THIS CAN'T BE GOOD

Squid have personalities.

Comments

[Dave]

Unlike, say, local TV news people.

[KDF]

...these squid tend to be solitary, unromantic animals with a propensity to cannibalise their neighbours and take sexual favours by force.

Like every man on Match.com.

Dave! Congrats on your FITDY!

[artchick]

"southern dumpling squid"? Is it a species or a recipe?

[ArcticAl]

Hey if car salesmen and lawyers can have them, why not a squid?

*hides from El*

[fivver]

He says that in general, these squid tend to be solitary, unromantic animals with a propensity to cannibalise their neighbours and take sexual favours by force.

Kind of like local TV news people. Or politicians.

[puppytoes]

are you squidding me? (oh, lord... too early for a really sh*tty pun, huh?)

[CoastRaven]

Dr Sinn is going to examine the sex lives of squid and lizards. With a name like Sinn, I guess ya gotta examine sex, or something that could be considered taboo.

(Is this Dave's first first?!?)

[Bucket]

I wonder if anyone is planning to look into personality in Dr. Sinn?

[Suzy Q]

Which one of our particularly perky newspeople are you referring to, Dave?

[russell]

"He also intends to look at personality in lizards."

Can we hope for some personality in researchers??

"tho "Dr. Sinn and the Assertive Squids" wbagnfarb

[Meanie the Blue]

What do you think would happen if his test subjects were introduced to the eastern gravy squid?

"He also intends to look at personality in lizards."

I'm available for consultation.

The following sophisticatedly coded message is for CR only: checked your e-mail lately?

[Kat]

Snork @ puppytoes

[Meanie the Blue]

And would there be a territorial war if it were to meet with the Miami matzoh-ball squid?

[Judy L]

Are they CALlous, AMorous, or ARIstocratic?

[CJrun]

'...shy females tend to be less choosey.'

Survey Says?

[crossgirl]

i can't wait to hear what happens when he introduces the squid to the lizards.

[Targetgirl]

"mmmmmm.... dumpling squid"

*drools*

[pepe]

on an unrelated note, squids are also known as "black thieves" in chinese. No idea why.
Maybe they're sneaky squids.

[Alfred]

crossgirl- That would be fun. Gotta Catch em All. And then sick em on each other Bwa ha ha.

Just as interesting that squid have personalities, there have been tests on how we give others personalites. In other words, given a certain amount of information, usually people make a personality of a person. This opinion will stay unless there is a really large change.

So the squid people is kind of interesting.

[KOW]

southern dumpling squid

Yummm...good eating.

[insomniac]

"she's a bit of a loner, and she might try to gnaw on you if she thinks you're not looking, but she's got a great personality!"

"duuude, are you saying she's fat?"

"only if the date doesn't work out."

[Somewhere North]

What shells? Evolutionists make stuff up don't they?

First Scientist: "I know! Let's tell them that wolverines used to be monkeys with hemorroidial problems and that caused them to become bicuspids with tooth decay."

Second Scientist: "That should be good for another $2 million dollar grant. Besides, a policitian is never going to read this."

[Mikey]

somehwere,

Ya have to use the term "random sampling" to get the really big money.

Anecdotal is another word as well.

[Somewhere North]

Ah. Thank you for the correction. So the correct line should be "Let's tell them that wolverines used to be monkeys with hemorroidial problems and that caused them to become bicuspids with tooth decay but first we'd have to do a random sampling of anal douches and produce several anecdotal responses to be sure. Which will bump the grant up by at least another million. Maybe more. Especially if we also decide to examine the possibility that earthworms are humans that de-evolved based on this piece of flesh that is either a leftover chicken wing or a 5 million year old fossil."

[C. Darwin]

ISIANMTU

[Somewhere North]

I never knew Darwin couldn't spell. Is that why we give out Darwin awards?

[Somewhere North]

And yes, before everyone e-mails me, I know what ISIANMTU stands for. It just made me giggle.

