Wouldn’t that make this individual a… nonapus?
Yeah! And “survival machines” tailored to specific ecological niches and environments… but niches and environments also change over time. So it’s really a complex web of…
Oh wait, you know what? The happy mutant internet nerds already said this better: everything is remix.
If we’re being that strict, then since octopus is from Greek instead of Latin octo, it should be an enneapus.
Covered thoroughly in the Ars comments! I lost track of the fine points, honestly.
Octopuses first appear in the Jurassic, when there were especially major changes in the oceans all the way down to the phytoplankton. Marine reptiles were becoming common and modern shark groups were first appearing. Probably as a result of these more effective predators, a lot of invertebrate groups like sea lilies retreated into the deeper ocean, and armored fish were largely replaced by ones with light flexible scales like we have today. (That is, being crunchy didn’t count for enough any more.)
I’m not exactly sure how octopuses themselves fit in with all this though. Their protective shells were already long gone…the coleoid group they belong to had abandoned them in favor of faster swimming. But at least modern squid already have much more developed brains and eyes than the surviving nautiluses, and I think cuttlefish are comparable to octopuses. So I would guess a lot of their intelligence either predates their change to bottom dwellers, or is based on architecture they had already developed.
That’s an etymological fallacy: We are speaking English, and orthography, spelling, grammar and word construction do not need to follow the rules of Greek, Latin, or any other language or combination of languages. (Like how you are not incorrect for using ‘octopuses’ as a plural, rather than ‘octopodes’ )
Now you wanna talk numeracy…
Yeah, except if you don’t care about the etymological construction then it’s properly called a “nine-armed octopus”, since that’s the English word for those animals.
I mean… no… in English we can call it late-for-dinner or even puddingtane, and as long as folks agree and used that name, that name would mean.
See also santorum.
Now, years after the acute phases of the COVID-19 crisis, the misinformation about ivermectin has not only persisted but also continued to grow and morph. Ivermectin now allegedly cures all cancers, foot pain, arthritis, lupus, acne, and even boosts your gut microbiome—in addition to curing COVID-19.
According to an investigation by NBC News published Monday, 16 states have proposed or passed legislation that would make ivermectin available over the counter. The intention is to make it much easier for people to get ivermectin and use it for any ailment they believe it can cure.
Idaho, Arkansas, and Tennessee have passed laws to make ivermectin available over the counter. On Monday, Louisiana’s state legislature passed a bill to do the same, and it now awaits signing by the governor. The other states that have considered or are considering such bills include: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and West Virginia.
State laws don’t mean the dewormer would be readily available, however; ivermectin is still regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, and it has not been approved for over-the-counter use yet.
Yet.
Well, hell, I guess ivermectin will put me out of business! Cures all that could ail you! Wait, that sounds vaguely familiar…
Oh yeah! That’s where it came from! Just wait, it gets better!
Yeah, that’s from the past, but something just a ridiculous is coming.
If all they killed with this nonsense were themselves, I’d say “Happy Darwin Prize to you!” but this affects their loved ones as well, especially children who have no legal right to override their parents.
Ivermectin is like melange for Republicans.
Note to self: investigate hanging upside down at night and the mosquito diet.
Don’t forget the ultrasonic squeaking.
Even better. Time to repackage these as cancer prevention devices!
Find them on your druggist’s shelf next to the Cod Liver Oil and Ivermectim.
Riches and a spot on RFK jr’s advisor panels await me.
Do it yourself fetal ultrasound scanner!
Meet me at the patent office!