cthulhu pwns mammals...every time.
Posted by: ChaosEngineer | February 21, 2007 12:53 PM
Steve C: "7. Even the most _______ giant squid has its hundreds of suction cups encircled by razor sharp teeth on each of its eight arms."
"Even the most elegant" doesn't work, because it falsely implies that having that characteristic is inelegant. Obviously, the more razor-sharp teeth and suction cups you have, the more elegant you are. So the correct answer was "Benign".
Posted by: Squiddhartha | February 21, 2007 1:17 PM
I clocked in at 181.5, but I think I should get extra points for my online name.
Posted by: denise | February 21, 2007 1:20 PM
154.25 I feel good about this
Posted by: garth | February 21, 2007 1:34 PM
141.25! tentacly goodness.
Posted by: garth | February 21, 2007 1:36 PM
also, i let the squid win. i know it's not accurate, but its my fantasy
Posted by: Kseniya | February 21, 2007 1:44 PM
Your Squid Quotient = 171.75
Woo-hoo! Exciting! My legs feel like jelly! All of them!
Posted by: K. Signal Eingang | February 21, 2007 1:45 PM
I lost a lot of points because I noticed the anagram for what I assume must have been "cephalopod" was missing a P. So I wasted a lot of time trying to figure out what else it could spell, figuring it was a trick question. Wound up with a measly 105.
Went back and redid the test on a speed run and got a 194. Validated!
For what it's worth, having the squid eat the whale does get you about 20 more points.
Posted by: Kristine | February 21, 2007 1:49 PM
My Squid Quotient = 153
And I'm scared of water.
Posted by: Rebecca | February 21, 2007 2:18 PM
HA HA HA
Your Squid Quotient = 160.75
Suck it, PZ!
Posted by: dorid | February 21, 2007 2:39 PM
Your Squid Quotient = 138.25
Now, I did notice that there was one problem I had with the quiz, I did it twice, and the first time I only scored 99.5 The difference between the two quizes was one thing: the unscrambled word. There is only one "P" in the letters given to unscramble the word, so the first time I glanced at it, typed "cephalopod" then earased it and left it blank.
The second time I said, who gives a flip, when I saw the letters I thought cephalopod anyway, and wrote it in... and that made an almost 38 point difference...
so does that mean you have a higher affinity for squid if you see cephalopods where they don't exist?
Now I want a NUDIBRANCH affinity test...
Posted by: llewelly | February 21, 2007 3:00 PM
By that definition, the most successful recent American politician would be ... Barry Goldwater, I guess. Ron Paul is probably the only such character presently in Washington.(Aside: When I worked in Lindon UT, I had a co-worker, who never voted, but donated to Ron Paul's campagin, despite not having lived in Texas for many years.)
Posted by: llewelly | February 21, 2007 3:11 PM
My apologies. My previous comment was intended to be in a different thread .
Posted by: emkay | February 21, 2007 3:44 PM
Only 133! I've never harmed a squid in my life, nor harbored any evil intent towards them! I wuzz robbed! Or maybe it was payback for my 'previous life' as a recreational fisherman, when I bought frozen squid for bait...
Posted by: kurage | February 21, 2007 3:53 PM
I got 173, which still puts me behind the many squid geniuses on this thread. However, I also got a nifty new squid name: kurage the Gelatinous Mollusc!
Posted by: Foster Disbelief | February 21, 2007 4:16 PM
Your Squid Quotient = 173
Apparently the ability to answer quickly trumps actual squid knowledge. All's fair in love and squid.
Posted by: pluky | February 21, 2007 4:31 PM
I would have scored higher if they had asked what sauce goes best with fried calamari.
Posted by: Christine | February 21, 2007 5:35 PM
157. Not bad for a lawyer!
BTW, PZ, this test reminded me that at my middle/high school, highly intelligent kids were known as "squids." The adjectial form was "squiddly." It was meant as a pejorative, but perhaps I should have taken it otherwise . . .
Posted by: iGollum | February 21, 2007 5:40 PM
Hehe, I scored 176! Loved the graphics. Especially the 'geometry' questions.
Posted by: RedMolly | February 21, 2007 5:43 PM
184.25
I hate those missing piece questions. My spatial intelligence hovers in the low teens.
Posted by: Sean Schmidt | February 21, 2007 5:55 PM
Doh! 130.75, a somewhat average score AGAIN. Apparently I didn't get enough Gary Larson squid cartoons in formative years.
Posted by: Captain C | February 21, 2007 6:38 PM
159.25--must've been just a little quicker on the mouse button.
Posted by: windy | February 21, 2007 6:50 PM
I hate those missing piece questions. My spatial intelligence hovers in the low teens.
It was easy once I figured out that I was supposed to find the *same* piece. At first, I thought I was supposed to fit two mating squid together or something. Could I get some extra pervert points for that?
Posted by: Steve_C | February 21, 2007 7:03 PM
Chaos, I answered benign on my first test and scored lower.
Maybe I was just faster the second time when I said elegant and that improved my score.
I won't say what imy score was the first time. It's shameful.
Posted by: Stogoe | February 21, 2007 7:42 PM
158.75 for me. The 'find the same piece' one (#8) slowed me down, the fecks.
Posted by: Paguroidea | February 21, 2007 8:13 PM
Uh, oh! I got a mere 129. I'm feeling inferior to my fellow commenters now.
Posted by: Jason | February 21, 2007 9:52 PM
FWIW, this website seems to be less about squid and more about viruses.
http://sitestart.blogspot.com/2006/11/how-do-websites-become-popular .html
-
Posted by: magista | February 21, 2007 10:38 PM
185.75. Woot! Now to celebrate with a tasty plate of calamari...
Posted by: donna | February 21, 2007 11:08 PM
167.5
I don't know where I screwed up...
:^(
Posted by: donna | February 21, 2007 11:11 PM
Oh, and if you just click straight through, you get 191...
Posted by: Brett | February 22, 2007 4:43 AM
Squidlings (and PZ) this article about a REAL squid just popped up looky here
Mmmmmmmmmm...calamari....
Posted by: Steve Pells | February 22, 2007 5:06 AM
159.25! Not bad for a mammalian guy...
steve
Posted by: RickD | February 22, 2007 7:59 AM
Thought this would be the best thread to mention the colossal squid landed off New Zealand. Weighs nearly 1000 lbs! I expect PZ will have a comment on it shortly.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070222/sc_nm/newzealand_squid_dc_2
Posted by: zayzayem | February 22, 2007 9:05 AM
SQ = 181
and I'm drunk.
PZ doesn't scare me any more at all.
Posted by: bronco214 | February 22, 2007 2:55 PM
Your Squid Quotient = 188.25
(Guess my degree in Biology must have pounded some info into my ancient head- 2006 grad at age 51.)
There are 2 P's in the "fill-in-the-blank" btb. I only had a 141 the first time (too slow). Also, I let the whale win.
Thanks for the pics, Doc! Soon as I saw the headline, my next click was to favorites and then to Pharyngula.
Posted by: DrSteveB | February 22, 2007 5:02 PM
alas... I am an octopus kinda guy.