Editing 2802: Fireflies
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
β | {{ | + | {{incomplete|Created by THE INSECT VERSION OF DYLAN THOMAS - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} |
β | + | {{w|Fireflies}} are a variety of beetles that are able to emit flashes of light, a process known as {{w|bioluminescence}}. Megan explains that while this ability is not uncommon in ocean-dwelling species, it's pretty rare on land; presumably this is because sunlight doesn't penetrate very far under water, so there's evolutionary pressure to develop a process to generate one's own light. Land animals have much less need to generate their own light -- even at night there's light from the moon and stars, so nocturnal animals tend to have good eyesight or other enhanced sensory abilities (e.g. {{w|echolocation}}). It's thought that it originally served to ward off predators of the larvae, but adults coopted it as a mating signal. There are many varieties of {{w|List of bioluminescent fungus species|bioluminescent fungus species}}, and the ecological benefit of that effect is uncertain. Some ocean-dwelling species, such as {{w|anglerfish}}, use their bioluminescence as lures for prey. | |
β | The title text suggests that there's an alternate Earth that has "shadowflies", which are presumably like fireflies but cast shadows instead of light, and that this isn't as nice for the people there. Since everything that's opaque casts a shadow{{citation needed}}, this isn't really much of an ability. Possibly Randall's shadowflies have some sort of {{w|vantablack}}-like coating, or somehow create darkness near them beyond merely absorbing incident light (in violation of physics as we understand it). "Earth 2" is the name of an {{w|Earth-Two|alternate world in the DC Comics universe}}, but it's unclear if this | + | While Megan and Cueball are walking towards a field with fireflies, she points all this out and suggests that it was just a fluke that fireflies developed this ability. When they see the firefly display, the two of them agree that we're lucky to be on a planet where this happened. |
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+ | The title text suggests that there's an alternate Earth that has "shadowflies", which are presumably like fireflies but cast shadows instead of light, and that this isn't as nice for the people there. Since everything that's opaque casts a shadow{{citation needed}}, this isn't really much of an ability. Possibly Randall's shadowflies have some sort of {{w|vantablack}}-like coating, or somehow create darkness near them beyond merely absorbing incident light (in violation of physics as we understand it). "Earth 2" is the name of an {{w|Earth-Two|alternate world in the DC Comics universe}}, but it's unclear if this the specific world being referred to. | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== |