3 ms·

Underwater Spider Spins Itself an Aqualung

95 points by pwg 15y ago

enko 15y ago
Whenever I read something like this I am uncomfortably reminded of how pathetically inadequate my tiny little human brain is for comprehending the vast infinity of the natural world, both on and off our planet. Just yesterday I was reading an article intended to emphasise us puny humans' puniness by saying, basically, "One AU is 1cm. Now try to imagine ... 30km!!". OK, mind crashed, capacity exceeded, out of range exception. I can kinda sorta hold the first assumption in my brain. I can't hold the second. Same with this spider and evolution. Hey, evolution, that's like when the roofs on the town buildings turned black with soot, and the white birds were more visible to predators and so darker birds were selected and after a few generations all the birds were black. Hey, I can understand that! Evolution! Yeah! Now try to imagine ... a spider who - through some utterly incomprehensible series of inputs, forces, mutations, generations, selections, and no doubt thousands upon thousands of years - has managed to somehow end up instinctually constructing a working aqualung, which it then uses to live underwater 24/7. Crash! Stack limit exceeded, out of working space, buy a new computer please. If only I could ..
- thret 15y ago
  Powers of Ten is a good way of visualising how large our universe is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0
  - jamesbressi 15y ago
    Brings a whole new visual (for me) to "As above, so below". Cool find, thanks.
- BasDirks 15y ago
  could you link me to that article with the 1cm/30km thought experiment?
  - arethuza 15y ago
    It's the Charlie Stross The High Frontier, Redux essay currently being discussed on HN in the Why we are unlikely to ever leave the solar system. thread: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2639456 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2639456
- andrewflnr 15y ago
  Typically, when a computer crashes, it is due to invalid logic or input. Does it not occur to you that your inability to understand this spider's evolution might be a similar problem? That it might be a result of trying to make sense of something that really doesn't make sense?
sdfgweg 15y ago
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chopsueyar 15y ago
I saw this newly added Netflix streaming documentary. I wonder if it is the same type of spider? It is French, called Microcosmos. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117040/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117040/
chopsueyar 15y ago
Go to 7:08 http://youtu.be/OWDt-6UIwPo http://youtu.be/OWDt-6UIwPo

95 points by pwg 15y ago

enko 15y ago

Whenever I read something like this I am uncomfortably reminded of how pathetically inadequate my tiny little human brain is for comprehending the vast infinity of the natural world, both on and off our planet. Just yesterday I was reading an article intended to emphasise us puny humans' puniness by saying, basically, "One AU is 1cm. Now try to imagine ... 30km!!". OK, mind crashed, capacity exceeded, out of range exception. I can kinda sorta hold the first assumption in my brain. I can't hold the second. Same with this spider and evolution. Hey, evolution, that's like when the roofs on the town buildings turned black with soot, and the white birds were more visible to predators and so darker birds were selected and after a few generations all the birds were black. Hey, I can understand that! Evolution! Yeah! Now try to imagine ... a spider who - through some utterly incomprehensible series of inputs, forces, mutations, generations, selections, and no doubt thousands upon thousands of years - has managed to somehow end up instinctually constructing a working aqualung, which it then uses to live underwater 24/7. Crash! Stack limit exceeded, out of working space, buy a new computer please. If only I could ..

thret 15y ago
Powers of Ten is a good way of visualising how large our universe is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0
- jamesbressi 15y ago
  Brings a whole new visual (for me) to "As above, so below". Cool find, thanks.
BasDirks 15y ago
could you link me to that article with the 1cm/30km thought experiment?
- arethuza 15y ago
  It's the Charlie Stross The High Frontier, Redux essay currently being discussed on HN in the Why we are unlikely to ever leave the solar system. thread: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2639456 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2639456
andrewflnr 15y ago
Typically, when a computer crashes, it is due to invalid logic or input. Does it not occur to you that your inability to understand this spider's evolution might be a similar problem? That it might be a result of trying to make sense of something that really doesn't make sense?

sdfgweg 15y ago

ONLINE STORE : ====( http://www.etradinglife.com http://www.etradinglife.com )===== The website wholesale for many kinds of fashion shoes, like the nike,jordan,prada,, also including the jeans,shirts,bags,hat and the decorations. All the products are free shipping, and the the price is competitive, and also can accept the paypal payment.,after the payment, can ship within short time. free shipping competitive price any size available accept the paypal jordan shoes $32 nike shox $32 Christan Audigier bikini $23 Ed Hardy Bikini $23 Smful short_t-shirt_woman $15 ed hardy short_tank_woman $16 Sandal $32 christian louboutin $80 Sunglass $15 COACH_Necklace $27 handbag $33 AF tank woman $17 puma slipper woman $30 ====( http://www.etradinglife.com http://www.etradinglife.com )=====

chopsueyar 15y ago

I saw this newly added Netflix streaming documentary. I wonder if it is the same type of spider? It is French, called Microcosmos. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117040/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117040/

chopsueyar 15y ago

Go to 7:08 http://youtu.be/OWDt-6UIwPo http://youtu.be/OWDt-6UIwPo