200826 mutants

August 26

Suddenly I can smell the lake. We are a long way from it at Bloor Street. There it is again. Last night it turned cool without bringing a rainstorm. Today has been overcast and cool. Rain would be welcome.

Does anyone know what these mutant triffid monster (obviously genetically engineered) "dandelions" are? Their flowers are so perfectly dandelion they must be related. Actually, I am in awe of the ways plants protect themselves, from mild psychological confusion to downright prickly, cannabis, cacti and the mutant dandelion somehow have it covered. But what are they? 

Speaking of mutations: This is a squirrel whose white-tipped tail makes him look a little like a skunk. Two years ago I saw one. The next year two or three more, this year one is living in the tree down the street. Louie, I think this is the beginning of a darwinian survival of the imitate-a-skunk squirrel. [Casablanca ref.]

And in other mutant news: In Florida some scientists plan to release 750 milllion genetically modifies mosquitoes in an effort to control the population (which carries two diseases that they list, maybe more).* James Tiptree Jr. (pen-name) wrote a very scary short story about this very subject only about humans instead of insects: The Screwfly Solution.** "The title refers to the <sterile insect technique> a method of eradicating the population of screwflies by the release of large amounts (sic) of sterile males that would compete with fertile males, thus reducing the native population more with each generation this is done."***

When we take any action, K reminds me that we must be prepared for Unintended Consequences, and there are always those. Unintended shit is was happens every time humans try to interfere with nature. Sometimes it is disastrous.

*Florida mosquitoes: 750 million genetically modified insects to be released https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-53856776

**https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Screwfly_Solution - James Tiptree Jr. short story, 1977.

*** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterile_insect_technique - where the title came from.