"Um Yah..." Science

U.C. Berkeley News has an article on their website pertaining to Trap-Jaw Ants. This ant genus of ants from South and Central America can close its mandibles(jaw-like parts) at a speed of up to 145 mph. This is the world record for "the fastest self-powered predatory strike in the animal kingdom." While this is interesting enough, I often wonder who funds these scientists. With the all the disease and mayhem in this world, you think the Ant-Jaw-Speed-Experiment Funds could serve a better purpose in the fields of say Cancer Research, Inexhaustible Fuels, and other clearly more important fields of study - with more far reaching effects. While I am fascinated by ants for their complex society mechanisms and seriously doubt anyone can utilize the knowledge of how fast an ant can cleave a grasshopper for the betterment of our world. (via)

On a lighter note: They did take some great video that shows the ants using their spring loaded jaws of doom as a defensive tool: springing themselve high into the air to avoid predetors!

A War even a Quaker can get behind.

Since moving to a laptop at work, I've noticed even more so that I despise the Caps Lock key. It's placement just above the shift key results in me pressing it accidentally a half dozen times a day producing backspace fodder such as SHOUTING and the uPSIDEDOWN tEXT. Blogger Pieter Hintjens has decided to start a revolution against the tyranny of the Caps key. Join up at CAPSoff.

Courtesy of Slashdot