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Citation Station: Roaches and light

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  1.  
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      CommentAuthorUdoboy
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2006
     

    I'm curious about today's statistic, that cockroaches only developed an aversion to light in the past 200 years. Is there any correlation to this and the electric lightbulb? Perhaps they're sensitive to the magnetic field generated by electricity.

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      CommentAuthorTaed
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2006
     

    There was an interesting article on this in Scientific American a few years ago. If I recall correctly, they determined that they would react to only the higher-end of the visible spectra, namely the yellows and reds, but would actually ignore light that consisted of the lower-end greens and blues, as well as ultra-violets and infra-reds. Both normal incandecent, flourescent, and halogen bulbs produce a fairly wide swath of the spectrum, so they would react to all of those. However, they would not react to neon bulbs that were not yellow or red since they produce a fairly narrow spectra.

    Furthermore, they were able to determine that this is a fairly "recent" (in evolutionary terms) development because they tested cultured cockroaches from the insect egg collection at the College of Etymology at Cambridge University. They've apparently been collecting various insect eggs since shortly after the school was founded in the 13th century. (Apparently, insect eggs keep very well if not exposed to moisture or extreme temperatures.) So, they tested light aversion in cockroaches grown from eggs over the past few centuries and discovered that the light aversion is a recently-evolved trait.

    It was a clever bit of research, I have to say...

  3.  

    Sociobiologists and evolutionary psychologists also assert that this genetic transformation is correlated with the electric light-bulb not because of the magnetic field but because of human social implications. Cockroaches, like raccoons, tend to migrate to densely populated areas. These urban centers serve as food-sources for cockroaches. Because humans commonly stomp roaches to death, evolutionary psychologists have asserted that cockroaches developed an aversion to light in order to keep out of human sight (Anderson & Mellencamp, 1998). The further implication is that humans developed an aversion to cockroaches to avoid insect-borne disease...

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      CommentAuthorFact totum
    • CommentTimeApr 10th 2007
     

    I thought I had an aversion to them just because they are icky.

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      CommentAuthornyarfdude
    • CommentTimeApr 10th 2007
     

    I like that "Dr. Don K. Dick"'s name.

    • CommentAuthortherunner
    • CommentTimeSep 26th 2007
     

    For the record, etymology is the study of where words come from...entomology is the study of insects. I think if the college of etymology was started in the 13th century in England, they would have figured out by now that it's actually entomology if they want to study insects.

  7.  

    I don't know about that, the English are pretty slow on the uptake. :fingersear:

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      CommentAuthorTrance
    • CommentTimeSep 27th 2007
     
    Posted By: [Expletive Deleted]

    I don't know about that, the English are pretty slow on the uptake.:fingersear:

    What does that mean?:wink:

  9.  

    He thinks it would have taken the English 800 years to figure out English.

    Oh, COL! I just realized you were joking as I wrote that above. Turns out the joke's on me. I won't even delete it, turns out you got me fair and square.

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      CommentAuthorPaulustrious
    • CommentTimeSep 27th 2007 edited
     

    Most cockroaches used to have rounder bodies, but with the advent of houses and doors the urban species have developed flattened bodies.

    Interestingly, the song La Cucaracha has more lyrical variation than any other song.

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      CommentAuthorUdoboy
    • CommentTimeSep 27th 2007 edited
     
    Posted By: Trance
    Posted By: [Expletive Deleted]

    I don't know about that, the English are pretty slow on the uptake.:fingersear:

    What does that mean?:wink:

    It means that after a thousand years, they still haven't figured out that there's no "u" in color.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTrance
    • CommentTimeSep 27th 2007
     
    Posted By: Udoboy
    Posted By: Trance
    Posted By: [Expletive Deleted]

    I don't know about that, the English are pretty slow on the uptake.:fingersear:

    What does that mean?:wink:

    It means that after a thousand years, they still haven't figured out that there's no "u" in color.

    That's nothing - you guys still think there's an "i" in team!

    •  
      CommentAuthorcmseagle
    • CommentTimeSep 27th 2007
     

    Of course we know that. But there's a me.

  14.  

    And in the UK we have mate.

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      CommentAuthorUdoboy
    • CommentTimeSep 27th 2007
     

    There is an "i" in victory!

    And a "me" in meathead. no wait...

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      CommentAuthorTaed
    • CommentTimeSep 28th 2007
     

    There's no ME in TEAM!

    •  
      CommentAuthorAthene
    • CommentTimeSep 28th 2007
     
    Posted By: Taed

    There's no ME in TEAM!

    There is if you're dyslexic...

  18.  

    All I care about is that there is a me in megalomaniac.

    •  
      CommentAuthorTrance
    • CommentTimeSep 28th 2007
     
    Posted By: Athene

    There is if you're dyslexic...

    What's sydelcix ?

    •  
      CommentAuthorUdoboy
    • CommentTimeSep 28th 2007 edited
     
    Posted By: Paulustrious

    All I care about is that there is a me in megalomaniac.

    {gullifact warning}
    During the height of the women's liberation movement, Gloria Steinem was called a megalowomaniac. She did not take kindly to this term. :devil:

  21.  

    For some reason Trance your message reminded me of a raccoon that used to walk across my garden (USA = yard) in the middle of the afternoon. As it walked in a rather strange fashion it used to 'talk to itself' issuing weird expletive noises. I used to call it my Tourette's raccoon. I was so puzzled (and to some extent worried) by its behaviour I phoned the Toronto something-or-other department in case it had rabies. They assured me that the only animal with rabies in Toronto is the bat.

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      CommentAuthorUdoboy
    • CommentTimeSep 28th 2007
     
    Posted By: Paulustrious

    They assured me that the only animal with rabies in Toronto is the bat.

    Did you tell them to stop calling your wife that?!

  23.  

    And that reminds me of an occasion that lead to a little spat. I used a UK expression You don't get a dog and bark yourself which she took to mean I was calling her a dog. I thought I was innocent, but was indicted, prosecuted, and sentenced.

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      CommentAuthorTrance
    • CommentTimeSep 29th 2007
     

    Your brain must be wired weirdly, Paulus!

    •  
      CommentAuthorUdoboy
    • CommentTimeOct 2nd 2007
     

    Be glad you didn't say: Why buy the milk when you have a cow at home?

  26.  

    Or, I'm so hungry that I'd eat a scabby donkey.

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      CommentAuthorTaed
    • CommentTimeOct 2nd 2007
     

    I think you'd get scabies if you ate a scabby donkey.

  28.  

    More so if you eat a scabby ass.

    •  
      CommentAuthornyarfdude
    • CommentTimeOct 3rd 2007
     

    UUUghghghgh.... I actually shuddered at that one.... Yuck...

  30.  

    SOL

    •  
      CommentAuthorCody56
    • CommentTimeOct 11th 2007 edited
     
    Posted By: Paulustrious

    For some reason Trance your message reminded me of a raccoon that used to walk across my garden (USA = yard) in the middle of the afternoon. As it walked in a rather strange fashion it used to 'talk to itself' issuing weird expletive noises. I used to call it my Tourette's raccoon. I was so puzzled (and to some extent worried) by its behaviour I phoned the Toronto something-or-other department in case it had rabies. They assured me that the only animal with rabies in Toronto is the bat.

    I always thought you lived in the UK. Amazing what most people assume...
    Also, on the subject of roaches, the Hissing Cockroach being used as a form of jewelry?
    :shamed:

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