2006-07-05

Fly Me to the Moon

The Space Shuttle Discovery got off safely on the fourth despite much blogged about foam problems. As the crew went about an inspection with a camera set-up on a robotic arm, it seems the correct material for insulating the Space Shuttle has been discovered. It is everywhere and free to boot!

This magical material?

Bird poop!

Want to know more about bird poop?

Too bad!

Let's explore why bird poop is white.

Ya see, unlike lucky bipedal and quadrapedal mammals, birds don't pee. Nope. It's all mixed into a wondrous mass from their kidneys which extract nitrogenous wastes from the bloodstream and excretes in the form of uric acid. Uric acid*, as well all know, has a very low solubility in water. Thusly, it emerges as a white "paste." This "paste" emerges from the bird's magical multi-purpose cloaca**! The cloaca (which one will find on reptiles, amphibians and many fish) excretes poo-pee "paste", birds have sex by putting their cloacas together and females lay eggs via it.

Want fake bird poop? Click here!

That's it.

That's all I got.

Just happy to be able to use the word cloaca repeatedly.

I've officially peeked.


*Used in the crystalline form as a reflector in certain species of fireflies.

**Latin for the word "sewer."

1 comment:

JD Rhoades said...

Thank you for that, jen. I feel so edified.