Tag Archives: caterpillar

Uneven ‘Caterpillar Wormholes’ Could Link Intertwined Black Holes

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Sometimes the wormhole is bumpy

Shutterstock / Champei

What occurs when two black holes share an unbreakable quantum connection? Research indicates this may lead to a textured space-time passage referred to as an “Einstein-Rosen caterpillar.”

Albert Einstein’s name links two distinct physical anomalies. The first is the Einstein-Rosen bridge (a wormhole that links distant regions in space and time), and the second is the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen pair, characterized by an inseparable property called quantum entanglement. In a 2013 study, physicists Juan Maldacena from Princeton University and Leonard Susskind of Stanford University proposed that these phenomena may be similar concerning black holes.

Now, Brian Swingle and a team at Brandeis University in Massachusetts have found that this equivalence might only hold under certain conditions. They conducted a mathematical analysis of entangled black holes and discovered that the situation is more intricate and less straightforward than previously assumed.

Swingle stated that exploring the wormholes linking quantum entangled black holes could ultimately aid scientists in gaining deeper insights into black hole interiors. Black holes are enigmatic entities that remain poorly understood due to their immense gravitational fields. Mathematical theories suggest that the size of a black hole’s interior corresponds to its complexity, linked to its fundamental quantum components. The researchers pondered whether a similar principle could apply to wormholes joining black hole pairs.

This presents a significant challenge because a comprehensive understanding of black hole entanglement necessitates a thorough theory of quantum gravity, which has yet to be established. Instead, the team utilized a model that imperfectly combines quantum physics and gravity, but still offers relevant insights, according to Swingle.

The researchers found a mathematical relationship between the level of microscopic quantum randomness within a wormhole and its geometric length. Their results indicated that typical wormholes tend to be more bumpy and less smooth, leading to their comparison with caterpillars. Swingle noted that this contrasts with earlier findings from 2013 and may pertain to special, less common instances where the entangled state of the black holes generates a smooth wormhole between them.

Donald Marolf from the University of California, Santa Barbara, remarked that while the study sheds light on black hole entanglement, it has not yet clarified the most frequent scenarios of such entanglement. He pointed out that the set of all theoretically possible black hole states is vast, exceeding the total number of black holes in our universe, thus requiring further theoretical exploration to definitively determine the typical connected states of a pair of black holes.

Future studies could involve utilizing quantum computers to simulate cosmic black holes and caterpillar wormholes, Swingle suggested. His team’s methodology linked simplified quantum theory with gravitational theory, so as quantum computing advances become more powerful and reliable, it may offer new understandings of both quantum theory and gravitational concepts. Since their calculations already incorporate elements of quantum information theory, Swingle foresees potential breakthroughs in quantum computing algorithms inspired by research into gravitational mysteries.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The New “Bone Collector” Caterpillar Adorns Itself with the Remains of Its Prey.

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A newly identified species of caterpillar has been found climbing the spider webs on Oahu, Hawaii, presenting an unprecedented sight for scientists.

This caterpillar not only thrives in a peculiar and precarious environment but also resides in tree hollows, rock crevices, and within the nets of curled logs. Interestingly, it is carnivorous and uses parts of its prey as camouflage after consuming them.

This unusual insect, recognized by researchers, is a rare outlier in the insect kingdom. Out of roughly 200,000 known species of moths and butterflies, only about 0.1% are carnivorous.

“Carthymen are extremely uncommon among caterpillars,” stated Professor Adam Hart, an ecologist, conservation scientist, and entomologist at the University of Gloucestershire who was not part of the study, as reported by BBC Science Focus. “In fact, it’s only found in Hawaiian species groups.”

Bone collector caterpillars share webs with spiders and consume their prey. -Rubinoff Lab, Entomology Section, University of Hawaii, Manoa

This newly discovered species is adept at scavenging. It consumes weak or deceased insects that become ensnared in spider webs and can even chew through silk to access its food source if needed.

Dragging a silk case (the protective outer layer before transforming into a moth), it accumulates adhesive threads, exoskeletons, and insect limbs, creating a creepy yet effective disguise.

Researchers uncovered body parts from over six different insect species attached to these caterpillars. This is not a random assortment but a carefully curated collection.

“Before caterpillars weave their collection, the body parts are meticulously sized,” explained the authors of the published study in Science.

The parts are arranged optimally, with oversized pieces being bitten down to size before being incorporated, resulting in a creepy yet intentional suit of armor fashioned from the remains of their prey.

