2018.05.12 13:00 - Another World

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    The Guardian for this meeting was Bruce Mowbray. The comments are by Bruce Mowbray.

     

    --BELL-

    Bruce Mowbray: Hi, Storm.

    Storm Nordwind: Howdy :)

    Bruce Mowbray: I'm in a quandary today. . .

    Storm Nordwind: Better a quandary than a quarry :)

    Bruce Mowbray: I was looking at some moist soil in a rainwater solution. . . (mix) and found a creature I can't identify.

    Bruce Mowbray: I will slide you three images of it...

    Storm Nordwind: OK

    Bruce Mowbray: Maybe you can help.

     

    Bruce Mowbray: Hydra?

    Storm Nordwind: Perhaps

    Storm Nordwind: though where would be the rest of it?

    Bruce Mowbray: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydra_(genus)

    Bruce Mowbray: Right. . . there is no stalk.

    Bruce Mowbray: Maybe this is a stage in its development. . .

    Storm Nordwind: I am no expert

    Storm Nordwind: It was not alive, I take it?

    Bruce Mowbray: Hydra have seven appendages, (arms) so that's what made me think it was related to hydra.

    Bruce Mowbray: No, it is not alive - nor was, when I first saw it.

    Storm Nordwind: Almost like some species of marine starfish

    Bruce Mowbray: Hydra also have chloroplasts . . but this does not.

    Bruce Mowbray: Hmmm... good suggestion.

    Bruce Mowbray: Except this is fresh water. . .

    Storm Nordwind: If nothing else, you could create some very dark art with it and use it to scare people ;)

    Bruce Mowbray: I've emailed my biologist friend about it. . .

    Bruce Mowbray: It IS a bit scary, if I do say so myself....

    Bruce Mowbray: but also VERY small.

    Bruce Mowbray: Size matters!

    Storm Nordwind: Cthulhu's minions precede him

    Bruce Mowbray: Oh yes, Lovecraft.

    Bruce Mowbray: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cthulhu

    Storm Nordwind: Branching out to freshwater perhaps

    Bruce Mowbray nods.

    Bruce Mowbray: Octopus has eight arms. . .

    Bruce Mowbray: this has only seven.

    Bruce Mowbray: A strange number for natural things, no?

    Storm Nordwind: Seven?

    Storm Nordwind: Hmmm

     

    --BELL--

    Bruce Mowbray: https://www.google.com/search?q=7armed+creatures&num=20&newwindow=1&safe=off&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjN3o22_oDbAhXG5YMKHQgnAGQQ7AkINg&biw=602&bih=561

    Storm Nordwind: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luidia_ciliaris

    Bruce Mowbray: a search for 7-armed creatures.

    Bruce Mowbray: Starfish are all marine, I think.

    Storm Nordwind: Seven is an unusual number in nature it seems. Perhaps does not confer any natural advantages. Nor easily fit into 2D or 3D symmetry.

    Bruce Mowbray: Right.

    Bruce Mowbray: Radial symmetry is one of my favorite things in nature.

    Bruce Mowbray: Until today, I've been concentrating on flies - and similar insects - that I've found dead.

    Storm Nordwind: There are two things that look like scars in your photos. Could it originally have had nine legs?

    Bruce Mowbray: Hmmm. Let me check the originals....

    Bruce Mowbray: I don't see what you're referring to.

    Bruce Mowbray: well, maybe, in the 100x picture.

    7-armed creature 100x.png

     

    Storm Nordwind: Two dark rings below center

    Bruce Mowbray: Yeah, maybe.

    Storm Nordwind: But I am no biologist

    Bruce Mowbray: I looked up Rhizochrysis .... because an image in my protozoa book looked a bit like it, but none of the returns in my search looked anything like this one.

    Storm Nordwind: Rhizochrysis?

    Bruce Mowbray: Yeah, that was the label on the drawing in my book.

    Bruce Mowbray: It was the only thing remotely resembling my creature.

    Storm Nordwind: I thought you were going all medieval on me ;)

    Bruce Mowbray: I can't tell whether my creature has more than one cell, either.

    Bruce Mowbray: no cilia, no chloroplasts , , ,

    Bruce Mowbray: I think one of the wounds you mentioned might be the eighth (or 9th) arm.

    Storm Nordwind: Does remind me, however, of the green alga Nitella.

    Bruce Mowbray: Hmmm.

    Storm Nordwind: So perhaps suggesting part of a plant rather than an animal

    Bruce Mowbray: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitella

    Storm Nordwind: Reminiscent of the fractint forms I used to make 20 or more years ago.

    Bruce Mowbray: LOTS of subspecies with that one.

    Bruce Mowbray: Ahhh! I used to use Frantint, too!

     

    --BELL—

     

    Bruce Mowbray: Back in the late 80's or early 90’s

    Bruce Mowbray: Have you heard from Pila?

    Storm Nordwind: No I have not.

    Bruce Mowbray: Hmmmm. Wonder if he had to evacuate.

