But wouldn't you know it, it's an endangered species. If it weren't for that, I'd happily wear Telipogon diabolicus on my lapel everywhere.
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A quick post as part of my ongoing follow up to my recent New York Times Magazine story about the use of non-canine service animals and the DOJ's efforts to ban them: There's an interesting discussion going on about how limiting service animal species also limits religious freedom ...
In the…
One of Massachusetts Republican Senator Scott Brown's campaign gimmicks was to drive everywhere in a pickup truck, thereby 'proving' that he's a regular guy (never mind that he's very wealthy). One wonders what would have happened to Scott's image had the Coakley campaign stumbled across this…
While I'm recharging a bit from the Christmas festivities yesterday to the point where soon I'll be able to write a substantive post, full of the Respectful Insolence⢠and science or medicine that readers have come to expect, here's something to amuse (I hope).
On Sunday, I wrote a not-so-…
I'd like to take a moment to consider a recent comment on a fairly old post about a class meeting wherein my students and I considered some of the inconsistent views about animals with which people seem to walk around. Here's what the commenter said:
"But, as one of my students put it, 'Some of…
You’re saying “FOR ATHEISTS”
because the flower has been given the name
“DEVIL'S head”?
Why?
@sn: Religious people often report seeing religious iconography, e.g. Jesus, the virgin Mary, or a cross, in essentially random phenomena, e.g. pieces of toast, wood grain, vegetables, clouds, or shadows. It's a form of optical illusion called pareidolia. If the appearance of something holy is considered a miracle from a god, then what should we make of the appearance of something unholy?
This video spoofs the idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8-8WJxA-cI
Actually I think the flower resembles a bee or a fly, and like several other orchids has probably evolved to attract them by mimicking a potential mate.