You know, I understand AoSHQ’s point that a recent study about grasshoppers and diet and what not is really about global warming: I do. But I keep getting hung up on this:
They placed cages in areas of natural vegetation and allowed some grasshoppers to be alone while others were placed in cages with a spider.
They glued the mouths of the spiders shut in order to make sure that the grasshoppers experienced pure fear, but were not actually killed by the predators.
…and thinking, Damn, but scientists can be d*cks sometimes. I know that science ain’t always pretty, but wow. Does PETA know about this one?
Moe Lane
Other researchers have shown that insects do not exhibit behaviors consistent with emotional states. E.g. an ant prevented from fulfilling a task will simply continue to attempt to fulfill said task ad infinitum. (This was in fact the original experiment.) There is no action to indicate stress, frustration, bewilderment. It is simply an automaton.
The point being that grasshoppers do not “fear” spiders. They have an avoidance routine, that is all. Which makes this whole story a bunch of hooey.
All these PhD’s we graduate year after year have to find something to do besides working at Starbucks.
Scientists will soon be experiencing the horror of grasshopper revenge.
Coming soon: The Hoppening.