Revolting Invertebrates
A couple of interesting things from this article on the lighter side of science this year (via Fortean Times). First the collision of biology and politics:
"The guardians of animal nomenclature had mixed feelings over a proposal to name three newly-discovered species of slime-mould beetle after US President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. A pair of insect experts reserved the names Agathidium bushi, Agathidium cheneyi and Agathidium rumsfeldi for their latest creepy-crawlies."
And this one belongs in the Secrecy is Weakness category:
"The fashion for television detective series which focus on forensic science may be unwittingly providing tips to real-world criminals, a study by British researchers said. Some forensic scientists were even becoming unwilling to cooperate with the media for precisely that reason."
Obviously knowledge is the kryptonite of criminal investigation so these forensic "scientists" would rather we were all ignorant.
"The guardians of animal nomenclature had mixed feelings over a proposal to name three newly-discovered species of slime-mould beetle after US President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. A pair of insect experts reserved the names Agathidium bushi, Agathidium cheneyi and Agathidium rumsfeldi for their latest creepy-crawlies."
And this one belongs in the Secrecy is Weakness category:
"The fashion for television detective series which focus on forensic science may be unwittingly providing tips to real-world criminals, a study by British researchers said. Some forensic scientists were even becoming unwilling to cooperate with the media for precisely that reason."
Obviously knowledge is the kryptonite of criminal investigation so these forensic "scientists" would rather we were all ignorant.