    Storm Nordwind: last I heard it wasn't showing signs of letting up

    Bruce Mowbray: Right...

    Bruce Mowbray: They're saying it could throw out boulders the size of refrigerators.

    Storm Nordwind: Last online 2 days ago. So there's hope.

    Bruce Mowbray: Good,

    Bruce Mowbray: My farmer planted 250 acres alone - in one day - yesterday.

    Bruce Mowbray: Amazing to watch.

    Storm Nordwind: Ah refrigerator - reminds me of one of my favorite haikus

    Bruce Mowbray: Can you recite one?

    Storm Nordwind: Sure

    Storm Nordwind:  

    haikus are easy

    but sometimes they don't make sense

    refrigerator

     

    Bruce Mowbray: LOVE it!

    Bruce Mowbray dies from laughing....

    Bruce Mowbray: Here's Robbie on the same equipment five years ago:

    Bruce Mowbray: http://hermitdog.com/planting2013/planting_2013.html

    Bruce Mowbray: a 36-row fully automated planter. . .

    Storm Nordwind: Amazing!

    Bruce Mowbray: that uses four GPS coordinates....

    Bruce Mowbray: It is one amazing machine.

    Storm Nordwind: Rented out, or owned?

    Bruce Mowbray: Normally sells for $300,000 but Robbie bought it for 1/3 of that because it first owner couldn't figure out how to operate it.

    Storm Nordwind: o_O

    Bruce Mowbray: He takes it apart every winter and puts it back together....

    Bruce Mowbray: Look how CLEAN the cabin is!

    Bruce Mowbray: (when outside everything is dusty).

    Storm Nordwind: So clean it could be Second Life

    Bruce Mowbray: Yeppers!

    Bruce Mowbray: He's an amazing young man.

    Bruce Mowbray: If we were not selling the farm, Robbie would inherit my 1/3 ownership of it.

    Storm Nordwind nods

    Bruce Mowbray: His father sold an adjacent 100 acres last year, so we are going to sell to the same buyer. . . using the same lawyer and same surveyor. . .

    Bruce Mowbray: A smooth operation all around -- and I get to continue living here the rest of my life.

    Bruce Mowbray: and our farmers will continue to farm it.

    Storm Nordwind: That's important

    Bruce Mowbray: The only apparent thing that will change is the deed.

    Bruce Mowbray: Well, the farmer and the buyer have known each other since first grade.

    Storm Nordwind: Wow

    Bruce Mowbray: and the buyer said he wouldn't buy it if our farmer didn't agree to continue farming it.

    Storm Nordwind nods

    Bruce Mowbray: Robbie is the son of the farmer we've had since mid-1980's.

    Bruce Mowbray: Robbie is a prodigy . . . really.

    Storm Nordwind smiles

    Bruce Mowbray: He can LOOK at a machine and know how to fix it.

     

    --BELL—

     

    Storm Nordwind: The world needs these people :)

    Bruce Mowbray: I couldn't even find the lever to open the hood of my new car, even using the manual.

    Storm Nordwind: haha

    Bruce Mowbray: Robbie found it in two seconds.

    Bruce Mowbray: (without the manual).

    Bruce Mowbray: Seriously.

    Storm Nordwind: "kick here"

    Bruce Mowbray: ha ha.\

    Bruce Mowbray: Anything you'd care to discuss? If not, I think I'll return to microscope adventures. http://hermitdog.com/microscope/images.htm

    Bruce Mowbray: But I can stay. . .

    Storm Nordwind: Well I have no interesting things to reciprocate a show and tell!

    Storm Nordwind: But it has been fascinating, and the time has flown by.

    Bruce Mowbray: Yesterday, I spent the whole afternoon looking at the fly at the bottom of that web page.

    Bruce Mowbray: This is a whole new world for me.

    Bruce Mowbray: I knew it (that world) was there, but I'd never really taken a close look before...

    Bruce Mowbray: except in college bio class.

    Storm Nordwind: Pond water can be fascinating too

    Bruce Mowbray: Yes, it's finally warm enough for me to do that.

    Bruce Mowbray: My friend Charlie is really hot on pond life.

    Bruce Mowbray: He's the guy who first got me interested in microscopy.

    Storm Nordwind: And looking at the micro-crystals in soil can be beautiful

    Bruce Mowbray: (and he's the guy who owns the book I referred to earlier... the one with the images.)

    Storm Nordwind: All stardust.

    Bruce Mowbray: ahhhh. . . I haven't done that yet.

    Bruce Mowbray: Another world to explore.

    Storm Nordwind: May it never end!

    Bruce Mowbray: I don't think it will.

    Bruce Mowbray: So, thanks for looking at my "Show and tell", Storm.

    Bruce Mowbray: Have a beautiful weekend.

    Storm Nordwind: My pleasure! I will thank you for hosting and wish you more fun at the glass

    Bruce Mowbray: Thanks!

    Storm Nordwind waves

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