Fruit Flies, They’re Just Like Us!
Why does the stale old Inky insist on writing about sex? It’s like going to your grandparents’ house, expecting to hear about the good old days and instead being treated to a sordid tale of a wild weekend with their swinger’s club.
Still, Carnal Knowledge columnist Faye Flam does an admirable job of digging up weird subjects to entertain accidental readers like myself. This week she delves into a booze-related study at Penn State, where a researcher with a sense of humor got fruit flies drunk and observed their behavior:
The discovery was made by loosening them up with, what else, alcohol. It had the most profound effect when male flies were penned up with, what else, other males.
Lead author Kyung-An Han said bottled-up male flies typically “just sit there and don’t do anything.”
When the neuroscientist added some ethanol-soaked cotton, however, they sprung into an orgy of activity – chasing, mounting and collapsing into heaps.
Not so different than a typical weekend in Old City, eh?
Fruit Flies Imbibe [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Dining in Old City [Old City District]
