[ExI] roaches again

Anders Sandberg asa at nada.kth.se
Wed Nov 4 10:43:07 UTC 2009


The interesting thing about the cockroach-bacterium symbiosis is that it
is so complete.

Another favourite case is Wolbachia, infecting around 16% of *all
insects*. It is probably the most successful parasite in the biosphere
next to the bacteriophages. It even determines sexual differentiation of
the host, and a few species are dependent on it to reproduce.

spike wrote:
> Bugs are sooo cool.  They seem to have so much more diversity.  To bugs we
> must all look pretty much alike.

And our antennas are so boring! I want a pair of flabellate antennas like
maybugs got. And maybe some Dynastinae horns. And optical crystal elytra!


-- 
Anders Sandberg,
Future of Humanity Institute
Philosophy Faculty of Oxford University





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