“Many caterpillars possess incredible camouflage, typically integrated into their form and behavior,” Hart noted. “It’s rare for them to utilize their environment as camouflage in this manner, but it’s not unheard of in moths; for instance, bagworms use environmental materials to construct their cases.”

To further explore this species, researchers raised some caterpillars in captivity, where they soon observed another unsettling behavior: cannibalism. The solitary nature of these caterpillars in the wild may explain their isolation, as only one is found per web.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6jjsdqeke8

Large bone collector caterpillars share smaller specimens in captivity.

The researchers also tested whether bone collectors would use other types of debris for decoration, finding they only decorated with insect remnants.

Despite its peculiar lifestyle, this species has existed for a lengthy period, potentially six million years, which is more than twice the age of Oahu itself.

However, its current range is limited to just 15km² (5.8 square miles) and is at significant risk of extinction. Without immediate conservation efforts, researchers warn that “the last living representative of this lineage of carnivorous, body-adorned caterpillars will vanish, adapted to the precarious existence within spider webs.”

“There are countless extraordinary invertebrates out there, with much more yet to be discovered,” Hart remarked. “Moth caterpillars disguised as the remains of insect prey, living predatory lives on spider webs, is certainly one of the strangest and most fascinating things I’ve heard in quite a while.”

About our experts

Adam Hart is an entomologist and professor of science communication at the University of Gloucestershire. Besides his research and educational efforts, he frequently appears on BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service, participating in documentaries on various topics from trophy hunting to tree diseases. He also hosts a weekly science program, Science Behaviour for BBC World Services. On television, Adam has co-presented several documentary series, including BBC Four’s Planet Ant and BBC Two’s Living Hive.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

The Bone Collector: Caterpillar Donning a Disguise of Dead Insect Body Parts

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Bone collector caterpillar from the Waianae Mountains of Oahu, Hawaii

Daniel Rubinov et al. 2025

The newly described “Bone Collector” caterpillar species disguises itself as dead insect body parts, allowing them to live in spiders and poach their prey. This is the only caterpillar known to use such a scary camouflage or have a roommate-like spider, a carnivorous animal and a booty cannibalism.

Daniel Rubinoff At the University of Hawaii, Manoa and his colleagues discovered a caterpillar while hiking the Waianae Mountains of Oahu over 20 years ago. They were looking for other species in the same genus, Low mass tumorAlso known as the Hawaiian Fancy Case Caterpillar. “I saw this little, tiny sac covered in a bit of a bug and honestly, I didn’t know what it was,” Rubinov says. “Then we’ll get it back [to the lab]and we realize there is a bit of a caterpillar there.

Newly described species of Low mass tumor – Has not yet received the scientific name – lives in a co-neck inside the trunk of a tree, among rocks and other enclosed spaces. It is the length of its claws and feeds on insects trapped in spider nets. “Only 0.13% of all caterpillars on the planet are carnivorous,” says Rubinoff. “That’s why it’s very difficult for caterpillars to evolve to eat meat.”

Bone collectors avoid becoming the prey itself in creepy ways. Decorate the silk case with fragments of dead insects and molted exoskeletons of spiders. Before disguising it, the creature carefully sizes each body part that may contain the ant’s head, beetle’s abdomen, or fly wings.

Bone Collector Caterpillar (left) uses his horrifying disguise to live safely in a spider (right)

Daniel Rubinov et al. 2025

“It’s probably the only way to survive with the spider, by covering yourself with the skin of the spider’s own shed and small pieces of past meals,” says Rubinov. This will make the caterpillars smell and taste more like garbage bags than juicy snacks for Arknido Housemates. After about 2-3 months it transforms into moth, smaller than the grain of rice.

If bone collectors are not fully accessorized, this caterpillar is also a cannibal. Researchers learned this after placing two larvae in the same cage, leading to one larger bet for smaller, weaker siblings. This is why only one bone collector is displayed per Spider Web, says Rubinoff.

Researchers have discovered only 62 of these creatures over more than 150 field studies conducted over approximately 22 years.

Genetic analysis shows that the lineage is more than 3 million years old than Oahu, meaning it was once again spreading. “Since humans arrived in places like this, we have lost many native species,” says Rubinoff. “Both we were able to find is a miracle [the bone collector]and it’s really sad that they are so restricted to this one place.

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Source: www.newscientist.com