A Genetically Engineered Fly That Can Smell Light 111
An anonymous reader writes "It sounds like a cool — if somewhat pointless — super-powered insect: a fly that can smell light! Researchers added a light-sensitive protein to a fruit fly's olfactory neurons, which caused the neurons to fire when the fly was exposed to a certain wavelength of blue light. Adding the protein specifically to neurons that respond to good smells, like bananas, makes for a light-seeking fly."
Great Work (Score:5, Funny)
Re:But can we wipe out pest bugs by making them... (Score:5, Funny)
I can't help it... it's sooo beautifull!!!!
zzzzzzzzzttt
Great news (Score:4, Funny)
Finally, we have been able to achieve what we always needed: flies that can compete with human art critics.
On the other hand these flies are not as advanced as Arizona lawmakers, who apparently can feel if one is an illegal alien by 'looking at brands of shoes' (incidentally, will this not force the cops to hire a disproportional number of gays into service?)
Re:IOW (Score:5, Funny)
Next test subject: Toucan Sam.
Someone said it before ;) (Score:5, Funny)
Re:What a wasted opportunity (Score:5, Funny)
New movie line (Score:4, Funny)
"I love the smell of blue in the morning..."
Re:IOW (Score:3, Funny)
Then how does it smell?
Terrible! Da dum dum.
I've been lighting farts for years.... (Score:3, Funny)
...its smells so bright it makes your eyes water.
Re:What a wasted opportunity (Score:4, Funny)
That's for favorable genes. I believe that, from the fly's point-of-view, believing that blue light is food (and potentially causing it to fly into a human-produced trap) would be all that favorable.
Re:I for one (Score:5, Funny)
A fly that can smell light? Big deal.
My wife says that my feet smell evil.
Re:Smell-o-vision (Score:3, Funny)
Harvey was doing you a solid.
I would much rather steer towards the girls associated with strawberries than the "girls" associated with bananas.
Re:Great Work (Score:2, Funny)
There goes the patent, clearly prior art.
Re:Great Work (Score:2, Funny)
No, they invented drugs for flies. If you really want to smell light, head down to your local acid dealer.