Flies

Science

Bootylicious Australian Horsefly Named After Beyonce

Flag
10:15AM January 18, 2012 | Nick Broughall

It’s been a big few weeks for Beyonce. First she gave birth to her daughter. Then she had to listen to Jay-Z’s “song” about her daughter. Then she had an Australian horsefly named after her. More »


Science

What Do You Call A Fly That Can’t Fly?

12:20AM December 21, 2010 | Jesus Diaz

It looks terrible. It’s hairy. And it can’t fly. It’s the terrible hairy fly, or to give it its scientific name, Mormotomyia hirsuta. The 1cm-long insect, which breeds in bat faeces, has small eyes, long legs and tiny useless wings. More »


The Cyborg Fly Project Guides Robot Through Obstacle Course

5:00AM August 29, 2010 | Christina Bonnington

By tricking a fruit fly into thinking it was flying using an array of LEDs, researchers used the fly’s wing movements to steer a robot through an obstacle course. There’s video, so you can check out this cyborg fly for yourself. More »


Science

Future Solar Cells Will Be Made From Fly Eyes To Maximise Efficiency

12:00PM August 1, 2010 | Casey Chan

Scientists believe that fly eyes are perfectly shaped for manufacturing efficient solar cells. Specifically, copying the eye of the Blowfly would allow solar cells to “collect sunlight from a larger area than just light that falls directly on a flat surface”. More »


Science

There’s No Cure For Cancer, But We Are Hard At Work Shaving Flys

1:00PM January 8, 2010 | Sean Fallon

Today we salute you… biologists that gave a fly a full Brazilian with a laser so that you can study mating habits. More »


Geek Out

Watch These Real Flies Carrying Real Ad Banners

10:40AM October 30, 2009 | Jesus Diaz

Someone thought that the best way to promote their company was by attaching paper ad banners to real flies. I tried this at school to pass notes to a pretty girl called Carla. It ended in pain. More »


Science

Scientists Use Lasers To Create False Memories In Flies

10:30AM October 16, 2009 | Dan Nosowitz

A team of researchers experimented with fruit flies and found that by genetically engineering some flies, they were able to give those flies the “memory” of pain that they never actually experienced. It’s kind of complicated and kind of creepy. More »


CDs Team With Insect World To Battle MP3 Threat

1:10AM July 8, 2009 | Mark Wilson

We hoped it wouldn’t come to this. In a moment of passion, a series of AutoCAD templates has converted various optical media into a (deadly?) swarm of flies. May God have mercy on us all. [CNC Forum via MAKE] More »


Gadgets

Fly-Goodbye Bug-Sucking Rifle

9:00AM March 19, 2009 | Sean Fallon

Fly-Goodbye says “hello to my little friend” when it comes to eradicating flying pests. It’s kind of like a Super Soaker of doom.

More »


Housefly-Driven Robot Arm Artist Makes Art Like You’d Imagine

12:15AM November 7, 2008 | Kit Eaton

Picture tracing a housefly’s skittering, random path as it dots about your home with a trail of ink: That’s kind of what this cooky art installation evokes. It’s a robot arm connected to a sensor chamber that has some kind of fly-enticing power. When a fly is inside the chamber, the arm jerks spasmodically in time to the fly’s movements, and traces a beautifully chaotic drawing on a huge reel of paper. When the fly leaves, the paper scrolls, so the artwork is constantly evolving. It’s clever stuff by artist David Bowen, and if you’re having difficulty envisioning it, check the link for a video. [DWBowen]

More »