@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

barrygoldman1

@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win

#Teacher, story teller, #naturalist, dancer, piper of tunes. Studying #chemistry and #geology of the origins of life #astrobiology
blog which i should try to be consistant with
https://blackskimmer.blogspot.com/
twitter: barrygoldman1

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futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

What is the best explanation you’ve heard for 1 not being a prime number? For me it’s “because it breaks everything in my programs since the loops won’t terminate” but that’s obtuse. “Because the God of math decrees it so!” is compelling, but shallow.

“it can only be divided by 1 distinct number” is contrived.

1 “feels” prime— it has the fewest factors. (Primeness being about NOT having factors) ruling it out for having too few? eh.

“it’s the zero of multiplication” is better… thoughts?

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird if u made a program to factor a number into primes and 1 was allowed, how would you decide to terminate it?

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird were u specifically thinking of factoring algorithms or would it break other algorithms?

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird anyway i subscribe to the reason being that if 1 were prime, nubmers wouldnt have unique prime factorizations

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

The ant “foot” consists of a tarsal claw with two toes and the several segments above that I suspect are simply… well…floppy. Basically, I’ve seen no evidence ants can wiggle their ankles at will, but rather they seem to adjust the floppiness, or tension of the lower leg. The claws, however, show signs of dexterity, ants can control how sticky the soft pad of their foot is, but also seem to be able to grip and release with their claws. (how exactly are the muscles arranged?)

Another view that includes the segments above which I suspect to be “floppy” the ant leg is often covered in hairs.

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird i used to wonder about the algorithms insects use for walking. if i take the slightest misstep it could mean broken bones or worse, but for a tiny bug? placing feet don't need to be so precise.

futurebird, (edited ) to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

It's perfect. Bravo Jonathan Yeo. I don't know if it was a choice... or just how the paint choose to speak. But, you got him. Perfectly. WOW.

Very much how I think of monarchs... down to the damn butterfly. LMAO

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird i read it as: last monarch to go down before the whole world burnt to a crisp.

and now i get the butterfly. kinda dopy if u ask me.

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

When I pick up a wild ant such as this Camponotus pennsylvanicus minor worker I’m always anxious that I return her to her colony. I followed her after letting her go. She ran the full length of a football field then suddenly up a pole. Waiting there another ant of the same species. They fussed over each other. Grooming and feeding each other for several minutes. Then they tucked into a nook in the fence and went to sleep! I guess they won’t be taking me to their main nest today.

The sister she ran to find after the strange experience of running over my hand for a bit. They are feeding each other which ants do when nervous.

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird camponotus don't form empires! lemme see... do colonies of ANY and spcies ABSORB other colonies?

  1. some steal workers

  2. some queens take over single colonies

  3. fire ants do a weird swapping/joining thing when they are young and casing out new territory
    https://blackskimmer.blogspot.com/2008/05/on-sexvines-and-boundary-crossing-in.html

  4. multi queen colonies that form by fision? do they join together?

  5. supercolonies...

now... what about trees?

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird waht's your current count? i remember keeping a jar of pond scum for a year and half on the window and over that time counted ~60 different microcritters.

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

Why is Trump saying "the prison populations are down all over the world"

"they are emptying their insane asylums and sending them"

??

This is just a pure 100 percent fabrication with nothing to even seem like it might, if you squinted, and read it backwards to back it up, right?

I mean if he can just say any damn thing and people will buy it why not? Wow.

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird i NEVER listen to his words.

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

How would it feel? What would it say about us? if we remain a nation that builds weapons of war, effective weapons, our best technology— and none of the people cared what purpose they served? they could defend a people violated by invading armies, they could be a tool to sweep a people away and not even our young people full of idealism think it worth questioning. Streets quiet, peaceful, another beautiful spring— and not one willing to listen, imagine the rumble of distant munitions.

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird ever since learning about things like Flint michigan and all the processes related to it ... way back in my college days, i've decided THIS NATION IS ENTIRELY TOO SILENT. we are a bunch of sissies! i include myself in this indictment!

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

Currently sowing a tiny garden for my field ants. I've kept field ants before and they didn't really thrive. I'm hoping if I can arrange for them to tend a heard of aphids they will be happier.

They colony is about 15 strong, and the queen is lovely shiny and black. They are also very nervous and freak out at every new sound and vibration. Will a box of green plants calm them? We shall see!

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird who are field ants?