[puppytoes]

...but is a personality necessary for survival? apparently, not

[Somewhere North]

In fact, depending on your personality, it could actually lessen your chances for survival. I can think of a few people who need to be "naturally selected" out of the gene pool.

[C. Darwin]

Rede my book, SN, the Oregon of Spesies. It exclaims everthin.

[puppytoes]

darwin: hahahaha!

[puppytoes]

oh, and SN...you are so correct! in fact, that was pretty much the point of that link in my last comment. (y'know, someday, i hope someone can explain to me why that little "celebutante" is such a freaking big deal! 'cuz i don't get it. i really don't)

[Somewhere North]

Oregon was where species originated? Wow. And I thought their only claim to fame was the corn.

[Meanie the Not Darwin, no sir]

P-Toes: Paris Hilton is such a big deal because she is living proof of extraterrestrial life. Not extraterrestrial intelligence, but......

[Somewhere North]

Where'd Darwin go? I miss him. I was going to be the Siskell & Ebert to his Theory and Literary Style.

Ah well. Back to squid personals. That is what we were talking about right?

[WriterDude]

Dr. Sinn says understanding the ecology and evolution of personality provides a key to understanding what drives animal populations.

SuzyQ, this may have some relevance to the "24" comments. Better relay it to the LA TV critic guy.

[Meanie the Blue]

It's OK, SN, we've evolved from that topic now.

[Somewhere North]

Now I want to see a Squid Personals page. Does it go something like:

"Cold, wet & slimy! With dark ink and see through shell shaped body. The longest tentacles you've ever seen! Call now for a cold, possibly terminal time"

[Meanie the Blue]

SGMS (Single Green Male Squid) seeks long-armed older non-inking SGFS for fun, companionship and occasional aggression. Must enjoy nocturnal activities, no bottom-feeders please.

[daisymae]

Major snork @ Meanie...man, you're in good form today (eastern gravy squid, Miami matzoh-ball squid)

Double snork @ Meanie and SN for the personals

[daisymae]

SHFS (Single Hot Female Squid) seeks lasting romance with caring SYMS (Single Young Male Stud...er...Squid). Join me for passionate dives, playful hide 'n seek behind the ink clouds. I just love a Squid who's ALL ARMS...er...tentacles. No nipping allowed.

[Suzy Q]

WriterDude: He's not speaking to me currently. I think I may have scared him off with a description of my (fictional) menagerie.

[Meanie the BlueK]

Tip o' the hat to Daisy. Oh, look, something shiny!

[Eleanor]

puppytoes, you didn't really READ that article you linked to, did you?
Please say no.

ArcticAl, I'm waaaay too LTTG to work up the energy to get p.o.'d about your slimy, icky, horrible, tasteless denigrating lawyer reference you made up^there.

[Kevin in Jacksonville]

It's just a matter of time before our squid overlords will be swinging through the trees.

We saw this on Animal Planet.

[Ted Thomas]

Dr. Berry,

Thanks for this fascinating insight into the evolution of the audience for the hit TV show "24".

"Dr Sinn says squid and other cephalopods like octopuses and cuttlefish are relatively intelligent and, relative to body size, have brains the size of cats..."

Since cats like to watch things that go 'round & 'round but never get anywhere (flies trying to escape the back porch through the screen, flying bugs flipped on their back, etc.), and since the plot of 24 has been doing this ever since I heard of it, it's clear that squid, octopuses, cuttlefish and other cephalopods are big fans of this show.

"He says this is probably to compensate for the loss of their protective shells during evolution, with more brain capacity needed to protect their vulnerable bodies from predators..."

Clearly, 24 is having an evolutionary effect on the brain capacity of vulnerable bodies, but I'm unclear on whether you think this is happening to the human or cephalopod section of the audience. Could you comment on this, please, Dr. Berry?

BTW, do you think a cuttlefish who did have a beer while watching 24 would undergo a more rapid personality change?

Thanks again for your valuable insights... :-;