[extropy-chat] bug evolution

[spike]

> The iron in
> hemoglobin is replaced with copper in insects hence the different color.

Copper!  I'll be damned, I never knew that.  I was
wondering what one could use bugs for if one were
to be able to somehow collect a few tons of them, 
such as by building a giant net that sweeps over a
cornfield.  I had in mind processing them into
food for shrimp and crabs, but it isn't clear what
that would do to the taste of the meat.  But if
it didn't harm the meat, then one might be able
to collect the waste products of the shrimp or
crab farms, then chemically extract the copper
for less than the cost of mining copper the
usual way.  Thanks John!

spike