General discussion - public

[radman]

Predator X lives!

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/photo-captures-penguin-swimming-jaws-death-203300985--abc-news-tech.html

[tyrantqueen]

Something sad I noticed recently- when I am typing messages on forums and the like, Firefox always tries to auto correct "Apatosaurus" to "Brontosaurus". Come on, get with the times Mozilla

[Takama]

Microsoft word does that too.       

[CityRaptor]

Mine doesn't. Although it considers Apatosaurus a wrong word in German, while it considers it correct in English.

[stoneage]

Spell Check doesn't seem to recognize dinosaur names at all.

[Takama]

Random Checks  with the forums spell checker

Stegosaurus                   Nothing suggested

Minmi                           Minim 

Australovenator             Nothing suggested

Barosaurus                   Brasseries

Tyrannosaurus Rex        Counted as Correct

Iguanadon                     Counted as Correct

Apatoesaurus                  Patisseries

[radman]

For all of you future paleo-astronauts:

http://news.yahoo.com/might-alien-life-look-water-world-planets-090722891.html

[CityRaptor]

Woman who thinks that Bugs are cooler than Dinosaurs!
http://insects.about.com/od/forinsectenthusiasts/a/5-Reasons-Bugs-Are-Cooler-Than-Dinosaurs.htm

Lets see:
1. Birds are Dinosaurs!
2. Doubtfull that only such a low number of species existed during the Mesozoic. Also Birds! All the Birds! ( There are still more bugs, so she is atleast partly right. )
3. Again, Birds!
4. So being low in the food chain counts as cool?
5. So being a pest and spreading diseases counts as cool? ( I think it is also questionable that this lead to the Dinosaurs' demise, given that the decline was not global )

[amargasaurus cazaui]

She quietly jumped over the entire what if a spider bites you and kills you, or similar topic. There are many deadly insects, enough to make the argument they too, do not make good pets. At least if you follow her arguing method and eliminate dinosaurs based on the behavior of only some species.
  I could choose a pet worthy dinosaur for just about any species of insect you could offer in its place.
    Her actual comment was there were only so many KINDS of dinosaurs and then she proceeded to compare that to SPECIES of insects. If she wished to fairly compare, she would only compare the number of known species of insects versus dinosaurs in exposures they are known to share. If that were the case, the insects would lose badly.
The entire argument we cannot live without insects but could live without dinosaurs is negative evidence. First you have to demonstrate the argument as fact in the case of insects. Then you have to also be able to do so for the dinosaurs. Since neither can be proven, that is at best an assumption.
Finally I found it amusing that any writer today is still referring to the K/T event in that term.

[CityRaptor]

Good points!

[tyrantqueen]

Woman who thinks that Bugs are cooler than Dinosaurs!
http://insects.about.com/od/forinsectenthusiasts/a/5-Reasons-Bugs-Are-Cooler-Than-Dinosaurs.htm

Lets see:
1. Birds are Dinosaurs!
2. Doubtfull that only such a low number of species existed during the Mesozoic. Also Birds! All the Birds! ( There are still more bugs, so she is atleast partly right. )
3. Again, Birds!
4. So being low in the food chain counts as cool?
5. So being a pest and spreading diseases counts as cool? ( I think it is also questionable that this lead to the Dinosaurs' demise, given that the decline was not global )

Insects are "cool" just as much as dinosaurs. They've been around for millions of years, and deserve respect for that. Did you know a cockroach can survive for months without a head? I would also argue that insects have mastered flying better than birds. Also, there are species of bird that are considered pests (pigeons eating farmer's corn) and birds that are low on the food chain.

This documentary offers a very fascinating insight into insect anatomy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9hAMLnjaa0


P.S A spider is not an insect, it's an arachnid 

[amargasaurus cazaui]

The author herself is the one who brought spiders into the discussion actually so her bad. Myself I dont mind insects as long as they stay under my shoe where they belong. 
  The first time you get bitten by a brown recluse spider, you will forget any feelings of awe or respect you had for bugs of any kind. Still they all seem to serve a purpose, and I dont mind as long as they stay out of my home.
  A physicist once stated that if you weighed all the people and all the ants in the world the ants would weigh more. I found that simple concept amazing

[tyrantqueen]

The author herself is the one who brought spiders into the discussion actually so her bad. Myself I dont mind insects as long as they stay under my shoe where they belong. 
  The first time you get bitten by a brown recluse spider, you will forget any feelings of awe or respect you had for bugs of any kind. Still they all seem to serve a purpose, and I dont mind as long as they stay out of my home.
  A physicist once stated that if you weighed all the people and all the ants in the world the ants would weigh more. I found that simple concept amazing

Oh, I agree there. Insects scare the heck out of me. I can't stand having them anywhere near me.

[CityRaptor]

Insects are "cool" just as much as dinosaurs. They've been around for millions of years, and deserve respect for that. Did you know a cockroach can survive for months without a head? I would also argue that insects have mastered flying better than birds. Also, there are species of bird that are considered pests (pigeons eating farmer's corn) and birds that are low on the food chain.

Still, her reasoning is terrible. Or would you use the fact that something is low on the food chain or a pest as an argument for it being cool?

[tyrantqueen]

Insects are "cool" just as much as dinosaurs. They've been around for millions of years, and deserve respect for that. Did you know a cockroach can survive for months without a head? I would also argue that insects have mastered flying better than birds. Also, there are species of bird that are considered pests (pigeons eating farmer's corn) and birds that are low on the food chain.

Still, her reasoning is terrible. Or would you use the fact that something is low on the food chain or a pest as an argument for it being cool?

It's just a matter of perspective.  Whether or not an organism is "cool" does not justify its existence.

I think it's a silly thing to argue over. I think the reasoning behind the author's words is that she probably feels dinosaurs are overrated. Insects are generally hated because of their perceived ugliness. Everyone loves dinosaurs because they are beautiful/cool/popular/etc and are somehow more worthy of admiration. Maybe I don't agree with the means of which she makes her point, but she is probably just trying to show that insects do deserve respect too.

[CityRaptor]

Meh, maybe she should counter Dolphins then. Most people love Dolphins.

And she would need to get her facts straight.

[Takama]

Meh, maybe she should counter Dolphins then. Most people love Dolphins.

And she would need to get her facts straight.

As long as she counters Bottle nose Dolphins.   How come all the other dolphens get no respect.

[CityRaptor]

Guess it is because they are the most common Dolphins and also the most agressive ones.

So the Orca gets no respect either?

[tyrantqueen]

Guess it is because they are the most common Dolphins and also the most agressive ones.

So the Orca gets no respect either?

One word: Free Willy

Want an example of an animal that gets no respect? Maggots. Sure, they're horrible to look at, but they perform an important role in the ecosystem. And they're surprisingly useful in medicine.

Show the humble maggot some love

[CityRaptor]

Yep. Good old Maggots.

As for Free Willy, eh, didn't Willy always get into trouble in all his films?