What separates the human being from the lower animals? Language? Morality? Comfortable shoes?
None of the above, says Live Science. The real differentiator, they say, is what lay beneath, explaining in a classic headline about comb jellies that became fodder for this week’s “Isn’t that weird?”:
YOUR MOST DISTANT COUSIN DOESN’T EVEN HAVE AN ANUS
As it turns out, the primitive jellyfish-like creatures have inspired a whole literature of anus headlines. “Animal with an anus that comes and goes could reveal how ours evolved,” wrote New Scientist a few years back. “An animal has been discovered with a 'transient anus' that only appears when it is needed,” was the take from Insider. “Meet the sea creature with an anus that disappears when not in use,” added the CBC.
In this episode, Katie and I review the comb jelly coverage, while also debating our favorite songs by the great eighties pop band, Simple Anus. Also, Katie explains the history of a “sponge the size of a minivan” found north of the Hawaiian Islands, we very briefly discuss a country that apparently disappeared after a volcano “unleashed ash” (say that five times fast) on it, and we continue pushing our self-referential joke involving the Vanguard podcast well past the point of being funny.
All that, plus news, commentary, awkward silences and more, on this week’s Useful Idiots. Check in to this space for additional content, including interviews with two guests, in the upcoming days.
New Useful Idiots: Bad Chauvin Verdict Reactions, Notes From the Anus-Having Club, And More Vanguard Time Travel