RE: (TFT) Hymenopteran Version --> Blinded by Science

["rsmith" <rsmith@lightspeed.ca>]

	There was some method to his madness in
calling his hive insects Hymenopteran's.  All
most all of the hive species are hapdiploids
Hymenopterans.  (The only exception I can
think of is the termites.)  So if you were
going to pick a name for them Hymenopteran is
as good as any.  (Well, their OWN name would
be better as earth grass likely has more in
common with real hymenopteran's than any
species that evolved on another world, but I
never got the idea that Howard Thompson was
a science geek.)

	If I had a hive on an island, I like
the idea of breeding specialized units that
can swim or float better than building rafts.
They always seemed 'non technological' to me.

	How does this sound, a version of the
hymenoptera, use their bodies to make a raft
shaped skeleton.  Then they foam up with
goo that hardens into water resistant Styrofoam
stuff.  They have cup like hands for bailing,
and webbed feet for pushing the raft along.
Their heads face inside the raft so they can
breathe.

	Other bugs load on the raft and away!

	Rick



-----Original Message-----
From: tft-owner@brainiac.com [mailto:tft-owner@brainiac.com]On Behalf Of
Cas and Lisa (also Silvia, Max & Viveka) Liber
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2003 9:01 PM
To: tft@brainiac.com
Subject: Re: (TFT) Hymenopteran Version


Aaah, simple Dan, make the hymenopterans have a slave race of spiders which
make web-rafts.........

I was in Queensland last year and the eucalyptus trees have these large ant
nests in them which are halfway beteween a baseball and basketball in size -
so a raft of silk and wood may be an option.....

I sorta wish SJ had known more about insects, as hymenopterans are
technically Ants/Bees/Wasps where as bugs are Hemipterans and beetles are
Coleopterans. The difference between beetles and bugs are bugs have
proboscises and beetles have jaws............


> I hate to inject science into this discussion, but a raft of
> living TFT hymenoptera is impossible.  Water surface tension
> simply will not support the weight of a TFT hymenoptera, let
> alone a group of them trying to make a raft of themselves.
>
> And a raft of such things at sea?  Not likely to last long
> as wave action will quickly destroy the surface tension.
>
> Such an idea *is* scary though ... perhaps if the hymenoptera
> could build a wooden craft (unlikely), used magic to stay
> afloat (also unlikely) or could actually float (interesting).
=====
Post to the entire list by writing to tft@brainiac.com.
Unsubscribe by mailing to majordomo@brainiac.com with the message body
"unsubscribe tft"
=====
Post to the entire list by writing to tft@brainiac.com.
Unsubscribe by mailing to majordomo@brainiac.com with the message body
"unsubscribe tft"