Starship Asterisk*

apodman wrote:Where's the astronomy?

apodman wrote:Is an owl-spider like a duck-rabbit?

makc wrote:here goes the largest (but not crispest) scan I've found:

still not sure wtf is that

apodman wrote:It looks like Treebeard to me

apodman wrote:Say it ent sew!

• --------------------------------------------------------------
  Neufer's Law: Any intelligent talented person who has
  the opportunity to plant a harmless cryptic inside joke
  & also get away with it (e.g., with a valid alibi)
  WILL plant a harmless cryptic inside joke.
  
  Corollary I: The designers of the US $1 bill did just that...
  but one can only guess at what the joke (or their alibi) was.
  --------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.gotfuturama.com/Information/Encyc-102-Owls/ wrote:
<<Due to the city of New York's huge rat problem, the breeding of as many owls as possible was encouraged by successive mayors, until the rats were driven out of sight, or exterminated. By the time the last rat was eaten, New New York was overrun with owls, which were eating anything and everything that they could find, as an alternative to the constant diet of rat, rat, rat. The city has since interrupted its owl-breeding programme, and residents are in the process of evicting the feathered menace to their society. Many people in New New York use owl traps, some prefer to gas them. The best way to eradicate the owl-problem is for residents not to leave food and/or garbage lying around, which comes hard to some (particularly Fry) and has had a detrimental effect on the feeding Schedule of Dr. Zoidberg.>>

neufer wrote:

apodman wrote:Is an owl-spider like a duck-rabbit?

More like a Joseph Jastrow - Robert Jastrow , actually.

apodman wrote:They appear to be the same part of the same web pattern, only not cut off by the frame around the "1".

makc wrote:

neufer wrote:

apodman wrote:Is an owl-spider like a duck-rabbit?

More like a Joseph Jastrow - Robert Jastrow , actually.

excellent reply, neufer! how do you even know these people?

makc wrote:

apodman wrote:They appear to be the same part of the same web pattern, only not cut off by the frame around the "1".

I think you may be right about this being the same part, but it looks to me like superposition of random arcs

with nothing special about it.

• --------------------------------------------------------------
  Neufer's Law: Any intelligent talented person who has
  the opportunity to plant a harmless cryptic inside joke
  & also get away with it (e.g., with a valid alibi [see above])
  WILL plant a harmless cryptic inside joke.
  
  Corollary I: The designers of the US $1 bill did just that...
  but one can only guess at what their joke (or their alibi) was.
  --------------------------------------------------------------

bystander wrote:Going with the masonic symbol on the back, I would guess an owl.

wonderboy wrote:

bystander wrote:Going with the masonic symbol on the back, I would guess an owl.

Based on the face its just a blob on a note you'd have to guess at what it is. I think its just a continuation of the pattern in my own opinion. Why would they put such a small owl (masonic symbol) on the note when they're bold enough to put the all seeing eye on others. It doesn't make sense.

wonderboy wrote:Go on then, if you know the answer, tell us?

apodman wrote:Where's the astronomy?

makc wrote:

apodman wrote:Where's the astronomy?

euro coin shows europe at a scale that can only be seen from space.

Btw, now when they have Norway in there, it is not fun any more.

neufer wrote:I don't know the answer.

owlice wrote:

neufer wrote:I don't know the answer.

I do; it's part of the design.* I looked some weeks ago for a source -- I know a definitive one exists online -- but couldn't find it before I grew weary of the search. As much as I would like it to be an owl.... 'tain't. Should be, though!

• 1) The connection between Athena's owl on the dollar bill
  and ancient Greek coins is just a coincidence?
  
  2) The connection between Minerva's spider on the dollar bill and
  the interwoven blue & red silk fiber threads is just a coincidence?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arachne wrote:
<<Arachne was a great mortal weaver who boasted that her skill was greater than that of Minerva, the Latin parallel of Pallas Athena, goddess of crafts. The offended goddess set a contest between the two weavers. According to Ovid, the goddess was so envious of the magnificent tapestry and the mortal weaver's success, and perhaps offended by the girl's choice of subjects (the loves and transgressions of the gods), that she destroyed the tapestry and loom and slashed the girl's face.

