Althouse: If we could only look closely enough...

February 13, 2010

If we could only look closely enough...

... would we sympathize with the mosquito?

27 comments:

The Crack Emcee said...: Nope. Not a chance.

The Macho Response.; 2/13/10, 5:54 PM
Joe M. said...: Hell no.; 2/13/10, 5:57 PM
Unknown said...: Us or them; besides, he's got about a billion replacements.; 2/13/10, 6:07 PM
hdhouse said...: I think gnat.; 2/13/10, 6:08 PM
traditionalguy said...: Don't let The Strict Anti Torture Commenters see this new weapon developed by Dick Cheney and only tested on insects, so far.; 2/13/10, 6:20 PM
raf said...: Sudden death to the vampire bugs. No mercy.

wv: imatere. I'm a terror? Surely not immature.; 2/13/10, 6:29 PM
Anonymous said...: Very fun video. Watch closely and you'll see that it boils inside and leaks. When I get ticks that aren't dead, I chase them around with a lighter until they succumb. Then they swell until their anuses rupture and they take off on a rocket flame. Vermin in Space.; 2/13/10, 6:30 PM
rhhardin said...: A tiny R/C video-equipped pursuit craft would be more entertaining than this star wars stuff.; 2/13/10, 6:36 PM
Anonymous said...: rhhardin -- One could combine the two. Cooler still if the laser could be made visible along its path. Pshew! Pshew! Scientifically accurate or not. Sound effects are a must.; 2/13/10, 6:39 PM
Jason (the commenter) said...: Mosquitoes have killed more people than Amy Bishop supposedly has. But they're insects so we have to consider giving them sympathy?; 2/13/10, 6:43 PM
Anonymous said...: Imagine sitting on the porch on a mild June evening and watching a dozen pursuit craft strafing down mosquitoes amongst the fireflies.

wv: menna - How menna skeeters your fighters get so far?; 2/13/10, 6:47 PM
Anonymous said...: OK. I been watching this thing for the last half hour LMAO (a couple of earlier Special Reserves probably helped) and I think I got it figured.

Adult insect wings are shaped by the insect gulping air immediately after its last shed. This fills the gut, forcing body fluid out the veins. The chiten hardens and the insect belches/farts itself back to normal size.

There is a trace amount of water left in the wings. The violet(?) laser heats this because it passes through the thin chiten and the vapor erupts through the wall. You can see this clearly in the last sequence. Several breaches.

The article title isn't quite accurate as you can see the mosquito still trying to fly after it's been shot in the first two sequences.

This leaves me with one last chuckle of the mosquito on the ground wondering what the hell it's gonna do with the ants closing in.

Sorry for the length. I'll resume watching and leave y'all in peace.; 2/13/10, 7:12 PM
Anonymous said...: I'm an entomologist. What further can I say?; 2/13/10, 7:13 PM
Wince said...: Instead, couldn't we just offer to give the mosquitos a certain amount of our blood before every cookout and, in exchange, they'd promise to leave us alone?

Kind of like our policy toward North Korea and Iran.; 2/13/10, 7:16 PM
Anonymous said...: I will not suffer skeetertude!; 2/13/10, 7:19 PM
1775OGG said...: The Frog objects, he's still hungry!; 2/13/10, 7:41 PM
Wince said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/13/10, 7:50 PM
Wince said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/13/10, 7:54 PM
traditionalguy said...: Query: If the new airborne ( in a Modified 747) laser shoots down the second stage of a missile launched using this energy beam, then what does the air to ground model of that laser do to tanks and people? And is that why the missile defense systems are no longer needed in Poland and Czechoslovakia?; 2/13/10, 8:03 PM
Anonymous said...: tradguy -

My understanding is the laser punches a hole in the skin, allowing wind turbulence to rip the missile apart.

Tanks, probably nothing. People, might burn or kill an individual.

Second part - no idea.; 2/13/10, 8:09 PM
ken in tx said...: Starship Troopers on the bug planet!; 2/13/10, 8:17 PM
Jane said...: I'm actually arguing at some Seattle newspaper that this isn't inhumane.

This is what I have learned from the Seattle people:

Birds do it, Bats do it, but Lasers doing it to mosquitoes is inhumane.

A mosquito bearing malaria kills a child every 46 minutes, but killing the mosquito is inhumane.

Deer can be torn apart by wolves, but if a human shoots it in the head, it's inhumane.

Fish can be swallowed by another fish and digested, but if a human catches it, it's inhumane.; 2/13/10, 10:15 PM
Wince said...: Very funny (and prescient!) video linked at the Wired article.

Watch for the "english translated testimonials," which are the best part.

PS-Edited but still not avoiding the YouTube ad, sorry. Any suggestions on how to dodge ad (e.g., with an embedded address, etc.)?; 2/13/10, 11:51 PM
Penny said...: Althouse asked a simple question.

My answer is "Yes".; 2/14/10, 1:47 AM
rhhardin said...: As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods; They kill us for their sport.; 2/14/10, 3:48 AM
blogging cockroach said...: an now you know why i mostly
stay under the fridge; 2/14/10, 12:48 PM
Jane said...: it's a bug-eat-bug world, arch.; 2/14/10, 5:57 PM