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Idle: New Species Named For SpongeBob SquarePants

Posted by timothy on from the love-interest-might-not-appreciate-it dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Sing it with us: What lives in the rainforest, under a tree? Spongiforma squarepantsii, a new species of mushroom almost as strange as its cartoon namesake. Scientists from the San Francisco State University have discovered a new species of mushroom in Borneo with sponge-like properties. Its strange behavior convinced them to name it after the famous Bob. There is no word on whether or not their chances of getting future grant money will be improved by this choice." Did you know (prior to clicking on the Wikipedia link above) that SpongeBob was created by a marine biologist?

7 of 74 comments (clear)

  1. Re:What won't scientists do for attention? by numb7rs · · Score: 3, Insightful

    No, I can see why they chose that. SpongeBob's a fun guy.

  2. Re:WTF by Mindcontrolled · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Oh come on, let the guys just have some fun. If this leads you to question the sanity of the biologists involved, have a look at the gene naming schemata in Drosophila flies...

    Let me just point at cheap date, a gene that imposes heightened alcohol sensitive on the flies; or perhaps the ken and barbie genes, mutations in which cause lack of external genitalia. Then there is superman, a mutation that causes extra male genitalia in the plant Arabidopsis. Naturally, it is suppressed by the kryptonite gene. Leaving the genitalia business, there is also embargo in Drosophila, a mutation in which stops nuclear export...

    --
    Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.
  3. Re:Not trying hard enough by Mindcontrolled · · Score: 3, Informative

    Fine. Spongiforma bracae-quadratae then.

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    Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.
  4. too bad by The+Clockwork+Troll · · Score: 2

    Linnaeus must be spinning in his grave just fast enough to clear the shark.

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    There are no karma whores, only moderation johns
  5. It gets weirder by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Yes I did know. I didn't even need to follow the wiki link. Not only is he a marine biologist, I believe he has a doctorate.

    Also, if you pay attention to the show, Patrick the starfish comes back from a lump of starfish (regeneration). Mr. Krabs collects things (like real crabs! :O)

    And the best of it all? They live in Bikini Bottom. Now where have you heard that before (besides the obvious outfit pun)?
    Why Bikin Atoll of course! Where everyone and their grandma blewup nuclear warheads under the water. Now look at the houses in town.
    Notice how they look an awful lot like missles? Everyone is talking and alive? It all starts to make a kind of sense now, doesn't it?

    Also, Goo Lagoon. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzUEr7uMnXU For those of you who are familiar with the show may not have been aware of this.

    -Shoe

    1. Re:It gets weirder by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Oh, that's only half of it. Starfish (like Patrick) don't have brains. Explains a lot. Squidward, the "intellectual", is a squid, which are some of the smartest invertebrates. I liked when evil villain Plankton showed some of his relatives in the "plankton family", and they were fairly accurate depictions of several real plankton groups. In one episode Spongebob and Patrick went back in time and there were trilobites crawling around on the sea floor.

      It's a geekier show than it looks at first glance.

  6. Re:Not trying hard enough by Mindcontrolled · · Score: 2

    Why yes, yes it was. Do you have any idea how rusty my latin is?

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    Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.