Althouse: "Yeah, they’ve been fighting and killing each other. They have mole-rat wars to determine who’s going to be the queen..."

December 17, 2018

"Yeah, they’ve been fighting and killing each other. They have mole-rat wars to determine who’s going to be the queen..."

".. or who’s going to breed with the queen. We’re hoping things will calm down a little bit now."

19 comments:

Jupiter said...: I note that they say there were four rats killed, but they don't say what sex they were.; 12/17/18, 5:06 PM
Nonapod said...: One mole-rat was much larger than all the rest, and she was pushing and shoving her way to dominance without much obvious opposition from the others

This is how I like to imagine the Democrat Primary fight.; 12/17/18, 5:08 PM
rhhardin said...: The rifle over the fireplace in the first act is fired in the third.; 12/17/18, 5:08 PM
MadisonMan said...: Chemical warfare to suppress sexual maturity. Nature is great.; 12/17/18, 5:13 PM
eric said...: This is how we humans used to do it too.; 12/17/18, 5:14 PM
Fernandinande said...: "The queen nurses them for the first month; after which the other members of the colony feed them fecal pap until they are old enough to eat solid food."; 12/17/18, 5:16 PM
n.n said...: Finitely available and accessible resources and social status.; 12/17/18, 5:24 PM
JaimeRoberto said...: Nature ain't a Disney movie.; 12/17/18, 5:49 PM
robother said...: "but naked mole-rats are so weird you just never know..." You said a mouthful there, brother.; 12/17/18, 6:01 PM
Barry Dauphin said...: I thought this was going to be an article about naming the next speaker of the House.; 12/17/18, 6:10 PM
wildswan said...: There's a new AI technology that can make realistic faces and with it we might also be able to develop realistic naked mole rat costumes. Then we could slowly get the Dems to wear them by explaining that this how you dress in a matriarchal society. "See, it's like pussy hats, but more matriarchal." Then we explain that they have to fight for dominance which would take about two seconds for them to understand. (We don't want to be too clear that victory means that you have babies. Anyhow, you don't have to take care of the brats.) And then they could go to work doing what Dems love, fighting, killing, betraying. Occasional vs. the Queen of Poop City, San Fran Nan the Pelosi. And so on. You may say I'm a dreamer but I think this scenario would fulfill what the Dems really wish for.; 12/17/18, 6:39 PM
Gahrie said...: Someone please tell me they named the dominant mole-rat Hillary......; 12/17/18, 6:43 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: Well in 2020 will the Queen Demorat be named Hillary, Elizabeth, Kirsten or Kamala--little Loopy Loo won't be 35 in 2020, so she's out of the Democrat mole rat queen wars--for now. But you never know. There's an outside chance that the Queen Mole Demorat will be nmed Michelle.; 12/17/18, 6:57 PM
iowan2 said...: There is a lot of weird science in that piece. I emailed a link to the grandkids parents,to see if they want to share with the kids. The eight year old boys will love how poop plays multiple roles in the colony. Thanks Ann, that's what keeps me around.; 12/17/18, 7:31 PM
rehajm said...: Fast, cheap and out of control they are.; 12/17/18, 7:37 PM
Henry said...: One of the best Althouse tags ever.; 12/17/18, 8:00 PM
tcrosse said...: 'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mole-rats outgrabe.; 12/17/18, 9:25 PM
Wince said...: BREAKING: Despite the infighting, the mole-rat colony is cooperating with the Mueller investigation, after several mole-rats were charged with making false statements to federal agents.; 12/18/18, 6:21 AM
robother said...: If only Marie Antoinette had thought to proclaim "let them eat poop!" instead of cake, she might have kept her head, and discovered nature's way of pacifying low status drones. The answer was right there, under he throne all along.; 12/18/18, 8:58 AM