this post was submitted on 25 May 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] the_post_of_tom_joad@sh.itjust.works 160 points 5 months ago (3 children)

I came here hoping to read more about this worm and its slime guns but no one did much yet so i had to look it up and now I've become the commenter i hoped to find? I hope the mildly interested people following after me find this cool:

The slime is incredible stuff. It leaves the worm’s nozzles as twin streams of sticky liquid. But once it touches the target, it hardens almost immediately into a stiff, hard gel that is neither sticky nor soluble in water. It’s an incredible transformation and for the prey, it’s a fatal one. By ‘milking’ an Australian velvet worm called Euperipatoides rowelli and studying its slime, Haritos has discovered that its properties come from a special type of chaotic protein.

Chaos Bolt! Man this worm is cool.

National geographic (2 minute read)

[–] pancakes@sh.itjust.works 59 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Thank you for being the commenter you hoped to find but couldn't and are instead the commenter i hoped to find and did.

[–] Jf2540@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago

Exactly, thanks, dude.

[–] Somerefriedbeans@lemmy.ca 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

We need more people like you. Thx g, appreciate the link as well 🙌

[–] blackbrook@mander.xyz 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

What makes it harden? Is it nonnewtonian? Does it impale its prey?

Its been a bit since i read it now but i think hitting the air makes it dry very quickly (something having to do with the chaotic shape of the proteins in the "beam"). Its a quick read if you want to check my memory

[–] herrcaptain@lemmy.ca 57 points 5 months ago (1 children)

According to Wikipedia it's actually a slime attack, so let's not get too excited. God's favorite beast is still probably the Platypus.

[–] Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 31 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Have you seen the number of beetle species?

God's favorite critters are beetles for sure

Platypus seems more like, "Let's see how many features I can cram in something before it breaks people's immersion."

[–] RamblingPanda@lemmynsfw.com 16 points 5 months ago

Hey Jesus, wanna build something with the spares box? It's full with all the weird stuff I couldn't fit into the other animals.

[–] Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 31 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Velvet worm used Slime Gun

It's super effective!

Honestly though those action shots are cool AF

[–] ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world 11 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Yeah but they don't show how random it is.

In these still shots they look like focused beams but in reality they just spray that shit all over the place.

Edit: Found a video.

[–] Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 5 months ago

"I swear this never happens," lies the velvet worm assessing the slime that's everywhere

[–] PyroNeurosis@lemmy.blahaj.zone 20 points 5 months ago

This is clearly Caterpie using string shot.

[–] ynazuma@lemmy.world 14 points 5 months ago

It’s cool…but it’s not shark with lasers on its head cool

[–] maculata@aussie.zone 13 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Imagine if those little fuckers were like 20 feet long.

[–] Martineski@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Uh, I have bad news for you...

[–] maculata@aussie.zone 8 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yeah yeah wise ass. I meant like 6.096 metres.

[–] Martineski@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

The joke was thet they are but you didn't know. Hidden horror kinda joke.

[–] maculata@aussie.zone 5 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (3 children)

I’d kinda Iove it if they were. If there was remote island in South Asia where the BIG ones lived.

[–] Maultasche@feddit.de 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

We could summon it by having tiny twins sing its name.

[–] maculata@aussie.zone 2 points 5 months ago

“Ooooooooh BETTY!?!?!”

[–] ma11ie@lemmy.one 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

If we start the selective breeding now, we could be there in a couple hundred years!

[–] maculata@aussie.zone 2 points 5 months ago

Are they that slow?

[–] brbposting@sh.itjust.works 3 points 5 months ago