Mutate, damn you. MUTATE!

BoBaBrain

So what fully functioning animal trait would you have, given the choice. I'd have to toss between a bat's sonar and a cheetah's speed.





A cookie for the first person to to mention a donkey's wang.




Edit: Also, an otter's sense of whimsy.

Meissnerd

a walruses dick

CG Faggotry

Don't tempt the furries.

Talon

too late!

Defender

Goddammit.

Zombies Tossed My Salad!

i'd go with retractable claws

Uriel

The strength speed and balance of a jungle cat.

CG Faggotry

GET THE SCISSORS

Druhim

I wish I had the power to lock this thread like the ruby crested forum mod

Meissnerd

The bravery of a gryphon

Zephyr

i'd want the trait of immortality from a Turritopsis nutricula jellyfish

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_nutricula

Turritopsis nutricula is a hydrozoan (jellyfish) with a life cycle in which it reverts back to the polyp stage after becoming sexually mature. It is the first case in which a metazoan (animal) is capable of reverting completely to a sexually immature, colonial stage after having reached sexual maturity as a solitary stage. It does this through the cell development process of transdifferentiation. This cycle then repeats. Thus, it appears that it has cheated death and is a potentially immortal, solitary metazoan.

Talon

Defender wrote: »

Goddammit.

Defender the guys were telling me that your signal can no longer be lit

is it true that you have fallen for good and will no longer punt self-righteous assholes from their high horses?

tugga

i can see my house from the top of defender's sig

Defender

Talon wrote: »

Defender wrote: »

Goddammit.

Defender the guys were telling me that your signal can no longer be lit

is it true that you have fallen for good and will no longer punt self-righteous assholes from their high horses?

I have a job which keeps me in an office now, and I am not yet at the point where this place feels adequately safe. Also, as I'm aging, I'm advancing in my career, and I often spend a reasonable portion of my day thinking about long-term stuff and helping younger programmers to do stuff.

B.C.

This thread can only end in a whimsical and wonderous way.

Munkus Beaver

Zephyr wrote: »

i'd want the trait of immortality from a Turritopsis nutricula jellyfish

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_nutricula

Turritopsis nutricula is a hydrozoan (jellyfish) with a life cycle in which it reverts back to the polyp stage after becoming sexually mature. It is the first case in which a metazoan (animal) is capable of reverting completely to a sexually immature, colonial stage after having reached sexual maturity as a solitary stage. It does this through the cell development process of transdifferentiation. This cycle then repeats. Thus, it appears that it has cheated death and is a potentially immortal, solitary metazoan.

So you'd go through puberty every 8 years or so.

Fantastic.

CG Faggotry

Moving forward is often a good thing.

Druhim

Munkus Beaver wrote: »

Zephyr wrote: »

i'd want the trait of immortality from a Turritopsis nutricula jellyfish

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_nutricula

Turritopsis nutricula is a hydrozoan (jellyfish) with a life cycle in which it reverts back to the polyp stage after becoming sexually mature. It is the first case in which a metazoan (animal) is capable of reverting completely to a sexually immature, colonial stage after having reached sexual maturity as a solitary stage. It does this through the cell development process of transdifferentiation. This cycle then repeats. Thus, it appears that it has cheated death and is a potentially immortal, solitary metazoan.

So you'd go through puberty every 8 years or so.

Fantastic.

at least until something ate you

ShimSham

Talon

Defender wrote: »

Talon wrote: »

Defender wrote: »

Goddammit.

Defender the guys were telling me that your signal can no longer be lit

is it true that you have fallen for good and will no longer punt self-righteous assholes from their high horses?

I have a job which keeps me in an office now, and I am not yet at the point where this place feels adequately safe. Also, as I'm aging, I'm advancing in my career, and I often spend a reasonable portion of my day thinking about long-term stuff and helping younger programmers to do stuff.

these are truly dark times.

But hey, good for you, man!

BoBaBrain

Defender wrote: »

Talon wrote: »

Defender wrote: »

Goddammit.

Defender the guys were telling me that your signal can no longer be lit

is it true that you have fallen for good and will no longer punt self-righteous assholes from their high horses?

I have a job which keeps me in an office now, and I am not yet at the point where this place feels adequately safe. Also, as I'm aging, I'm advancing in my career, and I often spend a reasonable portion of my day thinking about long-term stuff and helping younger programmers to do stuff.

So the wisdom and drive of a climber-owl then?

Porkfry

I want to be able to squirt blood from my eyes

Defender

Zephyr wrote: »

i'd want the trait of immortality from a Turritopsis nutricula jellyfish

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_nutricula

Turritopsis nutricula is a hydrozoan (jellyfish) with a life cycle in which it reverts back to the polyp stage after becoming sexually mature. It is the first case in which a metazoan (animal) is capable of reverting completely to a sexually immature, colonial stage after having reached sexual maturity as a solitary stage. It does this through the cell development process of transdifferentiation. This cycle then repeats. Thus, it appears that it has cheated death and is a potentially immortal, solitary metazoan.