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird one day i will learn to key out Formica. i remember back when i watched ants. there were at least 3

  1. exsectoides, easy to spot
  2. black ones that invaded exsectoides nests? and defended with vigourous biting
  3. ones on the lawn that ran around like crazy.

no doubt i was seeing other spp too.

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

Has anyone read any good math and science history nonfiction books recently? (pop nonfiction please) Are there any really good ones out?

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird here is an amusing passage illustrating how science is done
https://blackskimmer.blogspot.com/2009/03/example-of-how-science-works-from.html

not a recent book. the book it is from might be amusing to read.

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird REALLY good one? i hope you own
Walter Tschinkel, "The Fire Ants"?

https://phys.org/news/2006-05-ants-true-story-told-scientist.html

beautiful book. you can dip in anywhere and find an interesting story.

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird anyway... my favorites. not very recent i'm afraid, but maybe youve missed some of them

https://blackskimmer.blogspot.com/2017/07/towards-100-nonfiction-books-everyone.html

john, to art
@john@sauropods.win avatar

A random artwork from my gallery:

"Clidastes" — 2021

Clidastes, god of the sea and forked lightning, does not even look at the ships she sinks.

https://johnconway.art/clidastes

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@john wow

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

3 dollars for helados? The upper east is wild ya’ll there best be a silver dollar in the bottom of this dixiecup…

i sound like an old lady telling my students how they used to cost a quarter. one rascal said “a quarter of what? ten bucks?”

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird damm! i miss having that on the streets!

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird chocolate lemon was my fav combo. do you remember when it was a block of ice and the guy would shave the ice into a cup and pour syrup all over it? damm...

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

Simply putting colored paint on a few ants has let me discover that individual ants have certain spots they like best — Tulip likes to be on the highest point of this branch. If I don’t see her there I get worried. She’s a little camera (light) shy so documenting how often I see her in the same spot has been a challenge. She has preferred this spot for at least a whole month. Here are a few times I caught here there.

Tulip peers around the edge of the branch. She’s a good looking ant.
blurry tulip runs because so turned the light on.
Another shot that at least clearly shows it’s her since all you see is a blurry pink gaster.

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird haha 'cooperative leopards' you mean cheetahs. hmmm dunno if cheetahs climb trees tho. maybe they dont cuz they eat communally? i think they hunt communally

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird i remember feeding my ants one summer on disabled fruit flies. Aphaenogaster, Crematogaster, Paratrechina, Brachymyrmex, who else did i have? Tapinoma? Lasius? so long ago...

anyway they were all so different in how they would deal with and dispatch their prey! the tiniest, the Paratrechina were the most fearless. some of the bigger ones would approach more tentetively!

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird @Heliograph but.... was she a meter long?

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird @Heliograph summer generation honeyees work themselves to death. my notes say 10 flights a day for 4 to 5 days. 2-5km per flight?

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

Hey mister binturong, you a bear? or are you a cat? or are you a big rodent? Or heck... are you some kind of raccoon? Which one are you?

mister binturong: yea

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@llewelly @futurebird haha i used to play a game on the old craigslist discussion forums cuz once a yahoo asked 'yeah how could a cat evolve into a dog?' and i would post DOZENS of species of carnivors phylogenetically surrounding cats and dogs and ask "ok wise guys, which of these kinds is cats and which is dogs?" fun days

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

The overhead for the AI on a minecraft ant is so great that the mod creators limit the colonies to just 20 ants to prevent lag. Fine for gameplay 20 feels like a lot.

Interesting the kind of things they do: remember the location of their nest, find a path back, collect leaves etc. are so taxing.

In the real world a colony of 1000+ is typical. Some colonies have millions of ants. And real ants have much more to "process" Kind of gives you a sense of the scale of the intelligence of a colony.

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird @Woodswalked @mycotropic ok evolution of waxmaking in hymenoptera is confusing. all insects make 'waxes' (mix of hydrocarbons and esters) (ant cuticles use waxes) but i guess what we are looking for is 'combwax' is that a term?

how do i find evolution of combwax in apocrita? (bees wasps ants) @alexwild

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird @Woodswalked @mycotropic ants would rather hang from wall and stuff their honey in gross overgrown bellies!

barrygoldman1,
@barrygoldman1@sauropods.win avatar

@futurebird @ai6yr @Woodswalked @mycotropic i guess they are easy to haul out. it's the GIANT DEAD MICE that get embalmed.

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