• “Not even Pallas nor blue-fevered Envy \ Could damn Arachne's work. \
  The gold haired goddess Raged at the girl's success, struck through her loom,
  Tore down the scenes of wayward joys in heaven.″

Ultimately, the goddess turned Arachne into a spider.>>

owlice wrote:And what the heck is with the green eye shadow in that YouTube clip?!

owlice wrote:Conspiracy theories abound in every field of endeavor, I suppose; people see what they want to see.
Whatever you wish to believe about the US one dollar bill is okay by me!

• ------------------------------------------------------------------
  Adlington's _The Golden Ass_ (1566) {translation by S. Gasalee}
  
  Book 10: "then followed another resembling *MINERVA*,
  for she had on her head a shining *HELMET*,
  whereon was bound a garland of OLIVE-branches,
  having in one hand a target or shield: and in the other
  *SHAKING A SPEARE* as though she would fight.
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------

owlice wrote:Followed any asterisks lately?
One might clear up what appears to be a misperception under which you labor!

• • Miss Perception:
  
  
  
  
  "ATHENA's original name simply PALLAS ...
  ... from pallein, signifying *to SHAKE* "
  -------------------------------------------------------------------
  ____ William = WilHELM = *HELMET*
  ____ Shake-speare = *PALLAS ATHENA*
  -------------------------------------------------------------------

owlice wrote:Ah, but the question remains as to whether you read the fine print!

The owl on the Athenian coins is the Little Owl, Athene noctua.

owlice wrote:So, they are cute! "Minerva Owl" also brings up the Athenian owl.

Owls have appeared on other money, too, in coinage and on bills (Greek, Canadian, Finnish, etc.). It wouldn't be a disaster if one appeared on US currency; I'm sure people would still use the stuff! (Hmmm... wonder if one has; will have to research that.)

• Mr. McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word.
  
  Benjamin: Yes, sir.
  
  Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?
  
  Benjamin: Yes, I am.
  
  Mr. McGuire: Plastics.
  
  Benjamin: Just how do you mean that, sir?

http://www.petridishnews.com/news/researchers-trogloraptor-spider-with-hook-like-claws-found-in-oregon-cave-video/ wrote:

---

Oregon Cavers Discover Trogloraptor
The Petri Dish | Jessica Lear | Saturday, August 18, 2012

<<According to Our Amazing Planet, scientists have found a new taxonomic family of spiders in the caves of Oregon. This new spider family, which was found in southern Oregon, is only the third new family of spider to be discovered since 1990 and the first to be found in North America since 1890. So far, this new family holds only one species–the newly discovered spider from Oregon. A research team led by Charles Griswald at the California Academy of Sciences has named the species Trogloraptor marchingtoni. The species was named after Neil Marchington of the Western Cave Conservancy who found the spider and gave it to Griswald’s team.

The genus name, trogloraptor, means cave robber, which was chosen in response to the hook-shape of the spider’s legs. Scientists involved in the project believe Trogloraptor marchingtoni uses its hook-like legs to catch insects flying around it. Norman Platnick, a spider expert at the American Museum of Natural History was not involved in the study, but is excited about what it means for his field. “It is just as fascinating to arachnologists as the discovery of a new dinosaur is to paleontologists,” he said.

Griswald said the Trogloraptor marchingtoni is somewhat large at roughly 3 inches, or 8 centimeters, when fully stretched. “When you’re in a cave and it’s dark and there’s only the beam of your head lamp, they look much bigger,” he said. From their research so far, the team believes the spider hangs from a web at the top of a cave, waiting for flying insects to come by. This is only a guess for now though as the few specimens Griswald and his team have collected have not eaten anything.

Past stories of giant spiders in this area have led Griswald and his team to believe there could be more species like this in caves in the western United States. In fact, there may be many more species to discover as these caves have been vastly unexplored. Adding to its uniqueness, Trogloraptor marchingtoni has two rows of teeth, something Platnick said he cannot remember seeing in any other species of spider. The newly discovered spider also has poison glands, but it has not been determined if they are poisonous to humans

New families of spiders can be added to the current list of 111 in a couple of ways, Platnick said. Most of the time, new families are created when scientists studying the species find it is not as closing related to its current family as previously thought. This makes Trogloraptor’s discovery all the more impressive as new spider families are rarely formed when a new species is first identified.>>