Live Worms Found in Columbia Wreckage

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Live Worms Found in Columbia Wreckage

Posted by michael on Wednesday April 30, 2003 @11:43PM from the now-we-just-need-some-tequila dept.

Scoria writes "CNN is reporting that hundreds of live worms, fourth or fifth generation descendents of the subjects of a scientific experiment conducted aboard Columbia, have been discovered amongst the shuttle wreckage. The worms, C. elegans , share many biological characteristics with humans and are the size of a pencil tip."

27 of 321 comments (clear)

It's not one way.. by maharg · 2003-04-30 23:45 · Score: 3, Funny

Many humans share common characteristics with worms, too.

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1. Re:It's not one way.. by FroMan · 2003-05-01 01:31 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Oh, that is just plain old mean. Comparing worms to RIAA and MPAA folks. Give the worms some dignity. Show them some respect.
  
  --
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Size matters? by eightball01 · 2003-04-30 23:46 · Score: 3, Funny

If they're the size of a pencil tip, just how many biological characteristics can they share with us?
1. Re:Size matters? by beders · 2003-04-30 23:50 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  C. elegans have two sexes: males and hermaphrodites, which are females that produce sperm
  
  They don't share this one do they? Is my wife keeping something from me?
  
  --
  Brocklesby Park Cricket Club
Worms from outer space! by Hulver · 2003-04-30 23:47 · Score: 4, Funny

Kill them now, before they start to mutate!
I think they were the real cause of the crash, soon they'll start to take over the world unless they're stopped!

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-- Hulver's site
So... by KDan · 2003-04-30 23:48 · Score: 4, Funny

Let's make slashdot mods eat a fistful of them every time they posts a dupe :-) That would be a geeky punishment - being forced to eat space worms.

Daniel

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Carpe Diem
Pledge by Anonymous Coward · 2003-04-30 23:50 · Score: 5, Funny

I'd like to pledge my loyalty to the alien overlord worms.
Err, what? by nilsjuergens · 2003-04-30 23:50 · Score: 3, Funny

> The worms, C. elegans, share many biological
> characteristics with humans and are the size of a > pencil tip.

Humans? Size? Pencil Tip?

Well buddy yours might be that small but mine sure isn't ;-)

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Kent Brockman by semaj · 2003-04-30 23:51 · Score: 5, Funny

I, for one, welcome our new invertebrate overlords.

I'd like to remind them that as a trusted TV personality, I can be helpful in rounding up others to... toil in their underground sugar caves.

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Meep meep
Re:Pencil Tip by Artifex · 2003-04-30 23:54 · Score: 4, Funny

Then again, it's it good that they are not the size of a VW

That would have made finding the rest of the wreckage a lot easier, though.

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Get off my launchpad!
If they can... by gvonk · 2003-05-01 00:11 · Score: 5, Funny

If the worms can survive the crash, why can't they build the whole shuttle out of whatever worms are made of?

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1. Re:If they can... by worst_name_ever · 2003-05-01 00:13 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  If the worms can survive the crash, why can't they build the whole shuttle out of whatever worms are made of?
  Because then they'd have to pick space shuttles off of the sidewalk every time it rained.
  
  --
  
  In Soviet Rush, today's Tom Sawyer gets high on you.
Re:Pencil Tip by Surak · 2003-05-01 00:12 · Score: 4, Funny

Yes... because we humans are the size of a pencil tip. Then again, it's it good that they are not the size of a VW.

I think a pencil tip is equivalent to .00000001 VW beetles, or about 1,000,000,000 human-hair-widths.

But I could be wrong. I wish they'd just switch to the metric system like the rest of the world! ;)

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My journal has hot /. gossip.
They are fake worms. by noogle · 2003-05-01 00:15 · Score: 4, Funny

Just like the moon landings and that other thing.

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I'm smarter than the average bear.
Lord of the mutant space froot flies by madmarcel · 2003-05-01 00:16 · Score: 3, Funny

Tsk tsk - < /. editors>>
I read that as: "Escaped mutant worms have been found alive in space-shuttle wreckage!"

Bah, they were still in their containment ehh..container. How disappointing.
I figured the little buggers had escaped and survived in the foam insulation of the space-shuttle. Maybe I should cut down on my daily
intake of science fiction ;)

Oh well, I'm surprised they didn't find any mutant fruit-flies (also from previous experiments ;)
or a gigantic mutant space mould.
(Wasn't one of them growing on good ol' MIR?)

Hmmm....tasty spacebugs :P
enough with the Dubiahh jokes... by Imazalil · 2003-05-01 00:26 · Score: 5, Funny

"The worms, C. elegans, share many biological characteristics with humans and are the size of a pencil tip."
Alright kids, enough with the George W. Junior jokes already. We know he's dumb but this is getting a little tired...

...what...

no?

oh alright carry on then...
Re:Interesting Implications by AccUser · 2003-05-01 00:28 · Score: 5, Funny

This proves that life can survive a fiery impact with the earth -- like that of a meteor impact.

Provided that the life form in question is carefully organised into petri-dishes, hematically sealed in a selection of jars, and stored in a locker.

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Any fool can talk, but it takes a wise man to listen.
Re:Pencil Tip by Zoop · 2003-05-01 00:31 · Score: 3, Funny

it's it good that they are not the size of a VW

Yes, but in America we are working on making humans that size by default.
Not again! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-05-01 00:31 · Score: 5, Funny

Once again NASA opens a can of worms in their Columbia disaster enquiry!
Well, they survive nukes by Zerbey · 2003-05-01 00:50 · Score: 4, Funny

...And airstrikes, and banana bombs and exploding sheep (sometimes).

Why not shuttle accidents too? Should be a walk in the park for them! :)
If I had a nickel for every time I heard... by GamezCore.com · 2003-05-01 00:50 · Score: 3, Funny

The worms, C. elegans, share many biological characteristics with humans and are the size of a pencil tip.

I've tried six or seven of the solutions offered by the Spam emails, but no matter what I do I still get that pencil tip comparison all the time!

--

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Search for Spock by _underSCORE · 2003-05-01 01:03 · Score: 3, Funny

Didn't the same thing happen in Star Trek III?

The scientists better watch out, because we know how fast those things can mutate.

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"This is not a company that appears to be bothered by ethical boundaries."
Attorney General Mike Hatch on Microsoft
Re:Pencil Tip by JediTrainer · 2003-05-01 01:06 · Score: 3, Funny

I think a pencil tip is equivalent to .00000001 VW beetles, or about 1,000,000,000 human-hair-widths.

Wait, wait. How many Libraries of Congress is that again?

--

You can accomplish anything you set your mind to. The impossible just takes a little longer.
In the NASA offices... by triaxcaribdis · 2003-05-01 01:51 · Score: 3, Funny

You can just imagine it

Scientist: (Rumages about the debrise) Oh no...
Admin: What? What have you found?
Scientist: We've opened up a whole can of worms here...
Re:Interesting Implications by nelsonal · 2003-05-01 01:57 · Score: 3, Funny

Only meteors larger than a VW come standard with petri dishes and lockers, for others its an expensive option.

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Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
Re:Shuttle worms survive in shuttle by MrFredBloggs · 2003-05-01 01:58 · Score: 3, Funny

>sukkulamadot

Suck a llama dot? What, is this a type of acid?
Re:Pencil Tip by alkali · 2003-05-01 02:28 · Score: 5, Funny

Warning to Zoop: if there is further public discussion of Project Sbarro, your security clearance will be withdrawn.