Sunday, March 27, 2016

Flowers and flies

We spied our first housefly this morning.  It was outside on the screen of a window, looking in, hungrily, annoyingly, impolitely.  Later, I saw one waiting for someone to open a door.

We do have flowers and heat, buds and sun.  It is glorious!  But it is not just glorious for us.  All forms of life are getting renewed and recharged, not just the ones we like.


From Leeuwenhoek to Pasteur to current interest in the human biome of microscopic life in and on us, humans have spent the last 300 years learning about life that is quite abundant and persistent but that is everywhere and invisible at the same time.


Yesterday, I read Melissa Hogenboom's article on the five second rule: "pick food from the floor and eat it if it hasn't been there for five seconds or more".  She is a science writer in Britain and the article is here:

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160322-what-really-happens-to-food-when-you-drop-it-on-the-floor


She interviewed several microbiologists about picking up food and eating it.  One said,"In most cases, you can lick your toilet seat and not get sick."  I will not go that far.  But it helps explain how dogs can pull some of the things they do.




--
Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety

Twitter: @olderkirby

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