That second image with the spider legitimately creeped me out enough to pause reading this article. Bravo, Marcos Chin.
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Good article but why does one of the illustrations have a spider ( an arachnid ) providing milk for insect pupae babies ??? Spiders don't have a pupa stage and they don't raise insects.
8
This is the most compelling article I’ve read in the Times in a long, long while. So very tired of the narcissism of our strangely selfish human species. So tired of reading about our pitiful preoccupations. Our big beautiful brains were designed for greater things than cooking up banking algorithms and/or reading about greed. MILK! What a miraculous provision! What a gorgeous and elegant life-maker. Thanks for teaching us something thrilling, useful and utterly inspiring.
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I so enjoy Natalie Angier's previous books, etc. This is a wonderful addition to her writings.
BUT, the drawings?!? Talk about a mismatch between the text and the illustrations. Ms. Angier is discussing animals, etc. producing their own milk and the how perfect it is for the specific species so you draw said insects feeding their young by bottle? Thus reinforcing the idea that mother's milk and artificial milk (or milk provided from some other species) are the same?
While I understand it would have been challenging to show tsetse fly feeding, perhaps consider something more appropriate to the text next time.
16
But then, egg yolk is also a milk. It is contained in the chicken and feeds it
6
"... meat eaters are designed to efficiently wrest their glucose from protein and fat."
"Designed"?! Unless Angier means to invoke "intelligent design" dogma, she should say "meat eaters _evolved_".
14
@HKV
I don't think "designed" has to, in and of itself, refer to "intelligent design".
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"... the evolution of mammalian lactation ..."
The associated link is to the tsetse fly paper. This may be the intended paper:
The origin and evolution of lactation
Anthony V Capuco and R Michael Akers
J Biol., 2009 Apr 24
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2688910/
4
Natalie Angier strikes again! What a fantastic discussion of the origins and multi-dimensional uses of animal milks.
Human milk -- whose composition is still not thoroughly researched -- IS very sweet (another self-taster here), which is why formula manufacturers add sugars to their products.
I'm not sure I buy the proposed reason for human milk's composition (Sugar supposedly provided protection from pathogens? When a swiftly developing human brain needs vastly more carbohydrates than proteins or fats?), but the fact that people are seeking answers, and that the Times ran Angier's article, provided a lift on a cold, wet, dismal day.
29
Fascinating! It's wonderful to witness misconceptions about our world get corrected. The Science times is my favorite read. Thank you.
23
Excellent report. Keep it up!
19
Every species' milk is so highly specialized. The lesson in that: never drink the milk from any species other than your own. It truly isn't for you.
23
@JustInsideBeltway How did you get that take away message ? I quite enjoy goat and cow milk, cheese and yogurt.
15
Years ago I discovered Ms. Natalie Angier's articles and books.
Then I went back and read everyone of her New York Times articles from her beginning.
Took notes from her books, and loved all of her writings.
A Super Delight at every article, for sure.
Very grateful to her - having learned so much, and have also been entertained.
A Cherished Find.
Appreciatively,
R. Statkun
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