"Severe Abnormalities" Found In Fukushima Butterflies 189
Dupple writes "The collapse of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant caused a massive release of radioactive materials to the environment. A prompt and reliable system for evaluating the biological impacts of this accident on animals has not been available. This study suggests the accident caused physiological and genetic damage to the pale grass blue Zizeeria maha, a common lycaenid butterfly in Japan. We collected the first-voltine adults in the Fukushima area in May 2011, some of which showed relatively mild abnormalities. The F1 offspring from the first-voltine females showed more severe abnormalities, which were inherited by the F2 generation. Adult butterflies collected in September 2011 showed more severe abnormalities than those collected in May. Similar abnormalities were experimentally reproduced in individuals from a non-contaminated area by external and internal low-dose exposures. We conclude that artificial radionuclides from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant caused physiological and genetic damage to this species."
butterfly effect? (Score:5, Funny)
OH SHIT! (Score:4, Funny)
MOTHRA!!!!!!
Re:butterfly effect? (Score:0, Funny)
The butterfly effect is chaos.
Re:butterfly effect? (Score:0, Funny)
Whoosh.
Re:butterfly effect? (Score:5, Funny)
Whoosh.
The sound made by those butterfly wings.
Re:butterfly effect? (Score:4, Funny)
Not funny. The full extent of the damage can be seen in these photos here. [wordpress.com]
Every time something nuclear comes up, someone has to come along and undermine it with these petty jokes.
Re:Damage? (Score:4, Funny)
you can't call it damage until your dick falls off.
Forgive him. He works for a tobacco company.
Re:butterfly effect? (Score:3, Funny)
That's not a bug on that butterfly (Score:5, Funny)
It's a feature!
Yes, folks, we now have real bugs with features.
I'm sick of the scaremongering (Score:5, Funny)
It's the butterflies' fault. If they had not stopped with the development of nuclear power 30 years ago, they would not suffer from these "abnormalities". After all, modern reactor designs are intrinsically safe!
Wait. What?!
Re:butterfly effect? (Score:5, Funny)