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More from Winter World
2018-02-05 12:06Some animals such as frogs and caterpillars really do freeze solid; he describes being able to tap a frozen caterpillar on the table, before thawing and reviving it. Such animals have adaptations to encourage freezing in body cavities, while keeping ice crystals out of cells.
One moth in the high Arctic spends most of the year frozen, eating growing a bit in the short thaw period, and repeating this for years before finally finally moving from the larval stage.
A lot of it is really about dehydration. Some African moth larva can lose 92% of its water to survive the dry season; in this state, it can survive being dipped in liquid helium! He describes adding water as "instant insect."
A couple of Heinrich's chapters end on an annoying note: he seems depressed by practical studies, extolling the spiritual uplift of pure research without any practical application. I'm all for the quest for knowledge, but you don't have to put down practicality like some pre-cryptography number theorist... He also has vague moral concerns about human cryonics.
One moth in the high Arctic spends most of the year frozen, eating growing a bit in the short thaw period, and repeating this for years before finally finally moving from the larval stage.
A lot of it is really about dehydration. Some African moth larva can lose 92% of its water to survive the dry season; in this state, it can survive being dipped in liquid helium! He describes adding water as "instant insect."
A couple of Heinrich's chapters end on an annoying note: he seems depressed by practical studies, extolling the spiritual uplift of pure research without any practical application. I'm all for the quest for knowledge, but you don't have to put down practicality like some pre-cryptography number theorist... He also has vague moral concerns about human cryonics.