MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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When there is manmade light around moths go mad and fly round in circles being very mothy.
How come, in the countryside, they don't keep going up to the brightest thing in the sky, ie the moon, until they freeze and die?
Weird innit?
They use the moon as a beacon to fly in a set direction.
And if they like light so much why don't they come out when it's sunny ? Silly ****ers.
How do they know it's not a big, round lightbulb outside my house then?
It's because they're wired for moonlight tht they fly into artificial lights.
Roughly, they navigate with reference to the brightest light they sense - historically the moon. If they hold a constant angle to the moon, they move in a straight line cause its so far away.
When faced with a bright artificial light they spiral into it as they keep correcting their direction trying to hold a straight line, treating the light source as infinitely distant rather than darn close.
This navigation is called something like transverse navigation?
Good point Ernie...maybe one wise moth has resisted flying to the sun and all moths eveloved from it?
A bloke walks into a chippy and says 'Doctor, help me, I think I'm a moth'.
Geezer behind the counter says 'This isn't a Doctors mate, it's a chippy'.
So moth guy replies 'Yeah, I know, but I was just walking past and your light was on'.
Sorry.
People are showing off here, with proper answers and stuff... 😉
Poor buggers never get where they're going...
I know, I feel for them, worshiping my bathroom light...destined to be eaten, then yakked up by my cat.
And if they like light so much why don't they come out when it's sunny ? Silly ****ers.
What like the Six Spotted Burnet?
[url= http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2436/3749629348_58240a8ecc.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/leecollis/3749629348/ ]Narrow-bordered Six-spot Burnet - on ragwort[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/leecollis/ ]Lee Collis[/url], on Flickr
It's because they're wired for moonlight tht they fly into artificial lights.Roughly, they navigate with reference to the brightest light they sense - historically the moon. If they hold a constant angle to the moon, they move in a straight line cause its so far away.
When faced with a bright artificial light they spiral into it as they keep correcting their direction trying to hold a straight line, treating the light source as infinitely distant rather than darn close.
This navigation is called something like transverse navigation?
Not according to QI.......it came up as a "nobody knows" answer.
And as I get 95% of all the interesting facts I know from QI, that must be correct.
sorry ernie, i know that 'one must never question Stephen Fry' but QI is often wrong, basically because its just a guy, off camera, with a laptop, googling stuff
QI is often wrong
You what ? 😯
I get the other 5% of interesting facts I know from this Forum.
You're now going to tell me that this place is also sometimes wrong- aren't you ? FFS
Yeah I've noticed some clangers on QI. It's no Universally Challenged.
You're now going to tell me that this place is also sometimes wrong- aren't you ? FFS
Not if it's a big hitter answering.
i know that 'one must never question Stephen Fry
Nice Dan Le Sac v Scroobious Pip reference there!