Yeah, I always wondered how hard it would be to get your DNA not to change so that you wither and die with age, but also to stop the frantic, unsustainable growth of youth so you don't end up like Andre the Giant.

But since I don't know shit about biology, the best I can come up with is "seems like it should work just fine, but I am content with the fact that my fate is probably the same old-age death as everyone else."

Also, I mean, reverting to sexual immaturity isn't rare in humans. Go to a frat house some time, you'll see dozens of specimens who've done exactly that.

Meissnerd

Porkfry wrote: »

I want to be able to squirt blood from my eyes

Those lizards are the best

Wren

wings of a dog and the teeth of an earthworm

BigDes

I would want the powers of Iggy Pop.

No mortal can ingest that amount of narcotics and survive.

Munkus Beaver

Defender wrote: »

Zephyr wrote: »

i'd want the trait of immortality from a Turritopsis nutricula jellyfish

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_nutricula

Turritopsis nutricula is a hydrozoan (jellyfish) with a life cycle in which it reverts back to the polyp stage after becoming sexually mature. It is the first case in which a metazoan (animal) is capable of reverting completely to a sexually immature, colonial stage after having reached sexual maturity as a solitary stage. It does this through the cell development process of transdifferentiation. This cycle then repeats. Thus, it appears that it has cheated death and is a potentially immortal, solitary metazoan.

Yeah, I always wondered how hard it would be to get your DNA not to change so that you wither and die with age, but also to stop the frantic, unsustainable growth of youth so you don't end up like Andre the Giant.

But since I don't know shit about biology, the best I can come up with is "seems like it should work just fine, but I am content with the fact that my fate is probably the same old-age death as everyone else."

Also, I mean, reverting to sexual immaturity isn't rare in humans. Go to a frat house some time, you'll see dozens of specimens who've done exactly that.

Well, you could always nix the aging process without touching the sexual process. Cells produce some chemical which causes degeneration as you get older. You're essentially slowly committing suicide every day.

BigDes

That and constant free radical bombarding which doesn't help.

GrinninBarrett

I wish I had some birds for toothbrushes like a crocodile

PotU

Cat ears and a tail

Meissnerd

ahahahahaha

the crest of a rooster

CG Faggotry

The penis of a T-rex.

turtleant

A shell.

As7

Aging is a pretty complicated process.

They used to think...well some still do think....that it was the telomeres (the protective ends) of DNA being eroded away that caused you to age. Now, a lot of scientists think it's actually programmed right into your genes in one way or another.

As for traits I'd want, personally...I don't know...maybe the ability to regenerate lost body parts, like a starfish or lizard or what have you? Maybe just flight...more like an insect than a bird...hovering kicks ass.

Or how about the ability to control peoples minds with powerful pheremones?!?

Centipede Damascus

Munkus Beaver

How about the feet of a monkey.

Feet of a monkey

or arms of a gorilla.

Zephyr

Centipede Damascus wrote: »

man that would be really gross the first time

Druhim

Munkus Beaver wrote: »

Defender wrote: »

Zephyr wrote: »

i'd want the trait of immortality from a Turritopsis nutricula jellyfish

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_nutricula

Turritopsis nutricula is a hydrozoan (jellyfish) with a life cycle in which it reverts back to the polyp stage after becoming sexually mature. It is the first case in which a metazoan (animal) is capable of reverting completely to a sexually immature, colonial stage after having reached sexual maturity as a solitary stage. It does this through the cell development process of transdifferentiation. This cycle then repeats. Thus, it appears that it has cheated death and is a potentially immortal, solitary metazoan.

Yeah, I always wondered how hard it would be to get your DNA not to change so that you wither and die with age, but also to stop the frantic, unsustainable growth of youth so you don't end up like Andre the Giant.

But since I don't know shit about biology, the best I can come up with is "seems like it should work just fine, but I am content with the fact that my fate is probably the same old-age death as everyone else."

Also, I mean, reverting to sexual immaturity isn't rare in humans. Go to a frat house some time, you'll see dozens of specimens who've done exactly that.

Well, you could always nix the aging process without touching the sexual process. Cells produce some chemical which causes degeneration as you get older. You're essentially slowly committing suicide every day.

I think you're confused about free radicals which are a result of the electron transport phase of respiration. Also our chromosomes have sections of essentially disposable DNA called telomeres that seem to act as buffers. Every time chromosomes replicate during cell division, a little bit of that buffer is lost because the polymerase isn't able to copy all the way to the end. So the telomeres are shorter (meaning less of a buffer) in younger cells.

M.D.

I would want the eyesight of an eagle.

Also a monkey tail.

Projeck

Zephyr wrote: »

Centipede Damascus wrote: »

man that would be really gross the first time

What? Explain!

ShimSham

gills