Skip to main content

Something down the bottom of the garden...



Thanks to Fortean Times. P.S. NOT filmed by me. Just for your amusement....

Comments

If it's not a fake (I think it is), I reckon two mating dragonflies.
riotthill said…
My goodness it really looks like spring where you've filmed this Stephen. In Central Ontario, we still have a foot and a half of snow, we're 2-3 weeks away from maple syrup season.

I agree with Fergus, it might be mating dragonflies. We have many types on our property, ranging in size from 3/4" to as big as 4", in colour from leaf green, dark red to brilliant royal blue. They eat those pesky biting insects so we consider them our friends.
Stephen Law said…
Hi - just to clarify I didn't film it. I am sure it's a fake. I just found it amusing....
Paul Syms said…
Stephen,

Four possible explanations:

1. Occasionally you get insects that have extra body parts, such as five-winged butterflies; could this one have two abdomena? I've not heard of it, but I guess it's possible.

2. Mating - not unless they've just finished. Dragonflies mate one on top of the other, with the tips of their abdomena grasping each other at the tips to make a loop. It also appears to have only four wings, whereas a mating pair should appear to have eight at some stage.

3. Image manipulation: there are few frames that are actually clear enough to see what it is! Coindidence? I think not! (Definitely a conspiracy.)

4. The first ever photographic evidence of a real fairy ...

Funny how nobody who sees anything really unusual is a half-decent photographer! We should teach basic photography to everyone at school, so that when something odd happens, we get evidence that can be analysed ...

(I used to be an entomologist once ...)
Anonymous said…
The unconvincing sound-effects told me it was fake straight away.
Stephen Law said…
Hi riothill - the weather is like that here right now. That's because, despite being on same latitude as Toronto (I believe), we have the gulf stream to warm us up (for now).
riotthill said…
I think I like Paul Syms answer (1st ever photo...) best --- now, if we all promise to believe in fairies, maybe one of them will bring the gulf stream affects to Ontario and we can enjoy your lovely mild weather.
Unknown said…
That would be very entertaining post like this.......

Personal Injury Lawyer
Anonymous said…
Two mating dragonflies seems the most accurate description to far.
Unknown said…
If anyone finds this interesting go rent the movie "Pan's Labyrinth". All the dialogue is in spanish with subtitles but it's a must see film.

Popular posts from this blog

EVIDENCE, MIRACLES AND THE EXISTENCE OF JESUS

(Published in Faith and Philosophy 2011. Volume 28, Issue 2, April 2011. Stephen Law. Pages 129-151) EVIDENCE, MIRACLES AND THE EXISTENCE OF JESUS Stephen Law Abstract The vast majority of Biblical historians believe there is evidence sufficient to place Jesus’ existence beyond reasonable doubt. Many believe the New Testament documents alone suffice firmly to establish Jesus as an actual, historical figure. I question these views. In particular, I argue (i) that the three most popular criteria by which various non-miraculous New Testament claims made about Jesus are supposedly corroborated are not sufficient, either singly or jointly, to place his existence beyond reasonable doubt, and (ii) that a prima facie plausible principle concerning how evidence should be assessed – a principle I call the contamination principle – entails that, given the large proportion of uncorroborated miracle claims made about Jesus in the New Testament documents, we should, in the absence of indepen

Why I won't be voting Labour at the next General Election, not even to 'keep the Tories out'.

I have always voted Labour, and have often been a member of the Party, campaigning and canvassing for them. For what it’s worth, here’s my feeling about voting Labour next General Election:   1. When the left vote Labour after they move rightwards, they are encouraged to just move further right, to the point where they are now probably right of where e.g. John Major’s Tory party was. And each time the Tories go further right still. At some point we have got to stop fuelling this toxic drift to the right by making the Labour Party realise that it’s going to start costing them votes. I can’t think of anything politically more important than halting this increasingly frightening rightward slide. So I am no longer voting Labour. 2. If a new socialist party starts up, it could easily hoover up many of the 200k former LP members who have left in disgust (I’d join), and perhaps also pick up union affiliations. They could become the second biggest party by membership quite quickly. Our voting

Aquinas on homosexuality

Thought I would try a bit of a draft out on the blog, for feedback. All comments gratefully received. No doubt I've got at least some details wrong re the Catholic Church's position... AQUINAS AND SEXUAL ETHICS Aquinas’s thinking remains hugely influential within the Catholic Church. In particular, his ideas concerning sexual ethics still heavily shape Church teaching. It is on these ideas that we focus here. In particular, I will look at Aquinas’s justification for morally condemning homosexual acts. When homosexuality is judged to be morally wrong, the justification offered is often that homosexuality is, in some sense, “unnatural”. Aquinas develops a sophisticated version of this sort of argument. The roots of the argument lie in thinking of Aristotle, whom Aquinas believes to be scientifically authoritative. Indeed, one of Aquinas’s over-arching aims was to show how Aristotle’s philosophical system is broadly compatible with Christian thought. I begin with a sketch of Arist