Comments

  3. CortxVortx says

    Proposition: Whenever referring to this planet, use the name “Earth” rather than “the earth” or “the Earth.”

    Reason: The term “the earth” harkens back to the earth-centered-universe days, while “Earth” puts this world among the other planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, etc.

    — CV

  5. says

    I just don’t understand why people call floating cnidarians jelly- “fish”. We must stop this threat of paraphyletic nomenclature! A jelly is a jelly dammit! I propose the following changes to commonly used animal names:

    1) Jellyfish will hence forth be known only as Jellies
    2) Crayfish will hence forth be known as Crays
    3) Starfish will hence forth be known as Sea Stars
    4) Silverfish will hence forth be know as Silverbugs
    5) All worms are hereby Annelids. Nemerteans, Platyhelminthes, Hemichordates, Nematodes, Buddenbrockia and the such will just have to make do on their own.
    6) Sipunculans shall no more be referred to as Peanut Worms
    7) Sea Horses will hence forth be known as Sea Transvestites (Since males think the are females carrying those eggs and all)

    Thank you for attention to this important matter.

  6. Reginald Selkirk says

    What about Peanut Butter Fish?

    And why is PZ’s spam filter concerned about this link:

    http:
    //www.billcrosbymusic.com
    /pbfish.html

  7. Anton Mates says

    I just don’t understand why people call floating cnidarians jelly- “fish”. We must stop this threat of paraphyletic nomenclature!

    But “fish” itself is a paraphyletic term, so the nomenclature contains a handy built-in warning against misinterpretation!

  8. MikeG says

    …But Silverinsects aren’t Bugs!

    I thought that was for hemipterans only.

    [booming voice]
    I am the Mike! Voice of the One True Bug! Voice of He who has Sukling Mouth Parts! Behold His Mighty PROBOSCIS!
    [/booming voice]

    (Sorry, I just watched Dogma, and the “true bug” thing caught my fancy.)

  10. Reginald Selkirk says

    Proof Of Evolution

    Anti-evolution people often cite the fact they there’s no evidence of one species turning into another species. Well guess what? That evidence was presented back in 1939: Bird Embryo in Apricot.

  12. Oh, fishy, fishy, fishy, fish! says

    Hey guys, just to let you know, don’t miss Behe on The Colbert Report! It’s not on for another two weeks or so, so there’s time for preparing and training your brains.

  13. 386sx says

    Hey guys, just to let you know, don’t miss Behe on The Colbert Report! It’s not on for another two weeks or so, so there’s time for preparing and training your brains.

    Yeah, that goes for Behe and Colbert too. Because both of them probably read this blog. Gee thanks for letting the cat out of the bag fishy fish fish. Thanks a lot.

  14. says

    Proposition: Whenever referring to this planet, use the name “Earth” rather than “the earth” or “the Earth.”


    Reason: The term “the earth” harkens back to the earth-centered-universe days, while “Earth” puts this world among the other planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, etc.

    From numerous science fiction stories: Humans find alien, and ask, “What planet are you from”. Alien answers, “We always just called it ‘Earth'”. “What star?” “Well, we called it ‘the Sun'”.

    It doesn’t matter whether you call it Earth or the Earth – it’s about the same as responding to the question “Where do you live” by saying “Home”. (And, no, it’s not any better to call it “Terra”. Or Sol III.)