Jokes and Funny Stories II

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Man did not invent the mouse-trap.
Nature did.
The irony is amusing.

Venus flytraps’ ultra-sensitive hairs help determine if an insect is worth trapping
(Good news for bugs that weigh less than a sesame seed.)

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Note the black hair triggers (cilia)
If you’re an organism with a hankering for flesh, a few things can come in handy. Fast feet, for one, to give chase, and maybe some claws and a sharp set of teeth. Good vision doesn’t hurt, either—especially when it’s teamed up with a keen nose and big, sensitive ears.
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Unfortunately, the carnivorous Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), which dines on bugs and spiders to compensate for the nutrient-poor soil of its natural wetland environment, has none of these lethal assets at its disposal.
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But there’s no need to pity these predatory plants: An exquisite sense of touch is all it takes for Venus flytraps to snare their tiny prey. That’s all thanks to the sensory capabilities of a few stiff, sensitive hairs poking out from the inner surfaces of their mouth-like leaves—each tuned to discern the infinitesimally small shudders of an insect on the go. Now, scientists have finally put numbers to just how perceptive these trigger-happy hairs can be.
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A study published today in the journal Nature Plants shows that Venus flytrap hairs are sensitive enough to detect critters that weigh as little as 3 milligrams—less than a typical sesame seed. While this threshold may exclude the most petite of prey species, having a size cutoff may actually help the plant avoid meals too small to be worth the trouble.
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When vacant, a Venus flytrap leaf resembles an open pairs of jaws. In reality, each trap is an entire digestive tract collapsed into a single, bi-lobed pouch, rimmed with fang-like protrusions. Studding the inside of the trap are a handful of thin, rigid hairs, each attached to a flexible base that can register the movements of the rod above—a bit like a joystick.
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This unusual setup allows the hairs to function like tripwires. When something bumps up against them, electrical signals spread through the trap’s leafy lobes. Digestion then proceeds in a series steps: First, the trap slams shut; then, it hermetically seals. Eventually, the now-airtight chamber will flood with flesh-melting fluid, transforming whatever’s inside into sticky sludge.

Once this process begins, it can take over a week for the trap to reopen—making mistakes very costly.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/venus-flytrap-hairs/
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DaveC426913 said:
This really belongs in the "Why do Ghosts Wear Human Clothes" thread but it's locked.

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Ummm human ghost= human clothes, who would have thought

From the depictions of UFO occupants I consider their clothing to be of Spiderman style, tight fitting complete body cover

Mekon here seems to do OK with T shirt but he is not in a UFO

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This ghost seems to have a good fitting sheet

:)
 
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