Model organisms: Caenorhabditis elegans

"Caenorhabditis elegans is a soil-dwelling nematode worm about 1 mm in length that feeds on bacteria...

The C. elegans genome is 97 million base pairs in length and contains about 20 000 genes. Many of these genes appear to have functional counterparts in humans [Ed: apparently up to 83% of the proteome is homologous], and whole pathways are often conserved. This makes C. elegans a useful model for human diseases. For example, the insulin signalling pathway is fully conserved between humans and nematodes so mutant worms impaired for insulin signalling are useful models of type II diabetes."

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Nintendogs (Nintendo Dogs) - the next best thing to getting a real dog. Of course you need to get a Nintendo DS first...

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The Coolidge Effect

"President Calvin Coolidge and his wife visited a government farm one day and were taken around on separate tours. Mrs. Coolidge, passing the chicken pens, inquired of a supervisor whether the roosters copulated more than once a day.

"Yes," the man said. "Dozens of times." "Tell that," Mrs. Coolidge replied, "to the president!"

Some time later the president, passing the same pens, was told about the roosters - and about his wife's remark. "Same hen every time?" he asked. "Oh, no, a different one each time," the supervisor replied. "Tell that," Coolidge said with a sly nod, "to Mrs. Coolidge."

[Thus the term "Coolidge effect" to describe the re-arousal of a male animal by the introduction of a new female.]"

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Some time back...

Girl: Why do you want to keep your hair long?

Me: Everytime I tell people, they don't believe me. I want to tie my hair in a ponytail, jerk my head and hit the person beside me with my hair.

Girl: *laughs* So what's the real reason?

Me: See?!


I'm sick of the above happening. I've half a mind to just demonstrate to people when they ask by going up to them and jerking my head. Not quite what I'm aiming for, but the idea is there.