geekosystem

Animals evolve for lots of reasons. Usually to improve methods of finding food, attracting mates, or escaping the notice of predators. We've all done it. Evolved, I mean. One vivid example is the butterfly, the world's most colorful insect. But those vibrant hues and crazy wing patterns were never for our benefit. Nope, they developed to deflect attackers, and we've been assuming since the days of Darwin that the perps were birds. Insect-devouring birds. But it turns out that it was probably the spawn of Ungoliant -- spiders -- who were the villains all this time. And not just any spiders -- jumping spiders! These eight-legged creeps are at least partially responsible for the adaptation of the butterfly.

The black mustard plant, Brassica nigra, looks about as capable of defending itself as most other pretty yellow flowers. That is to say, not very capable of defending itself at all, as all it really has going for it are the abilities to smell nice and look pretty. Sometimes, though, that's all you need. The innocent looking little flower makes those abilities into a set of secret weapons against its mortal nemesis, the butterfly. When a butterfly leaves an egg on one of its leaves, though, the plant sends out a series of chemical signals -- one to repel butterflies, preventing it from becoming a breeding ground for its own predators, and another to call in the cavalry, alerting wasps that prey on caterpillars that supper is ready.

Today's reminder that nuclear accidents stay with us much, much longer than we might care to remember them: Butterflies in the vicinity of the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear reactor in Japan are mutating. A study published online last week in the journal Science Reports found that pale blue grass butterflies are common in much of Asia, but those born near the site of the meltdown are coming into the world with severe physical deformities. Mutations have been found in 12% of the specimens examined by researchers at the University of the Ryukyus in nearby Okinawa. While some of the mutations, like unusual spotting patterns on wings, are mostly innocuous, others are more severe, ranging from forked antennae, to twisted legs, to bent and useless wings. Some are suffering from mutations that leave them unable to even leave their cocoons.

It seems like zombies have been trending forever, but guns with chainsaws mounted to them being pitched as zombie killing devices have picked up in popularity recently. That being the case, the guys over at Guns & Gardens wanted to get in on the fun too, but with a twist; their gun -- the OMG AR-15 Unicorn -- is marketed towards the little ladies in your life. Or anyone who digs rainbows, unicorns, and butterflies, really.

From the video description on YouTube: "Angry swarm of butterflies viciously attacks man in palo alto. don't know who he is or if he was okay."

You know what? This "Butterfly Swarm Attacks Man" video, which was uploaded yesterday, is almost certainly going to turn out to be a 'viral marketing campaign' for some inevitably disappointing media product. But goldurn if I didn't just watch it five times in a row.