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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Category: Humor • Organisms
Posted on: January 29, 2008 5:55 PM, by PZ Myers
On Tuesdays, I have back-to-back labs from noon until six…in genetics. I've been juggling flies since early December, prepping stocks for our crosses, so when I saw this cartoon I was surprised. Does Darby Conley have a background in fly genetics? It's perfect!
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Comments
I predict many copywrite violations by science teachers
Posted by: M ike Fox | January 29, 2008 6:04 PM
I predict many copyright violations from science teachers.
Posted by: Mike Fox | January 29, 2008 6:05 PM
M ike, someone calling himself Mike seems to have violated your copyright on your comment. :)
Posted by: JohnnieCanuck, FCD | January 29, 2008 6:12 PM
They're not really fragile for their size... they're no fleas, though. Ever tried to crush a flea? Impossible.
Posted by: Nemo | January 29, 2008 6:52 PM
They are tough little buggers, but there's a technique to crushing fleas. Once you know how, they "pop" like rice krispies when crushed. Don't ask how I know, I'd rather not remember too much.
Cheers,
Ray
Posted by: Ray | January 29, 2008 7:10 PM
Nemo - god gave us nails to crack fleas. They make a nice pop.
Posted by: KiwiInOz | January 29, 2008 7:11 PM
Once, I tried to kill a tick by stepping on it. That was frustrating.
Posted by: Kseniya | January 29, 2008 7:19 PM
Ah, you mean before it was blood engorged. Otherwise, talk about a popping sound...
(No, don't try to visualize it.)
Posted by: RamblinDude | January 29, 2008 7:39 PM
Ah, fly genetics! Nothing like a little FlyNap to clear the sinuses/start a killer headache.
Posted by: Wisaakah | January 29, 2008 7:45 PM
Mike needs to examine the phrase "fair use" and see how it applies to this situation. Unless he was just joking then I need better humor detecting wetware
Posted by: BillCinSD | January 29, 2008 7:45 PM
/Juggling flies... prepping stocks for our crosses./
How Pontius Pilot of you!
Posted by: Jsn | January 29, 2008 7:45 PM
Judging by the post time somebody has been skipping out of lab a little early.
Posted by: FutureMD | January 29, 2008 7:50 PM
I predict many copywrite violations by science teachers.
Sorry, just practicing for the day I work for the Discovery Institute.
Posted by: Lycosid | January 29, 2008 8:09 PM
No, someone has a post scheduler. (A flaky, unreliable post scheduler of late, but this time it worked.)
Posted by: PZ Myers | January 29, 2008 9:15 PM
In my undergrad genetics class we used FlyLab software instead of handling actual flies. What are your opinions about using simulated generations instead of the real thing? I know that your work is more on development than genetics, but I was just interested to hear your opinion as a science professor in general.
Posted by: Anne-Marie | January 29, 2008 9:54 PM
[/shame]
Somebody mentioned fair use, which is alllll the excuse I need to whore out a video my wonderful roommate helped edit (and I just re-watched the other day, so it's at the front of my brain). It's called "A Fair(y) Use Tale", and it's a description of the basic principles of copyright and Fair Use made entirely from Disney character dialogue.
Oh, and it's also the only thing from my school I've ever seen on the /. front page...
[shame]
Posted by: Falyne | January 30, 2008 12:12 AM
.....righty-o. Knew I forgot something as soon as I hit the button.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJn_jC4FNDo
Posted by: Falyne | January 30, 2008 12:13 AM
FlyLab software is a supplement, not a substitute. There is no replacing doing the real thing with real organisms.
Flies really aren't that hard to raise. Carolina sells everything you need; raising them is a little bit tedious, but the rewards are substantial.
Posted by: PZ Myers | January 30, 2008 1:14 AM
Not hard to raise at all. You should see my wheelie bin on the night before the weekly pickup. Damn sure one of them had the head of Vincent Price on it too.
Posted by: Bride of Shrek | January 30, 2008 1:24 AM
I think you mean the head of David Hedison.
Posted by: PZ Myers | January 30, 2008 1:30 AM
Oops, thats right- Vincent Price was the brother. At least it wasn't Jeff Goldblum.
Posted by: Bride of Shrek | January 30, 2008 1:35 AM
I love the smell of FlyNap in the morning,...It smells like...Biology!
Posted by: DobyGS | January 30, 2008 8:33 AM
"/Juggling flies... prepping stocks for our crosses./
How Pontius Pilot of you!"
Heh. I had the same kind of mental image... A fly Golgotha, probably made of styrofoam. Tiny toothpick crosses. Maybe the flies buzzing "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."
Posted by: Rich | January 30, 2008 9:10 AM
It's the genetic manipulation to get the crown of thorns down to scale that's the bitch.
Posted by: Jsn | January 30, 2008 10:17 AM
Well, there's FlyNap (reversible) and FlyDirtNap (quite the opposite.) The latter describes much more accurately than the former what I do with the poor little things.
Anyway, Mr. Katt should plan ahead and always put flies into Epi tubes before squishing them. You never know when you'll need the DNA.
Posted by: Julie Stahlhut | January 30, 2008 11:02 AM
The one thing I remember best from fly lab is that having a beer beforehand is a really bad idea -- sort of cubes the effect of Fly Nap (diethyl ether to earth people).
Posted by: pluky | January 30, 2008 3:06 PM
My favorite thing on going into the lab of a morning was to stand beside the shaking incubator packed with 2l flasks and go 'Oh how I love the smell of coli in the morning'.
Posted by: Peter Ashby | January 30, 2008 6:41 PM