Topic: Aquatic invasion: Scientists find first amphibious insect species

[sam]

Several new species of rare Hawaiian moth caterpillars have been discovered to be able to thrive both totally submerged and totally dry. They are the first insects to be described as fully amphibious, reported a team of researchers in a study published online March 22 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=aquatic-invasion-scientists-find-fi-2010-03-22

[Clive]

        How amazing!  Good find Sam. 

[Simon]

Attenborough will get a whole series out of that!

[Rik]

 

[Clive]

Attenborough will get a whole series out of that!

Just like Rolf Harris and Patrick Moore, Attenborough has been on our TV screens since I was a little boy in short trousers.   

[Simon]

They had telly then? 

[Rik]

Yes, but it was still using the Baird system.

[Clive]

I'm still using it Rik. 

[Simon]

My first TV was a Baird, from Radio Rentals.

[Clive]

The 240 line Baird system was not the same as the Marconi system which used 405 lines.  Early television programmes had to be broadcast using both technologies to satisfy public demand.  A news bulletin could be seen by those with Baird technology and their screens would then go blank while it was repeated using Marconi technology.    It was a more extreme version of VHS v Betamax.  

[Simon]

A bit like analogue and digital, with more of a delay. 

[Clive]

 

[Rik]

More like shellac and vinyl, Simon.

[Simon]

Shellac being the stuff they made 78s from?  See, I'm not just pretty stupid. 

[Rik]