Did you know …
That most scientists don’t actually have mothers?! It’s true!
The vast majority of scientists, male and female, were “birthed” from an asexual parent. I gave “birthed” quotation marks because it’s not a birth as most of us know it. When the parent is ready to create offspring, it produces a fruiting body (much like a fungus will) on its back or stomach. This semi-transparent protrusion will grow to nearly the same size as the host (scientists come into this world nearly fully grown), leaching nutrients from its body.
When the new scientist has reached viability and sufficient size, the fruiting body will rupture and release the “baby” scientist into the world. Covered in slime and naked but for a flimsy lab coat, the scientist will consume what is left of its parent’s withered body. It will then spend the next several hours drying and pumping vital fluids from its bloated, distended abdomen into the rest of its body, not unlike a butterfly recently emerged from its cocoon.
Beautiful!
*I suspect you’re wondering “Hey, how do these scientists eventually reproduce? Wouldn’t the female ones technically be mothers at that point?” Clever, but not that clever. At six or seven years old, a scientist reaches the final stage of its life: sexual maturity. At that point, any vestigial sexual organs shrivel up and fall off the scientist, leaving them gender neutral and ready to produce another scientist.
No comments:
Post a Comment