some creatures lives are just weird. it makes life seem pointless dunnit?

Question

yesterday i was watching planet earth (started at 22:00 on bbc4 if anyone else watched it) and theres this type of bug (cant remember what its called) but anyway, every 17 years, millions and millions of them come out from under the ground and fly around this forest. theyre kinda dumb and loads of them die and get eaten. if theyre lucky they mate, then after 36 hours they die, only for their babies to reappear another 17 years later! DOESNT THIS MAKE LIFE SEEM SO POINTLESS?!!! they just live for one and a half days then die. must suck to be one of those flies!

nope wasnt a mayfly brother

Answer 1

You're talking about Cicadas? Those live underground for 15-17 years feeding on sap from tree roots. But cicadas live more than 36 hours as adults. Most live several months during the summer, feeding on tree sap. They also, given their small size, have the greatest "sound to weight ratio" of any animal. If a cicada where the size of a human, they could (at least thoeretically) produce a sound louder than a jet engine.

However, if you want strange life cycles, you need to start studying parasites. For example, the ant fungus that causes it's host to climb up the tallest object it can find, and then clamp down with it's legs and mandibles. The fungus then paralyzes and finally devours it's ant host and uses the corpse to grow a tiny spore capsule.

Then there's a species of parasitic fly that infects male crickets. It finds the cricket by homing in on it's song. The fly then lays an egg on the cricket, and the larva feeds on the fat and body fluids. It finally grows so large that it completely devours the internal organs, and bursts out, killing it's host. (Rather like the movie "Aliens"; now you know where they got the idea.)

Then there are the so called "Horsehair Worms." these start as microscopic larvae swimming around in a source of water. When one of a number of insects drinks the water, it may pick up one of these larvae. It then slowly grows to adulthood inside the insect, and once it has, suddenly causes the insect to becone thirsty. Once the insect reaches water, the worm triggers a panic response; the insect runs, leaps, or crawls into the water and drowns. The worm then crawls out of the insect and bursts, releasing millions of tiny eggs.

It seems like, for every species of insect or small animal, there is a parasite that has figured out a particularly gruesome way of killing it. these are only three examples, there are hundreds of thousands of others. this is not limited to land animals either. ever heard of "whirling disease"

If you think things like that don't affect humans, think again. Firstly there is the parasite that causes malaria, "Plasmodium", whose life cycle is far too complicated to even outline here. Then there is the Ebola virus, which, like the Black Plague causes the intestines and respritory tract to leak blood, killing it's host and helping to spread itself. Then there are the many dozens of other human diseases caused by parasites,like Sleeping Sickness, Tapeworms, Schizstosomiasis, River Blindness, etc. And humans are just one species. Imagine how many other parasites are out there that infect other types of animals.

Now you said earlier that life seemed pointless. There is in fact a point to all this, it is Survival. Parasites may seem strange, but they have simply found a niche, and are exploiting it to the best of their ability in order to survive and reproduce. Don't go around accusing life of being wierd; you probably don't know the half of it!

Answer 2

Do NOT live to please others. This is your life, you do what you want to do and not based on what others what you to do. People will step all over someone who lets them, and will take advantage of that person. You should start being a little more strict, not mean - but firm, and let people know that you're not on this Earth for them. I think you need to focus on your talents more, or something like an extracurricular activity to uplift your spirits. Life isn't pointless, it's honestly what you make of it. I occasionally feel like you do, because I admit I'm not the outgoing person that people want to hang around all of the time. But you're young, life has just started for you. Learn a new language, take drawing lessons, find an interest and discover a hobby - go along with it, keep up your grades and I'm sure before you're twenty you'll find a guy who wants to be in a committed relationship. You don't need to decide your life right now, or what job you're going to take or what you're going to do. Just stay in school, and while you're looking for new things to do you'll probably find something you're passionate about. *And we all have bad hair or bad self-esteem days. Trust me.. Lol. I'm sure you're an attractive person, but maybe if you wear a little makeup you'll feel better.

Answer 3

My first few thoughts on this have to do with being unable to know the value of beingness amongst other creaures. A "soft science" person might say that if it moves n has a body we anthropomorphize it, that is we assume what it does might be like what we feel. If it moves less or has a distributed body like say a lawn it doesn't seem to speak as much to the value of our own lives.

A different science person would be thrilled with your hypothesis, that bugs can have meaningful lives. They might attach electrodes to bug brains n count the number of ways their neurons are like ours. This is so thrilling later on they find out that drugs that make human lives better can be built from studying bug neuron responses.

The scientist that studies facts is way ahead. The idea "anthropomorphic" might sound wise but its just like ancient animal fables: bendy enough to describe any situation but utterly different than the basic knowledge that makes building things possible.

Here's another idea on how TV might be like ancient animal fables. You've heard of the tortoise n the hare. As a fable or story its like a TV script. The reason TV shows might anthropomorphize bugs is because telling a story keeps viewers watching. Basically because You are a human being the TV producers make the bugs fit you.


A nifty way to think about those cyclic bugs might be o ask what would a noncyclic bug do

Answer 4

It all depends on the way you look at life and the wonderful planet on which we live.

Personally I think nature and the natural world marvellous.

I don't suppose they have the same outlook on life and death as we do and if they did they might consider living for as long as we do a dreadful thought.

I think the metamorphosis of moths and butterflies pretty amazing and some of them don't live very long either.

I don't think their life is pointless, they probably play an important role in the echo system.

Live long, be happy and enjoy

Answer 5

I saw it and they were called "occaisonal secoyas" they did seem weird however they give other animals a boost of food that means the forest can re-invigourate its population and the trees get huge amount of fertilizer.

What I want to know is why 17 years and what triggers them to come out.

Answer 6

they are food for others. if you research this you well find something other then just the bugs flying around every 17 yearsis happing and ya it must suck to be them then again they no nothing Else and it is our noing that we say that .

Answer 7

A short life but a merry one! Maybe?

Answer 8

I didn't see it last night, but that one's been on several times elsewhere - oh, but then again, you DID say it was BBC4...

Answer 9

you think them bugs life are pointless, look at the lives we lead.

we're born, we grow up, we get old, we die.

that's it

that's our life

Answer 10

time might go slower for them.
maybe in reality our lives are just spent in a miniscule amount of time.